Lucille Désirée Ball was an American comedienne, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show and Here's Lucy. Lucille Ball was one of the most popular stars in America during her lifetime and had one of Hollywood's longest careers. She was a movie star from the 1930s to the 1970s, and appeared on television for more than thirty years.Ball received thirteen Emmy Award nominations and four wins. She was the recipient of the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1979, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Kennedy Center Honors in 1986 and the Governors Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in 1989.In 1929, Ball landed work as a model and later began her performing career on Broadway using the stage name "Diane Belmont". She appeared in many small movie roles in the 1930s as a contract player for RKO Radio Pictures. Ball was labeled as the "Queen of the Bs" (referring to her many roles in B-films). In 1951, Ball was pivotal in the creation of the television series I Love Lucy. The show co-starred her then husband, Desi Arnaz as Ricky Ricardo and Vivian Vance and William Frawley as Ethel and Fred Mertz, the Ricardos' loveable landlords. After the show ended in 1960, Ball went on to star in two more successful television series: The Lucy Show, which ran on CBS from 1962 to 1968, and Here's Lucy from 1968 to 1974. Her last attempt at a television series was a 1986 show called Life With Lucy. The show proved to be a critical and commercial flop which was canceled less than two months into its run by ABC.Ball met and eloped with Cuban bandleader Desi Arnaz in 1940. On July 17, 1951, Ball gave birth to their first child, Lucie Desiree Arnaz. A year and a half later, Ball gave birth to their second child, Desiderio Alberto Arnaz IV, known as Desi Arnaz, Jr. Ball and Arnaz divorced on May 4, 1960. On April 26, 1989, Ball died of a dissecting aortic aneurysm at age seventy-seven. At the time of her death, she had been married to her second husband, standup comedian and business partner Gary Morton, for twenty-eight years.
Received the Womens International Center (WIC) Living Legacy Award posthumously in 1990.
Originally interred at Forest Lawn (Hollywood Hills), Los Angeles, CA, Columbarium of Radiant Dawn, Court of Remembrance. In 2003, she was re-interred in the Ball family plot in Lake View Cemetery, Jamestown, NY.
A comment from a member of the preview audience of Follow the Fleet about bit-player Ball: "You might give the tall gum-chewing blonde more parts and see if she cant make the grade--a good gamble".
She and Barbara Pepper met early in their careers when they were both in The Goldwyn Girls and remained lifelong friends.
Mother of Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr..
During a Barbara Walters interview, Jane Fonda claimed that her father, Henry Fonda , was deeply in love with Lucy and that the two were "very close" during the filming of Yours, Mine and Ours .
Was the first woman to own her own film studio when she became the head of Desilu Productions.
Was awarded two Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Pictures at 6436 Hollywood Blvd. and for Television at 6100 Hollywood Blvd.
She signed her first promotional agreement with Max Factor in 1935 and again in 1942. Of all the stars, she had the longest association with the Max Factor company.
Once registered as a voter for the Communist party as a favor to her grandfather Frederick Charles Hunt (July 24, 1865-January 9, 1944).
Lucy and her son, Desi Arnaz Jr. , appeared together on the very first cover of "TV Guide" magazine in 1953.
Died the morning of April 26, 1989, the 56th birthday of her friend Carol Burnett. That afternoon Burnett received the flowers that Ball had ordered for her birthday.
During the filming of Roman Scandals , Lucy--playing a slave girl--needed to have her eyebrows entirely shaved off. They never grew back.
Before her movie career she was a model at Hattie Carnegie s in New York. She mainly modeled heavy fur coats, because she was startlingly thin as a young lady.
She and Desi Arnaz began "I Love Lucy" in the hopes of saving their crumbling marriage.
She was fired from working at an ice cream store because she kept forgetting to put bananas in banana splits.
She put her Chesterfield cigarettes in a Philip Morris package to please her sponsor (of the "I Love Lucy" show).
"TV Guide" picked her as the greatest TV star of all time.
Was one of 20 original The Goldwyn Girls. Among the others were Virginia Bruce ; Ann Dvorak ; Paulette Goddard and Betty Grable.
