Cinema Tuesdays {The Long Long Trailer}

From 1953, it's the first movie pairing of Lucy and Desi and the movie is basically a 90 minute episode of I Love Lucy with a simple plot that plays out in a series of sketches. And it's a wonderful Technicolor feast for the eyes of full skirted and casual Fifties styles.

Lucy and Ricky, I'm sorry I mean Tacy and Nicky are about to be married. Only, Nicky is an engineer who has to travel all over the country to oversee the building of his projects, so that means that Tacy wont be able to make a proper home for Nicky, at least not while all this post-war prosperity lasts.

So, Tacy has a brilliant idea. Instead of spending money on hotel rooms and eating out, why not buy a trailer and drive it around to all of Nicky's cross-country projects.

Unfortunately, the affordable trailer that she picked out wasn't made for anyone who was over five feet tall, had a head and neck attached to their body and might like to lie down in the separate beds once in a while.

But then they see it.

Forty feet of mobile home goodness and it even has a closet.

And an actual kitchen with matching white appliances and everything.

And you can even stand up in it.

Poor Nicky! But look, his tie matches the cushions! It was meant to be.

Before Nicky knows what's happening, he's in the office, signing the cheque for the down payment and he's been taken to the cleaners and he doesn't even know his pants are off.

Of course, he also has to buy a new car that heavy enough to pull the trailer and matches it.

Luckily, Tacy has a large family to help them move all of the wedding gifts and boxes of necessary pots and pans in. Nicky's golf clubs, sadly, didn't survive the move.

I love her dress here!

But at least they're happy.

And they can start on their cross-country honeymoon trip from LA to Colorado, where Nicky's new job is.

And on the way, the newlyweds can discover all of problems that come with driving a trailer. Like holding up traffic on two-lane highways.

Finding out that Tacy reads maps upside down.

That new sub-culture: the Trailer Park Dweller.

Realizing that all showers attack their owners.

Getting stuck in the mud on old logging roads, a.k.a. the shortcut.

Destroying Tacy's aunt's balcony by backing into it.

Taking turns driving and giving directions.

And paying for more parking meters then normal.

This is my favourite outfit in the movie. I love the applique around the sweetheart neckline and the transparent tartan.

And kids, don't try to make supper in a moving trailer.

But through all of the funny mishaps, Nicky and Tacy are still happy with their moving home. And I just noticed that no one on Mad Men has ever worn jeans. Shame on Janie Bryant.

I love the silver lamè borders on their serviettes.

Keenan Wynn has a hilarious cameo as a traffic cop.

And Marjorie Main makes an appearance as the fabulous Marjorie Main.

Anyway, back to the plot. Throughout the road trip, Tacy has been buying preservatives which add weight to the trailer.

And she's been collecting small boulders to remember the various stops that they've made on their honeymoon. Sounds a bit crazy, but I guess they forgot the camera.

The problem is that they have to drive up mountains when they get to Colorado and they can't have any extra weight in the trailer.

So, instead of getting rid of the rocks and jars like Nicky asked, Tacy just distributed the weight throughout the trailer. Only the drive up the mountain dislodged everything and they still have to drive down the mountain. And then Nicky discovers what has happened, because there's always a fight ten minutes before the picture ends.

It's available on Regions 1 & 4 and on YouTube in nine parts (at the moment).

Here's the original The Long Long Trailer trailer.