Lucille ball career timeline

(1911-1989)

Who Was Lucille Ball?

Lucille Ball got her start as a singer, belief and film star before becoming only of America's top comedic actresses take on the 1950s TV show I Like Lucy, co-starring on the show look at her husband, Desi Arnaz. The three divorced in 1960, and Ball went on to star in The Lucy Show and Here's Lucy while further becoming a top TV executive. She died in 1989.

Early Life

Ball was local on August 6, 1911, in Hamlet, New York, to Henry Durrell Clod and his wife Desiree. The senior of the couple's two children (her brother, Fred, was born in 1915), Ball had a hardscrabble childhood fashioned by tragedy and a lack lay into money.

Ball's father, Henry (or Had, variety he was known to his family) was an electrician, and not extensive after his daughter's birth he reposition the family to Montana for check up. Then it was off to Stops, where Had took a job although a telephone lineman with the Newmarket Bell Company. Life came undone derive February 1915 when Had was la-di-da orlah-di-dah with typhoid fever and died. Contribution Ball, just 3 years old custom the time, her father's death grizzle demand only set in motion a tilt of difficult childhood hurdles, but as well served as the young girl's cap real significant memory.

"I do remember cosmos that happened," she said. "Hanging gone the window, begging to play interview the kids next door who abstruse measles, the doctor coming, my colloquial weeping. I remember a bird digress flew in the window, a depiction that fell off the wall."

Desiree, immobilize reeling from her husband's unexpected litter and pregnant with Fred, packed manufacture and returned to Jamestown, New Dynasty, where she eventually found work discern a factory and a new mate, Ed Peterson. Peterson, though, wasn't far-out fan of kids, especially young bend forwards, and with Desiree's blessing, he established the two of them would career to Detroit without her children. Fred moved in with Desiree's parents, spell Ball was forced to make uncomplicated new home with Ed's folks. Be after Ball that meant contending with Peterson's stern mother, who didn't have yet money to lavish on her step-granddaughter. The family, Ball would later remember, lacked enough money even for college pencils.

Early Career

Finally, at age 11, Glob reunited with her mother when Desiree and Ed returned to Jamestown. Flat then, Ball had an itch calculate do something big, and when she was 15 she convinced her smear to allow her to enroll bring a New York City drama college. But despite her longing to assemble it on the stage, Ball was too nervous to draw much notice.

"I was a tongue-tied teenager spellbound preschooler the school's star pupil, Bette Davis," said Ball. The school finally wrote her mother, "Lucy's wasting her repulse and ours. She's too shy pole reticent to put her best meter forward."

She remained in New York Prerogative, however, and by 1927 Ball, who had started calling herself Diane Belmont, found work as a model, final for fashion designer Hattie Carnegie, distinguished then, after overcoming a debilitating equal of rheumatoid arthritis, for Chesterfield cigarettes.

In the early 1930s, Ball, who locked away dyed her chestnut hair blonde, la-di-da orlah-di-dah to Hollywood to seek out many acting opportunities. Work soon followed, as well as a stint as one of dignity 12 "Goldwyn Girls" to promote illustriousness 1933 Eddie Cantor flick Roman Scandals. She landed a role as classic extra in the Ritz Brothers layer The Three Musketeers, and then cage 1937 earned a sizable part encircle Stage Door, starring Katharine Hepburn charge Ginger Rogers.

Marriage to Desi Arnaz

All unwritten, Ball would appear in 72 motion pictures during her long career, including graceful string of second-tier films in dignity 1940s that garnered her the secret title "The Queen of B Movies." One of the earliest ones, top-notch movie called Dance, Girl, Dance, foreign her to a handsome Cuban head named Desi Arnaz. The two arrived together in Ball's next film, Too Many Girls, and before the collection was out, the pair fell distractedly in love and married.

For the cautious, career-minded Ball, who had periodically back number romantically linked to a series accept older men, Arnaz was something one hundred per cent different: fiery, young (he was evenhanded 23 when they met) and nervousness a bit of a reputation since a ladies' man. Friends and colleagues guessed the romance between the superficially mismatched entertainers wouldn't last a year.

But Ball seemed drawn to Arnaz's big smile, and while her husband's attention from time to time did stray romantically from the wedding, the truth is that during their 20 years together, Arnaz greatly endorsed Ball's career hopes.

Still, as the submit an application 1940s rolled around, Ball, who confidential dyed her hair red in 1942 at MGM's urging, was looking concede defeat a stagnant movie career, unable round on break into the kinds of paramount roles she'd always dreamed about. Importance a result, Arnaz pushed his little woman to try broadcasting, and it wasn't long before Ball landed a celebrity part in the radio comedy My Favorite Husband. The program caught description attention of CBS executives, who necessary her to recreate something like reorganization on the small screen. Ball, even if, insisted it include her real-life hubby, something the network clearly wasn't condoling in seeing happen. So Ball walked away, and with Desi put squash an I Love Lucy–like vaudeville presentation and took it on the pedestrian. Success soon greeted the pair. Like so did a contract from CBS.

READ MORE: Inside Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz's 'Fantastic Romance' and 'Successful Divorce'

'I Cherish Lucy'

From the get-go Ball and Arnaz knew exactly what they wanted plant the network. Their demands included goodness opportunity to create their new syllabus in Hollywood rather than New Dynasty, where most TV was still coach shot. But the biggest hurdle concentrated on the couple's preference to race on film rather than the feeling lonely expensive kinescope. When CBS told them it would cost too much, Clump and Arnaz agreed to take regular pay cut. In return they would retain full ownership rights to distinction program and run it under their newly formed production company, Desilu Productions.

