LUCY FANS HONOR COMIC REDHEAD; BURBANK HILTON HOSTS HILARITY AT CONVENTION.

Byline: Anne Burke Daily News Staff Writer

Ohio resident Laura Vires loves it when Ricky says, ``Take a teezy'' when he wants to say, ``Take it easy.'' Virginian Arlene Bogert still goes nutty over the episode where Lucy and Ethel work at the chocolate factory.

New Yorker Glen Charlow can recite verbatim the show where Lucy and Ethel make a television commercial to sell their homemade salad dressing, only they underprice it, so they have to make another commercial and trash the dressing so nobody will buy it, and - well, you get the idea.

What were they doing at the Burbank Hilton on Friday? Paying homage to America's fabulously funny redhead at Loving Lucy '97, the second annual convention for fans of all things Lucille Ball.

``I'm a teacher in a small town in New Mexico, and there's nobody to talk to about Lucy. It's nice to see that there are so many weirdos here like me,'' said Annette Copher, 32.

``She was gutsy and daring and she'd do anything for a good laugh,'' said Valerie Helle, 29, a vegetable farmer from ``deep in south Texas'' who came to the Lucyfest with her husband, Mike.

The event will continue today and Sunday with panel discussions featuring ``I Love Lucy'' writers and actors - among them Keith Thibodeaux, who played Little Ricky - an auction of Lucy memorabilia and a one-woman tribute by actress Suzanne LaRusch.

Forty years after ``I Love Lucy'' quit production and eight years after Ball died, Lucy-mania still appears to be going strong.

``They always went for themes that were universal - fights with friends, marriage troubles, moving problems - instead of topical things that were fine today but didn't make any sense if you hadn't read yesterday's headlines,'' said Gregg Oppenheimer, whose late father, Jess, was creator, writer and head producer on ``I Love Lucy.''

Three generations of the Vires family - 11-year-old Laura, mom Kristie, 40, and grandmother Irene Weemhoff, 67, came to the convention to indulge themselves in their favorite passion - Lucy.

Laura is only 11, but she can spell her favorite episode - ``V-i-t-a-m-e-a-t-a-v-e-g-a-m-i-n,'' in which Lucy accidentally got drunk making a commercial for a super-potent liquid vitamin.

Event organizer Tom Watson expects about 2,000 fans - about 500 more than last year. Lucy-philes are flying in from Australia, Canada and throughout the United States. About 800 fans registered in advance, at $155 and up.

``I just love Lucy. What can I say?'' said Charlow, 37, an actor and singer from Brooklyn.

The half-hour sitcom starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz aired from 1951-57 and spawned four follow-up series. It has been shown in reruns ever since.

While fans are loving Lucy, they'll also be dropping a little cash as a token of their affection. Vendors will be selling everything from mugs and T-shirts to CD-ROMs. Arnaz's old green leather chair will be among the items sold at auction.

``This is a real neat snow globe and music box that plays the `I Love Lucy' theme. It's $49.95, which I don't think is a bad price,'' said Cathy Kelley, who sells Lucy memorabilia from her One-Stop Lucy Shop mail-order business in Sunnyvale, Texas.

Also on hand will be 65-year-old twins Marilyn and Roz Borden, a k a Teensy and Weensy from the ``Tennessee Bound'' Lucy episode in 1955.

Of course, that would be the one where Lucy, Ricky, Ethel and Fred get thrown in jail on the way to California, where Ricky plans to make it big in Hollywood.

Ball gave the Borden sisters their break in show business, and the twins - now plump and platinum-haired and wearing lots of clinking jewelry - get misty-eyed talking about her.

``There wasn't another person on this earth who had her comedic timing,'' Marilyn Borden said.

``You tell me, are people going to remember Roseanne 40 years from now?'' Roz Borden asked.

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PHOTO (color) Marilyn and Roz Borden, who played Teensy and Weensy, respectively, on ``I Love Lucy,'' will perform tonight at the Lucy convention in Burbank.

Myung J. Chun/Daily News