• Home
    • About Hollywood Yesterday
      • Privacy
    • Old Hollywood Book Reviews
      • Audrey Hepburn in Words and Pictures
      • Ball of Fire (Lucille Ball)
      • I Know Where I’m Going (Katharine Hepburn)
      • In Such Good Company (Carol Burnett)
      • Joan Crawford A Talent for Living
      • Unsinkable (Debbie Reynolds)
    • Contact Joi (“Joy”)
    • Quotes from Old Hollywood’s Stars
  • Actresses
    • Agnes Moorehead
    • Angie Dickinson
    • Ann Miller
    • Audrey Hepburn
      • Audrey Hepburn Quotes
      • Breakfast at Tiffany’s
      • My Fair Lady
    • Ava Gardner
      • Ava Gardner Quotes
    • Barbara Stanwyck
      • Barbara Stanwyck Quotes
    • Betty Grable
    • Carole Lombard
    • Debbie Reynolds
    • Doris Day
    • Dorothy Dandridge
    • Elizabeth Taylor
      • Elizabeth Taylor Quotes
    • Fay Wray
    • Georgia Hale
    • Ginger Rogers
    • Glenda Farrell
    • Gloria Grahame
    • Grace Kelly
    • Greta Garbo
    • Hattie McDaniel
      • Hattie McDaniel Facts
      • Hattie McDaniel Quotes
    • Helen Hayes
    • Ingrid Bergman
    • Jayne Mansfield
    • Judy Garland
    • Katharine Hepburn
      • Katharine Hepburn Quotes
      • Katharine Hepburn: What’s Not to Love?
    • Lana Turner
    • Lauren Bacall
      • Lauren Bacall Facts & Trivia
      • Lauren Bacall Quotes
    • Lucille Ball
      • I Love Lucy
      • Lucille Ball Quotes
    • Marilyn Monroe
    • Maureen O’Hara
    • Marion Davies
    • Mary Pickford
    • Mildred Davis
    • Mitzi Gaynor
    • Olivia de Havilland
    • Rita Hayworth
    • Shirley Temple
    • Vera-Ellen
    • Veronica Lake
    • Vivien Leigh
  • Actors
    • Abbott and Costello
    • Barry Fitzgerald
    • Bob Hope
    • Boris Karloff
    • Buster Keaton
    • Cary Grant
    • Charlie Chaplin
    • Clark Gable
    • Dean Martin
    • Desi Arnaz
    • Dick Powell
    • Edward G. Robinson
    • Elvis Presley
    • Frank Sinatra
    • Fred Astaire
    • Gene Kelly
    • George Sanders
    • Glenn Ford
    • Harold Lloyd
    • Humphrey Bogart
    • James Dean
    • Jerry Lewis
    • James Stewart
    • John Wayne
    • Laurel and Hardy
    • Ray Milland
  • Movie Reviews
    • Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein
    • Critic’s Choice
    • El Dorado
    • Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941)
    • Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein
    • Gilda
    • Grand Hotel
    • Lured
    • Rio Bravo
    • Sanctuary (1961)
    • Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
    • The Bat
    • The Haunted Castle (Silent)
    • The Major and the Minor
    • The Naked Spur
    • The Prince and The Showgirl
    • The Stooge
    • The Little Princess
    • The Quiet Man
    • The Violent Men
    • The White Sister
    • Top Hat
    • We’re in the Money

Hollywood Yesterday

Old Hollywood: Movies, Actresses, and Actors

You are here: Home / Archives for I Love Lucy

I Love Lucy isn't just my all-time favorite television show, it's one of my all-time favorite things ever. It's not an exaggeration to say I have each episode memorized by heart. Seriously, I could say the lines along with Lucy, Ethel, Fred, and Ricky... complete with the accent!

On the following pages you'll find I Love Lucy gift ideas, I Love Lucy quotes, I Love Lucy scenes, and more. Basically this is where I celebrate the most wonderful show of all time.

