Lucille Ball and Lee Bowman auditioned for the roles of a married couple in a radio pilot for a new comedy, My Favorite Husband, based on the novel Mr. and Mrs. Cugat by Isabel Scott Rorick. The concept was very well received and within a few weeks the weekly sitcom was established. Bowman was replaced by Richard Denning and during the first season, the Cugats were renamed the Coopers, who lived “in a little white two-story house” in the bustling, small suburb of Sheridan Falls. Sometimes forgetful, always loveable, Liz Cooper was constantly embroiled in situations that took an unexpected turn and showcased Lucille Ball’s flair for comedy and her wonderful sense of timing. Liz was the wacky wife; George Cooper was her ultra-conventional banker-husband. Character actor Gale Gordon, who would work with Ball numerous times over the decades, appeared on a regular basis as Rudolph Atterbury, George’s boss. The program’s sponsor was General Foods, makers of Jell-O. The dessert was heavily promoted during the commercial spots and, predictably, the Coopers’ maid Katy (played by actress Ruth Perrott) always enjoying making Jell-O. Jess Oppenheimer produced and directed the series and wrote most of the radio scripts. When CBS asked Lucille Ball to come up with an idea for a television show, she and Oppenheimer reworked the concept into I Love Lucy, replacing Richard Denning with the comedienne’s real-life husband, Desi Arnaz.
Episodes included are: “The Portrait Artist,” “Over Budget—Beans,” “Marriage License Error,” “The Absolute Truth,” “Speech For Civic Organization,” “Valentine’s Day,” “Gum Machine—Demand Your Rights,” “Horseback Riding,” “Time Budgeting,” “Overweight,” “Liz Changes Her Mind,” “The Elves,” “Superstition,” “Is There Another Woman?,” “Liz Teaches Iris to Drive,” and “Liz and the Green Wig.” |
