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Laughing with Lucy: My Life with America's Leading Lady of Comedy
Lucille Ball's comic genius made them famous, but many of the unforgettable plot lines for I Love Lucy came from the life of their writer, Madelyn Pugh Davis. In Laughing with Lucy, Davis and her long-time writing partner, Bob Carroll Jr., recount her rise in television and her many years working on the set and behind the scenes with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Lighthearted and witty, this book offers a trip back in time to the tumultuous early days of television.
288 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
March 15, 2023
When I got this book, hubby asked if I really needed to read more about Lucille Ball. Yes I did, because this is not just any book about Lucille Ball. It's a book by Madelyn Pugh Davis, who was one of her writers on the radio show 'My Favorite Husband', co-wrote all of the 'I Love Lucy' episodes from the 50s, and continued on with the shows that Lucy did after that, as well as many more shows. She's a legend in the world of comedy writing, but also very humble.
Madelyn met her main writing partner, Bob Carroll Jr., in the early days at CBS when they were thrown together as a team to work on 'My Favorite Husband'. They obviously clicked because they wrote together for 50 or so years. When Madelyn started out, there were very few women writers for TV, so she gives some fascinating insights into what it was like being a pioneer in that field.
She gives some of her own memoir, but most of the material relates to her experiences as a writer on Lucy's shows, with insights into the writing process, working with Desi and Lucy, lots of behind-the-scenes stories, lots of anecdotes about guest stars etc. And because she's a comedy writer, it's of course all done with a generous dollop of humour.
She gives enough detail so that you can get a good idea of the shows without necessarily having seen them, including bits of script. There are also lots of photos. However, if you're like me and own the box sets of all the original 'I Love Lucy' episodes, it will mean more. I could remember most of the scenes she talked about, including some from the later show 'Here's Lucy'.
If you like behind-the-scenes stories of TV shows, or are interesting in comedy writing, you'll find a lot to enjoy in this book.
Madelyn met her main writing partner, Bob Carroll Jr., in the early days at CBS when they were thrown together as a team to work on 'My Favorite Husband'. They obviously clicked because they wrote together for 50 or so years. When Madelyn started out, there were very few women writers for TV, so she gives some fascinating insights into what it was like being a pioneer in that field.
She gives some of her own memoir, but most of the material relates to her experiences as a writer on Lucy's shows, with insights into the writing process, working with Desi and Lucy, lots of behind-the-scenes stories, lots of anecdotes about guest stars etc. And because she's a comedy writer, it's of course all done with a generous dollop of humour.
She gives enough detail so that you can get a good idea of the shows without necessarily having seen them, including bits of script. There are also lots of photos. However, if you're like me and own the box sets of all the original 'I Love Lucy' episodes, it will mean more. I could remember most of the scenes she talked about, including some from the later show 'Here's Lucy'.
If you like behind-the-scenes stories of TV shows, or are interesting in comedy writing, you'll find a lot to enjoy in this book.
March 15, 2020
She's so cool.
February 23, 2024
I have read this several times, first when it came out in 2005. It was a gift. In the years since, I read it many times. I hadn't in a while though, so I thought I'd pick it up again and revisit it. It's just as charming and wonderful as I remember and of course, it's made rewatch some of my favorites (and then, all) I LOVE LUCY episodes as well as other works from Madelyn and Bob like THE MOTHERS IN-LAW.
This show is so much a part of the fabric of America and the world that I feel many people forget where it stemmed from---whom it stemmed from-- The situations, dialogue and conceptions of every episode. Madelyn and Bob are total genius and thank god they existed! What we would we do? Who would we be without Lucy, Ricky, Fred and Ethel? THANK GOD we never have to find out.
This show is so much a part of the fabric of America and the world that I feel many people forget where it stemmed from---whom it stemmed from-- The situations, dialogue and conceptions of every episode. Madelyn and Bob are total genius and thank god they existed! What we would we do? Who would we be without Lucy, Ricky, Fred and Ethel? THANK GOD we never have to find out.
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April 2, 2011Great book. I really enjoyed it. It was funny, interesting and very enjoyable to read.
January 25, 2022
"Laughing With Lucy" is a charming and insightful memoir about Madelyn Pugh Davis' career as a "girl writer" working on one of the greatest and most influential sitcoms ever made. The author's humility, wit, and warmth make her the perfect person through which to experience the sense of excitement, the thrumming energy, and the challenge of working in radio and television when both were relatively new, and the conventions we now take for granted were being established.
