This clichéd melodrama almost makes it into the "so bad it's good" category; parts of it are semi-enjoyable and others are incredibly boring, making it a mixed bag of tabloidy trash and muddled fact.
This was the first of two television biopics CBS produced about it's leading lady of comedy, Lucille Ball. CBS commissioned the film before the ink on Lucille's death certificate had dried, and launched a national casting call to find the ideal actress to play the iconic redhead. Frances Fisher was selected, along with Maurice Benard as Desi.
The film takes place on September 8, 1951, on the night of filming the premiere episode of I Love Lucy. The two protagonists frequently pause what they are doing and stare pensively into the camera, commencing a series of flashbacks that tell how they first came to meet and fall in love (and out of love), and in love again.
Considering the material she had to work with, Fisher manages to come across fairly well. In some shots, she bears an uncanny resemblance to Lucille Ball and brings forth elements of Lucille's strong personality. Ultimately, however, THIS Lucy is nothing more than a misunderstood, lonely heroine from every man-hating Lifetime drama produced. All she wants is a "fella and a couple of kids" and she gets a man who runs around on her incessantly. With a stronger, more balanced script, Fisher would have made an excellent Lucy. Hints of her potential are shown throughout this film, but the cheap material dampens any chance of her making a lasting impact.
Maurice Benard, to put it bluntly, is mostly laughable as Desi Arnaz. Though he puts on an adequate Cuban accent, his voice is high and squeaky sounding, and he conveys little of the charm that Arnaz did. Little motivation is made for his philandering other than his conviction that Cuban men are allowed to have as many girls as they want.
Co-stars Vivian Vance (Robin Pearson Rose) and William Frawley (John Wheeler) are featured briefly during the main night of the action. Rose bears a fleeting resemblance to Vance, but she does sound a good deal like her. Wheeler is featured even less, but brings little to the film or the character of William Frawley. Their feud is only hinted at, however, since Lucy and Desi are the main attraction of this affair and to stray away from them for too long deprives audiences of the "dishy" stuff.
The film's decision to focus on Lucy and Desi exclusively leaves little room for other plot elements to develop. However, due to cheesy dialogue and underwritten characters, the film's main focus falls flat. Lucy and Desi have been whittled down to caricatures of themselves, with Lucy constantly threatening divorce and screaming "YOU DON'T LOVE ME, YOU DON'T RESPECT ME! WHAT IS SO EXCLUSIVE ABOUT SLEEPING WITH YOU!", and Desi pathetically grovelling each time.
The final scene is right before filming begins, with Lucy and Desi happily embracing before a cheering audience. More trouble was in store for the Arnazes down the road, but thankfully we see none of it here. The title was, after all, "Before the Laughter", not "Before, During and After the Laughter". This ensemble fortunately decided not to cover all of the Arnaz marriage, or else audiences would have to endure two more hours of screaming, threats, and sickening TV melodrama.
This was the first of two television biopics CBS produced about it's leading lady of comedy, Lucille Ball. CBS commissioned the film before the ink on Lucille's death certificate had dried, and launched a national casting call to find the ideal actress to play the iconic redhead. Frances Fisher was selected, along with Maurice Benard as Desi.
The film takes place on September 8, 1951, on the night of filming the premiere episode of I Love Lucy. The two protagonists frequently pause what they are doing and stare pensively into the camera, commencing a series of flashbacks that tell how they first came to meet and fall in love (and out of love), and in love again.
Considering the material she had to work with, Fisher manages to come across fairly well. In some shots, she bears an uncanny resemblance to Lucille Ball and brings forth elements of Lucille's strong personality. Ultimately, however, THIS Lucy is nothing more than a misunderstood, lonely heroine from every man-hating Lifetime drama produced. All she wants is a "fella and a couple of kids" and she gets a man who runs around on her incessantly. With a stronger, more balanced script, Fisher would have made an excellent Lucy. Hints of her potential are shown throughout this film, but the cheap material dampens any chance of her making a lasting impact.
Maurice Benard, to put it bluntly, is mostly laughable as Desi Arnaz. Though he puts on an adequate Cuban accent, his voice is high and squeaky sounding, and he conveys little of the charm that Arnaz did. Little motivation is made for his philandering other than his conviction that Cuban men are allowed to have as many girls as they want.
Co-stars Vivian Vance (Robin Pearson Rose) and William Frawley (John Wheeler) are featured briefly during the main night of the action. Rose bears a fleeting resemblance to Vance, but she does sound a good deal like her. Wheeler is featured even less, but brings little to the film or the character of William Frawley. Their feud is only hinted at, however, since Lucy and Desi are the main attraction of this affair and to stray away from them for too long deprives audiences of the "dishy" stuff.
The film's decision to focus on Lucy and Desi exclusively leaves little room for other plot elements to develop. However, due to cheesy dialogue and underwritten characters, the film's main focus falls flat. Lucy and Desi have been whittled down to caricatures of themselves, with Lucy constantly threatening divorce and screaming "YOU DON'T LOVE ME, YOU DON'T RESPECT ME! WHAT IS SO EXCLUSIVE ABOUT SLEEPING WITH YOU!", and Desi pathetically grovelling each time.
The final scene is right before filming begins, with Lucy and Desi happily embracing before a cheering audience. More trouble was in store for the Arnazes down the road, but thankfully we see none of it here. The title was, after all, "Before the Laughter", not "Before, During and After the Laughter". This ensemble fortunately decided not to cover all of the Arnaz marriage, or else audiences would have to endure two more hours of screaming, threats, and sickening TV melodrama.