Classic TV | Hollywood Yesterday

I Love Lucy Vitameatavegamin Mug, With Spoon

February 7, 2019 By Joi Leave a Comment

Here’s something that needs to join my Lucille Ball collection immediately, if not sooner.

The beautiful Vitameatavegamin Mug even comes with a little spoon – how cute is that??

It’s currently available on Amazon for less than $15.

I’ve actually found a lot of items in my Lucille Ball collection (as well as my Old Hollywood, in general, collection) on Amazon. Books, photographs, figurines, dolls, paper dolls, mugs… they really and truly do have almost anything you could think of.

Product Description

I Love Lucy Vitameatavegamin mug with spoon
14 oz. ceramic mug for your favorite beverage
Great gift for the ultimate I Love Lucy collector.
Not dishwasher or microwave safe. Hand wash only.

See I Love Lucy Vitameatavegamin Mug, With Spoon for more information!

Lucy’s Vitameatavegamin Clip:

Forever Lucy: A Must Have for Lucille Ball Fans and Collectors

January 24, 2019 By Joi 1 Comment

Being the obsessive Lucille Ball fan that I am, I add to my Lucille Ball Collection regularly. I recently added another magazine to the collection, Forever Lucy.

Everything about it is perfectly wonderful… just like Lucille, herself.

I’m actually wishing I’d grabbed two – one for reading cover to cover multiple times and one for the pictures, alone. Many are full-size and would be absolutely gorgeous framed. I do this often with calendars and the gorgeous pictures in Forever Lucy would be just as stunning.

I told you I was obsessive. I didn’t lie.

I love that the book (seems far too elaborate to refer to it as a magazine) focuses on all of the many facets of what made Lucille Ball… well… Lucille Ball.

Those of us who are fans and collectors of this amazing actress run into the same frustrating thing time and time again – publications that only want to focus on Lucy Ricardo and the phenomenal I Love Lucy. Don’t get me wrong, I love the character and show as much as anyone and more than most. However, to even hint that one sitcom defines this woman lies somewhere between an oversight and a sin against humanity!

She was intelligent, beautiful, incredibly bold, fashionable, loving, AND funny. She was, as they say, the total package and this book celebrates the total package the way it should be celebrated.

There are wonderful candids, gorgeous glamour shots, scenes from movies as well as television, Lucille Ball quotes, and articles you’ll find yourself lost in.

Basically, if I had put together a bookazine (there, I’ll compromise), this is exactly the one I would have put together, myself. Big, glorious pictures (some that even I have never seen), fascinating facts and quotes, and so much more.

And, yes, thankfully, there is plenty in here about the greatest sitcom ever made…. I Love Lucy.

If you can’t find Forever Lucy in your favorite store, Amazon is here for you. Click the link for more information. This is a must, must, MUST have.

Classic Cereal Commercials from the 1960s (Video Compilation)

June 7, 2018 By Joi Leave a Comment

These are deliciously fun commercials from (let’s face it) long ago. I don’t like saying it any more than you like hearing it, but there you have it. I hope you get as big a kick out of these as I did. They are beyond precious.

If you’ll excuse me, now, I have to get up from my desk and have a bowl of Lucky Charms…. “Gotta get those Lucky Charms!”

Credit: Commercials compiled by 8thManDVD.com

Things You May Not Have Known About Abbott and Costello

March 12, 2018 By Joi 19 Comments

You are looking at a picture of one of my greatest obsessions – Abbott and Costello. I could watch their movies and/or routines daily and laugh as though it were the first time EACH time. As someone who loves few things as much as laughing, I guess it’s only expected that they’d float my boat so perfectly.

There was a lot more to Bud Abbott and Lou Costello than most of us realize. They were much more intellectual (and certainly more serious) than we envision them. In fact, off screen, the men barely resembled the characters they played.

Below are a few fast facts about these brilliant men.