Davis is not afraid to write about the challenges of working in a high stakes world under an ever present deadline at a time when many men in the business would look right through her as she spoke, and she sets the record straight on some of the prevailing legends about I Love Lucy and its making. She also has a beautiful ability to communicate the essence of some of the legendary people in her life, showing their genius and their complexities with the love, respect, and understanding of an old friend.
Having finished the book, it strikes me that Madelyn Pugh Davis was a pretty remarkable person. She was, in a lot of ways a person of her time, raised in a small town with traditional values, and a strong sense of integrity. She worked within the world, and in many ways she did not defy convention. She also had an unshakable vision of what she wanted to do in life, and didn't let the world around her stop her from proving over and over again that she was born to it. That, to me, shows immense strength and persistence, to be aware of what was expected of her in society, to deliver on those expectations, and to defy them when they were shortsighted and oppressive with a ready smile, an observant eye, quick wit, and fingers on the type writer.
Davis is not afraid to write about the challenges of working in a high stakes world under an ever present deadline at a time when many men in the business would look right through her as she spoke, and she sets the record straight on some of the prevailing legends about I Love Lucy and its making. She also has a beautiful ability to communicate the essence of some of the legendary people in her life, showing their genius and their complexities with the love, respect, and understanding of an old friend.
Having finished the book, it strikes me that Madelyn Pugh Davis was a pretty remarkable person. She was, in a lot of ways a person of her time, raised in a small town with traditional values, and a strong sense of integrity. She worked within the world, and in many ways she did not defy convention. She also had an unshakable vision of what she wanted to do in life, and didn't let the world around her stop her from proving over and over again that she was born to it. That, to me, shows immense strength and persistence, to be aware of what was expected of her in society, to deliver on those expectations, and to defy them when they were shortsighted and oppressive with a ready smile, an observant eye, quick wit, and fingers on the type writer.
November 26, 2020
Marilyn Pugh Davis teamed up with Bob Carroll Jr. to become one of the best comedy writing teams in TV history, debuting as the main writers of the first five years of I Love Lucy. They first teamed up with Lucille Ball on her radio series, My Favorite Husband, and continued to work with her through her various TV series up to her last series, Life With Lucy, in 1986. The book can be divided into four parts: the author's early life and career, the years with Lucy, her experience as a woman in a male dominated industry, and her later life memoirs. The sections dealing with working with Lucy are very interesting and funny for anyone who has ever watched her TV shows. The other parts are of less general interest, but Davis, being a comedy writer, writes in a style that is smooth, interesting and amusing throughout, maintaining the readers' interest. Possibly not of much interest to the three or four people in North America who have never seen a Lucy show, but for everyone else it is a nice behind the scenes look at one of TV's great performers and great shows, a look totally free of gossip, which Davis emphasizes at the beginning. This is not a "tell-all", but it is a lot of fun.
March 9, 2024
I grew up on I Love Lucy reruns, and absolutely enjoyed this book from one of the show's writers (although as Madelyn writes, she had always worked with Bob, so he was included in the author section). While it does talk a bit about the writers' other works, and not solely about Lucy, this shows how I Love Lucy had changed television shows forever afterwards. Without Lucy and Desi ('specially his 3 camera system), shows we still watch would either never exist, or would just not be as great.
March 7, 2022
I enjoyed this take on 'I Love Lucy'. Admitibly I started reading this after the Lucy movie came out on streaming. I just wanted to know more about Madelyn Pugh Davis and how she did it back in the day as not only a television writer, but a female. This book didn't disappoint on her explanation of her journey and the overall insanity of the life she lived. I found it inspiring.
February 2, 2025
Absolutely delightful. Madelyn (or "Mallen," per Desi) writes an incredibly entertaining and insightful book that had me laughing out loud and unable to put it down. She was an incredibly talented trailblazer and yet comes off as very down-to-earth and humble. I highly recommend giving this a read.
February 17, 2025
I read this book a while ago. At the time, I was out of my Lucy phase, but still loved vintage Comady. So, I read the book.
But this book is NOT written by Lucy or Desi. In fact, it was written by the script writers of Her shows! It is still a great book, and gave an interesting look at Hollywood. Yeah, definitely a great book! ❤️🖤❤️🖤
Sorry, IDK why I put the emojis….
