Lucille Ball was absolutely gorgeous and that fact was not lost on her fans.
Posted on 08/05/2011 8:39:47 AM PDT by Borges
That’s okay-—people have different tastes.
Actually, I’m the same way with Mel Brooks. I can never understand why people find him hilarious.
>> “I know that she was immensely popular but she never once made me laugh” <<
.
Her stunts used to make me cringe in embarrassment for her.
I did not know until recently that Lucille Ball had not only started Star Trek she kept it in the air when they wanted to cancel it.
Very true. Similarly Gleason for the Honeymooners and his ensemble of Alice Ed and Trixie. Those two shows flip flop as to which I love the most.
Lucille Ball was absolutely gorgeous and that fact was not lost on her fans.
The next day, LIVE, she threw herself against the wall as if she were unharmed. It must have really really hurt - but she was going for laughs damn it!!!
As a child and youth Lucy was the best...her scrapes were hilarious.
Carol Burnet was certainly another one of the tops, but by the time she came along, I wasn’t into variety show type programs and her stuff seemed the many times silly. By that time I was into All In The Family and the antics of Archie, and Edith and through them discovered Beatrice Arthur. OMG, that woman’s cynicism could send me into screams of laughter. And as I got older and resembled Arthur, my kids nick named me Maude which adds another layer to my fondness.
However, Lucy is still the pioneer of women’s comedy and the best. Yes, I think God needed for us to laugh a lot in the 50’s years, after the Great Depression and WWII, and sent Lucy.
Chick Chandler---played the newspaper man in Ethel's hometown--was in an early movie with Lucy "Blood Money" 1933(she played his girlfriend in a non-speaking role).
Allen Jenkins---played the policeman when Lusy was a chair who tells Lucy she might grow up to be a sofa---was in Lucy's "Five Came Back" 1939. Lucy complained "Five Came Back" co-star Chester Morris kept hitting on her.
Young Lucy had a role in a Marx Brothers movie---Harpo Marx and Lucy did a synchronized mirror scene in I Love Lucy.
Van Johnson---who Lucy danced with in a nightclub---was in the Broadway play "Too Many Girls" that brought Desi to Hollywood. Van had a small part in the movie starring Lucy---the Lucy/Desi romance began on the set.
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Frank Nelson's (quiz show's Freddie Fillmore and the train conductor with the broken timepiece) second wife was Veola Vonn (emcee when Ricky performs handcuffed to Lucy).
Locksmith on that episode, Will Wright, appeared in over 100 films and did much TV work, including a recurring role on "The Andy Griffith Show" (1960). Also played a role in Marilyn Monroe pic "Niagra" at the boat rental ramp.
I got into “I Love Lucy” through my wife. She absolutely loves that show. The reaon I like it is that it is truly funny. They didn’t have to rely on the crutch of sex jokes and the other tripe that passes for comedy today. They knew how to make you laugh. The William Holden epi, the John Wayne epi, the grape stomping and the Vitameatavegamin epis were hilarious. That show has few equals, then or today. Carol Burnett is close but her show was a different kind so you can’t equate the two. But individualy, CB was funny. Strange that she’s on a soap opera now.
As an honor to Lucy, the characters of Billy and victoria Abbott, (Billy Miller and Amelia Heinle) of “The Young and the Restless” had an adopted baby that they named Lucy because they liked the old shows like “I Love Lucy” and “Father Knows Best”.
Lucille Ball was one of the best.
I’m sure you know you’re in a minority, but no worries. I could never grasp why Michael Jackson’s music was (still is) so popular, either. I always thought Stevie Wonder was a much more interesting talent, so Michael’s race (when he had one besides other-than-human) had nothing to do with it.
Not exactly true although for many years all that was available was that one season recorded as a stand alone show. In reality the Honeymooners began as a skit as part of Jackie Gleason’s variety show years earlier.
The first show/skit had a different actress as Alice and Art Carney played a bit part as a cop. Those who have seen these early skits say it was far darker in tone than it later became and the characters developed over time. It became very popular and returned again and again on his show for many seasons. Then for one season as a stand alone show and then again back as part of his variety show. None of the variety shows were available for decades until Gleason revealed he had copies of his own and would be releasing them. They are now known as the Lost episodes and are a treasure trove of additional material. Also I recall as a kid in the 60s watching the Jackie Gleason show and seeing the Honeymooners in color which were recycled scripts and with different actresses (Sheila Macrae and Jane King) but still with Art Carney. Nevertheless those classic 39 shows from 1955 1956 define what the Honeymooners were.
Makes me nuts to see all the credit go to her when the genius behind it was.Desi. He invented the sitcom, the 3 camera live set up was his idea. He hired cameraman Karl Fruend. His friend Marco Rizzo wrote the theme song, he was the one who took the show in tbe road. Be was also tbe one who mortgaged their home to finance shooting the pilot; as a result he owned the show, not CBS. They became millionaires due to his business acumen.
The name of that Stooges short is "Three Little Pigskins." The Stooges are mistaken for three famous college football players who are bribed by some gangsters to throw the big game. Lucy plays the girlfriend of one of the mobsters. It was one of her first screen roles.
CBS thought it was no big deal when Desi insisted that he and Lucy retain ownership of the show. Back then, nobody envisioned syndication. They (CBS) thought the episodes would air once, then never be seen again. It was an assumption that has probably cost CBS hundreds of millions over the years.
You are absolutely right, and thanks. I could not remember the title.
Absolutely!
Pleasantly surprised that no one piped in that they couldn’t enjoy her work because of her politics.
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