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LIFE Lucille Ball: Her Life, Love and Legacy
She was capricious, outspoken, madcap, and never embarrassed. And we loved her for it. Thirty years after the death of one of TV's legends, LIFE remembers the life and career of Lucille Ball, the hilarious comic actress whose iconic sitcom, I Love Lucy (which she created and starred in with her real-life husband, Desi Arnaz) was so popular that the episode featuring the birth of their characters' son, Little Ricky, attracted more viewers than the inauguration of President Dwight Eisenhower. A Hollywood giant who blazed a trail for women in front of and behind the camera, Ball was the first female to run a major television production studio, and she green-lighted such classic broadcasts as Star Trek and Mission Impossible. A former showgirl on Broadway stage, Ball was known as one of the hardest-working actresses in Tinseltown before conquering radio and then TV. With her unique brand of fearless, physical comedy, she paved the way for funny folks like Mary Tyler Moore, Penny Marshall, and Robin Williams. As Will and Grace's Debra Messing writes in the heartfelt foreword to this LIFE Special Edition, “It's fair to say that I have my career because Lucy paved the way. She and Desi invented the sitcom.” And, boy, did she make us laugh. Please note that this product is an authorized edition published by the Meredith Corporation and sold by Amazon. This edition is printed using a high quality matte interior paper and printed on demand for immediate fulfillment.
96 pages, Paperback
Published May 21, 2021
14 people want to read
About the author
LIFE
1,173 books70 followersLife was an American magazine published weekly from 1883 to 1972, as an intermittent "special" until 1978, and as a monthly from 1978 until 2000. During its golden age from 1936 to 1972, Life was a wide-ranging weekly general interest magazine known for the quality of its photography.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 9, 2023
I thought I would read it faster since it is a magazine, but I had to take a break and deal with other priorities.
I am glad Lucy was president of a company and inspired many women to do so. And she and Desi were the first to allow pregnancy on TV. They must not have been able to say "pregnant" or "expecting." Or they wanted to have a little French flair, for example, Lucy is Enceinte aka Lucy is Pregnant.
The magazine mentions The Big Bang Theory. I hope they were not comparing Lucy to The Big Bang Theory. I've seen some episodes of The Big Bang Theory, and it isn't like I Love Lucy, unless you add a brainiac (more brainy) to Lucy who corrects everyone. Lucy schemes and Sheldon is Mr. Smarty-Pants. Mr. Know-It-All. And a lot of sex in it.
I have only seen the episode of Ellen where she came out as gay. That might have canceled the show. It didn't last long. Now there are a lot of gay people in shows.
At the beginning of the show, couples didn't even sleep in the same beds. Just a bed, a nightstand separating them, then another bed. Then eventually, the couples did sleep in the same bed.
I kind of wish I was in the audience. I mean, seeing it live? I know they would have to do many takes for mistakes, but still. It's I Love Lucy. Reruns are just as good I guess.
It seems like the men I know prefer The 3 Stooges to Lucy. Blah.
I have seen episodes so much I can almost or maybe fully remember the lines
Sometimes I wish I were here. As it says, "outspoken, madcap and never embarrassed." I haven't been in moments where I GET embarrassed...yet. But I am not outspoken or outgoing like Lucy.
I don't know how she green-lighted Mission Impossible. She was dead during some of the filming.
If you say so.
I have not seen the episode where Will & Grace do an I Love Lucy thing, but there will be another Lucy. Many people have tried.
I'm not a fan of all episodes, but being a sweetheart, my brother bought me the entire series box set. Too bad it is plastic and is hard to close and cracks easily. Can't sell it now if I wanted to unless I sell it cheap.
I read or heard somewhere that Lucy got real injuries during scenes. Not just I Love Lucy, but other movies or shows she had done. Like the "Bitter Grapes" fight.
In the Vitemetavegamen episode, the man who read how much alcohol is in the bottle tells his boss. Especially after taking so many takes. "23%." No wonder why she acted weird. Flirtatious and drunk.
