Ep 5. Mertz and Kurtz

Lucy and Ethel are trying to cook dinner when Ricky comes in with some big news - he has a sponsor for his TV show! The sponsor is the Mertz and Kurtz Company, a manufacturer of vitamins and health supplements. Lucy and Ethel are excited to hear about this because they think they can make some money by selling the vitamins to their friends and neighbors.

However, Ricky warns them that they shouldn't get their hopes up too high. The Mertz and Kurtz people are very particular and they might not like Lucy and Ethel's sales pitch. Nevertheless, the girls are determined to make a go of it and they start planning their sales strategy.

Their first idea is to sell the vitamins at a local health food store, but the owner doesn't want to stock them. Then they try going door-to-door, but nobody seems interested. Finally, they decide to host a vitamin party, inviting all their friends over to learn about the products and hopefully make some sales.

The party is a disaster from the start. Nobody seems interested in the vitamins and many of the guests are just there for the free food. Lucy and Ethel try to liven things up by putting on a little skit about the benefits of vitamins, but it falls flat. Just when all seems lost, Ricky comes in with a surprise guest - Mr. Kurtz himself.

Mr. Kurtz is impressed by Lucy and Ethel's enthusiasm and he agrees to buy all their remaining stock of vitamins. The girls are ecstatic and they think they're on their way to fame and fortune. However, when they try to collect their payment, they discover that there's a catch.

Mr. Kurtz will only pay them if they can sell all the vitamins within 24 hours. If they don't, he'll take them back and they won't make a dime. Lucy and Ethel are determined to sell the vitamins, but they realize that they're going to need some help.

They recruit their husbands to help them sell the vitamins, but it's not easy. Ricky and Fred are embarrassed to be selling health supplements and they're not very good at it. They try going to a local gym to find customers, but they just end up getting laughed at by the patrons.

In the end, the girls come up with a scheme to get rid of the vitamins - they donate them to a local orphanage. The orphans are thrilled to get the vitamins and Lucy and Ethel are happy to have done a good deed. However, their happiness is short-lived when Mr. Kurtz shows up to collect the vitamins.

They explain what they did and he's not happy, but he eventually agrees to let them off the hook. Lucy and Ethel breathe a sigh of relief and they're just happy to have the whole ordeal behind them.

Overall, the episode is a fun romp that showcases Lucy and Ethel's entrepreneurial spirit. While their sales tactics may not be the most effective, their enthusiasm and determination are infectious. The addition of Mr. Kurtz adds a nice touch of tension to the episode and the eventual resolution is satisfying. Fans of the show will enjoy this lighthearted episode and newcomers will get a sense of the show's signature humor and charm.