I Love Lucy (1951–1957): Season 1, Episode 4 - Lucy Thinks Ricky Is Trying to Murder Her - full transcript

After becoming too involved in a murder mystery book, Lucy believes that Ricky is trying to murder her.

( lighthearted music plays)

("I Love Lucy"
theme song playing)

( theme song ending)

( mouthing words)

( mouthing words)

( mouthing words)

Hi, honey! Look what I got.

Pretty good, eh?

"Held over! Ricky
Ricardo and his orchestra

at the beautiful Tropicana."

Yes, sir... isn't
that wonderful?



They want us to stay
over another four weeks.

If everything goes as
well as it did tonight,

we'll stay there
a hundred years.

I took so many bows tonight

that I got a charley
horse in my hip.

Boy, they sure recognize
talent when they see it.

Good night.

( screams)

Oh...

My goodness, you scared me!

When did you sneak in here?

A couple of minutes ago.

Oh, I must have been
so interested in my book.

Where did my book
go? Where is my book?



It went out the window.

Out the window?

I don't see it anywhere.

Of course not...
It's dark out there.

Good night.

Ricky...

What?

One of us ought to get
up and go down and get it.

One of us?

Yes.

Which one of us did
you have in mind?

Oh, the one that's the
biggest and the strongest.

Okay.

Go ahead.

Oh, Ricky.

Now, look, honey,

I'm a husband, not a retriever.

Good night.

How can I go to sleep
till I know who killed her?

Let's see... it was
either the upstairs maid

or the butler or the cook.

It was her husband.

Her husband? He didn't
have any reason to kill her.

He was married, wasn't he?

Oh...

I can see it all now:

He worked very hard all day.

Got home about
2:00 in the morning.

She started pestering him.

Wouldn't let him sleep.

He stood it as long as he could.

Finally, he decided
to do away with her.

So he got out of bed...

looked around for
a murder weapon.

A gun!

Nah... make too much noise.

A knife! Aha!

Too sloppy.

Aha!

A scarf.

Perfect.

It would do the job
quietly and neatly.

Slowly he approaches the bed,

murder in his heart.

And then...

( snoring loudly)

( snoring loudly)

Good morning, Lucy.

I had the most
exciting time last night.

I learned how...

What's that you're reading?

Lucy...

( screams)

Gosh, did I scare you?

No, no. I was just
getting ready to scream

and throw my book
out the window anyway.

I'm sorry.

Gee, no wonder they call it

The Mockingbird Murder Mystery.

Every time I get
that book in my hand,

it flies out the window.

Oh, Lucy, forget that book.

I had the most
exciting time last night.

I learned how to tell
fortunes with playing cards.

Come on in, I'll
tell your fortune.

Look, Ethel, we just rent
this apartment from you.

It doesn't say
anything in the lease

about having to
have our fortune told.

Besides, I don't
believe in that silly stuff.

Oh, but this system never fails.

It's just fantastic the
stuff we learned last night.

Well, maybe the cards will
tell you where my book is.

Now, Lucy, you've
got to be serious,

or the cards won't
tell you anything.

Oh, I'm so sorry.

Okay... serious.

Now, we have here...

Wait a minute, Ethel, what's
wrong with these cards?

Oh, look, let's forget
the fortune-telling.

You're right,
there's nothing to it.

Yeah, I know
there's nothing to it,

but I want to know what
it is there's nothing to.

Oh, but really, Lucy...

Why did you look like you did

when you saw these cards?

No, Lucy, please.

( gasps)

Now, what does this
grubby little group of cards

have to say for itself?

Well...

this is your card.

The queen of hearts...
that's you. Yeah.

And this card
right next to it is...

the ace of spades.

What does that mean?

Death.

Death!

Well, what's it doing
so close to me?

That's just it.

When your card is next
to the ace of spades,

that means you're
going to be... dead.

Dead?

Like in "as a doornail"?

Oh, what's the matter with me?

I don't believe
in fortune-telling.

I don't either.

( laughs giddily)

Well, what are you laughing at?

I'm laughing at fortune-telling

because it's so silly.

( laughs giddily)

( laughs forcedly)

Do you know anyone
who would like to kill you?

No.

Well, then, you can see...

Wait a minute, wait a minute.

Last night I thought
Ricky was going to.

Ricky?!

Yeah... oh, but he
was just kidding.

I think.

( phone rings)

The phone.

( screams)

Oh...

RICKY: Hello?

Oh, Ricky got it.

I'd better get him some coffee.

MAN: Hello, Ricky?

Yeah. Who's this?

This is Jerry, your
agent, remember?

Oh, yeah.

Yeah, I'm way over in Jersey.

Listen, I signed up
that dog act for you.

