Jump to content

New Lucy Books


Mister Hepburn
 Share

Recommended Posts

I know, that's such a great story and a perfect example of how he operated. Can i fill in some blanks for people who did not read it? When Lizzie and Dicky appeared on Here's Lucy, they were treated like a King and Queen. They got this HUGE trailer for her that Streisand had used on On a Clear Day. It was so sumptuous that Liz showed it off to the press the night of the wrap party after they shot the show. When gary saw how impressed she was with it, and wanting to show off in front of everybody, he told Lizzie it was hers! And he promised to ship it to their home, not realizing that the home was in Gstaad, Switzerland. And this was promised in front of the press too. So, the next day, it was up to Lucy to clean up his mess. She called Howard and told him gary had NOT promised her the trailer, Howard kept repeating that he had and Lucy kept saying No he didn't! LOL! Howard said it took him years to clear up that trailer mess with Liz and Dick and all other parties involved. Punchline is Lucy wanted that same trailer for a project she was doing years later and they tried to lift it with TWO giant lift trucks and it fell and broke in two never to be used by anyone again.

I guess Gary was feeling low and needed an ego boost after John Rich directed and did the warm up so much better than he would do it. Didn't people on the set refer to Gary as numb nuts?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I guess Gary was feeling low and needed an ego boost after John Rich directed and did the warm up so much better than he would do it. Didn't people on the set refer to Gary as numb nuts?

Yeah, i forget who called him that, but Desi called him Barry Norton which is so funny to me, LOL! John Rich? It was Jerry Paris who did the directing on that particular ep. I forget who did that better warm up. Before, when i referred to him getting a cut out of every deal he made, i meant on TOP of his regular salary of course, as executive vice president of Lucille Ball productions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, i forget who called him that, but Desi called him Barry Norton which is so funny to me, LOL! John Rich? It was Jerry Paris who did the directing on that particular ep. I forget who did that better warm up. Before, when i referred to him getting a cut out of every deal he made, i meant on TOP of his regular salary of course, as executive vice president of Lucille Ball productions.

 

 

Oh! oops! John Rich!! Sorry don't know what I was thinking. I believe Howard said Jerry also did the warm up on that episode. And thats why Gary was pissed. Another thing that really gets me about Gary is how cheap he is described to be with almost everyone except himself and his family. I mean he didn't even get why it was wrong to pull up in your fourth car after denying the staff extra money for their kids! Maybe he could be giving. Who knows? But its not how hes described at all. Oh and remember when he had some of his famous friends drop by when he went over with Howard to finally pay for his expensive clothes? And then the poor owner didn't know what else to do but let Gary keep the clothes without paying for any of it?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know, and we're still on topic as gary is mentionned in most books. Herb Solow was just devestating when it came to talking about the garester. Didn't the story about serving beer instead of champagne at studio parties come from him? Lately, i've been thinking gary was Lucy's own Terry Melcher, the man who wiped out his wife Doris Day's fortune and he had signed her for that tv show she never wanted to do. Gary wasn't as overt as Terry though, but he did seem to require a CUT or BRIBE on any deal he got for her. There always had to be something in it for him. Howard's book has loads of stories on missed opportunities for Lucy as her lawyer Mickey Rudin and gary would veto all these great jobs for her. There was this one job, Pivot Pool, arranged by Howard without the two schmucks meddling in where Lucy cleared a million dollars in one year for one commercial filmed at her home in Palm Springs and her face on the boxes of the game. Another great deal was for Lucy reading children's stories and recording them, which might have gotten her a Grammy AND Howard said it would have provided a fortune in annuities for Lucy and then her kids as they would still be selling today. But Mickey said, OH THERE'S NO MONEY IN CHILDREN'S STORIES RECORDINGS, so Howard shot back, ever hear of Disney?

Terry Melcher was Doris' son not her husband that was Marty Melcher (he adopted Terry who was Doris' son by her first husband). Terry was a talented record producer who passed away about a decade ago.

 

I have to wonder about the "great deal" that would have happened if Lucy had made the children's record although I would have LOVED for it to have happened. But I seriously doubt it would have brought in any big money - tons of stars have recorded them including Katharine Hepburn and Meryl Streep and they never sell in big numbers. Others who did them include Shirley Booth, Vivien Leigh, Lillian Gish, Carol Channing, etc. and most of those recordings were out of print in a few years. I believe I read somewhere that even Bea Arthur (!!) did one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, i forget who called him that, but Desi called him Barry Norton which is so funny to me, LOL! John Rich? It was Jerry Paris who did the directing on that particular ep. I forget who did that better warm up. Before, when i referred to him getting a cut out of every deal he made, i meant on TOP of his regular salary of course, as executive vice president of Lucille Ball productions.

 

Claude: Please explain to me the difference between LB Prod'ns and Desilu Productions - I may have to go through and re-do some of my entries!!!! Yikes! I'm gonna research it myself; but, since you are RESIDENT EXPERT - maybe you can set me straight.... I shudder to think how much work this entails for me; but, I gotta get it right. Thanks, and love to you, JK

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Claude: Please explain to me the difference between LB Prod'ns and Desilu Productions - I may have to go through and re-do some of my entries!!!! Yikes! I'm gonna research it myself; but, since you are RESIDENT EXPERT - maybe you can set me straight.... I shudder to think how much work this entails for me; but, I gotta get it right. Thanks, and love to you, JK

 

Desilu Productions was the company that Lucy and Desi formed together in 1950. After buying out Desi's shares in 1962, Lucy served as president until 1967, when she sold Desilu to Gulf & Western. After that, she formed Lucille Ball Productions so that she could retain control over the production of her TV shows and later TV specials.

 

Sorry, I know I'm not Claude, and I'm sure he can supply more details, but I figured he wouldn't mind me chiming in with the bare bones. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Terry Melcher was Doris' son not her husband that was Marty Melcher (he adopted Terry who was Doris' son by her first husband). Terry was a talented record producer who passed away about a decade ago.

 

I have to wonder about the "great deal" that would have happened if Lucy had made the children's record although I would have LOVED for it to have happened. But I seriously doubt it would have brought in any big money - tons of stars have recorded them including Katharine Hepburn and Meryl Streep and they never sell in big numbers. Others who did them include Shirley Booth, Vivien Leigh, Lillian Gish, Carol Channing, etc. and most of those recordings were out of print in a few years. I believe I read somewhere that even Bea Arthur (!!) did one.

Did i say Terry, when i meant Marty, sorry about that, i felt so bad when Doris lost her only son so young, but marty i had no sympathy for. As for the record deal, if Howard says it sould have made a lot of money, i think he was right about almost everything so i believe him, besides Lucy was a huge HIT with kids, the way Kate or Meryl never were. Lucy was beloved by kids for her antics on her shows, i think that's the main connection here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Claude: Please explain to me the difference between LB Prod'ns and Desilu Productions - I may have to go through and re-do some of my entries!!!! Yikes! I'm gonna research it myself; but, since you are RESIDENT EXPERT - maybe you can set me straight.... I shudder to think how much work this entails for me; but, I gotta get it right. Thanks, and love to you, JK

I'm no expert, go to Harry or Brock or Neil or many other people here BUT, i just read that in Howard's book, Desilu was when Lucy and Desi were together and then until she sold it all to Gulf and Western, then she had to start a new company and did, called Lucille Ball Productions, of which she was now Prez and her little boy toy was named executive vice president.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Desilu Productions was the company that Lucy and Desi formed together in 1950. After buying out Desi's shares in 1962, Lucy served as president until 1967, when she sold Desilu to Gulf & Western. After that, she formed Lucille Ball Productions so that she could retain control over the production of her TV shows and later TV specials.

 

Sorry, I know I'm not Claude, and I'm sure he can supply more details, but I figured he wouldn't mind me chiming in with the bare bones. ;)

Sorry, i answered BEFORE i read your post, you were perfect and would have saved me a post, LOL!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Claude you are making me want to read the Madelyn Pugh book! Might have to read that again! :)

Yes, but those stories were from the Howard Rafayel book, not Madelyn's. Hers is a great read but totally devoid of gossip or criticisms of any kind, she was a Wanda like doll who would never do anything negative like that,. Howard was more of a realistic business man and a fellow Jew so i think he was ashamed of people like gary.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, but those stories were from the Howard Rafayel book, not Madelyn's. Hers is a great read but totally devoid of gossip or criticisms of any kind, she was a Wanda like doll who would never do anything negative like that,. Howard was more of a realistic business man and a fellow Jew so i think he was ashamed of people like gary.

