Starring: Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, William Frawley
Homecoming - S5-E6
Visible crew/equipment: During the episode a small tape mark is visible on the floor between the coffee table and the couch, and a T-mark can be seen on the floor near the desk, such as when Lucy starts telling her guests about their "fabulous" trip, Ethel stands at the T-mark and a female guest stands at the tape mark. (00:07:05)
Revealing mistake: At the Brown Derby, when Lucy bumps into the waiter causing him to trip and spill the tray all over William Holden, we can see that the waiter's hand is taped to the bottom of the tray for the stunt to be done efficiently. (00:15:15)
Ethel Mertz: Rome wasn't built in a day.
Fred Mertz: Well, Rome wasn't built like you either.
Trivia: Fred and Ethel's bickering relationship didn't require much acting; in real life Vivian Vance and William Frawley didn't care for each other at all.
Answer: There is no reason. It's a just a silly plot device, typical of the era. Women characters were often portrayed as making uninformed assumptions or decisions.
raywest ★