Bob Carroll, Jr. Movies

Alice ends its nine-season run with the series' 202nd episode, in which Mel Sharples (Vic Tayback) finally sells the diner that bears his name--and surprise of surprises, he doles out huge bonuses to his staff. Mel's waitresses Alice (Linda Lavin), Vera (Beth Howland and Jolene (Celia Weston) proceed to reminiscence on the highlights of the past nine years, which of course are served up in the form of "flashbacks" from earlier episodes. In the course of events, Alice finally gets her chance at showbiz stardom, Jolene draws up plans to open her own beauty shop, and Vera announces her pregnancy. This episode was written by the series' executive producers Madelyn Pugh Davis and Bob Carroll Jr., whose previous collaborations included the classic 1950s sitcom I Love Lucy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Debuting August 31, 1976 on CBS, the weekly, half-hour comedy series Alice was loosely based on director Martin Scorcese's 1974 theatrical feature Alice Doesn't Live Here Any More, which won an Academy Award for star Ellen Burstyn. In the film, the recently widowed Alice Hyatt (Burstyn) leaves her New Jersey home in the company of her son Tommy (Alfred Lutter III) and heads to California, hoping to achieve success as a singer. Along the way, she takes a job as a waitress at a greasy spoon diner in Tucson, Arizona. Vic Tayback appears as Alice's crusty but lovable boss Mel, while her fellow waitresses include the worldly Flo, played by Diane Ladd, and the slightly ditzy Vera, played by Valerie Curtin. The film version of Alice Doesn't Live Here Any More was a fairly realistic romantic drama with comic undertones. The TV series Alice--set in Phoenix rather than Tucson--was a sitcom through and through, with farcical situations, hilariously exaggerated supporting characters, and an omnipresent and very loud laughtrack. It was also one of the most popular series of its time, remaining on CBS for nine full seasons and ranking between fourth and eighth place in the ratings for four of those seasons. And just as the movie earned an Oscar for Ellen Burstyn, so too did Alice yield several Emmy nominations and Golden Globe awards. Linda Lavin took over from Burstyn in the role of Alice Hyatt, with Philip McKeon as son Tommy, Polly Holliday as the wisecracking Florence Jean "Flo" Castleberry ("Kiss mah grits!") and Beth Howland as the scatterbrained Vera Gorman. Of the film's cast, only Vic Tayback was carried over into the series as the irascible Mel, though Diane Ladd, the original Flo, joined the cast as new waitress Belle Dupree when Polly Holiday left in 1980 to star in her own spinoff series Flo. Ladd herself would be replaced the following year with Celia Weston as Jolene Hunnicutt. Other cast members included Marvin Kaplan as Henry the mailman, one of the steadiest customers of Mel's Diner; Dave Madden as another of the diner's habitués, Earl Hicks;Martha Raye as Mel's domineering mother, Carrie Sharples; Charles Levin as Eliot Novak, the police officer whom Vera married in Season Eight; and Michael Durrell as Nicholas Stone, who became Alice's steady beau in the ninth and final season. Such was the popularity of Alice that, even while it was still being seen in Prime Time, CBS reran the series as part of its daytime schedule from 1980 to 1982, and a year later released the first several seasons for off-network syndication. After 202 episodes, Alice ended its network run on July 2, 1985. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Michael J. Pollard, best known to film buffs as the moronic "C.W. Moss" in Bonnie and Clyde, makes his one-and-only Lucy Show appearance as Ted Mooney, son of banker Theodore J. Mooney (Gale Gordon). Ted is going steady with Lucy's daughter Chris (Candy Moore) a situation that neither Lucy (Lucille Ball) nor Mr. Mooney (Gale Gordon approves of. To break up the young couple, Lucy applies reverse psychology, suggesting that Chris and Ted should get married. To teach her mom a lesson, Chris pretends to elope with Ted--and somehow this situation climaxes with Lucy and Mooney literally up a tree! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Singer Roberta Sherwood and her real son Robert Lanning guest in this episode as Roberta Schaefer and her "reel" son Bob. After a quarrel with Lucy (Lucille Ball), Viv (Vivian Vance) moves out of the house, whereupon banker Mooney (Gale Gordon) insists that a new tenant be found immediately. Enter Mrs. Schaefer and her son, who in no time flat convert the Carmichael living room into a rehearsal hall so that Roberta can practice her singing--day and night! In an effort to get Roberta out of the house and Viv back in, Lucy and Mooney try to land a singing job for the melodious tenant. Roberta Sherwood shows off her talents with spirited renditions of "Lazy River" and "Bill Bailey". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Lucy (Lucille Ball) goes ga-ga over handsome Italian millionaire Umberto Fabriani (Cesare Danova). Alas, Fabriani speaks no English, and Lucy isn't much better at Italian, despite the "assistance" of that master linguist Mr. Mooney (Gale Gordon). Things get worse when, during an intimate dinner, Lucy accidentally spills spaghetti sauce all over Fabiani's tuxedo. This situation culminates with a nocturnal foray into a closed-up dry cleaning establishment--where Lucy is unceremoniously plunked into a vat of green dye! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the first episode of a two-part story, Broadway legend Ethel Merman opens an account at the Danfield bank. Realizing what a pest the starstruck Lucy (Lucille Ball) can be, banker Mooney (Gale Gordon conspires with Merman to throw our redheaded heroine off the track. Thus, when Lucy spots the singing star, Mooney hastily explains that the new customer is actually one "Agnes Schmidlapp", who happens to bear a remarkable resemblance to Ethel Merman. The situation culminates in an unforgettable scene wherein tone-deaf Lucy teaches "Agnes" how to sing "You're the Top" for her upcoming appearance in the Boy Scout variety show. Originally intended as a single episode, this one was expanded to two parts at the request of Ethel Merman, who genuinely enjoyed working with Lucille Ball. (Incidentally, watch for Keith Thibodeaux--who as Richard Keith used to play "Little Ricky" on I Love Lucy--in a small role). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Once again, Lucy (Lucille Ball) and Viv (Vivian Vance) dream of untold riches by going into business together; this time their joint enterprise is a small restaurant. Unfortunately, despite several changes of "theme", the restaurant only seems to attract the local mailman and an army of bill collectors. Meanwhile, Mr. Mooney (Gale Gordon) finds out that a highway is to be built near the restaurant, which will potentially turn it into a goldmine. Mooney craftily tries to buy a share of the place for a cut-rate price, but circumstances conspire to foil his scheme. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Mr. Mooney (Gale Gordon) is campaigning for the office of City Council Comptroller, and Lucy (Lucille Ball) and Viv (Vivian Vance) are his staunchest supporters. While planning a big political rally, Mooney entrusts Lucy with lining up some entertainment. Alas, Lucy forgets to make the necessary calls--and, just as expected, she and Viv are the "whole show" on the night of the rally. (This episode originally aired in the election year of 1964, in which Barry Goldwater almost fared as badly as poor Mr. Mooney!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Ever on the lookout for extra money, Lucy (Lucille Ball lands a temp job as a process server. Her first assignment is to serve a subpoena to a prominent local banker--Mr. Mooney (Gale Gordon), of course. Through a series of mishaps, Lucy is unable to hand over the subpoena at Mooney's home, forcing her to trail him to the train station, which is the first leg of his summer vacation. Finally, Lucy catches up with Mooney in the stateroom of an ocean liner--whereupon Mooney graciously accepts the summons, laughing over the fact that he's going to spend a glorious summer far, far away from the troublesome Mrs. Carmichael...or is he? Watch for Richard Keith, the former "Little Ricky" on I Love Lucy, in the train-station scene. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Janet Waldo, best known to TV fans as the voice of Judy Jetson, guests in this episode as Marge, the sister of Lucy Carmichael (Lucille Ball). Although she's only been married a few weeks, poor Marge is already having problems with her hubby Hughie (played by future game-show host Peter Marshall). Determining that Marge's marital troubles stem from the fact that the couple had impusively eloped, "Doctor" Lucy prescribes an elaborate second wedding--which she, of course, will arrange down to the smallest detail! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide