May 5, 1952 –
One of the most famous episodes of the I Love Lucy series, Lucy Does a TV Commercial, (also known as Vitameatavegamin,) aired on this date. In 1997, TV Guide ranked it #2 on their list of the 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time.
Ross Elliott, who played the director, said of this episode: “I chewed the inside of my mouth out to keep from laughing out loud. Lucy would do new stuff that wasn’t rehearsed, like an extra-funny face. Then, at one point, she became ‘drunk’ and started making eyes at me, flirting, and I almost broke up again“. Desi Arnez said that it was virtually impossible to keep from laughing during the part where Lucy has to prove to Ricky that she’s fit to do the commercial. Desi had to bite the inside of his cheeks to keep from laughing out loud, and you can see in the episode how he’s struggling not to lose it. During other parts of the commercial, Desi clearly was watching from the audience, and you can hear his very distinct laugh.
The Haus of Dcaligari 