Lucille Ball began as a model and a film actress, and ended as the most powerful woman in television, whose company helped to shape the medium itself.
Lucille Désirée Ball (6 August 1911, Jamestown, New York — 26 April 1989, Los Angeles) was an American actress, comedian, producer and studio executive. As Lucy Ricardo in I Love Lucy she became one of the most beloved television stars in America; as head of Desilu Productions she became the first woman to run a major television studio.
At a Glance
- Born: Lucille Désirée Ball, 6 August 1911, Jamestown, New York, U.S.
- Died: 26 April 1989, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
- Occupation: Actress, comedian, producer, studio executive
- Active: 1930s (film) – 1980s (television)
- Breakthrough: Radio’s My Favorite Husband (1948); I Love Lucy on television (1951)
- Genre/era: Film comedy and drama of the 1930s–1940s; television situation comedy, 1950s–1970s
- Emmy Awards: 4 wins from 13 Primetime Emmy nominations, per the Television Academy
- Signature roles: Lucy Ricardo (I Love Lucy); Liz Cooper (My Favorite Husband, radio); Lucy Carmichael (The Lucy Show); Lucy Carter (Here’s Lucy); Helen North Beardsley (Yours, Mine and Ours); Mame Dennis (Mame)
The Biography
From Jamestown to Hollywood
Lucille Ball was born Lucille Desiree Ball on 6 August 1911 in Jamestown, New York. After studying drama in New York and working as a model, she moved to Hollywood in the 1930s and appeared in many films, first in small roles and then as a leading lady. At RKO she became known as the Queen of the B pictures, and at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in the 1940s she played in films including Du Barry Was a Lady (1943) and Ziegfeld Follies (1945). In 1940 she married the Cuban bandleader Desi Arnaz.
Radio leads to television
Her career changed with radio. In 1948 she starred in the radio comedy My Favorite Husband, as Liz Cooper, a role that led to television. In 1951, with her husband Desi Arnaz, she created I Love Lucy, in which she played Lucy Ricardo, a housewife who dreamed of show business and constantly got into trouble. The show premiered on 15 October 1951, was filmed before a live audience, used three cameras, and was made by Desilu Productions, the company Ball and Arnaz founded in 1950. Its co-stars were Vivian Vance as Ethel Mertz and William Frawley as Fred Mertz, with Arnaz as Ricky Ricardo.
I Love Lucy and Desilu
I Love Lucy ran until 1957 and became one of the most popular programmes in American television history. It was followed by The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour. After her divorce from Arnaz in 1960, Ball bought out his share of Desilu and, in 1962, became the first woman to head a major television studio. Desilu produced series including The Untouchables, Star Trek and Mission: Impossible. Ball starred in the Broadway musical Wildcat from 1960 to 1961. She sold Desilu to Gulf+Western in 1967, and it was renamed Paramount Television.
The Lucy Show, Here’s Lucy, and honours
Ball returned to television in The Lucy Show (1962–1968) and Here’s Lucy (1968–1974), reuniting in The Lucy Show with I Love Lucy co-star Vivian Vance, who left the show in 1965. Her later film work included Yours, Mine and Ours (1968) and Mame (1974). She was among the first recipients of the Women in Film Crystal Award in 1977, received the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1979, was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1984, and received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1986 and the Governors Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in 1989. She died on 26 April 1989 in Los Angeles. Her red hair, her physical comedy and her business sense together rebuilt what television could be.
Oldies Music Timeline
Oldies Music Timeline
- 6 August 1911 — Born Lucille Désirée Ball, Jamestown, New York.
- 1930s — Moves to Hollywood; appears in many films, first in small roles, then as a leading lady at RKO.
- 1940 — Marries Desi Arnaz.
- 1948 — Stars in the radio comedy My Favorite Husband as Liz Cooper.
- 1950 — Founds Desilu Productions with Desi Arnaz.
- 15 October 1951 — I Love Lucy premieres; Ball as Lucy Ricardo.
- 1957 — I Love Lucy ends; The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour follows.
- 1960 — Divorces Arnaz; stars in the Broadway musical Wildcat, 1960–1961.
- 1962 — Buys out Arnaz’s share of Desilu; becomes the first woman to run a major television studio.
- 1962–1968 — Stars in The Lucy Show.
- 1967 — Sells Desilu to Gulf+Western.
- 1968–1974 — Stars in Here’s Lucy.
- 1974 — Stars in the film Mame.
- 1979 — Receives the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award.
- 1986 — Receives the Kennedy Center Honors.
- 26 April 1989 — Dies in Los Angeles; receives the Governors Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in 1989.
Signature Roles
- Stage Door (1937) — Terry Randall
- The Big Street (1942) — Gloria Lyons
- Du Barry Was a Lady (1943) — May Daly
- Ziegfeld Follies (1945) — Herself / various (segment appearances)
- The Long, Long Trailer (1954) — Tacy Collini
- Forever, Darling (1956) — Susan Vega
- The Facts of Life (1960) — Kitty Weaver
- Yours, Mine and Ours (1968) — Helen North Beardsley
- Mame (1974) — Mame Dennis
- I Love Lucy (1951–1957, television) — Lucy Ricardo (listed as her defining role, although it is television, not film)
Why They Matter
- Emmy Awards: 4 wins from 13 Primetime Emmy nominations, per the Television Academy.
- In 1962 she became the first woman to run a major television studio, Desilu Productions, which produced Mission: Impossible and Star Trek, as well as The Untouchables.
- I Love Lucy (premiered 15 October 1951, ran until 1957), filmed before a live audience with three cameras, became one of the most popular programmes in American television history and set the pattern for the filmed situation comedy.
- Honours include the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award (1979), induction into the Television Academy Hall of Fame (1984), the Kennedy Center Honors (1986) and the Governors Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (1989). She was among the first recipients of the Women in Film Crystal Award in 1977.
- She was the first woman inducted into the Television Academy’s Hall of Fame, according to the Museum of Broadcast Communications — stated as that museum’s account; the Television Academy’s own Hall of Fame date (1984) is verified above.
Sources
- Television Academy, “Lucille Ball | Emmy Awards and Nominations” — https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/lucille-ball
- Wikipedia, “Lucille Ball” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucille_Ball
- Museum of Broadcast Communications, “Ball, Lucille” — https://www.museum.tv/tvencyclopedia1/ball-lucille