Facts about Bud Abbott

William Alexander Abbott was born in 1895.
Both of his parents (Rae and Harry) at one time worked for the Barnum and Bailey Circus.
Bud worked in carnivals, as a child, and dropped out of school in 1909.
In 1931, he stood in for comic Lou Costello’s straight-man who was ill. The two clicked almost immediately and… the rest is history!
In 1940. he made his film debut in One Night in the Tropics, which was also his first film pairing with his partner Lou Costello.
Bud has three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Radio (6333 Hollywood Boulevard), Motion Pictures (1611 Vine Street), and Television (6740 Hollywood Boulevard).
Bud Abbott was a lifelong epileptic.
His twin sister, Olive Victoria Abbott, was in vaudeville and lived to be 101 years old!
Bud Abbott was an avid gun collector and once owned an Adolf Hitler shotgun.
One story has it that, at Lou Costello’s insistence, the monies earned from the their act were split 60/40, favoring Bud Abbott. Lou Costello’s reasoned that “…comics are a dime a dozen. Good straight men are hard to find.”
After Abbott and Costello broke up, Bud Abbott said, “I never understood Lou.”
Married Betty Smith in 1918. They adopted two children.
A favorite Bud Abbott Quote was, “You never heard of a comedy team that didn’t fight, did you?“
Died in 1974 (prostrate cancer).

Facts About Lou Costello

Born in 1906 in New Jersey.
His parents were Helen and Sebastiano Cristillo. His father was from Calabria, Italy, and his mother was an American of Italian, French, and Irish ancestry.
Before teaming with Bud Abbott, Lou Costello worked as a stuntman.
Lou Costello was married to Anne Battler from January 1934 – March 1959 (his death)
Lou mentioned his hometown (Paterson, New Jersey) in virtually every episode of his TV show and in many of his films – listen for it, it’s amazing (and touching) how he works it in.
Tragically, his only son, Lou Jr., drowned in the family’s swimming pool just days before his first birthday.
Lou Costello simply took home any prop or furniture from a set that he took a liking to. Once, during filming of Hit The Ice, the director was reshooting a scene when he noticed all the furniture was gone! Sure enough, Lou had hauled it off to his place – so an arrangement was made for him to bring it back just long enough to reshoot the scenes.
Costello, outrageously enough, wanted to change the name of the duo to “Costello and Abbott.” Naturally, Universal Pictures wasn’t for the idea. The result was a “permanent chill” between the partners that lasted until their split in the late 1950s.
After the death of his son, Lou Costello Jr., he somehow performed the “Who’s On First” routine as usual, but with tears running down his face.
Lou was an amateur boxer.
He was awarded three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: for Motion Pictures at 6438 Hollywood Blvd., for Radio at 6780 Hollywood Blvd. and for Television at 6276 Hollywood Blvd.
In 1943, Lou developed rheumatic fever. The disease damaged his heart and led to the heart attack that killed him – three days before his 53rd birthday.
Bud’s one starring role in a feature film without Bud Abbott, was in The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock (1959). He died before it was released.

More…

Abbott and Costello are known in Italy as “Gianni and Pinotto”, Abbott being Gianni and Costello being Pinotto.
Abbott and Costello are the only two non-sportsmen honored in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, for their “Who’s On First” routine. They aren’t, of course, members of the Hall of Fame, but the fact that their wonderful routine is so appreciated is priceless.
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were so popular that there was an “Abbott and Costello” comic book that was published for about ten years until their partnership ended in 1956.
They performed the “Who’s on first” routine for President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Abbott & Costello: The Complete Universal Pictures Collection

Review: Ball of Fire – The Tumultuous Life and Comic Art of Lucille Ball by Stefan Kanfer

February 20, 2018 By Joi 1 Comment

Ball of Fire: The Tumultuous Life and Comic Art of Lucille Ball by Stefan Kanfer

One of my favorite pastimes, hobbies, and passions is reading old Hollywood biographies, memoirs, and autobiographies. I’m absolutely obsessed with them. When they happen to be about one of my personal favorites, I can barely make myself put the book down. I devour each word (often twice) and study the pictures as though I’m searching for hidden clues.

Lucille Ball is one of my favorite television actresses… movie actresses…stars.. comedians.. oh, heck, she’s one of my favorite humans to ever draw breath. Let’s just leave it at that. I read everything about her that I can get my hands on.

Ball of Fire is the latest Lucille Ball biography I’ve read and it’s easily one of the best.

From the Back Cover:

As a movie actress Lucille Ball was, in her own words, “queen of the B-pluses.” But on the small screen she was a superstar – arguably the funniest and most enduring in the history of TV. In this exemplary biography, Stefan Kanfer explores the roots of Lucy’s genius and places it in the context of her conflicted and sometimes bitter personal life.

