The Mother’s In Law was produced by Desi Arnaz and lasted for 2 seasons and 56 episodes from 1967-69. Arnaz brought in writers from I Love Lucy for this series, Madelyn Davis and Bob Carroll, Jr., as evidenced by the feel good slapstick comedy that’s present throughout. The Hubbards and the Buells are next door neighbors who consistently annoy one another, and whose lives change forever when their children suddenly get engaged. Eve Arden (recognized as the principal of Rydell High in Grease) plays Eve Hubbard, the sophisticated, proper wife of Herbert Hubbard, a lawyer. They clash with Roy and Kay Buell. Roy is a television writer and Kay is an outspoken Italian woman.
Although Kaye and Eve are quite different, and their husbands are as well, the comedy of the series comes from the four of them being placed in similar situations and in actuality, acting quite similar to one another. For example, when Kaye goes on a skiing trip and breaks her leg, not out on the slopes but by tripping on a rug in the lobby of the ski lodge, they suggest that Roger take on their case. Their children, married by this point, suggest that they reenact the accident to get a sense of what happened. Eve also breaks her leg in this process, and so both Kaye and Eve are laid up in bed together, eating identical ice cream cones, wearing the same nightgown in different colors, and watching a scary movie. The two get so frightened by the film that they start to think the killer is going to come to the house.
Their children are then shown sneaking in through the downstairs window because they’ve forgotten their keys. Kaye and Eve think that the killer from the film is coming upstairs, and they start confessing how they don’t actually hate one another (that much) after all. Herbert then comes through the front door with his own leg broken, and begins to crutch slowly up the stairs. Eve decides she’s not giving up without a fight, and Kaye bombastically follows. They of course end up hitting Herb in the head. At the end of the episode, Roger comes back from the ski lodge not with a broken leg, but a broken hand. They got so little in their settlements from the hotel that Roger went in and punched the hotel manager, but he ducked.
Some of the humor is a bit outdated and overplayed, such as the frequent, multiple references to Kaye’s being Italian. In every episode Kaye is loud, dramatic, makes stereotypical hand gestures, and slaps her husband awake when he’s trying to go to sleep. She grits her teeth, bites her fist, and cries at the drop of a hat. Eve says, “I don’t understand a culture that could produce the likes of Michelangelo, Sophia Loren, and Kaye Buell.” Much of the comedy consists of juxtaposing Kaye’s loudmouth nature with Eve’s sophisticated demeanor.
The theme song from the series is quite catchy, reminiscent of other classic television shows from the period that one remembers catching on Nick at Night. The opening sequence is a montage of funny stills from the show that change from episode to episode. There are also television commercials from the late 1960’s that are left in, which are entertaining to see, such as for Scope mouthwash and deodorant. Most notably is a commercial for dish soap, with a group of women sitting in a living room and a voice over says “take a wife test,” look at your hands to see if they’re soft and in good condition. This dish soap has glycerine in that will make your hands “as appealing as the rest of you.”
Desi Arnaz has a cameo in one episode as a Spaniard in Barcelona whom Eve and Kaye call on the phone by accident when they’re locked in a department store overnight. Even though Arnaz is only on screen for about ten minutes, his performance is easily one of the most entertaining in the episode, although it might be considered a un-p.c. or outdated by modern standards.
This is slapstick humor that’s set up with an obvious payoff. The actors deliver their punch lines in the popular grandiose manner of the day. There is a nostalgic kind of value to this humor, but personally I didn’t find it “laugh-out-loud” funny.
DVD Bonus Features
Easily one of the most enjoyable parts of the DVD set. An insightful interview with Kaye Ballard from 2010, talking about her experiences on the show. She explains how she loved the role of Kaye Buell, working alongside such well known actors, but how after The Mother’s In-Law she was pigeon-holed as the loud Italian woman character. There is a radio interview between Lucille Ball and Eve Arden, which is a real treat. Also a behind the scenes look at rehearsals from the show.
"The Mothers-in-Law: The Complete Series" is on sale July 27, 2010 and is not rated. Comedy. Directed by Desi Arnaz, Elliot M Bour. Written by Madelyn Davis, Bob Carroll, Jr. . Starring Desi Arnaz, Eve Arden , Herbert Rudley, Kaye Ballard, Keith Carradine, Roger C Carmel .
