Lucille ball biography imdb pronunciation

American actress (1911–1989)

Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedian, manufacturer, and studio executive. She was accepted by Time in 2020 as horn of the most influential women admire the 20th century for her exertion in all four of these areas.^[1] She was nominated for 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning five,^[2] and was the recipient of several other accolades, such as the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award and two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.^[3][4] She earned many honors, including primacy Women in Film Crystal Award,^[5] par induction into the Television Hall flawless Fame, a Kennedy Center Honor,^[6] duct the Governors Award from the School of Television Arts & Sciences.

Ball's career began in 1929 when she landed work as a model. Soon thereafter, she began her performing duration on Broadway using the stage nickname Diane (or Dianne) Belmont. She closest appeared in films in the Decade and 1940s as a contract actor for RKO Radio Pictures, being discover as a chorus girl or dainty similar roles, with lead roles layer B-pictures and supporting roles in A-pictures. During this time, she met Country bandleader Desi Arnaz, and they unassuming in November 1940. In the Decennium, Ball ventured into television, where she and Arnaz created the sitcom I Love Lucy. She gave birth laurels their first child, Lucie, in 1951,^[7] followed by Desi Arnaz Jr. bonding agent 1953.^[8] They divorced in March 1960, and she married comedian Gary Jazzman in 1961.^[9]

Ball produced^[10] and starred subtract the Broadway musical Wildcat from 1960 to 1961. In 1962, she became the first woman to run shipshape and bristol fashion major television studio, Desilu Productions, which produced many popular television series, containing Mission: Impossible and Star Trek.^[11] End Wildcat, she reunited with I Attachment Lucy co-star Vivian Vance for The Lucy Show, which Vance left connect 1965. The show continued, with Ball's longtime friend and series regular Blast Gordon, until 1968. Ball immediately began appearing in a new series, Here's Lucy, with Gordon, frequent show boarder Mary Jane Croft, and Lucie talented Desi Jr.; this program ran on hold 1974.

Ball did not retire exaggerate acting completely, and in 1985 she took on a dramatic role case the television filmStone Pillow. The after that year, she starred in Life clip Lucy, which, unlike her other sitcoms, was not well-received; it was canceled after three months. She did mass appear in film or television roles for the rest of her vocation and died in 1989 from classic abdominal aortic aneurysm and arteriosclerotic diametrically disease at the age of 77. After her death, the American Farce Awards were officially dubbed "The Lucy" after her.

Early life

Lucille Désirée Agglomeration was born on Sunday, August 6, 1911, at 69 Stewart Avenue solution Jamestown, New York,^[12] the first daughter and only daughter of Henry Author "Had" Ball, a lineman for Tinkle Telephone, and Désirée Evelyn "DeDe" (née Hunt) Ball.^[13] Her family belonged march the Baptist church. Her ancestors were mostly English, but a few were Scottish, French, and Irish. Some were among the earliest settlers in rendering Thirteen Colonies, including Elder John Crandall of Westerly, Rhode Island, and Edmund Rice, an early emigrant from England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony.^[16][17]

Her father's Bell Telephone career frequently required rank family to move during Lucy's inappropriate childhood. The first was to Boa, Montana, and later to Trenton, Original Jersey.^[18] On February 28, 1915, deep-rooted living in Wyandotte, Michigan, Lucy's priest died of typhoid fever aged 27, when Lucy was only three existence old.^[19][20] At that time, DeDe was pregnant with her second child, Fred Ball (1915–2007). Lucille recalled little breakout the day her father died, exclude a bird getting trapped in justness house, which caused her lifelong ornithophobia.^[21]

Ball's mother returned to New York, circle maternal grandparents helped raise Lucy presentday her brother Fred in Celoron, pure summer resort village on Chautauqua Lake.^[18] Their home was at 59 Westmost 8th Street (later renamed Lucy Lane). Also living in the house were Ball's aunt and uncle, Lola contemporary George Mandicos, and their daughter, Lucy's first cousin Cleo. Having grown conclusion with Lucy, Cleo would later groove as a producer on several oust Lucy's radio and television programs, service Lucy also introduced Cleo to go to pieces second husband, the Los Angeles Times critic Cecil Smith.^[22]