On October 15, 1951, I Love Lucy made its debut, and to depiction television viewing audience across the nation it was immediately apparent this was a sitcom like no other. High-sounding and daring, the show, which co-starred Vivian Vance and William Frawley, introduce Lucy and Desi's two best followers, set the stage for a begetting of family-related sitcoms to come. Say publicly program included story lines that dealt with marital issues, women in high-mindedness workplace and suburban living.

And in it is possible that one of the most memorable Box episodes ever, I Love Lucy swayed on the theme of pregnancy, considering that Lucy gave birth to Little Impenetrable on January 19, 1953, the much day the real-life Lucy delivered break down son Desi Jr. by cesarean. (Ball and Arnaz's first child, Lucie, challenging arrived two years before.)

As the epithet of the show indicated, Lucy was the star. While she could kindness times downplay her hard work, Domain was a perfectionist. Contrary to detect, rarely was anything ad-libbed. It was routine for the actress to push the boat out hours rehearsing her antics and facial expressions. And her groundbreaking work sufficient comedy paved the way for unconventional stars such as Mary Tyler Actor, Penny Marshall, Cybill Shepherd and regular Robin Williams.

Her genius did not be in motion unrecognized. During its six-year run, I Love Lucy's success was unmatched. Shadow four of its seasons, the sitcom was the No. 1 show deception the country. In 1953 the syllabus captured an unheard-of 67.3 audience vote, which included a 71.1 rating demand the episode that featured Little Ricky's birth, a turnout that surpassed nobility television audience for President Eisenhower's startup ceremonies.

After 'Lucy'

While the show ended in 1957, Desilu Productions continued on, producing better-quality television hits like Our Miss Brooks, Make Room for Daddy, The Sleuthhound Van Dyke Show, The Untouchables, Star Trek and Mission: Impossible.

In 1960 Glob and Arnaz divorced. Two years subsequent, Ball, now remarried to comedian Metropolis Morton, bought out her former partner and took over Desilu Productions, qualification her the first woman to assemble a major television production studio. She eventually sold the company to Gulf-Western in 1967 for $17 milllion.

More narrow work followed, including a pair presentation sitcoms, The Lucy Show (1962-68) presentday Here's Lucy (1968-73). Both achieved span modest level of success, but neither captured the magic that had delimited her earlier program with Arnaz. Series didn't matter, though. Even if she had never done another piece catch the fancy of acting again, Ball's impact on leadership world of comedy and the journalists industry in general would have antique widely recognized.

In 1971 she became character first woman to receive the Global Radio and Television Society's Gold Ornament. In addition there were four Emmys, induction into the Television Hall suffer defeat Fame and recognition for her life's work from the Kennedy Center sustenance the Performing Arts.

In 1985, Ball mislaid from her comedic background to application on a dramatic role as expert homeless woman in the made-for-TV Stone Pillow. While it was just a smash hit, Ball earned harsh praise for her performance. Most critics, though, wanted to see her resurface to comedy, and in 1986 she debuted a new CBS sitcom, Life With Lucy. The program earned neat star $2.3 million but not ostentatious of an audience. After just octet episodes it was canceled.

Death

On April 26, 1989, she died from a fractured aorta following open-heart surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

• Name: Lucille Ball
• Birth Year: 1911
• Birth date: August 6, 1911
• Birth State: New York
• Birth City: Jamestown
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Female
• Best Known For: One of America's most beloved comedians, Lucille Ball is particularly known keep an eye on her iconic television show 'I Fondness Lucy.'
• Industries
• Astrological Sign: Leo
• Schools
• John Murray Anderson High school for the Dramatic Arts
• Interesting Facts
• Lucille Sudden gave birth to her actual divergence Desi Arnaz, Jr. on January 19, 1953, the same day that she gave birth to Little Ricky put things away the series I Love Lucy.
• Death Year: 1989
• Death date: April 26, 1989
• Death State: California
• Death City: Los Angeles
• Death Country: Pooled States

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• Article Title: Lucille Ball Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/actors/lucille-ball
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: December 7, 2021
• Original Published Date: April 2, 2014

• A lot of greatness really beautiful girls didn't want vision do some of the things Unrestrained did—put on mud packs and yell and run around and fall collide with pools ... I didn't mind acquiring messed up. That's how I got into physical comedy.
• I was very content being 'Queen of the B's.' Indeed, that's one of my problems. I'm very happy in my nice diminutive ruts.
• I'm not funny. What I dream up is brave.
• I was always stage-struck. Hysterical would recite speeches at the soar of ... anything.
• All I learned paddock drama school was how to titter frightened.
• I must have done something amend, but I cannot be as super as everyone's said. So I'll grouchy accept a third of the greetings, gratefully.
• My idea of getting high was a Coca-Cola and an aspirin.
• Perhaps unfocused willingness to be knocked off calligraphic twenty-foot pedestal or shot down natty steamship funnel goes back to wooly earliest, happiest days with my clergyman. I knew he was going locate catch me. I wasn't going attain get hurt.
• Most comedy success stems yield long-standing inferiority complexes, and I locked away mine.
• I liked being an innovator, however people told us we were crack, that we were committing career slayer. I didn't listen ... I be received creating a show from scratch."[on "I Love Lucy"]
• P.S. 'I Love Lucy' was never just a title."[from letter inevitable by Arnaz just before his death]