#so that part does check out! however if trip was cast as audrey then who would orin be? my thought for that would be debbie and i would jus

[fiberglassandflowers]

im still conflicted about my placements for the little shop of horrors at the moment

#talking #CLICK SEE ALL IF YOU DARE. #norman as seymour is like. accurate because Look At Him you cant tell me he wouldnt get himself into that mess. #but at the same time ramona would fit the role really well also [“strange plants are my hobby”] #but ramona ALSO works for mr. mushnik #and i want to cast vannie as audrey ii because i mean its just really good. you eat blood audrey ii how am i supposed to keep feeding you #but if ramona was seymour it would make sense for me to cast sunny as audrey ii because of the outer space aspect of its character #and dont even get me started on the placements for audrey. if norman was seymour my first thought is obviously gonna be trip as audrey #because like at first glance its like Yeah that makes sense #but at a further glance NO IT DOESNT!!! audrey is shown to be fantasizing about wanting to move to a suburbia which trip canonically HATES #BUT!! at a FURTHER glance theres that shared aspect of wanting to get out of that awful town with the person you love! #so that part does check out! however if trip was cast as audrey then who would orin be? my thought for that would be debbie and i would jus #change the part where theyre like romantic because. ew. AND that would make sense because of the fact she would get eaten #by vannie specifically in this scenario. HOWEVER #if we're gonna roll with that and just change their relationship to each other i would ALSO have to change the fact that at the end #of the musical where SPOILER audrey dies and shes like “i want you to feed me to the plant” because trip would not take that shit lying dow #BUT!! if im okay with changing peoples relationships to each other then technically if i wanted the orin thing to still work how it was #intended to then TECHNICALLY fern could get cast as audrey as well and him and norman could be hashtag platonic #but outside of miranda being cast as orin it wouldnt actually fit at all #anyway the reason im leaning more towards the norman/vannie/trip iteration #other than the fact that im more focused on those characters at the moment #is that with the ramona/sunshine iteration i have no idea who audrey would be because i havent really explored ramonas relationships #with other people as much outside of sunny and mina #and while mina fits the audrey personality a whole lot it wouldnt really work with the way her and ramona's dynamic is canonically #sigh. its a hard life for me. sorry for typing about this in the tags so much

[papermoonloveslucy]

THE NOT-SO-POPULAR MECHANICS

S5;E22 ~ February 19, 1973

Directed by Coby Ruskin ~ Written by Bob Carroll Jr. and Madelyn Davis

Synopsis

Harry buys a vintage car at the same time that Lucy and Mary Jane are taking an adult school class in automotive repair. When Harry goes away on a trip, he asks Lucy to phone his mechanic, but she forgets. Lucy thinks she can do the work herself – but things don't go as planned when Harry comes home early from his trip.  

Regular Cast

Lucille Ball (Lucy Carter), Gale Gordon (Harrison Otis Carter)

Lucie Arnaz (Kim Carter) does not appear in this episode, nor does she receive screen credit. Except for the clips seen in the season finale, the character will not return to the series until the fourth episode of season six.

Guest Cast

Mary Jane Croft (Mary Jane) played Betty Ramsey during season six of “I Love Lucy. ” She also played Cynthia Harcourt in “Lucy is Envious” (ILL S3;E23) and Evelyn Bigsby in “Return Home from Europe” (ILL S5;E26). She played Audrey Simmons on “The Lucy Show” but when Lucy Carmichael moved to California, she played Mary Jane Lewis, the actor’s married name and the same one she uses on all 31 of her episodes of “Here’s Lucy. Her final acting credit was playing Midge Bowser on “Lucy Calls the President” (1977). She died in 1999 at the age of 83.   

Robert Rockwell (Jack Scott) is probably best remembered as biology teacher Mr. Boynton on “Our Miss Brooks” (1952-56) opposite Gale Gordon (Osgood Conklin) and Mary Jane Croft (Miss Enright), who were also series regulars. Although not the first to play Mr. Boynton, he assumed the role on radio and made the transition with the show to television. He previously played Viv's handsome match in “Lucy Digs Up a Date” (TLS S1;E2) the second installment of “The Lucy Show” in 1962. He continued working until 1995 and died in 2003 at age 82.  

In addition to being an auto mechanic and a teacher at the Valley Trade School, Jack Scott is also a sailor who docks his boat at the Paradise Yacht Club. The character’s name may have been inspired by Jack Scott Fones, an advertising executive working with Philip-Morris who befriended Lucille Ball during “I Love Lucy.” 

Leigh Adams-Bennett (Mrs. Foley, student) makes her first of only two TV appearances after doing background work on two films in 1972.  

The character’s surname is likely a tribute to the show’s film editor, John Foley A.C.E. 