Born at 5:00 pm Eastern Standard Time zone.
Second cousin of Suzan Ball.
For many years during their marriage, she and Desi Arnaz hid the fact that she was six years older than he by splitting the difference in their ages. She (born in 1911) said she was born in 1914 and he (born in 1917) also said he was born in 1914.
Was known for a while as Dianne Belmont back when she was a model.
Pictured on a 34 USA commemorative postage stamp in the Legends of Hollywood series, issued 6 August 2001.
Inducted into the National Womens Hall of Fame in 2002.
Her favorite of her films was The Big Street . To her dying day she resented the Motion Picture Academy for not recognizing her performance in the movie by nominating her for an Academy Award.
One of her last television appearances was in 1989 on the 62nd Academy Awards, with Bob Hope , announcing the nominations and winner of Best Picture.
Stricken by rheumatoid arthritis early in her modeling career, she spent two years re-learning how to walk.
(3 March 1960) Filed for a divorce from husband Desi Arnaz , the day following the last day of filming "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour" .
Biography in: "Whos Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith. pg. 35-37. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387.
Felt that she did not deserve the title of "Queen of Comedy" and felt that it belonged to her idol, Carole Lombard.
While still contemplating whether to do the "I Love Lucy" shows, she claimed that in her dream, Carole Lombard came to her and told her to "Give it a whirl".
Was Frank Sinatra s first choice for the role of Laurence Harvey s mother in The Manchurian Candidate . He was only dissuaded when John Frankenheimer took him to see Angela Lansbury in a play.
Disliked any false form of a bird, she preferred to see them in person so she banned all pictures of birds from her house and any hotel room she was staying in.
Had a superstition about the letters A and R, which is why her character was named Lucy RicARdo in "I Love Lucy" ; Lucy CARmichael in "The Lucy Show" ; Lucy CARter in "Heres Lucy" and Lucy BARker in "Life with Lucy" (she was also married to Desi ARnaz). She believed she didnt have luck in her career until she changed her name to Arnaz.
First cousin of Cleo Morgan , though they were raised as sisters.
Related by marriage to Sid Gould.
Related by marriage to Vanda Barra.
Was of Irish, Scottish, French, and English descent.
Suffered three miscarriages with husband Desi Arnaz. First miscarriage was in 1942. Second miscarriage was in 1949. Third and last miscarriage was in 1950.
John Belushi was a fan of hers and knew every detail of her life and career.
She was proud of her family and heritage. Her genealogy can be traced back to the earliest settlers in the colonies. One direct ancestor, William Sprague (1609-75), left England on the ship "Lyons Whelp" for Plymouth/Salem, MA. They were from Upwey, Dorsetshire, England. William, along with his two brothers, helped to found the city of Charlestown, MA. Other Sprague relatives became soldiers in the Revolutionary War and two of them became governors of the state of Rhode Island.
She and Desi Arnaz were married a second time in 1946 in a church because his mother believed that the reason they didnt have children yet was because they were never married in the Catholic Church (they were first married in 1940 at the Byram River Beagle Club in Connecticut).
Lucy and Desi Arnaz were married at the Byram River Beagle Club in Connecticut in 1940.
She filed for divorce from Desi Arnaz in the 1940s but didnt go through with it because they reconciled.
Not long after the Arnazes bought their house on 1000 North Roxbury Drive in Beverly Hills, CA, it was first featured in "I Love Lucy" {The Tour (#4.30)} . Richard Widmark guest-starred and she climbs over the fence to pick a grapefruit from his backyard.
She named herself Diane Belmont after the Belmont racetrack in New York.
The day she first met Desi Arnaz , she had a black eye and a torn dress from filming a fight scene for Dance, Girl, Dance and he didnt find her at all attractive until they met again later in the day when she had changed into her own clothes and makeup. His oft-quoted first impression of her extraordinary beauty was "Thats a hunk o woman".
The original Desilu was her and Desi Arnaz s ranch in Chatsworth, CA. They used the same method of naming it that Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford s did when they named their estate "Pickfair".
Was once known as the "Chesterfield Girl" because she was the spokesmodel for Chesterfield cigarettes.
Was tutored in comedy by Buster Keaton.
When they were first married in 1940, Desi Arnaz had to give her a ring from a drugstore because all jewelry stores were closed. She wore it for the rest of their marriage.
Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume Two, 1986-1990, pages 63-66. New York: Charles Scribners Sons, 1999.
Her younger brother, Fred Ball , moved from their hometown of Jamestown, NY to join her in Hollywood in the 1930s. Fred often accompanied Desi Arnaz s band on tour during the 1940s and 1950s, and was also on the Board of Directors of Desilu Productions. In later years Fred and his wife Zo operated a motel in Cottonwood, AZ, where he died. Fred also shared the same birthday as his niece Lucie Arnaz.
In Italy, her films were often dubbed by Lydia Simoneschi or Wanda Tettoni , notably in the hilarious The Long, Long Trailer . She was occasionally dubbed by Rosetta Calavetta , Dhia Cristiani , Rina Morelli and Renata Marini (in Stage Door ).
Was in frail health following a heart attack in May 1988.
In 1966 it was reported in an annual stockholders meeting that her salary as President of Desilu Productions (1962-67) was $100,000. Her acting fees for 1966 were $130,172.
In 1968 she was reported to be the richest woman in television, having earned an estimated $30 million.
In 1962 she purchased Desi Arnaz s holdings in Desilu holdings for $3 million, as he wanted to retire to his horse ranch in Corona, CA, and lead a more stress-free life.
In July 1967 she sold Desilu Productions, consisting of 36 sound stages, 2000 employees and 62 acres adjacent to Paramount, to Gulf+Western Industries for $17 million. She received $10 million in Gulf+Western stock for her 60% of Desilu, the remaining $7 million being distributed to 3878 stockholders.
Profiled in "Killer Tomatoes: Fifteen Tough Film Dames" by Ray Hagen and Laura Wagner (McFarland, 2004).
When her subsequent series "The Lucy Show" and "Heres Lucy" became popular, Jess Oppenheimer , a co-creator of "I Love Lucy" alleged that her character Lucy Carmichael/Carter was in fact Lucy Ricardo re-named and threatened to sue. Rather than go to court, she settled for $220,000.
Her 1960 divorce from Desi Arnaz was quite amicable. They divided their $20-million television empire equally, each retaining 25% Desilu stock (282,800 shares), she got the homes in Beverly Hills and Rancho Mirage, and Desi got the beach house in Del Mar, CA, and his horse ranch in Corona, CA. In addition, they agreed to joint custody of their children, with him paying $450/month child support.
In 1958 in order to raise funds for their various investments, she and Desi Arnaz took Desilu public on the NYSE at $10 per share. They each retained 25% of the company, with each selling 25%. She took her $2.5-million windfall, paid $600,000 in capital gains taxes and, always frugal, invested the remainder in bonds and securities.
When she and Desi Arnaz moved to 1000 North Roxbury Drive in Beverly Hills, CA, Jack Benny , was their next-door neighbor, residing at 1002 North Roxbury Drive.
Was offered the role of Angel in The Greatest Show on Earth (1952) , but was forced to turn it down due to pregnancy. Gloria Grahame was later cast instead.
Appears on a 44 USA commemorative postage stamp in the Early Television Memories issue with Vivian Vance , as Lucy Ricardo and Ethel Mertz, in a scene from "I Love Lucy" {Job Switching (#2.1)} . The stamp was issued 11 August 2009.
Profiled in by Stephen M. Silverman s 1999 book "Funny Ladies: 100 Years of Great Comediannes".
Though starring in many successful 1940s musical comedies for MGM, her contract allowed her to honor her prior commitments. She starred in two film classics, The Dark Corner for 20th Century-Fox and the independently produced Lured .
She launched the film producing career of David Winters , one of the stars of West Side Story , whose first producer job was to co-produce and choreograph her television special Lucy in London .
There are two stamps with her name on them" a 34-cent stamp in 2001 and a 44-cent stamp, in 2009.
Suffered from ornithophobia, the fear of birds.
She had a bungalow office suite east of the main Desilu Production offices located on Gower St. (main reception entrance on Gower St.). Cleo Morgan , her first cousin, was her secretary, responsible for scheduling meetings, dealing with clients and agents for Lucy in her capacity as CEO of Desilu. Cleo remained with the Desilu management team the entire period of operation. Bud Brooks was in charge of the Desilu Productions Art department, located in the top floor of the main entrance building.
In the early part of her career she said she was born in Butte, MT, where her father died. Because of that she was nicknamed "Montana".
It was at the urging of Roman Scandals dance director Busby Berkeley that Samuel Goldwyn had her put under contract. The producer initially nixed the idea.
Gave birth to her first child, Lucie Desiree Arnaz (Lucie Arnaz ) at age 39 on July 17, 1951.
Gave birth to her second child, Desiderio Alberto Arnaz IV (Desi Arnaz Jr. ) at age 41 on January 19, 1953.
Was a Girl Scout.
Was the mentor of her protg Carole Cook and to her real-life children Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr..
Best remembered by the public for her starring roles as the title characters in each of her 3 series: "I Love Lucy" , "The Lucy Show" and "Heres Lucy" .
Was an acting mentor to Ruth Buzzi and Carol Burnett.
Her acting mentors were Buster Keaton and Red Skelton.
She "discovered" actor/dancer Ken Berry.
Delivered her children Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr. via Caesarean section.
She and Broderick Crawford announced their engagement in 1936. They never got as far as the altar. It was claimed that RKO fronted this story to cover her affair with studio producer Pandro S. Berman , who was married.
Was six years older than first husband Desi Arnaz and 13 years older than second husband Gary Morton.
Her company, Desilu Productions, produced "The Untouchables" , "Mission: Impossible" and "Star Trek" , among other series.
Contrary to their respective "I Love Lucy" personas, in real life Lucy was the frugal one while Desi Arnaz was the spendthrift.
The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie,about your age.
Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a,gorgeous redhead.
In life, all good things come hard, but wisdom is the hardest to come,by.
Give yourself first and everything else will fall into line.
She was something.
Life takes guts.
[About her drama school experience in 1926] I was a tongue-tied teenager,spellbound by the schools star pupil - Bette Davis.
In many ways, marrying Desi was one of the boldest things I ever did. I,had always gone with older men. I had also achieved some kind of,stability in Hollywood, and Desi with his beautiful girls and good,times seemed headed in another direction.
Yet I sensed in Desi a great need. Beneath the dazzling charm was a,homeless boy who had no one to care for him, worry about him, love him.
And I wanted him and only him as the father of my children.
I hate failure. And that divorce was the number one failure in my eyes.
Desi and I have never been the same since.
I knew there was nobody in the world for me but Desi. We may have our,ups and downs just as many people have. I would rather quarrel and make,up with him more than anyone else in the world.
[on Desi Arnaz] Life with Desi is crazy and exciting, but our love is,deep and changeless.
[on Desi Arnaz] He did make me happy, and I really want people to know,that.
Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. Your really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.
Luck? I don’t know anything about luck. I’ve never banked on it and I’m afraid of people who do. Luck to me is something else: hard work - and realizing what opportunity is and what isn’t. " — Lucille Ball,Politics should be the part-time profession of every citizen who would protect the rights and privileges of free people and who would preserve what is good and fruitful in our national heritage.
I think knowing what you cannot do is more important than knowing what you can do.
The secret of staying young is to live honestly eat slowly and lie about your age.
The secret of staying young is to live honestly eat slowly and lie about your age.
Love yourself first and everything else falls into line.
I think knowing what you cannot do is more important than knowing what you can.
If you want something done ask a busy person to do it. The more things you do the more you can do.
I hate failure and that divorce was a Number One failure in my eyes. It was the worst period of my life. Neither Desi nor I have been the same since, physically or mentally.
Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.
The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.
I have an everyday religion that works for me. Love yourself first, and everything else falls into line.
You see much more of your children once they leave home.
The more things you do, the more you can do.
In life, all good things come hard, but wisdom is the hardest to come by. .
