Fathom Events is celebrating Lucille Ball in a big way this year, as the comedy icon is getting her own night out at theaters nationwide. On August 6th, which just happens to be Lucille Ball’s birthday, the I Love Lucy: A Colorized Celebration event will bring 5 classic episodes to a theater near you along with never-before-seen material.
It’s perhaps the most famous television sitcom in American history, and on August 6, Fathom Events and CBS Home Entertainment pay tribute to I Love Lucy and its legendary star Lucille Ball when I Love Lucy: A Colorized Celebration screens in movie theaters nationwide for one night only on the comedienne’s birthday.
This event provides fans a chance to honor Ball in the way she would have loved: by laughing along with her exploits while enjoying full length/uncut versions of her beloved sitcom and a featurette on how I Love Lucy is colorized, entitled {Redhead Tales, Colorizing I Love Lucy. Adding to the fun, attendees will receive an exclusive I Love Lucy mini poster, while supplies last.
Fathom Events and CBS present this colorful comedic celebration in more than 600 U.S. movie theaters on Tuesday, August 6 at 7:00 p.m. local time, through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network (DBN). For a complete list of theater locations, visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).
For this event, five favorite episodes of I Love Lucy will be presented in colorized versions, all meticulously crafted using costumes, sets, props and vintage material as reference, wherever possible. Said Ken Ross, EVP and general manager of CBS Home Entertainment.
“We are excited to be exhibiting this timeless franchise in a new manner and hope to bring a new generation of fans to one of the greatest comedies in television history.”
said Fathom Events CEO Ray Nutt.
“Almost everyone has seen and been captivated by I Love Lucy – but even the biggest Lucy fan has rarely had an experience like this: Seeing Lucy on the big screen and laughing alongside fellow fans in a movie theater.”
The five episodes are:
The Million Dollar Idea (1954) – Lucy and Ethel (Vivian Vance) go into business making salad dressing based on the recipe of Lucy’s Aunt Martha. Their advertising on a local TV show looks like a success, but when Ricky (Desi Arnaz) finds that they’re losing money on each jar, the girls have to find a way to get their customers to cancel their orders.
Lucy Does a TV Commercial (1952) – One of the most famous episodes of “I Love Lucy” was ranked the No. 2 television episode of all time by TV Guide. Lucy angles her way onto Ricky’s special as the show’s pitch girl, advertising a medicine called “Vitameatavegamin.” She believes it contains vitamins, meat, vegetables and minerals. What she doesn’t know: It’s also 23 percent alcohol.
Pioneer Women (1952) – Lucy and Ethel revolt over housework and want modern conveniences. Ricky and Fred (William Frawley) bet that they can survive longer than the girls without using anything invented after 1900, including electricity.
Job Switching (1952) – After Ricky and Fred get upset about the girls’ spending, Lucy and Ethel go to work in a candy factory while the boys do the housework.
L.A. at Last! (1955) – When the Ricardos and the Mertzes arrive in Hollywood, Lucy goes to the Brown Derby restaurant, where her sighting of movie star William Holden turns catastrophic.
CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment will also be bringing I Love Lucy: Colorized Collection to DVD August 13. The collection will include 16 full-length colorized episodes of I Love Lucy, including those from the Fathom Events I Love Lucy: A Colorized Celebration screening event. Tickets to I Love Lucy: A Colorized Celebration are available beginning Friday, June 7, at www.FathomEvents.com and at participating theater box offices.
