HarryCarter

Lucie on The Jim Masters Show. https://youtu.be/uIb840mH0EI

I think the biggest controversy about the book was how soon after Lucy’s death it was released.

I think the film came in around 26th place at the box office, so it should have grossed over $6 million. There were a lot of worthy Best Actress contenders not nominated that year: Lucy, Jean Simmons for Elmer Gantry, Judy Holliday for Bells are Ringing, and Doris Day for Midnight Lace. Of those who were nominated, Shirley MacLaine would get my vote. Lucy’s New York Film Critics Circle nom had her against the 1961 Best Actress contenders. The film did not open in New York until February 1961 and it broke box office records at the Beekman Theatre. The film did very well in New York. I’m very happy the movie won an Oscar, but if you asked me, which Lucille Ball film was the least deserving of a Best Costume Academy Award, my answer might be The Facts of Life!

“College Homecoming”

The doc is now streaming on Amazon! Amy gave a great interview on The View today. She’s on Seth Meyers tonight.

The documentary had its premiere at the virtual Sundance Film Festival over the weekend before its March 4 bow on Amazon. It’s wonderful! It’s told in a very affectionate way and the home movies, audio recordings, and clippings are incredible. It’s beautifully produced. SPOILERS below. The film does do a good job covering the later Lucy years. The two series are covered with some nice clips and Lucy’s 1967 Emmy win was shown in its entirety. There was an odd statement that, without Desi, Lucy had to become more of the straight man on her later shows. I’m not sure where that thinking came from. Wildcat was discussed with audio from Lucy talking about what she felt the problem was. Her reasoning was not exactly accurate. Yours, Mine and Ours and Mame did not get mentioned. Neither did Life with Lucy.

The film will hit Amazon March 4! Directed by Amy Poehler, LUCY AND DESI, tellS the story of the groundbreaking comedian who forever changed the way the world viewed comedy and paved the way for scores of women who followed in her footsteps. Using never-before-seen archival film and personal still photos, and first-person narratives, the documentary traces Lucy’s surprising journey—as a performer as well as a businesswoman, and will illuminate her upheaval of male-dominated comedy, breaking barriers for women in entertainment and beyond. Ball’s childhood was defined by financial and emotional hardship but she was determined to pursue a career in show business. She met her future husband Desi Arnaz on the set of the 1940 musical, Too Many Girls and in 1951, they used their own money to produce and film the pilot for I Love Lucy, which was then bought by CBS. During the height of I Love Lucy, two-thirds of the nation tuned in to watch Ball and her husband Arnaz every Monday night. The show was known not only known for its broadened view of what comedy could be, but also for tackling subjects many deemed too risqué for broadcast – the most prominent being the marriage of a multi-ethnic couple, and Ball’s real life pregnancy. Ball’s pregnancy became a story arc in the series, and when Ball went into labor on the show, which aired the same day she gave birth in real life to her second child, Desi Jr, it drew 44 million viewers, 15 million more than President Eisenhower’s inaugural speech from earlier in the day. Long after her death in 1989, Ball’s legacy continues to be reflected in the TV industry at every level and continues to inspire and influence the work of our most lauded comedians. Her relationship with her husband and professional partner, Arnaz, was not only one of Hollywood’s great love stories, but also one of its most legendary business partnerships, transforming the television industry and American culture for decades to come.

Although I think is very necessary for I Love Lucy to be on a major streaming service with every episode included to get new, young people engaged, I don’t think Lucy is in danger of being forgotten. Lucy is a huge part of the culture right now. She’s being celebrated everywhere. In the past few months, we’ve had the SiriusXM pop up channel, TCM’s podcast and Star of the Month salute to Lucy, plus onscreen depictions in Being the Ricardos and Licorice Pizza. Soon we will have Amy Poehler’s Lucy and Desi documentary too. All of these projects are garnering major attention. I think Lucy’s in good shape right now.

This was wonderful to read. Thank you, Joey! Happy New Year!

Bonus episode with Lucie Arnaz

Episode ten: “Twilight”

The Lucy & Desi documentary will premiere at Sundance next month! https://www.indiewire.com/2021/12/sundance-2022-lineup-1234684265/

Episode nine: “Boss Lady”

The very first foreign language language was Mapy y Papi, shot in Puerto Rico in the 1950s. That starred Mapy Cortes, who costarred with Lucy in Seven Days’ Leave. Others over the years have included a Swedish version in the ‘90s and a Polish adaptation in the early 2000s.

Completely unnecessary, but there have been several foreign language adaptations of I Love Lucy going all the way back to 1954.