Sign Here, Please
by Jess Oppenheimer
(from "Laughs, Luck...and Lucy")
"THE LAWYERS, AGENTS and businessmen had been trying since December to get CBS's deal with Lucy and Desi down on paper, but the contract was still unsigned as the actors took their places in Studio A on Friday evening, March 2, 1951. Lucy was already onstage, waiting for the curtain to rise, but Desi and Hal Hudson from CBS were still arguing about some items on the as-yet unsigned contract. With only moments until curtain, Hal finally gave Desi an ultimatum: 'Sign the contract right now, as is, or the show will not go on.'
Desi was furious. 'How much does the kinescope cost to shoot?' he demanded to know.
Hal consulted some papers he was holding. 'Nineteen thousand dollars.'
'Okay,' Desi yelled at him. 'I'll pay for it myself, and it will belong to us.'
His bluff called, Hal immediately backed down. 'No, that's all right, Desi,' he said. 'We'll go ahead and shoot it now and thrash out the contract details later.'" |
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