Backstage DRAMA Behind the World’s Best COMEDY…

January 17, 2020 By Joi

I Love Lucy Cast: Vivian Vance, William Frawley, Desi Arnaz, and Lucille Ball

Vivian Vance, William Frawley, Desi Arnaz, and Lucille Ball

One of the all-time most loved shows in the world had more than it’s share of backstage drama. Jess Oppenheimer, one of the writers of I Love Lucy gave a firsthand account of some of the drama behind my personal favorite television show of all time:

“Even though the entire world loved I Love Lucy, everyone on I Love Lucy didn’t love everyone else on I Love Lucy. Luckily…all the interpersonal problems didn’t show through the performances. Lucy and Desi were having a whole set of domestic problems, which ended in their divorce; Vivian couldn’t stomach Bill (William Frawley), mainly because she failed to understand how anyone could believe she was married to “that old man”; Bill reacted in typical fashion, referring to her figure as “a sack of doorknobs”; and Desi and I had a running series of spats, mostly ticked off when I picked up the trade papers and found he had taken credit for something I had done. But, luckily (again), it could not be seen on the screen, and there was no blowup which destroyed the team.”

I am, by nature, a Mary Poppins type blended with a great deal of Suzie  Sunshine…. with a touch (okay a lot) of Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. Can’t help it, I was made this way. With that being the case, I almost didn’t publish this quote because I was afraid it would cast a negative light on stars I love a great deal – worse, yet, stars that aren’t with us to stand up for themselves!

However, I decided to publish it because, quite frankly, I am in AWE of the television magic these four stars (and directors, as well as writers) pulled off under these circumstances. Think about it – would you be able to make all happy and funny with a spouse you were in the middle of divorcing??

Would you be able to keep smiling and find a way not to cry when your marriage was crumbling?

Would you be able to work day-in day-out with someone you couldn’t even tolerate?!

I don’t know about you, but I have to answer NO to all of the above. I’m not made of nearly strong enough stuff to overcome any of that emotional turmoil.

Yet, these four stars rose above all the noise, all the drama, and all of the emotions and turned in one flawless performance after another.

I also published the quote for another reason… I trust my readers to know that one person’s quote does not make his or her opinion or account the gospel. It makes it their opinion or their “side.” If Desi were here, today, he may well have a whole other version.

In the end, they were all humans (just ridiculously talented humans!) and where there are humans, there are problems. I still maintain that these four did a super-human job of maintaining their maturity and professionalism when so many (raising my hand) wouldn’t have been able to.

I, for one, am thankful for their strength every single day because this series means more to me than I can even say.

I Love Lucy Scene


Filed Under: Desi Arnaz, I Love Lucy, Lucille Ball, Picture of the Day, Vivian Vance, William Frawley Tagged With: Desi Arnaz, I Love Lucy, Lucille Ball, Vivian Vance, William Frawley

Full Episode of The Lucy Show: Lucy and Viv Put in a Shower

November 9, 2019 By Joi

The Lucy Show

Like any Lucille Ball fanatic, I love every single series the legendary actress made – but, my favorite Lucille Ball post I Love Lucy series is The Lucy Show. I think the reason may be that, for me anyway, it seems like a wonderful continuation of I Love Lucy. Sure, there are added characters and (unfortunately) missing characters, but Lucy and Viv seem so much Like Lucy and Ethel to me that it has an extra special place in my heart.

The Lucy Show lasted six seasons, from 1962–1968. Ironically, the series was originally intended to air for just one season. Desilu (Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz’s studio), was losing money after the glory days of I Love Lucy. He persuaded her to return to series television to help the studio out of its rut. Lucille agreed to do the show under three conditions:

  1. It aired on Monday nights as I Love Lucy had done.
  2. She had her beloved co-star Vivian Vance on board.
  3. The I Love Lucy writers were also on board.

The lady wasn’t just incredibly talented, she was incredibly smart. The arrangement she laid out worked.

You can find the complete Series of The Lucy Show on Amazon for a lot less than it’s worth. I’d pay over twice that much… but let’s not tell Amazon that.

Filed Under: Classic TV, I Love Lucy, Lucille Ball, Vivian Vance Tagged With: Classic TV, Lucille Ball, The Lucy Show, Vivian Vance

Love, Lucy by Lucille Ball (An Autobiography You Can NOT Put Down)

September 24, 2019 By Joi

Love, Lucy by Lucille Ball

Love, Lucy by Lucille Ball

One of my greatest obsessions in this world? Well, you’re looking at her – the talented, beautiful, one-of-a-kind, they-broke-the-mold legend, herself, Lucille Ball.  As I’ve often said on this very blog, I collect anything and everything connected to this lady.

