Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball appear once more in the series in a publicity-driven appearance in anticipation of the couple’s new show business endeavors. This production is much better than their earlier effort, The Red-Headed Woman, in 1949. The script is by E. Jack Neuman & John Michael Hayes and pits the characters of the two stars against each other rather than together, including an attempt to murder him! A little later in the story, she shoots him in the shoulder!
Lucy’s character and her partner-in-crime have stolen $300,000 in payroll money (almost $3.7 million in US$2024!) and are parachuting into Mexico to escape the law. They will hide the money money in the mountains. They radio a fake distress call from the plane before they jump. This would make it seem that they died in a crash and allow them to start “new lives” as they live off their loot. They are eventually questioned by the police, but their prepared answers seem to satisfy them. The plan then goes out of control. Her partner is killed, and a gangster named “Rico” claims to know what they and demands a share of the money. Rico has a certain curious charm that can be paid for… but may not be who he claims to be.
The script for their appearance may not have been settled much prior to broadcast week. CBS publicity did not include details of the plotline, and only the show title and their casting appeared in newspapers. The title did, however, but does not seem to match the story. (The title is a play on the old saw “early to bed, early to rise”). It may be a case that there was a different script in mind that fit the title, but plans were changed and the ill-fitting title was retained. If there is a tie to the plotline, “Early to Death” may refer to the faked demise of the plane crash. It seems to be a stretched and less-than-obvious sentiment.
There may have been significant revisions to the story that was presented as it got closer to broadcast. CBS sent another press release to the papers, but probably did not arrive in time for editors to use, or was not pithy enough for them to act on it. One of the few plot summaries in a newspaper indicates a change in casting as well as a change in plot, with Desi’s character as being in the plane with Lucy’s character. This means that Lucy and Desi would be the robbers. This is from the 1951-04-12 Battle Creek Enquirer:
Comedy star Lucille Ball and her husband, singer Desi Arnaz. play lead roles tonight in the mystery thriller, “Early to Death.” The couple are heard as a pair desperate crooks who, 5000 feet over a South American mountain range, knock the pilot unconscious, grab a payroll, and parachute down into a wilderness.
The end of the story seems abridged; there may have been more details offered but shortened for time or was too complex to work well. While it is somewhat satisfactory, it leaves loose ends for speculation about what happens to her and the character of Rico in the end. Perhaps that was the intent.
The surviving recording is not the best, but it is listenable. Unfortunately, the transcription discs had problems, possibly the result of poor storage. It is also possible that the recording is an aircheck as there are slight indications of what is likely to be station drift. The recording may not have been done on professional studio equipment or in a studio environment. The first half of the recording has narrow range; the second half has narrow range and background noise. Whatever the cause of the issues, the recording has been cleaned and improved, and is better than what is typically circulating. The story can be followed and enjoyed with a little closer-than-usual attention.
While My Favorite Husband was wrapping up, Desi Arnaz was a CBS game show host for the radio series Your Tropical Trip.
Many years after this broadcast, Elliott Lewis would be involved in the broadcast endeavors of both Lucy and Desi. Lewis was the executive producer of The Lucy Show (1962-1964) from Desilu Productions. He was a producer for The Mothers-In-Law (1967-1969). That series was done by Desi Arnaz Productions and United Artists for NBC Television.
LISTEN
TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or
mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP510412
THE CAST
LUCILLE BALL (Evie) & DESI ARNAZ (Rico Sebastian), Jack Kruschen (Lieutenant Maher / Clerk), Anthony Barrett (Ben Tabor / Pasco), Tom Holland (Gonzales / Coroner), Joe Kearns (Signature Voice / Investigator Grimms), Bert Holland (Air-traffic control / Judge)
COMMERCIAL: Bert Holland (Hap), Harlow Wilcox (Announcer), Sylvia Simms (Operator)
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