But this book is NOT written by Lucy or Desi. In fact, it was written by the script writers of Her shows! It is still a great book, and gave an interesting look at Hollywood. Yeah, definitely a great book! ❤️🖤❤️🖤
Sorry, IDK why I put the emojis….
December 31, 2024
Such a fantastic and endearing read 🥹 this was a page turner from the very start and I absolutely enjoyed learning more about Madelyn Pugh’s story, especially the time she and Bob worked on I Love Lucy. This was such a phenomenal find and I’m happy to have discovered this book🥰
June 4, 2019
Enjoyed this book and the insight she gives on how the shows came about. Makes you want to sit down and binge watch the old Lucy shows!
April 5, 2020
Fun, engaging read of one of the best comedy writers of the 20th century. This is a great read not only for Lucy fans but comedy fans in general.
March 4, 2024
Great book for anyone who loves Lucy. Great little back stories about the series and the author. She (the author) was one of the first female TV writers. Witty and heartfelt and funny.
May 12, 2024
It's been a while since I read a book in one afternoon. This was a funny and interesting memoir from one of the first female TV writers. And lots of great stories about I Love Lucy.
June 2, 2009
This was a surprisingly quick read (i finished it in a little over 3.5 hours) from Madeline Pugh Davis, one half of the writing team (the late Bob Carroll Jr. being her partner) that cooked up the dialogue and situations for the Ricardos and the Mertezes in "I Love Lucy"; for Lucy, Viv and Mr. Mooney in "The Lucy Show"; for Lucille, Kim, Craig and Harry in "Here's Lucy"; and for Lucy in "Life With Lucy," in addition to executive producing "Alice" and being the show runner for other sitcoms.
Yet another viewpoint to add to the pantheon of books that have been written about Lucy, Desi, Desilu, "I Love Lucy," the Ricardos, the Mertzes, etc.
This is another genuine look, coming from the inside (in fact, no one could be more inside than Madeline Pugh Davis, whose relationship with Lucille Ball dated from Lucy's CBS radio show, "My Favorite Husband" in the late 1940s). She skips the tired gossip that we have grown used to hearing (Desi was a hard-drinker and womanizer...Lucy was a bitter control freak, etc.) in favor of how Davis was a pioneer (being one of the first female writers hired by CBS), and how her persistence, work ethic and sense of humor landed her a job writing for the Queen of Comedy in radio and television. She was in a privileged place when it all started, and she understands how important her place in entertainment history is.
Of the books I have read about "I Love Lucy," this ranks in at No. 3 (No. 1 is Coyne Sanders' and Tom Gilbert's "Desilu: The Story of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz" and No. 2 is Gregg and Jess Oppenheimer's "Laughs, Luck...and Lucy: How I Came to Create the Most Popular Sitcom of All Time").
Yet another viewpoint to add to the pantheon of books that have been written about Lucy, Desi, Desilu, "I Love Lucy," the Ricardos, the Mertzes, etc.
This is another genuine look, coming from the inside (in fact, no one could be more inside than Madeline Pugh Davis, whose relationship with Lucille Ball dated from Lucy's CBS radio show, "My Favorite Husband" in the late 1940s). She skips the tired gossip that we have grown used to hearing (Desi was a hard-drinker and womanizer...Lucy was a bitter control freak, etc.) in favor of how Davis was a pioneer (being one of the first female writers hired by CBS), and how her persistence, work ethic and sense of humor landed her a job writing for the Queen of Comedy in radio and television. She was in a privileged place when it all started, and she understands how important her place in entertainment history is.
Of the books I have read about "I Love Lucy," this ranks in at No. 3 (No. 1 is Coyne Sanders' and Tom Gilbert's "Desilu: The Story of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz" and No. 2 is Gregg and Jess Oppenheimer's "Laughs, Luck...and Lucy: How I Came to Create the Most Popular Sitcom of All Time").
May 3, 2015
Fans who have read Geoffrey Mark Fidelman's exhaustive THE LUCY BOOK or Jess Oppenheimer's LAUGHS, LUCK...AND LUCY won't find much new material here. The lure of this volume is its amiable and knowledgeable authors: Davis and her longtime writing partner Carroll co-wrote virtually every episode of I LOVE LUCY and continued to write on all of Lucille Ball's sitcoms through 1986's LIFE WITH LUCY.