They're all set for next week.

Good, good.

Yeah, and now I got
to go see a talking seal.

Talking seal?

Does he do an act?

No, no. The seal is the manager.

He's got a couple
of trained people.

You're daffy.

Hey, listen, I want to give
you the dope on the dogs.

You have to get it to
the publicity department

this morning, or it'll
never get out on time.

Okay, Jerry, wait
a minute, will you?

All right.

Wait a minute.

Give me their names.

Oh, here's the
dogs' names: Ann...

Ann.

Mary...

Mary.

Helen...

Helen.

Cynthia...

Cynthia.

Alice...

Alice.

And Theodore.

Theodore.

Yeah.

These are dogs?

Well, that's the way
they want to be billed.

Oh, and listen, while
I think of it, you know,

your budget can't afford all
those dogs and a girl singer.

Now, what are you
going to do about Marilyn?

Oh, I didn't tell you, huh?

Well, I've been wondering what
to do about her for a long time.

I finally made up my mind.

I'm going to get rid of her.

Yeah, she's been with
me a long time, Jerry,

and that's the trouble...

She's been with me too long.

After all, the same
face night after night

gets pretty tiresome.

I'll... I'll probably
miss her some,

but in a couple of weeks,

I'll get another one

and she'll be just as good.

Maybe even better.

Yeah, well, I
guess you're right.

A girl singer isn't the most
important thing in the world.

Oh, before I forget,

did you pick up that trick
gadget for the Western number?

The gun? Yeah,
I got it right here

in my desk drawer.

Oh, that's a good deal.

Okay, then, I'll
see you later, then.

Good-bye, Jerry.

Oh, hiya, honey.

Hi! Hi.

Listen, I have to rush
right down to the club,

so I'll get breakfast
down there.

Bye.

Good-bye.

Oh...

I'll be back in a
couple of hours.

Bye.

Uh-oh, I forgot.

( drawer slams)

Ethel! Ethel!

What's the matter?

You're looking at
a future doornail.

Huh?

Ricky just tried to kill me.

Really? Then I'm a better

fortune-teller than I thought.

What am I saying?

What are you talking about?

I overheard him on the phone.

He's been planning
this a long time,

and he finally decided to do it.

Last night was just
a dress rehearsal.

Oh, no, Lucy, you must
have misunderstood him.

No, I didn't.

He took a shot at me
already, but he missed.

Was that the noise
I heard just now?

Yeah, he bought a
gun especially for it.

Let's see if it's in that desk.

( gasps)

Oh, you poor, poor thing.

What's that?

Ricky wrote something

while he was
talking on the phone

and he blotted
it on this blotter.

Where are you going?

Mirror. Mirror?

Yeah. Oh, so you can read it.

My, you're clever.

I don't read mystery
books for nothing.

"Helen, Ann, Mary..."

( moaning loudly)

What's it mean?

I'm not even cold yet,

and Ricky's lining up
girls to take my place.

"Helen, Ann, Mary,
Cynthia, Alice, Theodore."

Theodore?

( gasps)

Oh! It's you.

I thought it was Ricky.

Well, what are you going to do?

Just stay here and wait
for him to shoot you?

Oh, I thought maybe
I could talk to him,

make him change his mind.

Are you crazy?

I still love him, Ethel.

Well, all I've got to say is,
Lucy, you're awfully brave.

Oh, I'm not brave at
all. I'm scared to death.

Every time I think about it,

I get a sinking
feeling right here.

( clang)

You get a sinking feeling where?

Here. ( clang)

Here?

( clang)

What's that?

Bulletproof vest.

And that's not
all I bulletproofed.

That's in case he
shoots me in the back.

I got it all figured out, Ethel.

I'm going to stand
right up to him,

and when he comes in that door,

I'm going to say,
"Okay, Ricky, okay.

What seems to be the
trouble between us?"

What are you doing?

A moving target is hard to hit.

RICKY: Lucy!

It's Ricky!

Where are you, Lucy?

Save me, save me!

Who's going to save me?

He won't shoot you,
it's me he's after.

Yes, but to get to you,
he's got to go through me.

Lucy!

Let me go.

Ethel, Ethel, you
can't do this to me.

You're my best friend.

I know I'm your best friend.

That's why I can't
stand to see you

riddled with bullets.

But Ethel!

Ethel! Ethel!

Oh, hello, honey, there you are.

What's the matter with you,
you got an itch or something?

No, nothing's the
matter with me.

What's new?

What's new?!

I can't go on.

I give up.

Go ahead, shoot.

Shoot who?

Me.

Don't talk silly.

Oh, you're getting smart, huh?

Guns make noise, the
neighbors might hear.