“Elegant, entertaining… engaging and immensely readable. – The Boston Globe”

Ball of Fire gives us Lucy in all her contradictions. here is the beauty who became a master of knock-down slapstick; the control freak whose comic alter ego thrived on chaos; the worshipful TV housewife whose real marriage ended in public disaster. Here, too, is an intimate view of the dawn of television and of the America that embraced it. Charming, informative, touching, and laugh-out-loud funny, this is the book Lucy’s fans have been waiting for.

A delightful… Encyclopedia Lucytania, guiding us through every possible detail of the woman’s history and legacy. – San Francisco Chronicle

Lucille Ball Fans: This Has to be the Next Book You Read

If you love Lucy like I love Lucy (sorry, I had to), you’ll want to read this book cover to cover, possibly twice. While we’ve all known and celebrated the fact that Lucille Ball was one of the most beautiful, talented, and gifted stars Hollywood ever saw, this great book is a reminder of the strength this lady possessed. When you read about everything she had to overcome (and remind yourself that this was a time when feminine strength wasn’t celebrated as it is today), you realize that she never simply waltzed into stardom, she kicked, scratched, and clawed every step of the way.

Needless to say, that makes her fans love her even more.

While I love everything about this book, one of the things that stands out to me is the fact that the author doesn’t try to “steer” the facts toward any set narrative. As a fan of many actors and actresses from Old Hollywood, I have to say that this would be difficult (if not impossible) for me. If, say, I were writing a biography of any of my favorite stars, I’d want desperately to show them at their best on each page of the book. I’d steer everything in a preconceived direction… Happy Town, U.S.A.

Warts? Not a one. Negative actions? Never! How dare you ask? Promiscuous? I should say not!

See why I don’t write biographies… everyone would come off like a choir boy or Sunday school teacher. To be able to give an accurate, beautifully rounded portrait of an individual takes a lot of talent and, I’d wager, self-control. As an avid reader of Old Hollywood biographies, I’m overjoyed that such authors exist. After all, none of us expect our favorite stars to have been perfect – even the men and women (except for One) in the Bible weren’t perfect!

It’s the imperfections we identify with – the weaknesses that we love seeing them overcome and the demons we love seeing them defeat. It makes them more real to us and makes us love them even more. Author Stefan Kanfer does a beautiful job of showing complete respect to Lucille, Desi, William Frawley, Vivian Vance, and the many other household names who “guest starred” in our favorite Lucy’s life.

Unlike some biographers, he doesn’t fixate on a star’s less-than-perfect traits but he doesn’t gloss over them as a certain Old Hollywood blogger we know would have done. *Raises hand with guilt on her face

This particular biography gives us a beautiful look at the mesmerizing life of Lucille Ball – from her earliest days to her last days. While it would be impossible to give the totality of a life within one book, Mr. Kanfer comes alarmingly close. I feel like I know her better after this book than I did before and, as someone who truly adores Lucille Ball, I will forever be thankful for that.

I Love Lucy Fans: Consider this a MUST READ BOOK

As a Lucille Ball fanatic, I’m sure you won’t be the least bit surprised to know that I can recite episodes of I Love Lucy along with the stars. I know what they’re going to say right before they say it and yet laugh each time as though it were the first time. That’s the magic of the stars, the writers, and everyone involved. While Ball of Fire (obviously) focuses on arguably the greatest comedic talent of all time, herself, there is gold… and a lot of it… for fans of I Love Lucy.

Even I read stories about casting (William Frawley, Vivian Vance, and memorable guest stars) in Ball of Fire I’d never heard… and I was pretty sure I was a walking/talking/coffee-chugging I Love Lucy encyclopedia! I honestly don’t want to give anything away, here, because I want you to read the book for yourself and be just as surprised and delighted with each turn of the page. I will say this, however – I’ve always known that Desi Arnaz deserves more credit for his acting and comedic genius. After reading Ball of Fire, I realize that he deserves A LOT more credit for the success of the series. He was more active behind the scenes than most of us would have ever guessed and he may have had one of the greatest eyes for casting of all time.

He was more than just a source of facial expressions for Lucy’s antics or verbal expressions for Lucy’s humor – he was one of the driving forces behind the series. I desperately want to find a read a biography of Desi Arnaz after reading Ball of Fire because it has caused me to be even more of a fan of this complex, talented, diverse, and often complicated man.

