I'm a big Lucille Ball fan who's used to being disappointed. The three aspects that the media often focuses on tend to be the least interesting about the Hollywood icon: her marriage to Desi Arnaz, "I Love Lucy," and being an older actress in the industry. "Lucille Ball Treasures" avoids the pitfalls in past Ball bios by centering on Lucille Ball, the tenacious talent, not just the star of the namesake sitcom.
I knew her beginnings were humble, but I didn't realize she was her family's breadwinner. It was inspiring to learn that, even while taking in the industry and failing to capitalize off a "big break," she was successful enough to provide for herself and her family. As an actor gearing up to get back into "the business," I loved reading about Ball's climb up the A-list ladder. There's a lot of valuable information covered about Hollywood standards and politics.
By the time "I Love Lucy" hit the silver screen, Lucille Ball was already forty years old and had been performing for more than two decades!
The book is filled with breathtaking photos, many of which I'd never seen before. Paired with the timeline of the biography, it sometimes felt as though the words and images aligned to tell a deeper, more textured story. "Lucille Ball Treasures" illuminates the impact that Lucille Ball left on the industry, as well as the ways that she and Desi Arnaz innovated thirty-minute situation comedy.
This book doesn't come out until 10/21/2023, but I've already pre-ordered my copy. It's a great coffee table book and you don't have to be a diehard fan to appreciate the writing and photographs.