By Juan Villanueva |
Born in 1911, Lucille Ball is perhaps best remembered by her character of Lucy in old sitcoms such as I Love Lucy, The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, Here’s Lucy, The Lucy show, and Life With Lucy, with these only being a few of many roles she played in during her full career. After her career took off during the years of the depression, she soon gained small roles in films throughout the 40s.
Her big career really began when she married actor, musician, and producer Desi Arnaz. During that marriage, both began the sitcom of I Love Lucy. In the show, Ball and Arnaz played a couple. The show’s strong comedy made the sitcom grow very popular and since then has been regarded as one of the most influential sitcoms in TV History.
As the fifties decade ended however, Ball would end up getting divorced in 1960. She soon found love again the next year when she married Gary Morton who was 13 years younger than she was. Although Morton and Ball never had any children, Ball did have two with Arnaz.
During the same time, Ball began filming The Lucy Show. In this, Ball played Lucy Carmichael along with her son Jerry. Vivian Vance, Ball’s former co-star in I Love Lucy, joined her in the series as her divorced friend. However in this sitcom, Vance was no longer known to audiences as Ethel, but as Vivian Bagley. Although Vance did leave the series after season 3, the show went on until 1968 with Gale Gordon starring alongside with Ball.
After the series ended, Ball went on to Here’s Lucy, where she starred with her two real life children, Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr. and Gale Gordon. The show went on until 1974 with high audiences.
Although after Here’s Lucy, Ball continued on projects, her career in sitcoms ended with Life With Lucy. In the show, Ball played a widowed grandmother. The show’s low ratings quickly escalated and the show ran for about two months in the fall of 1986. Since then, the sitcom has been regarded as one of the worst tv series in television history.
Twenty-seven years ago today, Ball died at the age of 77. Although Ball is no longer alive, her long successful career in not just TV but also as a model, comedian and producer, will always have Americans remember her as Lucy.