I only wish this particular author would write such a biography!

As I said, I refuse to give any of the wonderful details or stories away but I want to implore you again… if you’re a fan of I Love Lucy, you’ll love the amount of time devoted to the series. I read and reread the pages and am looking forward to pulling out my dvds and finding the episodes mentioned. The Grape-Stomping episode will be one of the first I re-watch!

I’d better move along before I DO give something away.

Ball of Fire is, As Much as Anything a Love Story

Not only is this book, at heart, a love story – it’s one of the best love stories you’ll ever read. When I read (pages 63-65) about the first time Lucille an Desi met, I literally had goose bumps. Now, I know the word literally is overused and misused these days but trust me – I’m neither overusing or misusing. I legit had goosebumps as well as a lump in my throat. The feelings would return (often along with teary eyes) when the author talked about Lucy’s desire to have children, when the marriage began (and continued) to unravel, and when both Desi and Lucille died.

The love these two gifted stars shared for one another was absolutely palpable. When you read the book, it becomes more clear than ever that Lucille and Desi were soulmates, just as Lucy and Ricky were. Sadly, soulmates don’t always go the distance with one another – especially when Hollywood is concerned. Hollywood is like a whole other world and very few couples navigate it from start to finish hand in hand. I’m convinced that, had they lived in any other place, they’d have made it.

Finally….

As I’ve said many times on Hollywood Yesterday, old movies, classic television, and Old Hollywood biographies are part of my DNA. I love for an author to take me on a journey where I’m able to spend time with current favorites and meet stars who I become so smitten with, they often go on to become favorites. A notable star this happened with was Carole Lombard. Her name kept popping up in various biographies (Lucille Ball, Ginger Rogers….) and she was always such a scene-stealer that I sought out more information about her. I found that she was, indeed, beautifully colorful and wonderfully full of life. She, along with other household names (Clark Gable, Ginger Rogers, Claudette Colbert, etc) are here in Ball of Fire – woven into the fabric that is the magical life of Lucille Ball. They add to the mystique and heighten the magic.

What more can I say? This is a breathtaking book and I really hope you read it as soon as possible. Ball of Fire is available on Amazon in paperback for less than $5 and hardback for not much more.

EDIT: I just searched for the author (Stefan Kanfer) on Amazon – determined to buy any and all biographies he has written. Am I ever in luck? He has several – so, needless to say, you’ll be seeing the reviews soon!

Somebody: The Reckless Life and Remarkable Career of Marlon Brando
Tough Without a Gun: Humphrey Bogart, Men in Movies, and Why It Matters
Groucho: The Life and Times of Julius Henry Marx

I Love Lucy Blanket: Nothing But Sweet Dreams for Lucy Fans

October 4, 2017 By Joi Leave a Comment

It’d be pretty cool if I could stop seeing things I WANT on Amazon while doing my Christmas shopping! Kind of defeats the purpose, you know?

There I was, making like one of Santa’s elves, shopping for a great-looking throw for one of my three daughters when I was sidetracked by Lucy’s adorable face… multiple faces of Lucy. Naturally I had to click on the picture and take a better look.

I mean, who can blame me? It’s Lucy and we all know I’m obsessed with all things Lucille Ball.

The I Love Lucy Blanket pictured above features some of Lucy’s most memorable expressions. When you watch as many I Love Lucy episodes as I do, you can identify each one as quickly as you can identify your own fingers.

With Lucy, Lucille Ball created the most iconic television character of all time. As well as the most lovable, most hilarious, and most beautiful.

I Love Lucy Blanket

Officially Licensed
Hand Printed in the USA using a Dye Sublimation Process that creates slight imperfections over seams and folds.
100% Polyester 36″ X 58″
Front Side Print Only With A Blank Bank

See I Love Lucy Blanket for more information.

I Love Lucy Dolls on Amazon… One of Each, Please

August 30, 2017 By Joi Leave a Comment

Like all fans of Old Hollywood, I have my own personal favorites from the Golden Era. You can pretty much tell my absolute favorites simply by looking around Hollywood Yesterday. See an abundance of Lucille Ball, Audrey Hepburn, Ava Gardner, Rita Hayworth, Barbara Stanwyck, Abbott and Costello, Westerns, and Musicals? There’s a reason for that.

I never learned how NOT to play favorites.