The Loving Cup where she is stuck has it on her head and people laugh at her. She was embarrassed then. She tried to act like it was no big deal. So cute.
Also embarrassed with Mr. Holden.
I like the episode where Lucy Tells the Truth. Tells her age, weight, and what color her hair would be if she didn't dye it. "33, 129 and mousy brown." I don't remember the last time I was 129 pounds. 130 is close. That was years ago.
For a lesbian, (me), I think a lot of those guys are good-looking men. They needed more hot females.
I like that Lucy had her character being born in Jamestown, New York. Although, in the show, she didn't know there were 2 Jamestowns. Specifically born in West Jamestown. Doesn't say that in the magazine.
I don't remember if Lucy Arnaz mentioned having a brother, but now I know she has one in real life.
They named the landlord, Fred after her grandfather and brother. Cool.
Lucy must be a good singer, but Lucy Arnaz is semi-horrible. In some episodes she is good, some not so much.
She was a mannequin? That's a lot of standing.
I noticed they don't have cigarette ads. More anti-smoking. "This is your brain on drugs." (years ago). There's another one I can't remember what it was for but I remembered what the girl said word for word. Definitely a drug-free commercial, though.
She knew Harpo Marx's skits pretty well when he was on her show and she had to impersonate him. The whistling Harpo does drive me nuts though.
Lucy likes jealous men. I don't. Or jealous women.
It's pretty bad if you give your marriage 6 weeks. I would go with someone else then.
I learned some Spanish while watching I Love Lucy rather than Telemundo. And neither have subtitles. I learned some from the Hispanic co-workers, but more from the I Love Lucy show.
I know Lucy really has brown hair. I wondered why she changed it to red. Now I know, "The hair is red, but the soul is on fire." Okay then.
I know people who are in crummy relationships. I just say divorce them. It's not that easy from what other people have said, especially if the relationship is abusive. I don't believe in cheating.
I wish I had seen "My Favorite Husband" episodes. I can probably see it on YouTube.
Gale Gordon is in a few of Lucille's stuff. Sometimes she has 1 actor play many characters on the show. Do they not have other actors? For example: Gale played in "I Love Lucy," "Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour," "The Lucy Show," "Lucy Calls the President," and "Life with Lucy."
That sucks about a miscarriage. I know a few people who have had them.
I like that Lucy knows what she wants and demands it...and apparently getting away with it. "Can't have an interracial relationship on TV." It happened.
My mother would not allow the "cook for me, clean this, clean that, give me my pipe" routine, but she does it anyway. She seems to be the cook 90% of the time. My dad doesn't smoke, but she wouldn't give him his pipe. "Are your legs broken? Get it yourself." She says that about the food, too. So, he barely eats. She makes food for her and me.
I would have never known Will Frawley was a drunk. Wow. Using the B word from Bill. Well, their negative marriage chemistry works. Sounds like my parents. I'm waiting for their divorce. He doesn't hit her, just treats her like crap in other ways. Mom didn't like Ricky after I told her he spanked her on TV. Not cool, dude. Or reality, but she knew that. I know Lucy is demanding but calling her a B word.
Stuff the candy in Lucy's hat. Many people recreate some of I Love Lucy scenes, like the candy one, for example: Sabrina the Teenage Witch with her friend Valerie, but it wasn't candy it was making pizza. Okay, semi-recreate it. Grace on Will and Grace reenacts Vitametavegamin. Jack and Grace reenact the chocolate factory scene. Daughter, Lucie Arnaz was there. Karen from Will and Grace reenacts the scene where Lucy is fighting in the grapes. The woman literally put grapes up Lucy's nose. That's what you get for starting a fight. Part of the show or not, injuries might happen. It was a wrestling match, sort of. One that had grapes.
I watched something where it was confirmed by I believe the governor, then later President (I forget which), that Lucy was not a communist. The audience heard it.
