You watch The Long, Long Trailer for one reason. And that’s to see Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball together at the height of their 1950s popularity.
The premise is simple enough. Lucy and Desi are newlyweds. A surprisingly blonde (!) Lucy pressures the reluctant Desi into buying a travel trailer. They set off honeymooning throughout the American West…and comic hilarity ensues!
As much as I’d like to give this movie a favorable review, I’ve got to be honest. There isn’t really much of a story here. Nor is there much in the way of character development. RV ownership is painted in a rather negative light, with the trailer in question practically killing an innocent marriage. And then the movie just stops, as if they ran out of film.
But like everything nostalgic, this movie seems to somehow get better after you’ve finished watching it.
My favorite bits in this movie demonstrate that some things haven’t changed. Certain aspects of “trailer life” are just as challenging in 2007 as they were in 1954.
For example, I really enjoyed the scene in which Desi gets flustered while backing up the absurdly long trailer. This scene reminded me of a certain gas station in Banff. In desperate need of diesel fuel, I managed to squeeze our rig into a space apparently intended for miniature golf carts. It was an achievement of physics and geometry comparable to a Space Shuttle landing.
I also identified with Desi when, terrified, he tows his trailer across a treacherous one-lane mountain highway. Kristy and I lived a few of these fingernail-chomping moments ourselves during our summer journey. At one such point in British Columbia, Kristy said, “It felt like we were driving to our death.” Yippee!
But with regard to Desi and Lucy, I would’ve enjoyed seeing more positive moments along the way. If I were writing a sequel, I might focus less upon trailer mishaps, and more upon the persistent uncertainty of human relationships. That’s really the overriding issue of married life aboard an RV.
Sure, you’ll experience a few minor mechanical problems. But the real question — the real test — is whether you will truly enjoy spending that much time and that little space with another person.
An Airstream is essentially a one-room apartment on wheels. In a travel trailer, there’s no sneaking off to your own private corner of the house. And in certain boondocking campgrounds, there’s no radio or TV or electricity. You are always together, and the entertainment is up to YOU. Stripped of other distractions, how well will you get along with your spouse?
Kristy and I really enjoyed watching The Long, Long Trailer, and you probably will too. But take it with a grain of salt. We had a lot more fun than Desi and Lucy!
While we don’t think much of the length today ((32-foot 1953 New Moon ( which cost $5,345 at the time) ) back then you only had this to pull it with…
1953 Mercury with a 125 HP flathead V8 engine. ( WE have come a long way baby today.. with the 460 putting out almost 400 hp.) But according to my dad… trailers were about the size of teardrops and maybe 14-18 ft long… so this was a long long trailer… the road in the movie is none other than the Whitney Portal Road which leads up to Mount Whitney in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, California. The hairpin turn featured in the film provides a then scenic views of the Owens Valley. (less populated)
Do you know where the trailer is now? We do… matter of fact the lady who owns it now allows people to tour it… and has kept it all orginal .. just like in the movie… It was in part filmed at the burbank studio sound stage …Mt Whitney… as well as over in Arizona( Apache Junction) off of apache trail (now highway 88) on the way up to Roosevelt lake… (which by the way you can still take your traler on if you up to the adventure.. we did) (Sean here is your Q… to remake the orginal movie with kristie using the airstream over the same route…same script.. etc… well ok modified script to better enhance the beer drinking.. ahhh honeymoon …. but, use the same acting manors and charter names… that would be fun… make it for TV and you should have a hit on your hands… again…))
However, did you know that the orginal car blew up…developed problems in the movie… yep the ’53 merc (according to older associates(sk) we worked with at the studio recalled it was a very real disaster in making this film…almost didn’t get made) The car didn’t have enough power to pull it up the grade.. so a switch was made with the directors car… yep they took his..replaced with a larger but similar appearing 1953 Lincoln that had a whopping 205 HP V8 engine…. (biggest engine of its day)
When you go back and watch the film again.. sure enough.. the front grill changed without notice… grin… and when you study the film further you can pick out a lot of the mistakes made..sudden changes in location… i.e why is lucy setting behind the wheel on the video cover painting with desis’ LEFT arm around her? . Also Lucy goofs several times… calling hm ricky (from I love lucy show they were in tv production with) instead of his charter name Nicky in the movie… grin.. ahhhh and their are others.. but you have to find ’em on your own… detective..
When I was stationed over at Williams AFB for pilot training.. (now phoenix mesa Gateway Airport) We used to go up apachie road to a great place for entertainment called Miners camp Restraunt…(http://www.miningcamprestaurant.com/) wow stil their … even Elvis bought a church on that road… when they made some of the western movies out their. and down in old tucson (film set) Yes indeed elvis played a roll in a western… go figure… Joey bishop played a apachie indian …seriously… nothing like a new york wild indian.. hmmm Dean martin…(hick) Jerry lewis, (partners.. I have a picture of them with my folks (sk) on the set back then… and old blue eyes… frank (well… the rat pack) also made westerns… what a hoot…
Being part native american (not that the apachies’ liked us… profession curt. however) we used to go hunting havilina up in the Superstition Mtns… part of the ledgend of the lost dutchman gold mine. (natives say it is stil their…and it has been found.. but the governmt has made the area off limits to all… something about UFO’s and little aliens.. no doubt…
For a great weekend outing with the gals…(not married back then) we used to get some in-nertubes from the aircraft tires… cooler of beer and eats from the flight kitchen.. and head up for a day tube’n from the the dam at saquaro lake down what was refered to as the salt river…. about 25 miles…
Further up the road is the verdi… ruin’s… zane grays place (he wrote books made into movies of the old west) … payson, pine and stawberry.. then if you had some extra time…and a 4×4 Pick ’em up truck … up on the mesa… to mary’s lake , country western barn dancing and steaks… cave exploring the lava flow tubes from mt. humpry. (natives believe its a holy mountain and you could not go on it… ((center of the nations because of the points… really a old valcano that blew off the top 4,000 ft into the next state one day…. bet that made a bang..))
The AF used to have a RV rec park at Ft Tuthill outside Flag. But, I think its gone now that the military left. . North Grand Caynon, cinder cone, marble caynon, lees ferry crossing (campground their too)
Ahhh yes them were the days… still lots to do and see up their.. if you only know where to go… best kept secrets of any state.
Happy Trails… GMAs
Before my husband and I got married I went on the road with him in his truck, he’s a truck driver and had a bed, fridge, potty and hot plate in his rig. We had so much fun and got along like 2 peas in a pod {that was about how much room we had too lol} we just knew we were going to be great in our marriage.
2 kids and many years later we are still going strong and now I want to see that movie all over again!!!
I have a feeling you two will have a long, happy marriage. Congratulations!!!