Golden Age of Hollywood
Watching What’s My Line on YouTube has become an obsession of mine. They’re hilarious, entertaining, and I get a big kick out of seeing my favorite stars trying to be “tricky.” Some are more successful than others!
Given the fact that Lucille and Desi are two of my favorite stars of ALL time, the one below was destined to become a personal fave. Enjoy!
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:
See Lucille Ball Fleece Throw Blanket for more information – this is one gorgeous gift idea for any fan of Lucille Ball.
Glamorous, Indeed!
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
See I Love Lucy Vitameatavegamin Mug, With Spoon for more information!
Lucy’s Vitameatavegamin Clip:
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.
Critic’s Choice (Official Trailer)
When it comes to watching old movies, I’m obsessive and not the least bit confined. Many (most??) have a particular era or genre they’re most passionate about – the 40s, silents, musicals, the 50s, the 60s, westerns, etc. I’d imagine that specializing would make things a lot less complicated. There’d be fewer movies to DVR, fewer movies to add to actor/actress collections, and fewer favorite actors and actresses to name when asked for your favorites. You can see how that goes for me on the Hollywood Yesterday About page!
I will, however, be the first to admit that some 60s movies are a breed all their own. As I’ve often said about much earlier films, you have to accept them for what they are… films made very, very long ago. I believe the problem a lot of people have with films from the 60s is that our brain sees they are in color, so we automatically think of them as “modern,” somehow, at least when compared to classics such as Top Hat, Christmas in Connecticut, and Casablanca.
It pays to remind yourself, when watching a colorful oldie that it’s still an oldie. I have to remind myself of this from time to time. I actually had to pause Two for the Road (1967) twice (once for each of the “Two,” I guess!) and give myself a wake up call. This particular era is fascinating to me because it’s so beautifully unique. Movie makers were trying new things… being more daring and bold, while clinging to many traditional plots and scenes.
Fascinating… yet, at times… well… in need of a pause or two.
Bob Hope plays popular New York theater critic Parker Ballantine. He has a reputation for greatly impacting a star or play’s longevity or success with his reviews. The level of glee he gets from shredding what he considers to be a flop is priceless. As always, he is wonderful in each and every scene.
Speaking of wonderful, Lucille Ball plays Angie Ballantine, Parker’s wife. All’s fine and well until she decides that she wants to write a play. Things get especially tense when her play is made into a play. Parker doesn’t have a very high opinion of it which means, if he reviews it, it could be the end of his marriage. However, if he doesn’t, it could be the end of his self respect in a career he values very highly.
This is one of those movies you can turn on and watch again and again – Bob Hope and Lucille Ball are, without a single doubt, two of the greatest entertainers of ALL TIME. Each line… each expression… each move – they’re each pure magic, so when you combine the two… look out!
The always regal-looking Jessie Royce Landis (Angie’s mother, Charlie) and adorable Ricky Kelman (Parker’s son/Angie’s stepson, John) are major scene stealers in this movie – which is no small feat when the stars are Bob Hope and Lucille Ball. I remember Ricky from an episode of Gunsmoke but I’m really surprised he didn’t have more movies in his filmography. Not only was he a great little actor, he had a special something that made him stand out. When he was in a scene, you wanted to watch his reactions to what was playing out around him.
If you’ve never seen Critic’s Choice, I hope you’ll watch it asap and see exactly what I’m talking about with Ricky.
As for Jessie Royce Landis, the greatest compliment I can give her is that her beauty and screen presence stood next to that of Lucille Ball’s and didn’t diminish one bit. Each time I see the movie, I’m left wanting more scenes with her in them. When I watched the movie for, probably the third time, it occurred to me why this actress resonates so much with me – she has equal parts of two of my all time favorites – Maureen O’Hara and Lucille Ball.
Can’t beat that combo!
The movie serves as a perfect reminder (as though we even need it) of just how talented and special Bob Hope and Lucille Ball were. They broke the mold with these two, didn’t they?! As an Old Hollywood fanatic, I am just so thankful we have movies and television shows with these two legends side by side. They were very talented actors – a fact that they sometimes gets lost in the shadows cast by their glittery super stardom. They almost shined too bright for their own good. The same thing can be said of other wonderful entertainers who went on to become household names – often without households recognizing why they became household names in the first place. Elvis, Rita Hayworth, Bob Hope, Joan Crawford, Betty Davis, Marilyn Monroe… there is so much more to these individuals than the tiny little compartments people tend to place them in.
Old movies are an exceptional place to let them break loose and show you what they have.
One final word about Lucille Ball (not only is she one of my top three favorite actresses, she’s one of my absolute favorite people, so bear with me!) – we remember her, rightly, for being so deliciously funny. The woman was hysterical – there’s no other way to put it. Her timing, expressions… the things she did with her voice. Pure genius.
However, as I always point out when talking about her (which, admittedly, I do a great deal of) is this: She was absolutely, uncommonly, ridiculously beautiful. The gorgeous eyes, flawless skin, perfect figure (she had a dancer’s body… as enviable as that is), and beautiful “I-Dare-You-Not-To-Notice-Me!” red hair – they all went together to make one stunning human being.
I re-watched another of her movies recently, “Miss Grant Takes Richmond” (review should be up next week), and was blown away by just how lovely she was.
Most beautiful clown in the world.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
Lucille Ball and George Sanders, Lured
Obviously, I am someone who is utterly consumed with the Golden Age of Hollywood… or Classic Hollywood, Old Hollywood, Hollywood’s Golden Era… whatever you choose to call it, I jumped into it when I was around 12 years old and have proceeded to dive deeper with each passing year.
Never you mind what depths I’ve reached.
When you’ve seen the number of movies, actors, and actresses I have, you have a difficult time narrowing down your absolute favorites. This is evidenced by my healthy lists of favorites on the Hollywood Yesterday About Page. However, the cream of the crop or the “favoritest of the favorites” would make a list if it had to include only a handful of stars. Lucille Ball and George Sanders are two of my.. well… favoritest of favorites and I cannot conceive of any “favorite list” they wouldn’t make.
Not only were these stars incredibly talented, they had that extra little spark that few stars actually had of have. The spark that cannot possibly described. It’s just there. An extra something in their expressions, in their voice, and even in the way they move. Lucille Ball and George Sanders each had this mystery spark and in large doses.
The fact that they starred in a movie (Lured, 1947) together seems like a personal gift to me , straight from Old Hollywood. The fact that the movie is so deliciously good makes it all the better.
In Lured, Lucille Ball is not remotely like the Lucy we’re familiar with. In place of gags, there’s glamour… and tons of it. She shows incredible versatility and talent that even we, her biggest fans, sometimes forget she possessed.
Lucille Ball plays an American nightclub dancer (Sandra Carpenter) in London. Her friend has been murdered and she is recruited by the police as a decoy to catch a serial killer. The killer finds his victims through the newspaper personal ads.
George Sanders is her leading man and plays Robert Fleming, a mysterious and (very) wealthy man.
Their chemistry is off the charts. There were actually rumors around Hollywood that the two stars had a fling, but there’s certainly no proof to back it up. The chemistry, however, is palpable.
In addition to the two stellar leads, the movie has a really strong cast. Charles Coburn (as a lovable Scotland Yard inspector), Cedric Hardwicke, Alan Mowbray, Boris Karloff , Joseph Calleia, and George Zucco.
Boris Karloff dives in head-first in his role as a dress designer.
{Continued Below…}
Lucille Ball and George Sanders are unmistakably the stars here, though – make no mistake about it. Each is phenomenal. The first time I watched Lured, I was so blown away by Lucille Ball’s performance (and beauty) that I didn’t give George Sanders the attention he commands. I think it’s simply because I grew up seeing her as Lucy Ricardo or one of the other Lucy characters from television. Sandra Carpenter is about as far-removed from Lucy as it gets.
Subsequent viewings have allowed me to appreciate George Sanders in this movie as much as Lucille. You may remember Sanders from The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (as Miles Fairley), the Saint movies in the late 1930s and early 1940s (as the Saint), The Picture of Dorian Gray (as Lord Henry Wotton), Rebecca (as Jack Favell), or as Mr. Freeze in the Batman TV series (1966).
His roles were kind of all over the place, but he was never anything aside from completely compelling – stealing the scene right out from just about anyone.
Except for a glamorous red-head we all know and love, that is. No one, but no one, steals a scene from Lucille Ball.
If you love old movies, Lucille Ball, or George Sanders, Lured should be one of the next movies you watch. If you love all three… this HAS to be the very next movie you watch. It’s an especially fun whodunit and you’ll be glued to every minute.
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.”
There is also 
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.
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.
See Also: I Love Lucy Charm Bracelet
Lucille was dressed up like a burlesque queen for a role in “Dance, Girl, Dance“- complete with a black eye courtesy of stage make-up.
“I didn’t like her at first. She looked awful. Very tough.” – Desi
Later in the day, they met again. Not only had she lost the black eye, Lucille had changed into a yellow skirt and cashmere sweater.
Desi turned to a studio employee and in his heavy Cuban accent said, “Wot a hunk o’ woman!”
Desi asked her out and they fell in love almost immediately.
The big wigs at the studio didn’t want them to marry, claiming that it would hurt their careers. Fortunately, love won out and on November 30, 1940 (just 6 months after meeting) they got married at 10:00 am by a Justice of the Peace in Greenwich, Connecticut.
“I threw away all my conservativeness and took the plunge because I loved him. It was the most daring thing I ever did. Hollywood gave our marriage six months. I gave it six weeks.” – Lucy
“I Love Lucy” was based on a popular radio program Lucille was in called “My Favorite Husband.” She played the role of the wife, with Richard Denning playing the “favorite husband.” Denning is better known for his role as the mayor in a 12 year stint on Hawaii 5 O.
CBS loved the radio show and wanted to develop it into a tv program, with Lucille and Richard as the married couple.
Lucille wanted Desi to be her on-air husband, but the network tried to convince her that audiences wouldn’t believe that she and Desi would make a logical married couple.
She, naturally, responded with, “What do you mean nobody’ll believe it?! We ARE married!”
However the network and the advertising agency weren’t buying it. They really didn’t even want to consider Desi in the role.
Lucille and Desi decided to “go out and test it” – see if people could accept them as husband and wife.
In April 1950, they formed Desilu Productions. All they needed was an act, so they put together a series of comedy routines involving a “movie star” who tries to join her bandleader husband’s act.
The act featured comedy dialogue by Lucy’s radio writers (and two of the future I Love Lucy writers), Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carrol, Jr. It opened on June 2, 1950 at the Chicago Paramount Theater and was a HUGE success.
Lucy would later say: “After the first show, Desi and I looked at each other in wild surprise, ‘Well, I guess we can work together after all. We’re on our way!’”
The beauty above is Silent Film star Mildred Davis. She was a frequent co-star (and longtime wife!) of legendary Harold Lloyd. She’s one of my favorite silent film actresses. I’m working on several articles to add to the blog featuring this talented beauty.
There’s nothing quite like watching a movie from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Whether it’s a Musical, Western, Comedy, Romance, or Drama – if it’s on, I’m not too far away… with popcorn 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 Reviews of Old Movies.
Ball of Fire – The Tumultuous Life and Comic Art of Lucille Ball
Review: In Such Good Company by Carol Burnett
I Know Where I’m Going: Katharine Hepburn, A Personal Biography
Coming Soon…
Ginger (Ginger Rogers)
Steps in Time (Fred Astaire)
Enchantment (Audrey Hepburn)
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…
Another personal absolute favorite of mine is Barbara Stanwyck. Not only was she beautiful and outrageously talented, she was exceptionally bright and colorful. This growing collection of Barbara Stanwyck Quotes will give you an idea of just how colorful she was!