Desi said, "I don't go out with other women, I go out with hookers." That's not any better. I would cut off his penis after the first time he cheats. Cheating is a no-no.
If it wasn't for the box set of DVDS, I would not have I Love Lucy. I prefer to watch them or record them on TV. Keep some episodes I like. Get rid of the ones I don't. That's what I do with my other shows.
Mission Impossible TV show? I didn't know they had that. Figures that movies are remade of shows.
Not a fan of Star Trek. Star Wars yes.
Vivian Vance must love Lucy if she is in "I Love Lucy," "The Lucy Show," and "Here's Lucy." 2 shows have the first name Vivian. Again, Gale Gordon was in "Here's Lucy" also. No repeats of that, just "I Love Lucy" and "The Lucy Show."
Lucy died from AAA. Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm. Very few people survive like my dad and uncle.
I am glad Lucy was president of a company and inspired many women to do so. And she and Desi were the first to allow pregnancy on TV. They must not have been able to say "pregnant" or "expecting." Or they wanted to have a little French flair, for example, Lucy is Enceinte aka Lucy is Pregnant.
The magazine mentions The Big Bang Theory. I hope they were not comparing Lucy to The Big Bang Theory. I've seen some episodes of The Big Bang Theory, and it isn't like I Love Lucy, unless you add a brainiac (more brainy) to Lucy who corrects everyone. Lucy schemes and Sheldon is Mr. Smarty-Pants. Mr. Know-It-All. And a lot of sex in it.
I have only seen the episode of Ellen where she came out as gay. That might have canceled the show. It didn't last long. Now there are a lot of gay people in shows.
At the beginning of the show, couples didn't even sleep in the same beds. Just a bed, a nightstand separating them, then another bed. Then eventually, the couples did sleep in the same bed.
I kind of wish I was in the audience. I mean, seeing it live? I know they would have to do many takes for mistakes, but still. It's I Love Lucy. Reruns are just as good I guess.
It seems like the men I know prefer The 3 Stooges to Lucy. Blah.
I have seen episodes so much I can almost or maybe fully remember the lines
Sometimes I wish I were here. As it says, "outspoken, madcap and never embarrassed." I haven't been in moments where I GET embarrassed...yet. But I am not outspoken or outgoing like Lucy.
I don't know how she green-lighted Mission Impossible. She was dead during some of the filming.
If you say so.
I have not seen the episode where Will & Grace do an I Love Lucy thing, but there will be another Lucy. Many people have tried.
I'm not a fan of all episodes, but being a sweetheart, my brother bought me the entire series box set. Too bad it is plastic and is hard to close and cracks easily. Can't sell it now if I wanted to unless I sell it cheap.
I read or heard somewhere that Lucy got real injuries during scenes. Not just I Love Lucy, but other movies or shows she had done. Like the "Bitter Grapes" fight.
In the Vitemetavegamen episode, the man who read how much alcohol is in the bottle tells his boss. Especially after taking so many takes. "23%." No wonder why she acted weird. Flirtatious and drunk.
The Loving Cup where she is stuck has it on her head and people laugh at her. She was embarrassed then. She tried to act like it was no big deal. So cute.
Also embarrassed with Mr. Holden.
I like the episode where Lucy Tells the Truth. Tells her age, weight, and what color her hair would be if she didn't dye it. "33, 129 and mousy brown." I don't remember the last time I was 129 pounds. 130 is close. That was years ago.
For a lesbian, (me), I think a lot of those guys are good-looking men. They needed more hot females.
I like that Lucy had her character being born in Jamestown, New York. Although, in the show, she didn't know there were 2 Jamestowns. Specifically born in West Jamestown. Doesn't say that in the magazine.
I don't remember if Lucy Arnaz mentioned having a brother, but now I know she has one in real life.
They named the landlord, Fred after her grandfather and brother. Cool.
Lucy must be a good singer, but Lucy Arnaz is semi-horrible. In some episodes she is good, some not so much.
She was a mannequin? That's a lot of standing.
