I Love Lucy/LA at Last!

LA at Last!
Season 4, Episode 17
Airdate	February 7, 1955
Written for television by	Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh, Bob Carroll, Jr.
Directed by	William Asher
Produced by	Jess Oppenheimer
← 4x16 Ethel's Hometown	4x18 → Don Juan and the Starlets
I Love Lucy — Season Four

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LA at Last! is the seventeenth episode of the fourth season of I Love Lucy, and the one hundred fourteenth episode overall.

Starring: Lucille Ball (Lucy Ricardo), Desi Arnaz (Ricky Ricardo)

with Vivian Vance (Ethel Mertz), William Frawley (Fred Mertz)

Additional Cast: William Holden (Himself), Harry Bartell (The Headwaiter), Bob Jellison (Bobby the Bellboy), Dayton Lummis (Bill Sherman), Dani Nolan (Mr. Sherman's Secretary), Alan Ray (Waiter)

Uncredited: Eve Arden (Herself)

Plot Overview

The Ricardos and the Mertzes have arrived in Hollywood at last. Ricky will meet with some Hollywood studio bigwigs to discuss his upcoming movie. Lucy and the Mertzes plan to visit the famous sites of Hollywood. The first place they go is Graumann's Restaurant, where they all sit in a booth to get a glance at the stars. They sit in a booth next to actress Eve Arden. Soon after, they sit next to actor William Holden, who occasionally comes to Graumann's for lunch. On this day he does not get to eat, thanks to Lucy's constant staring at him (because she is starstruck). Feeling annoyed at the constant staring, Holden decides to make Lucy uncomfortable. This ploy works as Lucy is made so uncomfortable that she cannot finish the meal that she ordered. As she and the Mertzes are about to leave, Lucy bumps into a passing waiter who is carrying a tray of pies, and they fall all over Holden. Lucy is stunned so much so that she again stares at Holden. Ethel has to pull her away out of the restaurant to defuse the situation.

Because of the pie incident, Holden goes to have his suit cleaned. He will also meet Ricky to discuss Ricky's upcoming movie. Ricky invites Holden to come to his hotel to meet Lucy, who Ricky knows will get a thrill out of seeing him. Ricky arrives to the hotel to talk to Lucy, and to give her a big surprise. Ricky tells Lucy that one of the biggest movie stars in Hollywood is sitting in the living room. Lucy is ecstatic to know who as she cannot wait for Ricky to tell her, until he says "Bill Holden". There Lucy stops in her tracks. She knows what would happen when she meets Holden—again. She tries to make up excuses for not wanting to see him, but Ricky does not buy any of her excuses. He tries to drag Lucy out to meet Holden, but she says she will meet him, but first she wants to get made up first and Ricky agrees.

When Lucy does enter the living room, she wears a fake putty nose and eye glasses and covers her hair in a scarf. Though he does not recognize Lucy at first, Holden feels that he has seen her before. The disguise works until Lucy's fake nose is ignited when Holden lights her cigarette with a lighter. Knowing that the charade is over, Lucy confesses. She tells Ricky and Holden about being at the restaurant earlier in the day. Holden remembers now. However, figuring why Lucy tried to disguise herself, Holden does not let Ricky know about the pie incident. He covers for Lucy, sparing her any embarrassment. Lucy is so touched by what he did, she kisses him on the mouth. Realizing what she has just done, she faints with a smile on her face.

Notes

• William Holden was the first of a number of stars that the Ricardos and Mertzes would encounter in this Hollywood storyline

Trivia

The Show

• This episode was colorized and aired, along with "Lucy and Superman", as part of an hour-long I Love Lucy special on CBS on May 17, 2015