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Lucille Ball: the story on HearLore | HearLore
Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball was born on the 6th of August 1911 in Jamestown, New York, into a family that would soon be shattered by tragedy. Her father, Henry Durrell Ball, a lineman for Bell Telephone, died of typhoid fever on the 28th of February 1915 when Lucille was only three years old. This early loss cast a long shadow over her childhood, forcing her mother to move the family to Celoron, a summer resort village on Chautauqua Lake, where Lucille and her younger brother Fred were raised by their maternal grandparents. The trauma of her father's death was so profound that Lucille developed a lifelong fear of birds, a phobia triggered by a memory of a bird getting trapped in the house on the very day her father passed away. Her early years were marked by financial instability and the strict, mirrorless environment of her step-grandparents, who banished all mirrors from their home except one over the bathroom sink. When Lucille was caught admiring herself in that single mirror, she was severely chastised for being vain, a punishment that left a deep psychological scar lasting seven or eight years. Despite these hardships, the young Lucille found solace and a sense of purpose in the boardwalk of Celoron Park, where she watched vaudeville concerts and plays, planting the seeds for a career that would eventually redefine the entertainment industry.
From Chorus Girl to Queen of the Bs
Lucille Ball's entry into the professional world began not with a bang, but with a desperate need to escape her circumstances. In 1925, at the age of 14, she began dating Johnny DeVita, a local hoodlum, a relationship her mother tried to end by enrolling her in the John Murray Anderson School for the Dramatic Arts in 1926. The school, where Bette Davis was a fellow student, offered little encouragement; Ball later recalled that all she learned there was how to be frightened. Her instructors were unafraid to tell her she would never succeed, yet she returned to New York City in 1928 to work as a model for Hattie Carnegie. It was there that she bleached her brown hair blond, a decision that would become her signature look, and learned to wear expensive furs as casually as rabbit. Her acting career was initially stunted by rheumatic fever, which kept her out of work for two years, but she persisted. By 1932, she was working as a chorus girl and a cigarette girl for Chesterfield, using the stage name Diane Belmont. She was hired and quickly fired by theater impresarios Earl Carroll and Florenz Ziegfeld Jr., but her persistence paid off when she moved to Hollywood in 1933. There, she became a contract player for RKO Radio Pictures, earning the title Queen of the Bs, a moniker previously held by Fay Wray. She appeared in B-movies like Five Came Back and supported roles in A-pictures, including a memorable flower shop clerk in Top Hat and a featured model in Roberta, all while honing a comedic timing that would soon revolutionize television.
When was Lucille Ball born and where did she grow up?
Lucille Ball was born on the 6th of August 1911 in Jamestown, New York. She grew up in Celoron, a summer resort village on Chautauqua Lake, after her father died of typhoid fever in 1915.
Who did Lucille Ball marry and when did they divorce?
Lucille Ball married Cuban bandleader Desi Arnaz on the 30th of November 1940. They filed for divorce on the 3rd of March 1960 and finalized the divorce on the 4th of May 1960.
What business did Lucille Ball found and what shows did it produce?
Lucille Ball founded Desilu Productions, which became the first major television studio run by a woman. The company produced iconic shows including Star Trek, Mission: Impossible, and The Untouchables.
When did Lucille Ball die and what caused her death?
Lucille Ball died at 5:47 a.m. on the 26th of April 1989 from a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. Her death occurred four weeks after her final public appearance at the 61st Academy Awards.
Why did Lucille Ball register as a Communist in 1936?
Lucille Ball registered as a Communist in 1936 due to the influence of her socialist grandfather. She later explained to HUAC that she intended to vote the Communist Party ticket at his insistence but never actually voted as a Communist.
The trajectory of Lucille Ball's life changed irrevocably on the set of the 1940 musical Too Many Girls, where she met Cuban bandleader Desi Arnaz. They fell in love and eloped on the 30th of November 1940 at the Byram River Beagle Club in Greenwich, Connecticut, in a ceremony that would eventually become the foundation of a media empire. Their marriage was a complex blend of professional ambition and personal turmoil. Desi Arnaz was drafted into the Army in 1943 but was classified for limited service due to a knee injury, allowing him to stay in Los Angeles and entertain troops. The couple faced significant challenges, including Arnaz's infidelity and drinking problems, which led Ball to file for divorce in 1944. They reconciled, but the strain remained. In 1951, Ball gave birth to their daughter Lucie, and in 1953, she gave birth to Desi Arnaz Jr. The birth of their second child coincided with the filming of the famous I Love Lucy episode where Lucy Ricardo goes into labor, a moment that blurred the lines between fiction and reality. Ball's real-life caesarean section was scheduled for the same date that her television character gave birth, and the episode aired on the 19th of January 1953, watched by 44 million viewers. The couple's relationship eventually deteriorated, and on the 3rd of March 1960, Ball filed for divorce, claiming married life with Desi was a nightmare. They divorced on the 4th of May 1960, yet they remained friends until his death in 1986. This partnership, however, was the crucible in which Desilu Productions was forged, a company that would become the first to be run by a woman and produce iconic shows like Star Trek and Mission: Impossible.
