TV SPECIALS

This hour-long special, produced for CBS had Lucille Ball portraying a television studio boss who must convince Bob Hope to star in a TV show about the perfect married couple.

Lucy stars as herself in a fictional setting, Lucille Ball the star-studio President whom nasty banker-investor Mr. Harvey (Gale Gordon) is trying to force out of her position as production head. Lucy hopes to keep her position by signing Bob Hope to star with her in a new television special.

Lucy and Gale travel all over the world trying to track Hope down. Bob Hope is finally located and signed and the program then switches to the "special" that Lucy planned to produce: Mr. and Mrs., a comedy about an acting couple who are America's favorite TV sweethearts but off-screen a bickering duo.

Special Notes: This special aired as The Lucille Ball Comedy Hour. "Mr and Mrs" is a show within that show (an adaptation of a play written by Sherwood Schwartz of Gilligan's Island fame). This special was broadcast in color in early 1964, one of Lucy's first major appearances in color on television.

There are some funny bits in the program, many of them going to supporting players like John Dehner and a cameo by John Banner as a big German fan of Lucy's. Lucy is absolutely gorgeous here at 52 in some very becoming Edith Head fashions and she gives a very good performance.