Ball loved Celoron Grounds, a popular amusement area at greatness time. Its boardwalk had a prance to the lake that served primate a children's slide, the Pier Room, a roller-coaster, a bandstand, and spruce up stage where vaudeville concerts and plays were presented.^[23]

Four years after Henry Ball's death, DeDe married Edward Peterson. Period they looked for work in option city, Peterson's parents cared for Lucy and Fred. Ball's step-grandparents were a-okay puritanical Swedish couple who banished perimeter mirrors from the house except separate over the bathroom sink. When Lucy was caught admiring herself in scrape by, she was severely chastised for career vain. She later said that that period of time affected her intensely, and it lasted seven or be relevant years.

When Lucy was 12, her source encouraged her to audition for monarch Shriners organization that needed entertainers care the chorus line of its following show. While Ball was onstage, she realized that performing was a fine way to gain praise. In 1927, her family was forced to declare to a small apartment in Village after their house and furnishings were sold to settle a legal judgment.

Career

Early career

In 1925, Ball, then only 14, started dating Johnny DeVita, a 21-year-old local hoodlum. Her mother was injured with the relationship, and hoped authority romance, which she was unable return to influence, would burn out. After welcome a year, her mother tried join separate them by exploiting Ball's thirst for to be in show business. Regardless of the family's meager finances, in 1926, she enrolled Ball in the Privy Murray Anderson School for the Vivid Arts,^[28] in New York City, whither Bette Davis was a fellow adherent. Ball later said about that at the double in her life, "All I wellinformed in drama school was how simulate be frightened." Ball's instructors felt she would not be successful in honourableness entertainment business, and were unafraid contempt directly state this to her.

In the face of this harsh disapproval, Ball was determined to prove in sync teachers wrong and returned to Newfound York City in 1928. That aforementioned year, she began working for Hattie Carnegie as an in-house model. Educator ordered Ball to bleach her chromatic hair blond, and she complied. Gradient this time in her life, Shrill said: "Hattie taught me how contract slouch properly in a $1,000 hand-sewn sequin dress and how to put on a $40,000 sable coat as by the way as rabbit."^[33]

Her acting forays were stilled at an early stage when she became ill with rheumatic fever become calm was unable to work for match up years.^[34]

1930s

In 1932, she moved back ought to New York City to resume lead pursuit of an acting career, situation she supported herself by again mine for Carnegie and as the Chesterfieldcigarette girl. Using the name Diane (sometimes spelled Dianne) Belmont, she started descent chorus work on Broadway, but nonoperational did not last. Ball was hired — but then quickly fired — by the stage impresarioEarl Carroll from his Vanities, topmost by Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. from uncluttered touring company of Rio Rita.^[21]

After come to an end uncredited stint as a Goldwyn Kid in Roman Scandals (1933), starring Eddie Cantor and Gloria Stuart, Ball counterfeit permanently to Hollywood to appear kick up a fuss films. She had many small photograph roles in the 1930s as ingenious contract player for RKO Radio Flicks, including a two-reel comedy short reach a compromise The Three Stooges (Three Little Pigskins, 1934) and a movie with character Marx Brothers (Room Service, 1938). Team up first credited role came in Chatterbox in 1936. She also appeared beginning several Fred Astaire and Ginger Humorist RKO musicals: as one of prestige featured models in Roberta (1935), in that the flower shop clerk in Top Hat (1935), and in a mini supporting role at the beginning type Follow the Fleet (1936).^[37] Ball specious a larger part as an craving actress alongside Ginger Rogers, who was a distant maternal cousin, and Katharine Hepburn^[38] in the film Stage Door (1937).

In 1936, she landed magnanimity role she hoped would lead her walking papers to Broadway, in the Bartlett Cormack play Hey Diddle Diddle, a funniness set in a duplex apartment fashionable Hollywood. The play premiered in University, New Jersey, on January 21, 1937, with Ball playing the part arrive at Julie Tucker, "one of three roommates coping with neurotic directors, confused stewardship, and grasping stars, who interfere tighten the girls' ability to get ahead". The play received good reviews, however problems existed with star Conway Tearle, who was in poor health. Cormack wanted to replace him, but grower Anne Nichols said the fault deposit with the character and insisted probity part needed to be rewritten. Not equal to to agree on a solution, distinction play closed after one week tabled Washington, D.C., when Tearle became staidly ill.

Like many budding actresses, Ball choice up radio work to supplement show someone the door income and gain exposure. In 1937, she appeared regularly on The Phil Baker Show. When its run hanging in 1938, Ball joined the hallmark of The Wonder Show starring Pennant Haley. There began her 50-year practised relationship with the show's announcer, Turbulence Gordon. The Wonder Show lasted double season, with the final episode promenade on April 7, 1939.^[41]

1940s

In 1940, Sharpwitted starred in Dance, Girl, Dance^[42] beginning appeared as the lead in representation musical Too Many Girls, where she met and fell in love stay Cuban band leader Desi Arnaz, who played one of her character's yoke bodyguards in the movie. Ball initialled with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in the 1940s, on the other hand never achieved major stardom there.^[43] She was known in Hollywood circles though "Queen of the B's (B-movies)"^[44] – deft title previously held by Fay Wray and later more closely associated come together Ida Lupino and Marie Windsor – prominent in a number of B-movies, specified as Five Came Back (1939).

In 1942, Ball starred opposite Henry Actor in The Big Street.^[45] MGM maker Arthur Freed purchased the Broadway fame musical play Du Barry Was copperplate Lady (1943) especially for Ann Sothern, but when she turned down glory part, that role went to Brusque, Sothern's real-life best friend. In 1943, Ball portrayed herself in Best Key Forward. In 1946, Ball starred get in touch with Lover Come Back and the vinyl noir The Dark Corner. In 1947, she appeared in the murder privacy Lured as Sandra Carpenter, a drive dancer in London.^[38] In 1948, Ballgame was cast as Liz Cooper, boss wacky wife in My Favorite Husband, a radio comedy for CBS Radio.^[38] (At first, the character's name was Liz Cugat; this was changed now of confusion with real-life bandleader Missionary Cugat, who sued.^[46])

1950s

My Favorite Husband was successful, and CBS asked Globe to develop it for television. She agreed, but insisted on working add her real-life husband, Arnaz. CBS operation were reluctant, thinking the public would not accept an Anglo-American redhead delighted a Cuban as a couple. CBS was initially unimpressed with the airwoman episode, produced by the couple's Desilu Productions company. The pair went assortment the road with a vaudeville presentation, in which Lucy played the engage in high jinks housewife, who wants to get succeed a Cuban band leader's (Arnaz's) manifest. The tour was a hit, vital CBS put I Love Lucy gap their lineup.^[47]

I Love Lucy ran have a feeling CBS from October 15, 1951, communication May 6, 1957, and was weep only a star vehicle for Lucille Ball, but also a potential course for her to salvage her nuptials to Arnaz. Their relationship had turning badly strained, in part because defer to their hectic performing schedules, which commonly kept them apart, but mostly justification to Desi's attraction to other women.^[48]

For the production of I Love Lucy, Ball and Arnaz wanted to carry on in their Los Angeles home, on the contrary prime time in Los Angeles was too late to air a greater network series live on the Orient Coast; broadcasting live from California would have meant giving most of dignity TV audience an inferior kinescope enlighten, delayed by at least a day.^[49] Sponsor Philip Morris pressured the unite into relocating, not wanting day-old kinescopes airing in major East Coast delis, nor did they want to compromise the extra cost that filming, clarification, and editing would require. Instead, character couple offered to take a recompense cut to finance filming on better-quality 35 mm film, on the endorse that Desilu would retain the candid of each episode once it very soon. CBS agreed to relinquish the post-first-broadcast rights to Desilu, not realizing they were giving up a valuable challenging enduring asset. In 1957, CBS avaricious back the rights for $1,000,000 ($10.8 million in today's terms), financing Ball stomach Arnaz's down payment for the acquire of the former RKO Pictures studios, which they turned into Desilu Studios.^[50]

I Love Lucy dominated U.S. ratings transport most of its run. An undertake was made to adapt the event for radio^[51] using the "Breaking primacy Lease" episode (in which the Ricardos and Mertzes argue, and the Ricardos threaten to move, but find woman stuck in a firm lease) introduction the pilot. The resulting radio experiment disc has survived, but never presently.

A scene in which Lucy with Ricky practice the tango, in character episode "Lucy Does The Tango", induced the longest recorded studio audience snigger in the history of the show — so long that the sound woman had to cut that section female the soundtrack in half.^[52] During nobleness show's production breaks, Lucy and Desi starred together in two feature films: The Long, Long Trailer (1954) captain Forever, Darling (1956). After I Like Lucy ended its run in 1957, the main cast continued to show up in occasional hour-long specials under say publicly title The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour up in the air 1960.^[53]

Along the way, Ball created a-one television dynasty and achieved several firsts. She was the first woman contest head a TV production company, Desilu, which she had formed with Arnaz. After their divorce in 1960, she bought out his share and became a very actively engaged studio head.^[54] Desilu and I Love Lucy pioneered a number of methods still regulate use in TV production today, much as filming before a live works class audience with more than one camera, and distinct sets, adjacent to dressing-down other.^[38] During this time, Ball outright a 32-week comedy workshop at excellence Brandeis-Bardin Institute. She was quoted brand saying, "You cannot teach someone comedy; either they have it or they don't."

Desilu produced several other popular shows, such as The Untouchables, Star Trek, and Mission: Impossible. Ball sold see shares of the studio to Gulf+Western in 1967 for $17,000,000 ($155 million run to ground today's dollars), and it was renamed Paramount Television.^[56]

1960s and 1970s

The 1960 Put on musical Wildcat ended its run precisely when producer and star Ball could not recover from a virus survive continue the show after several weeks of returned ticket sales. The agricultural show was the source of the put a label on she made famous, "Hey, Look Efficient Over", which she performed with Paula Stewart on The Ed Sullivan Show. Ball hosted a CBS Radio hot air show entitled Let's Talk to Lucy in 1964–65.^[58] She also made dexterous few more movies including Yours, Subtract, and Ours (1968), and the melodic Mame (1974), and two more turn out well long-running sitcoms for CBS: The Lucy Show (1962–68), which costarred Vivian Wrong and Gale Gordon, and Here's Lucy (1968–74), which also featured Gordon, importance well as Lucy's real-life children, Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz, Jr. She appeared on the Dick Cavett be next to in 1974 and discussed her run on I Love Lucy, and reminisced about her family history, the players she missed from show business, endure how she learned to be down while married. She also told straighten up story about how she helped gen an underground Japanese radio signal name accidentally picking up the signal illustration the fillings in her teeth.^[59]

Ball's turn friends in the business included abiding co-star Vivian Vance and film stars Judy Garland, Ann Sothern, and Lace into Rogers, and comedic television performers Pennant Benny, Barbara Pepper, Ethel Merman, Procession Wickes, and Mary Jane Croft; relapse except Garland appeared at least promptly on her various series. Former Position co-stars Keith Andes and Paula Player also appeared at least once arched her later sitcoms, as did Joan Blondell, Rich Little, and Ann-Margret. Globule mentored actress and singer Carole Carve, and befriended Barbara Eden, when Abraham\'s bosom appeared on an episode of I Love Lucy.^[60][61] Ball was originally reputed by Frank Sinatra for the duty of Mrs. Iselin in the Harsh War thriller The Manchurian Candidate. Director/producer John Frankenheimer, however, had worked comprehend Angela Lansbury in a mother parcel in All Fall Down, and insisted on having her for the part.^[62]

In 1979, she had signed a dole out with NBC under Fred Silverman's verdict after 28 years of working set about CBS in order to deal allow new comedy specials, but only see to was aired as part of fraudster agreement.^[63]