Some favorites come and go (depending upon the last seen movie, the mood, the weather..) but Lucille Ball has been an absolute favorite for as long as I remember. Just looking at pictures of this remarkable actress makes me smile.

There’s simply a special place in my heart for Lucille Ball. Maybe it’s because I grew up watching her so often that she feels like family. Maybe it’s because my favorite thing to do in the world is laugh and her favorite thing to do in the world seems to have been to MAKE people laugh.

Maybe it’s because, while beautiful, she didn’t have to rely on that alone. Maybe it’s because she dared to go where few women had gone before and risked everything in the process.

More than likely it’s a combination of each of these things.

Whatever the reasons, I love Lucy as much as anyone loved or loves Lucy. Books, mugs, calendars, dolls, mementos… I love to surround myself with anything and everything dedicated to this wonderful actress and comedienne. The dolls in this post?

Let’s just say I’m ready, willing, and able to give them a forever home right now. In fact, I’ll just go ahead and clear a few shelves right now.

Click through the links or the images to read more about these beauties.

The Lucy doll pictured at the top of the post was inspired by the I Love Lucy episode, “Lucy Tells the Truth.”

The adorable Lucy Gets in Pictures Doll (on the left, in the pink dress) celebrates the episode of the same name (“Lucy Gets In Pictures”) which originally aired on February 21, 1955. Get a load of them lips, man!

There is also a hilarious I Love Lucy Ballet Doll which is, as you’d imagine, “posed” for trouble. Let’s face it, how we love Lucy best!

This was definitely one of the funniest I Love Lucy episodes. Any episode that allows the beautiful redheaded clown to reign supreme is a can’t-miss.

Finally, we have the Lucy Vitameatavegamin Doll, paying tribute to one of the most memorable episodes ever.
I re-watched (for possibly the eleven-billionth time) the Vitameatavegamin episode recently and she left me speechless. Her comedic timing was completely and utterly flawless. She had a one-in-a-million knack for allowing the writing to shine through. She never over-sold anything or tried to outshine anyone… she simply did that by showing up!

She really was one of a kind.

Speaking of Vitameatavegamin….

See Also: I Love Lucy Charm Bracelet

I Love Lucy: The Lost Pilot (Complete Episode)

August 21, 2017 By Joi Leave a Comment

Synopsis: Ricky tries to keep Lucy away from auditioning for a TV show, but when a clown becomes unavailable, Lucy takes his place!

I Love Lucy Charm Bracelet (Featuring Scenes from the Series)

May 31, 2017 By Joi 1 Comment

Okay, how much do I love this beautiful I LOVE LUCY Charm Bracelet from The Bradford Exchange?! You have no idea.

See, the thing is, not only do I love Lucy like few have ever loved Lucy, guess what I also collect? Right…you guessed it… bracelets. In fact, more times than not I look like a gypsy left to her own accord.

I Love Lucy charged onto the scene over 60 years ago and changed tv comedy forever. What’s more, it changed the entire landscape for actresses on television. She paved the way for women as actresses as well as producers, writers, and directors. She proved that women are easily as capable as their male counterparts.

In my opinion, we owe more of a debt of gratitude to Lucille Ball than we will ever realize.

This charm bracelet is a perfect way to pay homage to this groundbreaking show and its legendary redheaded star. It features 7 charms, including 5 retro-style TV charms that each showcase a unique scene from a classic episode on the front, with the name of the episode and the year it aired etched on the back of the charm.

Episodes showcased include, “Lucy’s Italian Movie,” and “Lucy Does a Commercial.”

The handcrafted charms are plated in shimmering sterling silver and accented with rich 18K-gold plating and bright enamel. In addition, there are 6 sparkling Swarovski crystal briolettes, a signature charm and an I LOVE LUCY logo heart charm to complete the bracelet.

This is simply exquisite and would light up any Lucille Ball fan’s world!

See I LOVE LUCY Charm Bracelet for more information.

The I Love Lucy Chocolate Factory Scene (A Favorite – it Gets Me Every Single Time!)

March 14, 2017 By Joi Leave a Comment

As an I Love Lucy fanatic (we’re talking someone who has the episodes MEMORIZED, here), I love each and every episode and each and every scene. The Chocolate Factory episode does have a special place in my heart, though, because Ethel and Lucy are at their absolute best…. or worst, depending on how you look at it.