- The Long, Long Trailer
Infobox_Film
name = The Long, Long Trailer
director =Vincente Minnelli
producer =Pandro S. Berman
writer =Clinton Twiss (novel)Albert Hackett &Frances Goodrich (screenplay)
starring =Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Marjorie Main Keenan Wynn
music =Adolph Deutsch
cinematography =Robert Surtees
editing =Ferris Webster
distributor =Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
released =February 18 ,1954
runtime = 96 min
language = English
budget =
amg_id = 1:29953
imdb_id = 0047191"The Long, Long Trailer" is a
novel byClinton Twiss from the 1950s. It is about a couple who buy a newtravel trailer home and spend a year traveling across theUnited States .The novel was made into a movie in 1954 starring
Lucille Ball ,Desi Arnaz ,Marjorie Main ,Keenan Wynn ,Bert Freed ,Moroni Olsen ,Gladys Hurlbut ,Madge Blake , andWalter Baldwin . It was directed byVincente Minnelli working from ascreenplay byAlbert Hackett andFrances Goodrich .Plot
Nicky (Arnaz) and Tacy Collini (Ball) are going to be married. Nicky wants to save up money for a house, but Tacy dreams of starting off with their own home on wheels--a trailer. After the two are hitched, they hitch up their trailer and begin their honeymoon. The humor comes from several disastrous adventures the couple has while traveling, including Tacy's awkward attempt to cook dinner in a moving trailer, and a cliffhanging ride through the mountains that nearly destroys their marriage.
Principal Cast
*
Lucille Ball ... Tacy Bolton - Collini
*Desi Arnaz ... Nicholas 'Nicky' Collini
*Marjorie Main ... Mrs. Hittaway
*Keenan Wynn ... Policeman
*Gladys Hurlbut ... Mrs. Bolton
*Moroni Olsen ... Mr. Tewitt
*Bert Freed ... Foreman
*Madge Blake ... Aunt Anastacia
*Walter Baldwin ... Uncle Edgar
*Oliver Blake ... Mr. Ludlow
*Perry Sheehan ... BridesmaidDVD
"The Long, Long Trailer" was released on DVD on May 2, 2006 by
Warner Home Video in Region 1 coding for the U.S. and Canada. It was released as a single disc and as a part of a 3-DVD set featuring 2 other Ball/Arnaz movies,Forever, Darling andToo Many Girls .Trivia
*The trailer in the film was a 32-foot (9.8m) 1953 New Moon, which cost $5,345 at the time. The trailer was built at the New Moon Homes trailer factory in Alma, Michigan. The car was a 1953
Mercury Monterey convertible with a 125 HP flatheadV8 engine .*According to
Turner Classic Movies ' host,Robert Osborne , the studio was not sure if this film would be a success because they thought that people would not pay money to see Lucille Ball & Desi Arnaz in a movie when they could watch Lucy & Desi on television for free ("I Love Lucy "). So Desi made a $25,000 bet with the studio that the movie would make more money than the current highest grossing comedy at that time ("Father of the Bride" starringSpencer Tracy andElizabeth Taylor and also directed byVincente Minnelli ). Desi won the bet.*A young
Liza Minnelli had a scene as a guest at the Collini's wedding that was cut from the final version of the movie.*This movie is referenced in the song "Everything Right Is Wrong Again" by
They Might Be Giants on their debut album: "Everything right is wrong again / Just like in "The Long, Long Trailer" / All the dishes got broken and the car kept driving / And nobody would stop to save her."*The dangerous mountain road featured in the movie is "Whitney Portal Road" which leads up to
Mount Whitney in theSierra Nevada Mountains inCalifornia . Thehairpin turn featured in the film offers scenic views of theOwens Valley .Continuity Goof
*During the scenes of Nicky and Tacy pulling their trailer in the mountains, their 1953 Mercury Monterey convertible is replaced with a larger but similar appearing 1953
Lincoln Capri convertible. The distinct Lincoln grille is clearly evident in a shot as the car rounds a curve. The more powerful Lincoln (which is equipped with a 205 HP V8 engine) was needed to pull the heavy New Moon trailer up and over the steep grades of the Sierra Nevada where the scenes were filmed.External links
*imdb title | id=0047191 | title=The Long, Long Trailer
*amg title | id=1:29953 | title=The Long, Long Trailer
* [http://www.Trailerite.com/ Trailerite.com] , The Long, Long Trailer
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.