I noticed they don't have cigarette ads. More anti-smoking. "This is your brain on drugs." (years ago). There's another one I can't remember what it was for but I remembered what the girl said word for word. Definitely a drug-free commercial, though.
She knew Harpo Marx's skits pretty well when he was on her show and she had to impersonate him. The whistling Harpo does drive me nuts though.
Lucy likes jealous men. I don't. Or jealous women.
It's pretty bad if you give your marriage 6 weeks. I would go with someone else then.
I learned some Spanish while watching I Love Lucy rather than Telemundo. And neither have subtitles. I learned some from the Hispanic co-workers, but more from the I Love Lucy show.
I know Lucy really has brown hair. I wondered why she changed it to red. Now I know, "The hair is red, but the soul is on fire." Okay then.
I know people who are in crummy relationships. I just say divorce them. It's not that easy from what other people have said, especially if the relationship is abusive. I don't believe in cheating.
I wish I had seen "My Favorite Husband" episodes. I can probably see it on YouTube.
Gale Gordon is in a few of Lucille's stuff. Sometimes she has 1 actor play many characters on the show. Do they not have other actors? For example: Gale played in "I Love Lucy," "Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour," "The Lucy Show," "Lucy Calls the President," and "Life with Lucy."
That sucks about a miscarriage. I know a few people who have had them.
I like that Lucy knows what she wants and demands it...and apparently getting away with it. "Can't have an interracial relationship on TV." It happened.
My mother would not allow the "cook for me, clean this, clean that, give me my pipe" routine, but she does it anyway. She seems to be the cook 90% of the time. My dad doesn't smoke, but she wouldn't give him his pipe. "Are your legs broken? Get it yourself." She says that about the food, too. So, he barely eats. She makes food for her and me.
I would have never known Will Frawley was a drunk. Wow. Using the B word from Bill. Well, their negative marriage chemistry works. Sounds like my parents. I'm waiting for their divorce. He doesn't hit her, just treats her like crap in other ways. Mom didn't like Ricky after I told her he spanked her on TV. Not cool, dude. Or reality, but she knew that. I know Lucy is demanding but calling her a B word.
Stuff the candy in Lucy's hat. Many people recreate some of I Love Lucy scenes, like the candy one, for example: Sabrina the Teenage Witch with her friend Valerie, but it wasn't candy it was making pizza. Okay, semi-recreate it. Grace on Will and Grace reenacts Vitametavegamin. Jack and Grace reenact the chocolate factory scene. Daughter, Lucie Arnaz was there. Karen from Will and Grace reenacts the scene where Lucy is fighting in the grapes. The woman literally put grapes up Lucy's nose. That's what you get for starting a fight. Part of the show or not, injuries might happen. It was a wrestling match, sort of. One that had grapes.
I watched something where it was confirmed by I believe the governor, then later President (I forget which), that Lucy was not a communist. The audience heard it.
Desi said, "I don't go out with other women, I go out with hookers." That's not any better. I would cut off his penis after the first time he cheats. Cheating is a no-no.
If it wasn't for the box set of DVDS, I would not have I Love Lucy. I prefer to watch them or record them on TV. Keep some episodes I like. Get rid of the ones I don't. That's what I do with my other shows.
Mission Impossible TV show? I didn't know they had that. Figures that movies are remade of shows.
Not a fan of Star Trek. Star Wars yes.
Vivian Vance must love Lucy if she is in "I Love Lucy," "The Lucy Show," and "Here's Lucy." 2 shows have the first name Vivian. Again, Gale Gordon was in "Here's Lucy" also. No repeats of that, just "I Love Lucy" and "The Lucy Show."
Lucy died from AAA. Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm. Very few people survive like my dad and uncle.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 14, 2022
I've read a few biographies on Lucille Ball, this one was brief and mostly focused on her time with I Love Lucy and Desilu. I didn't like hearing all the bad stuff that happened on set, I like the idealized concept of line on the show.
April 29, 2024
Very well written.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews