By Stephanie Perez, Advertising Manager, & Staff Writer
“Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.” – Lucille Ball
If you turned on your TV in 1951 and switched the channel to CBS, you might have come across the show I Love Lucy. It was the most popular show in its time and is still remembered for its comedic and groundbreaking impact on the television industry.
Known for starring in this show, Lucille Ball and her then-husband Desi Arnaz made the audience come back to see their clear romance on screen. The show made it possible for reruns on broadcast television, helped create a culture for sitcoms and paved the way for women in the industry.
Born on August 6, 1911, in Jamestown, New York, Lucille Desiree Ball, always had the motivation to become an actress and enrolled in a drama school in New York. She got a job working as a model and was featured on a poster where she got the attention of Hollywood studios. Working on a few movies, Ball’s career kept growing and growing as she won major roles.
Meeting on the set of ‘Too Many Girls’ in 1940, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz quickly fell in love. They got married that same year, and the couple was together for 20 years and had two kids. In 1950, Ball and her husband made Desilu Productions where the comedy show I Love Lucy came to life. The show is about Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, a Cuban bandleader. As a chaotic housewife, Lucy gets herself in trouble that drives her husband crazy. Episodes were shown in front of a live audience and the actors were able to react to the audience and get their comedic timing perfect.
Desi Productions went on to produce more television shows, and in 1960 when Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball got a divorce, Ball stepped into the position of President, becoming the first woman to lead a big Hollywood production company. She then sold the company in 1967 and made her own production company, Lucille Ball Productions. Ball remarried to comic Gary Morton in 1961 and continued to appear in films until her death in 1989, after open-heart surgery.
Ball paved the way for women actresses in both the entertainment business and behind the scenes. A museum dedicated to her life and Desi Arnaz is open in Jamestown, NY, and remains a popular tourist attraction. She continues to inspire actresses and women in the film industry with her hard working story and incredible career. Her fans continue to rewatch her now, and her legacy lives on in the hearts of all those who grew up watching her and those who came to respect her for what she contributed to the industry.