As I said, she is an obsession and I offer no apologies. She has brought so much laughter and joy into my life over the (many) years and continues to do so each day.

What a legacy… to bring joy to countless people even after you’re gone. Does not get much better than that.

Over the years, I have read and reread this particular autobiography – as I do my absolute favorite books. I mean, if once through is wonderful – why not want that experience as many times as possible??!

After Lucille Ball died in 1989, this autobiography (written prior to 1964) was discovered among her papers. In these memoirs, she describes a childhood deeply affected by her father’s death and her mother’s withdrawal from her life.

Lucille was raised by her maternal grandparents and, over the years, developed a fiery, determined, larger-than-life personality and temperament that would help her years later as she made a name (and legacy) for herself.

Lucille Ball – oddly enough – was not an overnight sensation. Personally, I don’t know how everyone in Hollywood kept from falling all over themselves for her – but boy did they manage. I don’t think they knew quite what to make of her because there had never (and would never) be anyone quite like her. It took years of plodding and B movies to make herself a household name. Along the way, she met and usually befriended some of the top names and faces in Hollywood.

One of the funnest things about this autobiography is the same as the others – “meeting” a seemingly endless cast of stars and getting to know them through another star’s eyes. In this case, Lucille’s beautiful wise blue eyes.

The many photographs are a real treat, as are her very humorous accounts and stories. The early pages pull at your heart’s strings as you realize how overwhelming everything must have been for such an innocent little girl.

My favorite parts of the book, however, are the ones which include her soulmate, Desi Arnaz. Yes, it can be frustrating to realize that these two couldn’t remain together – downright sad, actually. But, during the time they were together, they made the best kind of magic together. What’s more, even after they no longer shared rings or even a home together, the love was ALWAYS there.

Her chapters dealing with her and Desi are absolutely breathtaking. Actually, the entire book is. If you’re a Lucille Ball fan, you are going to love Love, Lucy by Lucille Ball as much as we all love Lucy.


Filed Under: I Love Lucy, Lucille Ball, Old Hollywood Book Reviews Tagged With: Lucille Ball, Lucille Ball Autobiography, Old Hollywood Autobiographies, Old Hollywood Biographies

Lucille Ball Fleece Throw Blanket (Gorgeous!)

March 23, 2019 By Joi

There is not a bigger fan of Lucille Ball on the planet (or off) than I am. Trust me… I checked. I collect everything associated with this one of a kind beautiful redhead. The problem is, while it’s easy to find collectibles of her as Lucy (I have a gazillion of these collectibles that serve as proof), getting your hands on collectibles of LUCILLE, as a glamorous Golden Age of Hollywood actress, can be tough.

And make no mistake about it, she had a wonderful Hollywood career pre-Lucy Ricardo and she was most definitely Glamorous with a capital G.

This is one of the reasons I’m so in love with this Lucille Ball Fleece Throw Blanket and one of the reasons I threw it immediately into my Amazon cart.

Truth be told, I threw it in there so fast there was a palpable gust of wind.

Features:

  • Polyester
  • Fleece throw blanket
  • 36″ x 60″
  • Officially licensed Lucille Ball product
  • Cool City Girl design (one-sided print). Unprinted side is white.
  • Soft 100% polyester

See Lucille Ball Fleece Throw Blanket for more information – this is one gorgeous gift idea for any fan of Lucille Ball.

Lucille Ball

Glamorous, Indeed!

Filed Under: I Love Lucy, Lucille Ball, Shop Tagged With: gift ideas for fans of Lucille Ball, Lucille Ball, Lucille Ball blanket, Lucille Ball throw

I Love Lucy Vitameatavegamin Mug, With Spoon

February 7, 2019 By Joi

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:


Filed Under: I Love Lucy, Lucille Ball, Shop Tagged With: I Love Lucy gifts, I Love Lucy videos, Lucille Ball, Lucille Ball Collectibles

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

January 24, 2019 By Joi

Forever Lucy Magazine

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.

Forever Lucy Magazine

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.

Forever Lucy Magazine

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.

Forever Lucy Magazine

Filed Under: I Love Lucy, Lucille Ball, Old Hollywood Book Reviews, Shop Tagged With: book reviews, Lucille Ball, Lucille Ball collectors

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

February 20, 2018 By Joi

Ball of Fire by Stefan Kanfer

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.

Filed Under: I Love Lucy, Lucille Ball, Old Hollywood Book Reviews Tagged With: Ball of Fire Lucille Ball Review, I Love Lucy, Lucille Ball, Old Hollywood Book Reviews

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

October 4, 2017 By Joi

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.

Filed Under: I Love Lucy, Shop Tagged With: I Love Lucy, I Love Lucy Blanket, I Love Lucy gift ideas

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

August 30, 2017 By Joi

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….


 

Filed Under: Dolls, I Love Lucy, Lucille Ball Tagged With: gift ideas for fans of I Love Lucy, I Love Lucy, Lucille Ball, Lucille Ball dolls

I Love Lucy: The Lost Pilot (Complete Episode)

August 21, 2017 By Joi

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


Filed Under: Desi Arnaz, I Love Lucy, Lucille Ball, Vivian Vance Tagged With: I Love Lucy, I Love Lucy complete episode

Next Page »

Welcome to Hollywood Yesterday!

Ann Sheridan, It All Came True

Ann Sheridan
My name is Joi (“Joy”) and I created Hollywood Yesterday as my personal tribute to Old Hollywood. It’s my effort to help keep the stars from Old Hollywood, Classic Television, and Old Radio Shows alive and shining forever. Old Hollywood was positively magical and I see no reason for the magic to ever die.

Be warned, I am (by nature) overtly positive, I never take anything too seriously, I say extraordinary so often you’d think I invented the word, and I overuse exclamation points to distraction. I’m perpetually over-caffeinated.. we’ll blame that.

Read more about Hollywood Yesterday (and see my personal favorites) here!

Old Hollywood Actresses

Lena Horne, Meet Me in Las Vegas

See the Old Hollywood Actresses page for the index of Classic Hollywood Actresses and Classic TV Actresses.

Old Hollywood Actors

Henry Fonda, Behind the Scenes The Grapes of Wrath

See the Old Hollywood Actors page for the index of Old Hollywood and Classic TV actors.

Old Hollywood Book Reviews

Ann Dvorak: Hollywood's Forgotten Rebel by Christina Rice

I love reading old Hollywood biographies and memoirs as much as I love watching classic movies, and that’s truly saying something!

To see my Old Hollywood book reviews, please see the index listed here: Book Reviews.

Pictures of the Day

Maureen O'Hara, The Parent Trap

Maureen O’Hara

The Old Hollywood & Classic TV Pictures of the Day are published as regularly as possible. If I miss a few days, please just know that the husband, daughters, sons-in-law, grandbabies, and/or my cats were demanding my attention. I’ll be honest, nothing comes before any of them! Not even Maureen O’Hara or Henry Fonda.

Priorities, y’all.

Movie Collections on Amazon

  • Email
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Recent Posts

  • Happy Heavenly Birthday to the Extraordinary Donna Reed
  • Nat King Cole and Ruby Dee, St. Louis Blues (1958)
  • The Spider Woman (1943): Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Gale Sondergaard, and Dennis Hoey
  • Rest in Peace, Beautiful Gina Lollobrigida
  • Beautiful Rhonda Fleming in a Stunning Promotional Photo for The Golden Hawk (1952)
  • The Wonderful Paul Henreid was BOTD in 1908
  • Judy Garland Behind the Scenes of Presenting Lily Mars
  • Paul Lynde Quote + Under the Yum Yum Tree Pics with Imogene Coca and Jack Lemmon

Movie Night, ANY Night…

John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, and Arthur Hunnicutt in El Dorado
Have movie night ANY night with Prime Video on Amazon:  Prime Video (Amazon link)

Thank You for Visiting!

Paulette Goddard and Charlie Chaplin, Modern Times
Thank you so much for visiting Hollywood Yesterday! You truly HONOR me with your presence. ~ Joi (“Joy”)

Olivia de Havilland

Olivia de Havilland, The Adventures of Robin Hood

My main goal with Hollywood Yesterday is to keep the names, faces, and films of the stars that mean so much to me shining brightly. When I’m guilty of focusing more time on my personal favorites (such as Olivia de Havilland) than other stars, I hope you’ll forgive me. I am, by all indications, very human!

Also, please know that I try to keep my posts (except for book reviews) short and to the point, so you can enjoy the pictures, grab the information, and get back to your life. I don’t appreciate anything that’s overly wordy, so I don’t want to do that to others. For better or worse, I write as I talk, so if you ever feel like you’re reading the words of someone who’s a cross between Lucy Ricardo, Daisy Duck, and a Jerry Lewis character, that’s just because you are!

Wait. What did I just admit to?? 

Barbara Stanwyck Quotes

Another personal absolute favorite of mine is Barbara Stanwyck. Not only was she beautiful and outrageously talented, she was exceptionally bright, charismatic, and colorful. This growing collection of Barbara Stanwyck Quotes will give you an idea of just how colorful she was!

Old Hollywood Movies

Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire Top Hat Cheek to Cheek

There’s nothing quite like watching a movie from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Whether it’s a Musical, Western, Comedy, Romance, Film Noir, or Drama – if it’s on, I’m not too far away… with popcorn and raspberry tea in hand and a couple of cats nearby.

Below are a few Old Hollywood movie reviews I’ve done on the blog. There are, as you’d imagine, a lot more to come. – Joi (“Joy”)

We’re in the Money (Joan Blondell, Glenda Farrell)

The Naked Spur (James Stewart, Janet Leigh)

The Prince and the Showgirl (Marilyn Monroe, Laurence Olivier)

The White Sister (Helen Hayes, Clark Gable)

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Howard Keel, Jane Powell, Russ Tamblyn, Julie Newmar)

Rio Bravo (John Wayne, Dean Martin, Angie Dickinson, Ricky Nelson, Walter Brennan)

El Dorado (John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, James Caan, Charlene Holt, Michele Carey)

Rio Grande (John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara)

Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein (What is it With Me and These Movies??)

The Stooge (Jerry Lewis’ favorite Lewis and Martin Movie… for good reason.)

Critic’s Choice (Hilarious movie starring Bob Hope and Lucille Ball)

To Please a Lady (Clark Gable and Barbara Stanwyck team up in a fast track movie)

Grand Hotel (Joan Crawford, Greta Garbo, John Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore)

Hearts Divided (Marion Davies, Dick Powell)

The Quiet Man (John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, Barry Fitzgerald)

More Old Hollywood Movie Reviews

Classic Hollywood Books & Biographies (Reviews)

Maureen O'Hara's Autobiography 'Tis Herself

‘Tis Herself by Maureen O’Hara
I Know Where I'm Going (Katharine Hepburn Biography) and Princess

I Know Where I’m Going: Katharine Hepburn

 

Debbie Reynolds Unsinkable
Unsinkable: A Memoir by Debbie Reynolds

 

Ginger Rogers Autobiography - Ginger: My Story

Ginger by Ginger Rogers
Love, Lucy by Lucille Ball

Love, Lucy by Lucille Ball
Vitagraph by Andrew A. Erish
Vitagraph by Andrew A. Erish
More Old Hollywood Book Reviews!

Dorothy Dandridge

Dorothy Dandridge Carmen Jones Poster

Getting to Know the Gorgeous and Talented Dorothy Dandridge

My Lucy Obsession

Lucille Ball

Find out just how much I (truly) Love Lucy in the Lucille Ball category. I’m warning you, I call it an obsession for a very good reason…

Legalities…

Aside from pictures of books I review, I do not claim to have taken any of the pictures on this website, nor do I own the pictures – the ones of the stars or the affiliate (product) pictures.  Other, far more talented photographers than me have the credit for the beautiful photos you see. If you would like credit for a photograph or would like one removed, please e-mail me (joitsigers@gmail.com).

Movie posters and promotional photos are used in the belief that they qualify for the Fair Use law. Fair use is a doctrine in the law of the United States that permits limited use of copyrighted material without having to first acquire permission from the copyright holder. Fair use is one of the limitations to copyright intended to balance the interests of copyright holders with the public interest in the wider distribution and use of creative works by allowing as a defense to copyright infringement claims certain limited uses that might otherwise be considered infringement.

When you click through an affiliate (product, book, dvds..) link, I earn a small portion of the money you spend IF you purchase anything. This does not cost you any extra money, of course. This is how I am able to work from home and support my cats! – Joi (“Joy”)

Copyright © 2023 | Audrey Hepburn Posters | Ava Gardner Posters