Ep 8. Lucy at the Drive-In Movie

Lucy at the Drive-In Movie is the eighth episode of the second season of Here's Lucy, a popular American sitcom that ran from 1968 to 1974. The show starred Lucille Ball, who played Lucy Carter, a divorced mother of two who worked as a secretary at the Unique Employment Agency owned by her brother-in-law, Harry (played by Gale Gordon). In this episode, Lucy gets a job as a carhop at a drive-in movie theatre to make extra money.

The episode begins with Lucy and her children, teenage daughter Kim (played by Lucie Arnaz) and young son Craig (played by Desi Arnaz Jr.), struggling to pay the bills. Lucy's ex-husband, Gary Morton, has stopped sending them alimony and child support checks, leaving Lucy to find creative ways to make ends meet. When Lucy hears that the drive-in movie theatre is hiring carhops, she jumps at the opportunity to earn some extra cash. Harry is initially skeptical and worried that Lucy will embarrass him if she does a bad job.

Despite Harry's concerns, Lucy proves to be a natural at the job, charming the customers and earning huge tips. Her signature move is balancing a tray of food on her head while skating on roller skates, which impresses the teenagers in the audience. Lucy's children are initially embarrassed to see their mother working at the drive-in, but they later come around and are proud of her for doing what it takes to support the family.

One of the highlights of the episode is a scene in which Lucy accidentally spills a drink on a customer's car. As she tries to clean it up, she accidentally pokes holes in the car's upholstery with her roller skates. The customer, played by veteran character actor Jack Soo, is understandably upset and demands that Harry fire Lucy on the spot. However, Lucy uses her wit and charm to talk her way out of the situation, convincing the customer to forgive her and promising to pay for the damages out of her own pocket.

Another memorable moment is when Lucy gets stuck inside a car while trying to deliver food to a customer. Kim and Craig come to her rescue by recruiting a group of teenagers to push the car out of the way. Lucy later jokes that she had flashbacks of her famous conveyor belt scene from the chocolate factory episode of I Love Lucy.

Overall, Lucy at the Drive-In Movie is a fun and lighthearted episode that showcases Lucille Ball's comedic talents. The episode also addresses some serious issues, such as financial struggles and the challenges of being a working single mother, which were not often depicted on television in the 1960s. Today, the show remains a beloved classic and a testament to Lucille Ball's enduring legacy as a trailblazing comedian and performer.