Oh. I didn't read anything after you saying you were reading the Madelyn book. Lol. But I agree about Madelyn, she didn't put anything juicy in the book. I wish she would've!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh. I didn't read anything after you saying you were reading the Madelyn book. Lol. But I agree about Madelyn, she didn't put anything juicy in the book. I wish she would've!

 

Madelyn, like Wanda, Frank and countless others close to The Lady (as she is often affectionately referred to) was a class act and would never do something like that, to which I say BRAVO! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Madelyn, like Wanda, Frank and countless others close to The Lady (as she is often affectionately referred to) was a class act and would never do something like that, to which I say BRAVO! :)

Well I agree completely! But we fans want to hear more and more information about her personality and a little more insight into Miss Ball's life. I feel as if when I read some books nowadays its just the same info over and over again. But I must say you can really hear her talking!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well I agree completely! But we fans want to hear more and more information about her personality and a little more insight into Miss Ball's life. I feel as if when I read some books nowadays its just the same info over and over again. But I must say you can really hear her talking!

True, and make allowances for the angry old men who did not like being told what to do by a mere WOMAN, and the jealous guest stars and the people who wanted to share her wealth and popularity but did not have her talent and what most of the insiders are saying is to get into print and remembering things from so many decades ago too. Everybody remmebers things differently. AND old lies and fabrications keep being repeated as fact.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Desilu Productions was the company that Lucy and Desi formed together in 1950. After buying out Desi's shares in 1962, Lucy served as president until 1967, when she sold Desilu to Gulf & Western. After that, she formed Lucille Ball Productions so that she could retain control over the production of her TV shows and later TV specials.

 

Sorry, I know I'm not Claude, and I'm sure he can supply more details, but I figured he wouldn't mind me chiming in with the bare bones. ;)

 

 

Thanks, Magster; guess it won't be as difficult a job as I thought; after 1967, then???? Whew! I KNOW I've got some of them right; but, I was concerned about YEARS worth!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm no expert, go to Harry or Brock or Neil or many other people here BUT, i just read that in Howard's book, Desilu was when Lucy and Desi were together and then until she sold it all to Gulf and Western, then she had to start a new company and did, called Lucille Ball Productions, of which she was now Prez and her little boy toy was named executive vice president.

 

 

Got it, and thanks to you, as well...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, now just make sure you find out when exactly in 1967, she sold the darn thing to G&W, LOL!

 

Sanders/Gilbert tome, Desilu, at page 295, 6: 'close of 1966, rumors of buy-out; January 1967, confirmation of serious negotiations; first week, February 1967, news that negotiations between Rudin, Holly & Paramount parent company, G & W's, Bluhdorn, successfully proceeding;

 

February 15, 1967, brought the announcement of the sale of Desilu Studios to G & W Industries, Inc., the new owners of Paramount Pictures since October 1966 - $17 million, stock exchange deal....'

 

p. 297: 'a display of corporate unity effected on 7/26/67, when Lucille and Bluhdorn cut the ribbon between Desilu-Gower & Paramount Studios lots...'

 

...that sufficient, Claude? If not, I shall search further.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sanders/Gilbert tome, Desilu, at page 295, 6: 'close of 1966, rumors of buy-out; January 1967, confirmation of serious negotiations; first week, February 1967, news that negotiations between Rudin, Holly & Paramount parent company, G & W's, Bluhdorn, successfully proceeding;

 

February 15, 1967, brought the announcement of the sale of Desilu Studios to G & W Industries, Inc., the new owners of Paramount Pictures since October 1966 - $17 million, stock exchange deal....'

 

p. 297: 'a display of corporate unity effected on 7/26/67, when Lucille and Bluhdorn cut the ribbon between Desilu-Gower & Paramount Studios lots...'

 

...that sufficient, Claude? If not, I shall search further.

Wow, you sure pinpointed it all right, what time of day was it? Was Lucy smoking? No, seriously, when did Lucy and Charles Bluhdorn cut that ribbon and tear down the fence that seperated Desilu from Paramount? Lucy had her Yours mine and ours "LOOK" on as i recall from the pictures. Lucy said of the new owner, he talks fast, lives fast, just hope he lives, he didn't, died in a plane crash i think, or maybe it was a heart attack, when?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...