( screams)

So you're going to strangle me.

I'm not going to shoot you,

and I'm not going
to strangle you.

Fortunately, I'm too big
for the garbage disposal.

Lucy, for goodness' sakes...

Honey...

Lucy, what's the
matter with you?

Nothing, and there
isn't gonna be, either.

Honey! Lucy!

Come out here, honey.

Come on, what's
the matter with you?

Go away!

Open the door, honey!

Come on, honey, open the door!

Go away!

Open the door, honey!

Honey, please, open the door!

Come on, honey,

come on, what's
the matter with you?

Hey, Ricky, what's
going on up here?

Oh, hello, Fred.

Ethel came running
down to our place

and told me to hurry
up here right away.

What's the matter?

Don't ask me, Fred...
Lucy's acting crazy.

Crazy for Lucy, or crazy
for ordinary people?

Crazy for anybody.

She seems to have some idea

that I'm going to kill her.

That doesn't mean anything.

Sooner or later every
married woman decides

that her husband
wants to kill her.

She's usually right.

Look, Fred, please,
this is no time for jokes.

She's really upset.

I've never seen her
like this way before.

Look, I got to go to the club.

I got a big
rehearsal over there.

I don't want to leave
her alone here tonight.

There's only one
thing you can do.

The same thing I do with
Ethel when she gets upset.

What's that?

Slip her a Mickey.

A Mickey?

Well, not really a
Mickey... unfortunately.

Just a mild sedative.

Here, I've got one here... wait.

That's a stomach capsule.

Oh, there's that button

I want sewed back on my pants.

Here... here it is...
Here's the sedative.

Oh, great. If she
thinks I'm gonna kill her,

you don't think she's...
she'll take this, do you?

Just drop that in a
glass of soda water

and she'll never
know the difference.

Well, it's not a bad
idea, but I don't know.

Now, that'll put her to
sleep for the rest of the night.

You go on down to the club.

I'll look in from time to time

and see that she's all right.

Well, thanks, amigo,
I hope it works.

Don't you worry about a thing.

Lucy!

Yeah-yeah?

Come on, honey, have a drink.

Well, I...

I'm not really very thirsty.

Oh, come on, sweetheart,
it'll do you good.

Come on, honey, come on.

Well, all right.

Let's dance.

Dance?

Yeah, I haven't
danced in a long time.

Put your glass down here.

But, honey, there's no music.

Oh, who needs music?
You dance divinely.

That's enough
dancing, let's drink.

( gasps)

Look at that! What?

That is the biggest
spider I've ever seen.

Where? Where? I
don't see anything.

Well, I gu... I guess
I was mistaken.

Oh. Well, let's drink.

Salud.

Gesundheit.

No, wait!

What was that for?

I can't do it to you

even though you
would do it to me.

What are you talking about?

I switched glasses.

I know you did, I
switched them back.

You mean... you mean, I
got the one with th-th-the...

You certainly did.

( crying hoarsely)

( gagging)

Ricky... Ricky, come
here, I want to talk to you.

Ricky, no matter
what you've done,

I forgive you.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Gee, that's a powerful
sleeping powder.

Sleeping powder, ha!

The sleep from
which no one returns.

Oh, honey, come on,
you'd better lie down.

Let me help you lie down.

Lie down, honey, lie down.

Don't rush me!

I'll be lying down
for a long, long time.

Boy, that certainly
did the trick.

( screams)

( screaming)

Where's Ricky?

He's gone. Are
you all right, Lucy?

( crying hoarsely)

What happened?

I got a Mickey from Ricky.

This is it, Ethel.

You're just in time
to say good-bye.

Good-bye, Lucy.

Good-bye.

How long do you think I've got?

Not long.

I've got time.

I've got to.

What are you going to do?

I'm going down to Ricky's club.

If I can't have him,
nobody else can.

I'll come with you.

Get your coat.

I'm going to rub him out

with the same gun he
was going to use on me.

( laughter and chatter)

All right, Ricky!

( yelling)

Lucy!

Lucy, what are you doing?

You know what I'm doing.

Honey, don't make a scene.

Hector, they're wonderful,
they're really great,

particularly Mary and Cynthia.

Mary and Cynthia?

Did you write their names down

on the telephone pad?

Yes. That's Ann, Helen,
Mary, Cynthia, Alice,

and that's Theodore.

That's Theodore.

Then that really was a sleeping
powder you put in my drink.

Certainly.

Well, then, what are
you doing with that gun?

I was going to shoot you.

( screams)

Oh, honey.

Hi, honey.

The opening was wonderful!

We were sensational.

Good night.

( screams)

I hope this time
you can't find it.

("I Love Lucy"
theme song playing)