The Businesswoman Behind the Laughter
While the world saw Lucille Ball as a zany housewife, she was also a shrewd businesswoman who revolutionized the television industry. In 1951, when CBS executives insisted that I Love Lucy be filmed in New York to accommodate live broadcasts, Ball and Arnaz proposed a radical solution: they would finance the filming themselves on 35 mm film in Hollywood, retaining the rights to their episodes. This decision, which CBS initially rejected, allowed them to create a library of shows that could be sold and resold, a concept that was unheard of at the time. When CBS finally agreed to buy back the rights for $1,000,000 in 1957, the couple used the money to purchase the former RKO Radio Pictures studios, which they renamed Desilu. Ball became the first woman to run a major television studio, a position she held after buying out Arnaz's share following their divorce. Under her leadership, Desilu produced hits like The Untouchables, Star Trek, and Mission: Impossible. She sold her shares to Gulf+Western in 1967 for $17,000,000, a testament to her business acumen. Her influence extended beyond production; she pioneered the use of multiple cameras filming before a live studio audience, a technique that remains standard in television production today. Ball also taught a 32-week comedy workshop at the Brandeis-Bardin Institute, where she famously stated that comedy could not be taught, only possessed. Her ability to balance the demands of a studio head with her acting career demonstrated a level of control and vision that was unprecedented for a woman in the 1950s and 1960s.
The Second Act and the Final Bow
After her divorce from Desi Arnaz, Lucille Ball did not fade into obscurity but instead embarked on a second act that proved her enduring appeal. In 1961, she married Gary Morton, a Borscht Belt comic 13 years her junior, who she installed in her production company and promoted to producer. Ball continued to star in successful sitcoms, including The Lucy Show from 1962 to 1968 and Here's Lucy from 1968 to 1974, often featuring her real-life children and longtime friend Gale Gordon. Her career took a dramatic turn in 1985 when she took on a role in the television film Stone Pillow, playing an elderly homeless woman, a performance that received mixed reviews but strong viewership. In 1986, she attempted a sitcom comeback with Life with Lucy, which was canceled less than two months into its run. Despite these setbacks, Ball remained a cultural icon, receiving the Kennedy Center Honors in 1986 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1989. Her final public appearance was at the 61st Academy Awards on the 26th of April 1989, just four weeks before her death. On that day, she awoke with severe back pain and lost consciousness, dying at 5:47 a.m. from a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. Her death marked the end of an era, but her legacy lived on through the many tributes and honors that followed, including the renaming of her birth street to Lucy Lane and the establishment of the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum & Center for Comedy in Jamestown, New York.
The Political Shadow and Personal Struggles
Beneath the glamour and laughter of Lucille Ball's public persona lay a complex political history that often went unnoticed. In 1936, when she registered to vote, Ball listed her party affiliation as Communist, a decision influenced by her socialist grandfather. She signed a certificate stating she was registered as affiliated with the Communist Party and was appointed to the state's Central Committee by the Communist Party of California. In 1937, Hollywood writer Rena Vale attended a class at an address identified to her as Ball's home, a fact that later came under scrutiny by the House Un-American Activities Committee. Ball voluntarily met with HUAC investigator William A. Wheeler on the 4th of September 1953, explaining that she had registered to vote as a Communist or intended to vote the Communist Party ticket at her grandfather's insistence. She stated that in those days, it was almost as terrible to be a Republican, and she at no time intended to vote as a Communist. This political past, combined with her personal struggles, including multiple miscarriages and the eventual breakdown of her marriage to Desi Arnaz, painted a picture of a woman who navigated the treacherous waters of Hollywood politics and personal tragedy. Despite these challenges, Ball remained a vocal supporter of gay rights, stating in a 1980 interview that it was perfectly all right with her that some of the most gifted people she had ever met were homosexual. Her ability to balance these personal and political complexities with her public image as America's favorite redhead demonstrated a resilience that went far beyond the screen.