Shirley Anthony (Student, uncredited, extreme right) made more than a dozen background appearances on “Here’s Lucy.”  From 1994 to 1999 she played Sally on “The Rockford Files” TV movies.  

The other female students in Mr. Scott's class are played by uncredited and unidentified background performers.

The title refers to Popular Mechanics, a magazine devoted to science and technology first published in 1902 by H.H. Windsor. Since 1958 it has been owned by the Hearst Corporation.

Chevrolet provided all the training materials as well as the motor parts for the car. They received screen credit. Series Executive Producer (and husband to Lucille Ball) Gary Morton was an auto enthusiast so he acted as consultant for this episode. He was, however, billed under his birth name, Morton Goldaper.

At the start of the episode, Mary Jane has come over to take Lucy to Morton's Department Store End-of-the-Month sale. This is the second time that Lucy's married name has been used as the name of a Los Angeles department store. 

When Harry drools over his new Rolls Royce, Lucy quips “I haven't seen that expression on his face since he judged the Miss Borego Springs beauty contest.”  Borego Springs was where Gale Gordon lived and was briefly mayor. It is located outside San Diego, California, and was previously mentioned in “Someone's on the Ski Lift with Dinah” (S4;E7).  

The license plate on Lucy's new car is 592-IMW.  The last time we saw inside Lucy’s garage was in “Lucy and Aladdin’s Lamp” (S3;E21) two years earlier when she had a garage sale.  

Harry's mechanic is named Mr. Nickel. Harry has entered his vintage Rolls in the Classic Car Show and needs some minor repairs performed while he is away in San Francisco.    

Harry mentions (but does not sing) the song “Embraceable You,” a song by George and Ira Gershwin originally written in 1928 for the un-produced operetta East is West. It was eventually included in the 1930 musical Girl Crazy. It is now part of the musical Crazy for You.

The reveal of Harry's vintage Rolls Royce is visually similar to the reveal of the 1923 Cadillac when the Ricardos and Mertzes are “Getting Ready” (ILL S4;E10) to drive to Hollywood.  

Lucy Ricardo’s knowledge of auto repair was also pretty poor!  She didn’t even know how to change a tire in “Off To Florida” (ILL S6;E6). 

Like the auto parts of the Rolls Royce, Mrs. Ricardo also had no idea what to do with the many parts she took out of her television set in “Lucy Does a TV Commercial” (ILL S1;E30). 

Lucy Carmichael and Viv Bagley went to adult night school in “Lucy and Viv Take Up Chemistry” (TLS S1;E26).  

FAST FORWARD!  

Lucille Ball owned several Rolls Royces over the years, including a 1965 Silver Cloud III convertible. Lucille Ball and Gary Morton owned a 1984 Silver Spur Rolls Royce which was put up for auction after Morton’s death. 

The blue gingham blouse worn in this episode also came up for auction. Ball first wore it on "The Flip Wilson Show” (1971). This blouse is also documented as being worn at birthday party for Lucie Arnaz in the 1970's.

Brand X! The brand name of the chart on the easel of Mr. Scott's classroom has been blacked out for broadcast. 

Similarly, the carton of oil has the brand name taped over, but it is clearly the Penzoil logo. Unusually, the yellow oil cans have no label on them at all!  

Lights! Camera! Action!  Mary Jane is unusually close to the camera (and out of her light) when she brings in the oil at the start of the repair scene.

Script Girl! When Lucy is reading the Rolls Royce's owner's manual, a page flops open and there are some handwritten notes inside in cursive script. This could be some of Lucy's dialogue.

Age Check! In real life, Gale Gordon was barely ten years older than Robert Rockwell.  At the time, Gordon was 66 and Rockwell was 56.  

Sitcom Logic Alert!  Uncle Harry rings the doorbell at Lucy’s home, but Jack Scott walks in without knocking or ringing!  

Where the Driveway Ends / Where the Sky Begins!  The first time we see Harry's new Rolls in Lucy's driveway, the edge of the sky drop is visible at the top left of the frame – along with a piece of equipment or pipe hanging down. The wide shot also shows were the driveway ends and the stage floor begins.

“The Not-So-Popular Mechanics” rates 4 Paper Hearts out of 5 

This is the closest Lucy and Mary Jane come to replicating the antics of Lucy and Ethel or Lucy and Viv.  

#Here's Lucy #Lucille Ball #Gale Gordon #Mary Jane Croft #Robert Rockwell #Coby Ruskin #Leigh Adams-Bennett #Bob Carroll Jr. #Madelyn Davis #Popular Mechanics #Rolls Royce #automobile repair #Chevrolet #gary morton #classic cars #1973 #CBS #TV #Borego Springs