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I Love Lucy—Lucy’s Italian Movie - season 5, originally aired April 16, 1956

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Lucy’s Italian Movie is one of the most famous episodes of I Love Lucy, and deservedly so. It’s part of the ‘European tour’ story arc, and begins on a small train compartment, as Ricky, Lucy, Fred and Ethel try to be comfortable—and fail miserably. In addition, Lucy thinks that a man is stalking her, and it turns out that she’s right—almost. The ‘stalker’ is a famous Italian movie producer, who want Lucy for a minor role in his new movie, “Bitter Grapes”—and Lucy is ecstatically happy.

Lucy decides, in fact, that she needs to “soak up some local color” in order to play her role, and she decides to ignore Ricky’s advice and goes to a local winery, where they still stop the grapes by hand—or more accurately, by foot. Lucy, of course, speaks no Italian, which quickly leads to miscommunication, hurt feelings, and a fight in the grape vat, where soon the grapes are flying, and soon Lucy is stained purple.

Upon her return to the hotel, Lucy is told by the producer that she misunderstood—“Bitter Grapes” is a metaphoric title, and the movie has nothing to do with stomping grapes. Not only that, the producer can’t take the chance that the stain won’t wash away, and offers the minor role of “average American tourist” to Ethel!

Lucy’s Italian Movie is available as part of the I Love Lucy season 5 DVD collection.

Funny quotes from I Love Lucy—Lucy’s Italian Movie

Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball) Ricky, do you like earthy women?
Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz) What’s earthy?
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball)That…
Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz)We don’t call that earthy in Cuba.
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball)Oh, what do you call it?
Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz)We have five words for it. Ai yi yi yi yi!

Ethel Mertz (Vivian Vance) Oh, I don’t think those Italian actresses are so much. Not one of them got her hair combed.
Fred Mertz (William Frawley) Well, they look great to me.
Ethel Mertz (Vivian Vance) If I let my hair go like that, you’d never let me hear the end of it.
Fred Mertz (William Frawley) Honeybunch, if the rest of you looked like that, I wouldn’t care if you were bald.

Ethel Mertz (Vivian Vance) [talking about the train seat] Well it’s true; they’re not very roomy.
Fred Mertz (William Frawley) They’re roomy enough, it’s just that you’re roomier.

[About Fred’s cheap ways]
Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz) I appreciate that, Fred, but you’ve got to draw the line someplace.
Ethel Mertz (Vivian Vance) Oh, we’re lucky he hasn’t got us hitchhiking.

Ethel Mertz (Vivian Vance) Thirteen more hours in this sardine can.
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball) The sardines were better off. They got all that oil to wiggle around in.

Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball) Gee did you hear that honey? It’s going to be called “Bitter Grapes.” I wonder what part they want me for.
Fred Mertz (William Frawley) You’re probably going to be one of the bunch.

Ethel Mertz (Vivian Vance) What am I going to tell Ricky when he asks where you are?
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball) Tell him anything you want. I’ve got nothing to hide. Tell him the truth.
Ethel Mertz (Vivian Vance) Okay I’ll tell him the truth.
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball) Don’t you dare.

Fred Mertz (William Frawley) [about Lucy’s grape-stained appearance] Boy, when it comes to soaking up local color, you don’t mess around.