The Long, Long Trailer

Director: Vincente Minnelli

Overview

At the height of their TV fame, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were contracted by MGM to make two theatrical films. The first of these, The Long, Long Trailer, stars Lucy and Desi as an upwardly mobile couple who decide to buy a trailer so they can live together while his job takes him around the country. Thanks to their naivete in such matters, they end up with a huge, bulky RV that costs five times what they planned. Their "seeing America" trip turns out to be a slapstick disaster, topped by Lucy's foolish decision to hide a heavy rock collection in the trailer; as Desi tries to maneuver a treacherous mountain road, the weighted-down home-on-wheels nearly loses its balance and almost tumbles off a cliff. The story is told in flashback, as Desi 'splains the breakup of his marriage to a motel court manager. Happily, Lucy shows up, goes "Waaaaah" a little, and all is forgiven. Despite the fact that audiences were getting Ball and Arnaz for free each week on television, The Long, Long Trailer was a big hit at the box-office. The film was adapted by Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich from a novel by Clinton Twiss, with uncredited assistance from the I Love Lucy writing staff.

Product Details

Release Date:	05/09/2006
UPC:	0012569679757
Original Release:	1954
Source:	Warner Home Video
Region Code:	1
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono]
Language:	English
Time:	1:36:00
Sales rank:	9,834

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Lucille Ball	Tracy Collini
Desi Arnaz	Nicholas Collini
Marjorie Main	Mrs. Hittaway
Keenan Wynn	Policeman
Gladys Hurlbut	Mrs. Bolton
Moroni Olsen	Mr. Tewitt,Tom
Bert Freed	Foreman
Madge Blake	Aunt Anastacia,Mr. Judlow
Walter Baldwin	Uncle Edgar,Uncle Edgar
Perry Sheehan	Bridesmaid
Charles Herbert	Little Boy
Herb Vigran	Trailer Salesman
Karl Lukas	Inspector
Emmett Vogan	Mr. Bolton
Edgar Dearing	Manager
Geraldine Carr	Girl Friend
Sarah Spencer	Girl Friend
Ruth Warren	Mrs. Dudley
Dallas Boyd	Minister
Howard McNear	Mr. Hittaway
Jack Kruschen	Mechanic
Edna Skinner	Mrs. Barrett
Alan Lee	Mr. Elliott,Mrs. Tewitt
Robert Anderson	Carl Barrett
Phil Rich	Mr. Dudley
John Call	Shorty
Wilson Wood	Garage Owner
Dorothy Neumann	Aunt Ellen
Howard Wright	Uncle Bill
Connie Van	Grace
Dennis Ross	Jody
Ida Moore	Candy Store Clerk
Emory Parnell	Officer
Fay Roope	Judge
Richard Alexander	Father
Frank Gerstle	Attendant
Peter Leeds	Garage Manager
Judy Sackett	Bettie,Kay
Juney Ellis	Waitress
Norman Leavitt	Driver
Adolph Deutsch	Composer

Technical Credits

Frances Goodrich

Albert Hackett

Frances Goodrich	Screenwriter
Albert Hackett	Screenwriter
Pandro S. Berman	Producer
A. Arnold Gillespie	Special Effects
Warren Newcombe	Special Effects

Scene Index

Disc #1 -- Long, Long Trailer
1. Credits [1:12]
2. Don't Buy a Trailer [3:15]
3. Tacy's Dream Home [3:41]
4. Trailer Show [5:18]
5. Additional Purchases [4:01]
6. Trailerphobia [4:31]
7. 40-Foot Freight Train [3:17]
8. Red Light, Wrong Turn [4:11]
9. Trailerite Invasion [4:51]
10. Butting Shower Heads [2:50]
11. Their Slant on Chores [6:30]
12. Mud Flop [4:18]
13. Reverse Misfortune [6:07]
14. Deep-Freeze Departure [2:51]
15. Our First Rock [2:12]
16. Breezin' Along With the Breeze [2:49]
17. Tacy at the Wheel [4:27]
18. Kiss and Make Up [2:51]
19. Kitchen Chaos [4:48]
20. No Sale [3:31]
21. Weight Redistribution [5:12]
22. Barely Making the Grade [5:23]
23. Marriage on the Rocks [4:02]
24. Not This Trailer [3:02]
25. Cast List [:29]

Menu

Disc #1 -- Long, Long Trailer
Play Movie
Scene Selections
Special Features
Ain't It Aggravatin'?
Dixieland Droopy
Theatrical Trailer
Languages
Spoken Languages: English
Spoken Languages: Français
Subtitles: English
Subtitles: Français
Subtitles: Español
Subtitles: Off
Web Info

Editorial Reviews

Newlyweds Nicky and Tacy Collini embark on the road of life together in a gargantuan mobile home, and it's all downhill from there in this star vehicle for Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Director Vincente Minnelli keeps this freewheeling comedy rolling along. Scenes of broad slapstick -- Nicky demolishing a relative's garden with the trailer, Tacy attempting to cook dinner during a herky-jerky drive -- merge with more intimately observed scenes of the couple getting to know each other. Lucy and Desi, their palpable chemistry honed both in life and on their beloved TV series, handle comedic and dramatic moments with equal aplomb. Seen all too briefly are Keenan Wynn as an aggravated traffic cop and Marjorie Main (Ma and Pa Kettle) and Howard McNear (Floyd the Barber on The Andy Griffith Show) as fellow "trailerites." One of the most popular comedies of its time, The Long, Long Trailer comes to DVD packed with extra features that replicate an old-fashioned night at the movies, including a classic Tex Avery cartoon ("Dixieland Droopy") and a vintage comedy short (Pete Smith's "Ain't It Aggrivatin' "). Even non-Lucy fans will enjoy this ride.