The Long, Long Trailer (1954)
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38% of critics liked it
(8 reviews) -
39% want to see it
(3,481 ratings)
At the height of their TV fame, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were contracted by MGM to make two theatrical films. The first of these, The Long, Long Trailer, stars Lucy and Desi as an upwardly mobile couple who decide to buy a trailer so they can live together while his job takes him around the… More At the height of their TV fame, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were contracted by MGM to make two theatrical films. The first of these, The Long, Long Trailer, stars Lucy and Desi as an upwardly mobile couple who decide to buy a trailer so they can live together while his job takes him around the country. Thanks to their naivete in such matters, they end up with a huge, bulky RV that costs five times what they planned. Their "seeing America" trip turns out to be a slapstick disaster, topped by Lucy's foolish decision to hide a heavy rock collection in the trailer; as Desi tries to maneuver a treacherous mountain road, the weighted-down home-on-wheels nearly loses its balance and almost tumbles off a cliff. The story is told in flashback, as Desi 'splains the breakup of his marriage to a motel court manager. Happily, Lucy shows up, goes "Waaaaah" a little, and all is forgiven. Despite the fact that audiences were getting Ball and Arnaz for free each week on television, The Long, Long Trailer was a big hit at the box-office. The film was adapted by Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich from a novel by Clinton Twiss, with uncredited assistance from the I Love Lucy writing staff. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Vincente Minnelli
- Written By
- Clinton Swiss, Albert Hackett
- Genres
- Romance, Classics, Comedy
Critic Reviews
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Michael E. Grost, Classic Film and Television
Strange, surreal film, notable for Minnelli's brilliant use of color and visual style.
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Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
One of Minnelli's few broad comedies, more of a collection of anecdotes than a coherent tale, about the wacky misadventures of a middle-class couple (Lucille Ball and Dazi Arnaz) during a long cross-country trek.
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Don Willmott, Filmcritic.com
doesn't earn a place on my DVD shelf next to my I Love Lucy collection
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John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
...the only saving grace is a brief interlude with the song "Breezin' Along With the Breeze," reminding us what Minnelli could really do.
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John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
...not even Minnelli and Berman could do much with a predictably inane script.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
Featured Audience Ratings
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Cast
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Lucille Ball
as Tracy Collini
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Desi Arnaz
as Nicholas Collini
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Marjorie Main
as Mrs. Hittaway
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Keenan Wynn
as Policeman
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Gladys Hurlbut
as Mrs. Bolton
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Moroni Olsen
as Mr. Tewitt
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Bert Freed
as Foreman
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Madge Blake
as Aunt Anastacia
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Walter S. Baldwin
as Uncle Edgar
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Oliver Blake
as Mr. Sudloy
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Perry Sheehan
as Bridesmaid
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Richard Alexander
as Father
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John Call
as Shorty
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Geraldine Carr
as Girl
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Edgar Dearing
as Manager
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Frank Gerstle
as Attendant
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Charles Herbert
as Little Boy
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Jack Kruschen
as Mechanic
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Norman Leavitt
as Driver
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Alan Lee
as Mr. Elliott
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Ruth Lee
as Mrs. Tewitt
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Peter Leeds
as Garage Manager
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Karl Lukas
as Inspector
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Howard McNear
as Mr. Hittaway
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Ida Moore
as Candy Store Clerk
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Dorothy Neumann
as Aunt Ellen
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Christopher Olsen
as Tom
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Emory Parnell
as Policeman
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Phil Rich
as Mr. Dudley
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Fay Roope
as Judge
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Edna Skinner
as Mrs. Barrett
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Herb Vigran
as Trailer Salesman
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Emmett Vogan
as Mr. Bolton
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Ruth Warren
as Mrs. Dudley
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Wilson Wood
as Garage Owner
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Howard Wright
as Uncle Bill
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Juney Ellis
as Waitress
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Dallas Boyd
as Minister
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Dennis Ross
as Jody
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Sarah Spencer
as Girl Friend
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Connie Van
as Grace
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Robert Anderson
as Carl Barrett
- Desi Arnez