I’ve published excerpts from both Todd Purdum and Jess Oppenheimer’s books, but I’ve avoided the parts where they write about the I Love Lucy show. (By the way, Madelyn Pugh, one of the Lucy writers, also published a book of memoirs, but it doesn’t seem to be out in an ebook format and I gave away my hardcover copy during one of my (many) moves.)

Oppenheimer and Desi Arnaz did not always get along because of a battle for producer credit, so Oppenheimer sometimes doesn’t give Arnaz credit for some of his behind the scenes work, although he’s generous enough with Desi’s work in front of the cameras. So reading the two books in tandem is interesting, to say the least.

One section where both books tell pretty much the same anecdote is for the denouement of the “Lucy Is Enceinte” episode.

When Lucille Ball became pregnant at the end of the first season, there was some discussion of whether the show could continue, as no pregnant woman had ever appeared on television up to that time. After a lot of give and take and hassles from the sponsor and the network, Desi wrote to the head of the sponsor and reminded him that the show was the number one program on TV, so they obviously knew what they were doing, and they would abide by whatever decision he made. The brief word came down from the president of Philip Morris to the network and the rest of his people: “Don’t fuck with the Cuban!” 

So they proceeded to plan seven episodes leading up to Lucy delivering a baby, with each episode vetted by clergy from Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish faiths.

The first one was entitled “Lucy Is Enceinte” which is French for pregnant, as they weren’t allowed to use the word “pregnant” on TV (the titles of the shows were not shown on screen, so this was merely an in-joke). The plot revolves around Lucy finding out that she’s going to have a baby, but every time she tries to tell Ricky, he’s too busy to listen to her.

She goes to his club that night and has the maitre’d pass him a note:

Dear Mr. Ricardo: My husband and I are going to have a blessed event. I just found out about it today and haven’t told him yet. I heard you sing a number called “We’re Having a Baby, My Baby and Me.” If you will sing it for us now, it will be my way of breaking the news to him.

During the actual filming of the scene when Desi comes to Lucy and she nods that she is the one who is going to have the blessed event, both Lucy and Desi become overcome by the genuine emotions that they really are going to be having a blessed event of their own, and Lucy begins to tear up and Desi botches the words to the song he is singing. When “Ricky” finally realizes that he and “Lucy” are the happy couple, “several members of the band, concerned that Arnaz was so overcome he had forgotten his next music cue, shout, ‘Sing the baby song!’”

By the time they finish the scene, according to Purdum and Oppenheimer, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house, audience, cast, or crew.

Bill Asher, the director, up in the control room, dabbing away tears himself, cognizant of Desi’s messing up the lyrics to the song, called for a retake.

And there was a collective “NO!” from the audience.

The director always gets the last word, so the scene was reshot, but it’s the original take with the raw emotion and botched lyrics that made it into the episode.

Here it is, along with the closing animation by Hanna-Barbera from the original broadcast of the episode.