I Love Lucy - Season One (Vol. 5)
The four classic episodes on this volume ofI Love Lucyinclude--straight out of 1952--the inspired "Lucy Fakes Illness," in which Lucille Ball's havoc-inducing redhead, Lucy Ricardo, attempts yet another ploy to participate in husband Ricky's (Desi Arnaz) nightclub act, this time by pretending to suffer from a fabricated psychological problem. Trouble is, Lucy's ill (mental) health doesn't bear scrutiny after Ricky brings home an actor pal pretending to be a doctor. Also on board: the great "Lucy Writes a Play," concerning Mrs. Ricardo's effort to write for the stage, resulting in Cuban-born Ricky unwittingly playing a British tobacco picker. "Breaking the Lease" finds the Ricardos and best friends the Mertzes in their first and perhaps funniest feud, and "The Ballet" becomes a truly memorable showcase for Ball's slapstick talents when Lucy's dream of stardom becomes a burlesque nightmare. Great, hilarious stuff.--Tom Keogh