I LOVE LUCY

After a brief stopover at the Teresa Ann Motel in Amarillo, Texas, the foursome arrives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, home of Ethel Mae Potter Mertz.

Ethel's father, Will Potter, greets them with the news that the entire town "is in an uprorar" over the visiting Hollywood-bound celebrity. Assuming that Potter is speaking of him, Ricky's head starts swelling until he learns the celebrity is Ethel Mae, who, apparently, has been telling some white lies in her letters home.

Ethel's former boyfriend, Chronicle reporter Billy Hackett, shows up to photograph the "star" for a "Local Girl Makes Good" story. Feeling upstaged, the Ricardos and Fred plot to teach Ethel a lesson.

On the night of Ethel's homecoming performance at the Little Theatre (marquee: "Ethel Mae Potter - We Never Forgot Her"), they fiercely upstage her by incorporating some old vaudeville schtick into her serious singing of "My Hero" from The Chocolate Soldier and a chorus of "Short'nin' Bread."

They manage to make their point, but Mrs. Mertz gets the last laugh when hackett wants a photo of the foursome to be captioned, "Ethel Mae Potter and Company."

Special Notes: Vivian Vance was raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and became the star player in the town's Little Theatre. Vance's mother's name was Mae. Irving Bacon was only eight years older than Vivian, and seventeen years younger than Frawley, who was playing his son-in-law!

Bloopers: We learn in this episode that Ethel's middle name is Mae but in episode #69, "Lucy and Ethel Buy The Same Dress," her middle name was "Louise" and in episode #79, "The Million Dollar Idea," her middle name was "Roberta" (which was Vivian Vance's real-life middle name.) Ethel's hands are clasped together when the group photo is taken but pressed flat together in the photo that's actually printed.