<\/p>\n
You can hardly talk about classic television without bringing up “I Love Lucy,” the iconic sitcom that ran from 1951 to 1957 and made stars out of Lucille Ball (who liked ketchup in her salad dressing)<\/a>, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, and William Frawley. The show was in syndication for decades, so generations of Americans got to see the comic genius of the actors in famous episodes like “Vitameatavegamin,” “Lucy’s Italian Movie” (where she stomps grapes<\/a>), and a 1952 episode titled “Job Switching.” In the last one, Lucy and Ethel go to work at Kramer’s Kandy Kitchen where they completely botch their chocolate-making tasks. To prepare for the episode, Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance practiced for their scenes by visiting a See’s Candies factory in Los Angeles, a candy company that’s been going strong for over 100 years.<\/p>\n It’s unclear to what extent the actors rehearsed their scenes at the See’s plant, but in the iconic episode their characters are tasked with wrapping individual chocolates. With the threat of being fired looming over them if they fail to wrap a single chocolate, Lucy and Ethel panic when the conveyor belt speeds up and they can’t keep up with the pace. As their boss approaches, the two begin stuffing their shirts, hats, and mouths with chocolates.<\/p>\n It was Ball’s idea to practice at See’s. She spoke to the See’s president and asked if she and Vance could rehearse there, which was approved. The two actors learned about dipping and packing chocolates, which presumably helped them get into character for the episode. The specific location they visited is still a working factory located on La Cienega Boulevard.<\/p>\n