As funny as Lucy (Lucille Ball), Ricky (Desi Arnaz), Ethel (Vivian Vance), and Fred (William Frawley) were during their lengthy stay in Hollywood, their “Adventures in Europe” are equally hilarious and memorable. The episodes begin with Lucy and Ethel scamming their way into a trip taken because Ricky’s band will perform abroad (Fred serves as the tour manager). Nothing comes easy for the Ricardos and Mertzes, and both Lucy and Fred find themselves in a bind when their birth certificates can’t be found. The planned excursion is also intimidating to Fred, who is prone to seasickness. Lucy provides a cure, and then she gets sick–but only after missing the ship.
Once in London, Lucy plots a scheme to meet the queen. Lucy then inadvertently gets the gang invited to the country home of an aristocrat whose daughter, Lucy fears, covets Ricky. Later, Lucy seeks her roots and dreams of Ricky as a Scottish ancestor. In Paris, Lucy may be conned, but she’s simply divine battling her first escargot. She also meets French idol Charles Boyer (who plays himself) and dons what she thinks is a Parisian designer gown. And can the Mertzes and Ricardos be in the Swiss Alps without an avalanche? Don’t bet on it. At a seedy joint in Florence, Lucy finds a creative way to celebrate son Little Ricky’s birthday and also gets offered a movie role and stomps grapes. Somehow, the gang finds time to bicycle from Italy to the French Riviera, where Lucy accidentally wins a bunch of money. Eventually they return home, in a brilliant episode in which Lucy disguises a 30-pound hunk of cheese as a baby. –N.F. Mendoza
Customer Review: Excellent! A Collection that is both Priceless and Timeless
This is almost like a “Best of” for I Love Lucy. The Europe trip was always my favorite. It includes every single Europe related episode, UNCUT and intact, as they were seen in the 50’s. It contains 17 episodes and is about 6 1/2 hours long. I plays like a long movie. I paid 35 dollars for it, and it was worth every penny. I would have paid almost double for it, it’s that good. Many of these aren’t frequently played on Tv Land, and are cut when they are, so this is worth the money.
Customer Review: The Best Has Come!!
This collection has to be the funniest adventures ever in the history of television. From sleeping on the Staten Island Ferry, to missing the Constitution, to stomping grapes in Italy, this is worth your money. Also, how they made the episodes slide into one another in sequence was amazing! If you buy this video collection, never say Bon Voyage to it!!