Lucille Ball was a woman who didn't mind looking funny, as long as she WAS funny.
None of which takes away from Desi Arnaz's estimable talents as a producer. His "can do" attitude made the "I Love Lucy Show" work. He innovated the three camera filming format still in use today. Previously, shows like this were performed before a live audience and preserved on kinescope which makes poor copies. Desi's filming of Lucy is the reason there are great copies today.
For the "I Love Lucy Show" the casting of William Frawley and the then unknown Vivian Vance was sheer genius. Although Vance was often unhappy to be playing the frumpy wife of a man who was 22 years her senior, she would stick with Lucille Ball into the "Lucille Ball Show" and "Here's Lucy."
Part of the "I Love Lucy" success was the real relationship between Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. The love showed. While Lucy always has some "splainin'" to do for her antics, he always forgave her.
Lucille Ball was a pathfinder who paved the way for all the women in TV to follow. Without Lucy, arguably, there might not have been a Carol Burnett or Mary Tyler Moore.
She proved women could be the leads and carry a show. Not one show, but several.
She was the first female head of a studio. While running Desilu, her willingness to take a risk led her to approve production of Mission Impossible and Star Trek.
Apparently Lucy and crew are out of town for the next month!
Check back later for when your favorite episode of I Love Lucy will air next.
Lucille Ball was a woman who didn't mind looking funny, as long as she WAS funny.