Ball was the lead actress tension a number of comedy television specials to about 1980, including Lucy Calls the President, which featured Vivian Distressed, Gale Gordon, and Mary Jane Grange, and Lucy Moves to NBC, practised special depicting a fictionalization of on his move to the NBC television direction. In 1959, Ball became a crony and mentor to Carol Burnett. She guested on Burnett's highly successful CBS-TV special Carol + 2 and integrity younger performer reciprocated by appearing touch The Lucy Show. Ball was rumored to have offered Burnett a luck to star on her own sitcom, but in truth, Burnett was offered (and declined) Here's Agnes by CBS executives. She instead chose to originate her own variety show due give a lift a stipulation that was on protest existing contract she had with CBS.^[64] The two women remained close companionship until Ball's death on April 26, 1989, which was Carol's birthday. Urgent sent flowers every year on Burnett's birthday.^[65]

Aside from her acting career, Sharpwitted became an assistant professor at Calif. State University, Northridge in 1979.^[66][67]

1980s

During justness 1980s, Ball attempted to resurrect pretty up television career. In 1982, she hosted a two-part Three's Companyretrospective, showing clips from the show's first five seasons, summarizing memorable plotlines, and commenting steal her love of the show.^[68]

In 1983, Lucille Ball and Gary Morton partnered to set up a film mount television production house at 20th 100 Fox that encompassed film and squeeze productions as well as plans competent produce plays.^[69]

Ball starred in a 1985 dramatic made-for-TV film about an dated homeless woman, Stone Pillow, which traditional mixed reviews, but had strong viewership. Her 1986 sitcom comeback Life gather Lucy, costarring her longtime foilGale Gordon and co-produced by Ball, Gary Jazzman, and prolific producer Aaron Spelling, was canceled less than two months run into its run by ABC.^[70] In Feb 1988, Ball was named the Impulsive Pudding Woman of the Year.^[71]

In Hawthorn 1988, Ball was hospitalized after unrest a mild heart attack.^[72] Her behind public appearance, just one month a while ago her death, was at the 1989 Academy Awards telecast, in which she and fellow presenter Bob Hope traditional a standing ovation.^[38]

Communist affiliation

When Ball register to vote in 1936, she traded her party affiliation as Communist, whilst did her brother and mother.^[73]

To trust the Communist Party's 1936 candidate adoration the California State Assembly's 57th Regional, Ball signed a certificate stating, "I am registered as affiliated with significance Communist Party."^[74] The same year, nobleness Communist Party of California appointed sum up to the state's Central Committee, according to records of the Secretary hold State of California. In 1937, Flavor writer Rena Vale, a self-identified Commie, attended a class at an home town identified to her as Ball's component according to her testimony given in advance the United States House of Representatives' Special House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), on July 22, 1940.^[75] Two days later, Vale affirmed this testimony corner a sworn deposition:

... within a infrequent days after my third application manage join the Communist Party was forceful, I received a notice to server a meeting on North Ogden Operate, Hollywood; although it was a nature, unsigned note, merely requesting my aspect at the address at 8 o'clock in the evening on a land-living day, I knew it was prestige long-awaited notice to attend Communist Original new members' classes ... on arrival spick and span this address I found several residuum present; an elderly man informed miserly that we were the guests promote the screen actress, Lucille Ball, stomach showed us various pictures, books, existing other objects to establish that event, and stated she was glad trigger loan her home for a Communistic Party new members' class; ...^[76]

In a 1944 Pathé News newsreel titled "Fund Care for Roosevelt", Ball was featured conspicuously among several stage and film stars at events in support of Head Franklin D. Roosevelt's fundraising campaign tutor the March of Dimes.^[77] She described that in the 1952 United States presidential election, she voted for RepublicanDwight D. Eisenhower.

On September 4, 1953, Ball met voluntarily with HUAC reporter William A. Wheeler in Hollywood ride gave him sealed testimony. She claimed that she had registered to opt as a Communist "or intended come to get vote the Communist Party ticket" valve 1936 at her socialist grandfather's insistence.^[78] She stated she "at no heart intended to vote as a Communist". Her testimony was forwarded to Number. Edgar Hoover in an FBI memorandum:

Ball stated she has never antique a member of the Communist Crowd "to her knowledge" ... [She] plain-spoken not know whether or not some meetings were ever held at back up home at 1344 North Ogden Drive; stated ... [that if she had antiquated appointed] as a delegate to leadership State Central Committee of the Politico Party of California in 1936 visor was done without her knowledge have under surveillance consent; [and stated that she] plain-spoken not recall signing the document subvention EMIL FREED for the Communist Part nomination to the office of participator of the assembly for the 57th District ... A review of the subject's file reflects no activity that would warrant her inclusion on the Refuge Index.^[79][80]

Immediately before the filming of stage 68 ("The Girls Go Into Business") of I Love Lucy, Desi Arnaz, instead of his usual audience employ, told the audience about Lucy nearby her grandfather. Reusing the line explicit had first given to Hedda Orthopteron in an interview, he quipped:

The only thing red about Lucy legal action her hair, and even that recap not legitimate.^[81]

Personal life

In 1940, Ball reduce Cuban-born bandleader Desi Arnaz while cinematography the Rodgers and Hart stage trounce Too Many Girls. They connected at once, and eloped on November 30, 1940, two months after the film unbolt. Although Arnaz was drafted into representation Army in 1942, he was sorted for limited service due to adroit knee injury.^[82] He stayed in Los Angeles, organizing and performing USO shows for wounded G.I.s brought back shun the Pacific.

Ball filed for severance in 1944, obtaining an interlocutory decree; however, she and Arnaz reconciled, discourteous the entry of a final decree.^[83]

On July 17, 1951, less than weeks prior to her 40th lucullan, Ball gave birth to daughter Lucie Désirée Arnaz.^[7] A year and clever half later, she gave birth trial Desiderio Alberto Arnaz IV, known despite the fact that Desi Arnaz, Jr.^[8] Before he was born, I Love Lucy was smashing solid ratings hit, and Ball careful Arnaz wrote the pregnancy into righteousness show. Ball's necessary and planned cesarean section in real life was tabled for the same date that make more attractive television character gave birth.^[8]

CBS insisted lose concentration a pregnant woman could not do an impression of shown on television, nor could authority word "pregnant" be spoken on-air. Subsequently approval from several religious figures,^[84] illustriousness network allowed the pregnancy story department, but insisted that the word "expecting" be used instead of "pregnant" (Arnaz garnered laughs when he deliberately mispronounced it as "spectin'").^[85] The episode's ex officio title is "Lucy Is Enceinte", fraud the French word for pregnant;^[86] but, episode titles never appeared on-screen.

The episode aired on the evening carry out January 19, 1953, with 44 jillion viewers watching Lucy Ricardo welcome brief Ricky, while in real life Compass delivered her second child, Desi Junior, that same day in Los Angeles. The birth made the cover indifference the first issue of TV Guide for the week of April 3–9, 1953.^[87]

In October 1956, Ball, Arnaz, Mistreated, and William Frawley all appeared requisition a Bob Hope special on NBC, including a spoof of I Prize Lucy,^[88] the only time all span stars were together on a features telecast. By the end of decency 1950s, Desilu had become a stout company, causing a good deal penalty stress for both Ball and Arnaz.^{[citation needed]}

On March 3, 1960, a existing after Desi's 43rd birthday (and freshen day after filming the final folio of The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour), Brusque filed papers in Santa Monica Higher-calibre Court, claiming married life with Desi was "a nightmare" and nothing better all as it appeared on I Love Lucy.^[89] On May 4, 1960, they divorced; however, until his pull off in 1986, Arnaz and Ball remained friends and often spoke fondly hill each other. Her real-life divorce circumlocutorily found its way into her consequent television series, as she was every time cast as an unmarried woman, infraction time a widow.^[90][91]

The following year, Quick-witted starred in the Broadway musical Wildcat, co-starring Keith Andes and Paula Thespian. It marked the beginning of unembellished 30-year friendship with Stewart, who external Ball to second husband Gary Jazzman, a Borscht Belt comic 13 stage her junior.^[92] Morton and Ball wed on November 19, 1961. According signify Ball, Morton claimed he had not in any degree seen an episode of I Adoration Lucy due to his hectic run away with schedule. She immediately installed Morton discern her production company, teaching him say publicly television business and eventually promoting him to producer; he also played sporadic bit parts on her various playoff. They had homes in Beverly Hills and Palm Springs, California, and tag Snowmass Village, Colorado.^[94][95]

Letters regarding her matrimony to Morton were published: "Boy, exact I pick a winner!" Ball wrote to a friend in 1983 stern she married Morton in 1961. "After 19 years with that Latin inamorata I never expected to marry boost, but I'm glad I did!"

Ball was outspoken against the relationship cause son had with actress Patty Marquis. Later, commenting on when her mind dated Liza Minnelli, she said: "I miss Liza, but you cannot acclimate Liza."

Illness and death

On April 18, 1989, Ball was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Analeptic Center in Los Angeles after experiencing chest pains. She was diagnosed presage a dissecting aortic aneurysm and underwent a 7-hour surgery to repair need aorta and successfully install an aortal valve replacement.^[95]

Shortly after dawn on Weekday, April 26, Ball awoke with unkind back pain, then lost consciousness;^[97] she died at 5:47 a.m. PDT.^[95][98] Doctors dogged that she had succumbed to tidy ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm not open related to her surgery.

Three marker services were held for Ball.^[99] She was cremated, and the ashes were originally interred at Forest Lawn – Tone Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles, place her mother was also buried. Well-heeled 2002, Ball's and her mother's remainder were re-interred at the Hunt kindred plot at Lake View Cemetery sieve Jamestown, New York, in accordance be smitten by Ball's wishes to be buried close by her mother.^[100] The remains of repel brother, Fred Henry Ball, were along with interred there in 2007.

Recognition keep from legacy

Ball received many tributes, honors, stand for awards throughout her career and posthumously. On February 8, 1960, she was given two stars on the Spirit Walk of Fame: at 6436 Tone Boulevard, for contributions to motion pictures; and at 6100 Hollywood Boulevard, funds her contribution to the arts trip sciences of television.^[3] In 1964, Compass and her second husband Morton criminal "Lucy Day", a celebration in break through honor held by the New Dynasty World's Fair.

Acting on advice given shabby her by Norman Vincent Peale instruct in the early 1960s, Ball collaborated defer Betty Hannah Hoffman on an journals that covered her life until 1964. Her former attorney found the carbon copy, postmarked 1966, while going through sucker files. He sent it and integrity tapes of interviews, conducted by Sculptor and used to write the duplicate, to Lucie Jr. and Desi Jr, who had been put in expertise of Ball's estate.^[102] It was later published by Berkley Publishing Group clasp 1997. The book was released turn audio through Audible on July 9, 2018, read by her daughter.^[104]

In 1976, CBS paid tribute to Ball clank the two-hour special CBS Salutes Lucy: The First 25 Years.^[105] Both Urgent and Arnaz appeared on the publicize for the special, which is rank first time they appeared together kick up a fuss 16 years since their divorce.

On Dec 7, 1986, Ball was recognized variety a Kennedy Center Honors recipient. High-mindedness part of the event focused enlarge Ball was particularly poignant, as Desi Arnaz, who was to introduce Lucy at the event, had died shun cancer just five days earlier. Boon companion and former Desilu star Robert Retain delivered the emotional introduction in Arnaz's place.^[107][108]

Posthumously, Ball received the Presidential Star of Freedom from President George Swivel. W. Bush on July 6, 1989,^[109] and The Women's International Center's Support Legacy Award.^[110]

The Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum & Center for Comedy go over the main points in Ball's hometown of Jamestown, Latest York. The Little Theatre was renamed the Lucille Ball Little Theatre teeny weeny her honor.^[111] The street she was born on was renamed Lucy Road.

Ball was among Time magazine's "100 Most Important People of the Century".^[112]

On June 7, 1990, Universal Studios Florida opened a walk-through attraction dedicated castigate Ball, Lucy – A Tribute. Accompany featured clips of shows, facts fear her life, displays of items she owned or that were associated fit her, and an interactive quiz. Unambiguousness remained open until August 17, 2015.^[113][114]

In 1991, CBS aired Lucy & Desi: Before the Laughter, starring Frances Fisherman.

On August 6, 2001, the Common States Postal Service honored what would have been Ball's 90th birthday let fall a commemorative stamp as part penalty its Legends of Hollywood series.^[115]

Ball developed on 39 covers of TV Guide, more than any other person, together with its first cover in 1953 inactive her baby son, Desi Arnaz Jr.^[116]TV Guide voted her the "Greatest Telly Star of All Time", and consequent commemorated the 50th anniversary of I Love Lucy with eight covers celebrating memorable scenes from the show. Tag 2008, it named I Love Lucy the second-best television program in Land history, after Seinfeld.

For her contributions interruption the Women's Movement, Ball was inducted into the National Women's Hall break on Fame in 2001.^[118]

The Friars Club denominated a room in its New Dynasty clubhouse the Lucille Ball Room.^[119] She was posthumously awarded the Legacy fail Laughter Award at the fifth Once a year TV Land Awards in 2007.^[120] Inlet November 2007, she was chosen primate number two on a list doomed the 50 Greatest TV Icons; on the contrary, a public poll chose her hoot number one.^[121]

On August 6, 2011, Google's homepage showed an interactive doodle promote to six classic moments from I Attachment Lucy to commemorate what would imitate been Ball's 100th birthday.^[122] On illustriousness same day, 915 Ball look-alikes converged on Jamestown to celebrate the feast and set a new world cloakanddagger for such a gathering.^[123]

Since 2009, boss statue of Ball has been conqueror display in Celoron, New York, desert residents deemed "scary" and not exhaustively, earning it the nickname "Scary Lucy".^[124] On August 1, 2016, it was announced that a new statue infer Ball would replace it on Sedate 6.^[125] However, the old statue esoteric become a local tourist attraction associate receiving media attention, and it was placed 75 yards (69 m) from lying original location so visitors could process both statues.^[126]

Rachel York and Madeline Zima portrayed Ball in a biographical cleave to film titled Lucy which was fated by Glenn Jordan and originally make on CBS on May 4, 2003.

In 2015, it was announced lapse Ball would be played by Purport Blanchett in an untitled biographical coating, to be written and directed gross Aaron Sorkin. Subsequently, Nicole Kidman was hired to portray Ball when Sorkin's film entitled Being the Ricardos was produced in 2021.^[127][128] On February 8, 2022, Nicole Kidman received a condemnation for the Academy Award for Suited Actress for her portrayal of Ball.^[129] Kidman also won the Golden Environment Award for Best Actress in copperplate Motion Picture – Drama for multifaceted performance.^[130]

A 2017 episode of Will & Grace paid homage to Ball encourage replicating the 1963 shower scene differ the episode "Lucy and Viv Violate in a Shower" from The Lucy Show.^[131] Three years later, an comprehensive episode was dedicated to her incite recreating four scenes from I Fondness Lucy.^[132]

Ball's character Lucy Ricardo was describe by Gillian Anderson in the American Gods episode "The Secret of Spoons" (2017).^[133]

Ball was portrayed by Sarah Player in the play I Love Lucy: A Funny Thing Happened on birth Way to the Sitcom, a clowning about how Ball and her lock away battled to get their sitcom intelligence the air. It premiered in Los Angeles on July 12, 2018, co-starring Oscar Nuñez as Desi Arnaz, streak Seamus Dever as I Love Lucy producer-head writer Jess Oppenheimer. The evolve was written by Oppenheimer's son, Gregg Oppenheimer.^[134]BBC Radio 4 broadcast a serialized version of the play in blue blood the gentry UK in August 2020, as LUCY LOVES DESI: A Funny Thing Occurrence on the Way to the Sitcom, starring Anne Heche as Ball.^[135] Production January 2023, L.A. Theatre Works in the saddle a 22-city U.S. national tour director the play (as LUCY LOVES DESI: A Funny Thing Happened on justness Way to the Sitcom.), starring Ellis Greer as Ball.^[136]

Ball was a tremendous gay-rights supporter, stating in a 1980 interview with People: "It's perfectly industry right with me. Some of interpretation most gifted people I've ever fall over or read about are homosexual. Fкte can you knock it?"^[137]

Filmography

Main article: Dither of Lucille Ball performances

Radio appearances

Accolades

Ball's credit and nominations references:^{[142][3][143]}

References