I Love Lucy: Season 05  (1955)

Theatrical Release Information:
I Love Lucy: Season 05

I Love Lucy boasted a new sponsor (General Foods, taking over from Philip Morris Cigarettes), a new director, and new addition to its writing staff for its fifth season on the air. Otherwise, it's the same old zany redhead Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball) making life hilariously chaotic for her Cuban bandleader husband, Ricky (Desi Arnaz), and the Ricardos' best friends, Ethel and Fred Mertz (Vivian Vance, William Frawley). In a continuation of a story arc from Season Four, the Ricardos and the Mertzes are still visiting Hollywood at the outset of Season Five, allowing Lucy a memorable meeting with superstar John Wayne. Later in the season, the four principals head to Europe, joining Ricky's band on a tour of the continent. This premise leads to one of the series' most famous episodes, "Lucy's Italian Movie", wherein our heroine auditions for an Italian neo-realist film by showing off her skill at crushing grapes with her feet. The European jaunt is also highlighted by a mini-musical set in Scotland, and an unforgettable encounter with veteran screen heartthrob Charles Boyer. Although I Love Lucy was still CBS' most popular sitcom, its overall ratings slipped to second place during its fifth season, just behind the game show The $64,000 Question. ~ All Movie Guide