The duo gently clarifies tales that have become exaggerated over the years (e.g., Vivian Vance's contract did not stipulate she weigh 20 pounds more than Ball) and offers amusing examples of script shorthand (e.g., "SPIDER" meant Lucy should make her "eeuh!" sound). They praise Desi Arnaz as a staunch defender of his writers and an unsung behind-the-scenes innovator. Ball was "a beautiful clown" and a perfectionist, but, they cryptically note, "everyone is complicated, and Lucy was more complicated than most." Although tales of working with Ball take up the majority of the book, Davis also offers a fascinating look at being one of the few female comedy writers working on radio and TV in the 1940s and '50s, and lightly touches on her post-Lucy successes writing/producing ALICE.
The duo gently clarifies tales that have become exaggerated over the years (e.g., Vivian Vance's contract did not stipulate she weigh 20 pounds more than Ball) and offers amusing examples of script shorthand (e.g., "SPIDER" meant Lucy should make her "eeuh!" sound). They praise Desi Arnaz as a staunch defender of his writers and an unsung behind-the-scenes innovator. Ball was "a beautiful clown" and a perfectionist, but, they cryptically note, "everyone is complicated, and Lucy was more complicated than most." Although tales of working with Ball take up the majority of the book, Davis also offers a fascinating look at being one of the few female comedy writers working on radio and TV in the 1940s and '50s, and lightly touches on her post-Lucy successes writing/producing ALICE.
November 29, 2014
I absolutely loved this book. It was a great combination of a behind the scenes look at one of the greatest shows ever made and a history of working women in Hollywood. I felt like I was sitting at dinner with Madeline Pugh Davis listening to her tell story after story about the show and Hollywood. Her stories were all hilarious, as you can only imagine. I also liked that she said right from the beginning that she was not going to spill any dirt about Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, both of whom she clearly loved and admired. I highly recommend this book for all Lucy fans, and for all people interested in Hollywood from the 40s through 70s.
November 6, 2015
I loved this book and enjoyed the insights into the life of a television writer as well as all the Lucy shows.
I liked the bit early in the book where Davis writes: "I should warn you that you won't learn any juicy gossip from me (and then gives her reasons)... Authors like to say 'the public has the right to know'. No it doesn't." Totally agree and good on her for saying so.
I recommend this book to anyone who has ever watched a sitcom on TV!
I liked the bit early in the book where Davis writes: "I should warn you that you won't learn any juicy gossip from me (and then gives her reasons)... Authors like to say 'the public has the right to know'. No it doesn't." Totally agree and good on her for saying so.
I recommend this book to anyone who has ever watched a sitcom on TV!
March 19, 2014
One of the writers behind I Love Lucy talks about her years on the show and the other shows she wrote for Lucille Ball. It's an interesting look at a historic show and the groundbreaking time for TV in general. Any fan of the show should read it because they'll enjoy it.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
February 11, 2013
This was a fun read; light-hearted and very sympathetic towards Miss Ball who seems to have been a bit of a pill. I loved getting the inside scoop on one of my favorite tv shows of all time from its very talented 'girl writer'.
April 15, 2014
A great insight into television history, history of women writers, comic writers and most importantly insights into the lives of Lucy and Desi. The anecdotes were gold! It actually makes me want to sit down and watch some of those classic episodes of "I love Lucy".
March 26, 2016
I was raised by a Lucy fanatic, so this book was a joy. The author steers away from the gossip, and focuses on the humorous anecdotes from her own life as a woman breaking the gender barrier as a writer and from Lucy shows dating back to the radio days all the way to Lucy's final show.
May 23, 2016
Very well written memoir of a writer's life with a comedienne. No tell-all here about Luci or Desi. Strictly about the show and the author's life. She's a Hoosier! Great book to work into this year's book club.
October 12, 2008
I've read quite a few books about Lucy - it was wonderful to hear from someone who worked so closely with all of the cast - the inside stories are great
August 17, 2009
it's a good book going behind the scenes
November 11, 2013
I Love Lucy..so this book for me was a fun read. I loved reading it from the perspective of a woman writer. It really gave a lot of insight into writing, filming and of course the show. A fun read!
December 14, 2014
great annecdotes, insights into what the show s world was like.
July 20, 2016
Book club choice. Pretty interesting read
March 10, 2020
Interesting read
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews