Brock Posted November 3, 2011 Report Share Posted November 3, 2011 An interesting article on tomorrow night's Lucille Ball Gala and the connection between Lucy and Gale and the donor: FUNDRAISER What: The Lucille Ball Gala Where: Fairmont Empress Hotel When: Friday, 7 p.m. Tickets: $115 (250 595-9970) For any Lucille Ball collector, it was an incredible score. Indeed, some devotees would consider the item a sacred relic. Richard Lucas has proudly owned of one of Lucy's formal gowns for two decades. It is black, with gold sequins and black ostrich-feather trim. It comes with matching jacket - and a certificate of authenticity. Lucas says Lucy once wore it to a Dean Martin roast. Now, the collector is ready to bid his prized item adieu. The gown will be displayed at The Lucille Ball Gala, a fundraising event for the Canadian College of Performing Arts happening Friday night. Following the gala, it will be auctioned off, with partial proceeds going to the college and Vancouver's Performing Arts Lodge, a seniors lodge for retired performers. Lucas said he has no idea what the dress will fetch. (The CCPA is in the process of selecting an auction house and will post final auction details on its website: ccpacanada.com.) Lucas runs Vancouver's Lucas Talent Inc., a talent agency. He also teaches courses in career management and working in film at the Canadian College of Performing Arts. A North Saanich native who divides his time between homes on the mainland and in Fairfield, Lucas is an avid collector of Lucille Ball memorabilia. His 130-piece cache includes lunch kits, clocks, a signed script and Lucy comic books from the 1950s. "They're worth a lot of money, the original I Love Lucy comic books," he said. "I have tons of stuff." Lucas bought the gown from Jane Withers, the former child star who later played Josephine the Plumber on TV commercials for Comet cleanser. Lucy had originally donated it as a sale item for a Hollywood fundraising event. Learning of the upcoming Canadian sale of her mother's gown, Lucy's daughter Lucie Arnaz sent Lucas a letter of support. "She said, 'I know my mother would be thrilled and proud to know her clothing is going to such good use,' " he said. Lucas, who grew up in North Saanich, met Lucille Ball several times. It was when she was shooting her final television show, the short-lived 1986 sitcom Life With Lucy. Lucas was invited on set by actor Gale Gordon, who'd played Mr. Mooney on I Love Lucy. Lucas and Gordon had become close friends in the mid-'80s performing together in comedy plays for Edmonton's Stage West theatre. When Lucas met Lucy, she was 78 years old and past her prime. "[The TV series] was just scary and sad and didn't work," he said. "TV Guide called it one of the worst - or maybe the worst - series of all time. "There was one episode called Lucy and Curtis Up a Tree. You don't have a script that has a 78year-old up a tree. They literally had to climb a tree." Lucas's Lucy fascination bloomed young. He used to write and act his own Lucy show scripts while attending North Saanich Junior Secondary School."We would always perform them in the lunchroom at lunch time. I would always play Mr. Mooney." He says he's donating the gown because he's impressed with the high level of teaching and students at CCPA. Lucas will attend the gala to display items from his collection. Two dozen CCPA students are expected to dress up as Lucy, and the famous scene in which Lucy tries to eat all the chocolates coming down a conveyer belt will be re-enacted. And an orchestra will play songs associated with Lucy, such as Mame. "I've been to a lot of boring fundraisers," Lucas said, "but this is going to be fun." achamberlain@timescolonist.com © Copyright © The Victoria Times Colonist Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/Lucy+perfect+dress+ball/5650121/story.html#ixzz1cezmxeR2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magster Posted November 3, 2011 Report Share Posted November 3, 2011 This sounds wonderful! And what a neat Gale connection! Are you going to go? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted November 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2011 This sounds wonderful! And what a neat Gale connection! Are you going to go? If it wasn't roughly the same distance from NY to LA, I'd love to go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeySanJoaquin Posted November 3, 2011 Report Share Posted November 3, 2011 Gee, for such a "fan" (cough, cough) how could he be so wrong about how old she was at the time of LWL? Hell, she didn't even LIVE to be 78, let alone BE 78 in 1986! Idiot probably just got tired of flouncing around his house in the damn gown and finally broke down and bought another one....for his drag act! Eeesh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted November 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2011 More info from BC Local. Photo at the link: Taking an idea and running with it was the evolution of the Canadian College of Performing Arts’ upcoming event and fundraiser. The Lucille Ball, a tribute to the late comedienne and madcap star of stage and TV, began with an idea to auction off an item of memorabilia. “Richard Lucas, a talent agent in Vancouver who ended up teaching on our faculty, has an authentic Lucille Ball gown and he wanted it to go to charity,” said college director Ron Schuster. After conversations around how to best do that, they came up with the idea to host an all-Lucy event in Victoria. “We’ve got 24 lovely Lucies that will be floating around — all of our students will be dressed as Lucy or (fellow I Love Lucy characters) Fred or Ricky Ricardo or Ethel,” Schuster said. Among the festivities will be a recreation of the classic physical comedy scene featuring Lucy and Ethel working on a chocolate assembly line. Lucas will be on hand to share stories about times on set with Ball. Among the silent auction and raffle items are a Warhol-style portrait of Lucy by local artist Christopher Lucas, and a Hawaiian holiday. The dress auction proceeds will be split between the college and the Vancouver Performing Arts Lodge. Tickets for the Nov. 4 fundraiser, $115 each, are available at the college, 1701 Elgin Rd. in Oak Bay from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. http://www.bclocalnews.com/entertainment/133199853.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magster Posted November 4, 2011 Report Share Posted November 4, 2011 If it wasn't roughly the same distance from NY to LA, I'd love to go! After an embarrassing brain fart, I remembered my Canadian geography AFTER I made that post. But I was at work and didn't have time to change it. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted November 4, 2011 Report Share Posted November 4, 2011 After an embarrassing brain fart, I remembered my Canadian geography AFTER I made that post. But I was at work and didn't have time to change it. lol Maybe one of his Royal rich friends can supply their private jet for him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickie Posted November 4, 2011 Report Share Posted November 4, 2011 I emailed the author to ask her about the reference to Lucy's age and got this response: Hi Mickie - The collector told me Lucy used to fudge her age. Gale Gordon was only two years older. He seemed to be pretty expert on the subject, so I went with that. Regards, Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted November 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2011 Gale Gordon was only two years older. He seemed to be pretty expert on the subject Adrian needs a bit of assistance using his Google machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylor Posted November 4, 2011 Report Share Posted November 4, 2011 Maybe he meant Vivian Vance instead of Gale. Gale was like 5 years older than Lucy. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted November 4, 2011 Report Share Posted November 4, 2011 Maybe he meant Vivian Vance instead of Gale. Gale was like 5 years older than Lucy. lol I thought he was even older than her by TEN years or so, but i do remember Lucy saying Gale is even older than me. As for her fudging her age, she did it on the show but never in real life as everybody knew how old she was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted December 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2011 Here are some great pics from The Lucille Ball in Vancouver: =312416"]Snap Victoria I wonder if the person in the second photo is going for sort of a drag version of Lucie... (Lucie or not, I love their stage name. ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted December 1, 2011 Report Share Posted December 1, 2011 Here are some great pics from The Lucille Ball in Vancouver: =312416"]Snap Victoria I wonder if the person in the second photo is going for sort of a drag version of Lucie... (Lucie or not, I love their stage name. ) Lucie or maybe her sister LIZA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vivfantoo* Posted December 5, 2011 Report Share Posted December 5, 2011 Beautiful gown. So sparkly . Anyone know how much it sold for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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