Lucille Ball was well known for her TV show, I Love Lucy, but there is much more to this remarkable lady. When you take the time to look behind the scenes, you find that she was not only a comedic genius, she paved the way for anyone else that came after her.
Although many of us feel as if we know this lady quite well, there are things that went on in the background that are sure to amaze you. Here are 10 things about Lucille Ball that not only made her who she was on the screen, it made her fierce off the screen as well.
1. She was in the forefront, paving the way for other female comedians.
Although we may know many female comedians today, they really owe their fame to Lucy. She trained with Red Skelton and Buster Keaton to become the best comedy actresses of all time. There is no doubt that she earned the nickname “Queen of Comedy.”
2. She was part of the first interracial couple on TV
Lucy as married to Desi Arnaz in real life and she wanted him to be part of the show. The producers balked at the suggestion, saying he was “too ethnic” for the US audience. Lucy would not give in and they took the show on the road. Eventually, they were able to build up such a fanbase for him that he became her leading man on the TV show.
3. She is the first woman to run a major television studio
Have you ever heard of Desilu Productions? Is is the television studio owned by Lucy and Desi but eventually, she bought him out and ran the whole thing on her own! At one time it covered 67 acres, had 36 sound stages and 2,000 employees. When she sold it in 1967, it carried a $17 million price tag and they changed the name to… (wait for it…) Paramount Pictures!
4. Married a younger man (not usually done in her day)
Although Desi was only 6 years younger than Lucy, it was still an incredible gap when compared to what was considered acceptable for the day. She refused to live by a double standard, since many older male actors married young women
5. First to be shown pregnant on TV
Back in the day, women who were pregnant needed to hide it when they were on TV. Lucy was not going to hear of it! She brought her pregnancy right into the show and made it part of the script. She did compromise on one point. Instead of using the word pregnant, she said “expecting” on the show.
6. We may not consider 40 to be over the hill today, but back when I Love Lucy was on TV, it was unheard of for a woman of that age to be seen. Lucy was a trend setter in this regard as well. Not only did she do OK at 40, her show sky rocketed to #1 and the reruns are still being watched today!
7. Walked the line of equality
Let’s face it, the 1950s were not a time that were well known for equality among the sexes. Yes, Lucy was one to set the trend but she also needed to stay within some limits. Fortunately, she did push the limits in this regard, but she used comedy to get away with it!
8. She wasn’t always lady-like
Do you remember June Cleaver? Lucy wasn’t the same lady on the set! She managed to do many things that were considered to be unfeminine for the day and get away with it. Nicely played, Lucy!
9. She left Desi
Yes, she loved Desi but she eventually left him. In her words… “Desi was the great love of my life. I will miss him until the day I die. … I just couldn’t take it anymore.” She did manage to keep the lines of communication open, even during those difficult times. Just days before Desi died of cancer, she called him to tell him she loved him.
10. Redhead?
Did you know she colored her hair? She did it so she would stand out from what was considered the typical beauty image in Hollywood.
Any way you look at it, Lucy was an amazing person. She was talented, funny and certainly ahead of her time.
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