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I’m excited about New Year’s Eve! Tonight we’ll be discussing one of America’s most influential entertainers (and businesswoman!) Lucille Ball. And after that, I’m heading out for an early New Year’s Eve dinner with friends at my fave local restaurant where my buddy will be cooking (and his wife is one of the guests at our table!)
Tonight’s film is Lucy’s Really Lost Moments, featuring some rare bits, including a segment of the Bob Hope Chevy Show, where the cast of I Love Lucy first appears in color, and a promotional episode plugging Westinghouse’s sponsorship of Desilu-produced shows. And in a very weird TV moment, Lucy flirts with a young Johnny Carson as part of I’ve Got a Secret. Plus there’s a segment with a 1960′s Lucy’s character taking her first plane ride ever–suffice to say hilarity ensues, especially after some champagne gets sipped.
So let’s settle in before the the ball drops, watch Lucy online, and discuss some of our favorite I Love Lucy episodes, her business career, her alleged Communist sympathies (though Desi told both Hedda Hopper and the I Love Lucy studio audience:
The only thing red about Lucy is her hair, and even that is not legitimate.
Plus, I found this bonus episode of The Lucille Ball Show, where Lucy’s TV teenage daughter tries to kick her mom out of her New Years party, and Lucy ends up spending New Year’s Eve with her best friend Viv, played by Vivian Vance. Then we’ll lift a quick glass to Auld Lang Syne, and I’ll see you in 2013!
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Welcome to our 201 Movie Night and the last of 2012! Please have fun and chat about Lucille Ball, Bob Hope, Desi Arnaz, old TV, and the New Year!
Happy Old Year! And welcome to the new one, just in a few hours!
I Love Lucy was such an vital part of my childhood. It was on every night in reruns form 6-7, and at 7:30, miraculously, dinner was called.
Plus my step father wrote two songs that Desi sings in various episodes: Straw Hat and Love of a Gypsy
Happy New Year!
cool!
I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve seen each episode
Hi – Lucy was great
If I remember correctly Lucy was a strong business woman, running a studio on her own.
here’s my fiscal cliff meal: Papilles
Bev, yes, she bought out Desi form Desilu and was asked to be the head of the studio–thanks to her we have the original Star Trek which was produced by Desilu!
the mirror scene with Harpo
yum
Oh and her clothes on I Love Lucy, those gowns and even her house dress–the black lace overlay!
That is worth a drink tonight to celebrate! From the Desilu Studio part of the video, it was very large, and they mention the RKO studios also.
I just watched Lucy in Mame several weeks ago. I like the comedy in that film version, but Rosalyn Russel had the acting down in Mame.
Rosalyn Russell was way better as Mame, plus by then sadly Lucy was being shot with a vaseline smeared Hubble telescope lens, and she just wasn’t quite right as Mame anyway…
It was over a million dollars and took two years!!
From Lucy – I’m not funny. What I am is brave.
Lucille Ball
She was a good actress – that could do comedy, after practicing the routine to her satisfaction.
Her earlier film roles, pre I Love Lucy were awesome, she was the queen of the B-movies, but after I Love Lucy…not so much, IMO. Also because divocrce was so verbotten, she was always a widow. AND, on I Love Lucy, it was ground breaking that she was pregnant–they couldnt say “pregnant” on TV (and religious groups were OUTRAGED that she was shown pregnant, but Desi’s use use of “spectin” was AWESOME!
And she has some words of wisdom:
I can still see her in her ‘specting clothes
I remember the 100th Anniversary of Lucy last year(?) – do you remember where it was? A big parade, the town was transformed for the festival.
I definitely agree with this one:
Wow, but I don’t really remember seeing the “bedroom” during the tv series. Guess that was too suggestive too.
Short Bio
single beds!
Single beds, sometimes with harlequin/ballerina type paintings.
I loved when they cam e to Hollywood–that hotel is still standing, it’s now called the Avalon–it’s in Beverly Hills and is a chic little boutqiue place now..
That is cool, does it have pictures of Lucy and Desi?
i heart lucy
She really set the bar high for all the female comedians to follow. Carol Burnett did pretty good though.
Carol Burnett was offered a show at Desilu, but went on to do her own thing. She and Lucy remained friends though!
Did Lucy have a dress / costume designer of her own? Like Carol Burnett / Maki
I know Don Loper did some her dresses….Costume design: Elois Jenssen (57 episodes, 1953–55)
There’s little wonder why her shows were run and rerun billions of times :)
During the, I Have A Secret, section of the film, Lucy shows here real acting chops – by changing “emotions” on a dime. Very good.
Like Star Trek – there is always an episode playing on tv somewhere…..
She was REALLY good, impeccable timing, and a genius. Speaking of genius, I have to run to make my NYE dinner reservation–I got the latests searting possible for tonight,and still….so everyne have a happy evening, and know that next year 2013 will be awesome because 2013 backwards is CLICK LINK
Mmmmm…sexy! Have a great night! And thank you all and BEV and ELLIE fo rmaking movie night happen week!
xoxooxoxox
For the depth psychologists, two of my favorites: