Lucy's glam days
The wide-screen experience eluded me over the years, 'til now.
As part of its tribute to legendary filmmaker - Arthur Freed - the 3rd Annual Backlot Festival screened the Lucille Ball classic and I was there to savor every minute of the experience.
Lucy stars with Red Skelton and Gene Kelley in this screwball comedy - one of a handful of "B" movies the screwy red-head was featured in - just before her career took off after the successful launch of "I love Lucy" in the early fifties.
Actually, it's a hoot to watch Ms. Ball (pre "Lucy" days) saunter across the screen in a swirl of elegant gowns and outrageous designer hats and tangle with the likes of comic genius, Mister Red Skeleton.
The legendary star holds her own, admirably.
One of my favorite lines in the film?
On the subject of romance, Ms. Ball quips.
"I'm too poor to get married for love."
In this hilarious piece of studio pap, Mr. Skelton charms. Here, his timing is impeccable; especially when it comes to quick repartee, pratfalls, and off-kilter shtick, right up the alley of the former vaudevillian.Gene Kelley is a revelation, too.
In a handful of breezy dance numbers, he executes each step with such grace and style.
In fact, it's difficult to fathom any other dancer of this or any other era, managing the painstakingly intricate step sequences (save for Fred Astaire, of course).
Although Lucy became one of the most powerful women in Hollywood - by virtue of her holdings in Desilu Productions with husband Arnaz - life was not always a snap for the performer.
Lucille Ball was born August 6, 1911 in Jamestown (New York).
Fresh out of the gate, Ball took a job as a model, using the stage name, Diane Belmont.
Moderately successful, Ball became an Earl Carrol showgirl and landed modeling gigs for popular fashion designer, Hattie Carnegie.
But the career climb was not always rosy.
In her "lettuce days" in New York - when she was a struggling dancer - Lucy nearly died of malnutrition, according to one biographer.
Jobs were hard to come by, after all.
As luck would have it, one day Ms. Ball was striding down a busy New York street, when she bumped into a casting woman who took pity on her.
The woman offered Lucy a job as a "cigarette girl" (popular gigs in those days).
There was one hitch, though.
The young starlet would have to pack up and head to Tinsel town.
With a bit of consternation, she headed west, reluctantly.
When she arrived in Hollywood, it didn't escape Lucy's attention that many of the female stars were extremely focused on their "Glamour Queen" images, which worked to her advantage.
Whenever a film required a comedy sketch, or a shenanigan or two that were a bit wacky, the prissy grand dames turned their noses up at the job and flatly refused to sign on.
After all, they didn't want to sully their classy siren images.
But the young upstart jumped at the chance to work.
So, plum roles fell into Lucy's lap in the comedic vein, because she'd willingly take a pie in the face, or throw her heart into in some silly on-camera fluff, to please a director.
Within a short while, Lucy was signed to a contract at one of the studios.
Shortly thereafter, Ms. Ball was turning out a batch of "B" movies, fans hungered for in those early days.
Lucille Ball's first role was a cameo in Eddie Cantor's musical, "Roman Scandals".
Ball later landed bit parts the following year in low budget features such as "Blood Money" and "Kid Millions".
By the late 1940's, the aggressive young starlet appeared in no-less than sixty films (!), and included star turns with Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers and Bob Hope.
On one fateful project ("Too Many Girls") Ball fell in love with her co-star, the dashing Desi Arnaz.
The newlyweds often found themselves on opposite sides of the country because of work assignments, which put a lot of stress on their relationship.
Although Lucy filed for divorce in 1944, the two managed to sort things out before the split was finalized by the court.
However, the experience turned out to be great fodder for their creative well.
Taking a cue from their tumultuous relationship, Ball and Arnaz pitched an idea to CBS about the unlikely marriage of a wild red head to a Cuban band leader.
Network execs surmised the American public would never buy the scenario - so Lucy and Desi formed their own production company called "Desilu" - and took the show on the road.
Within a short span of time, the dynamic duo managed to turn the idea into a popular vaudeville act. Then, on the heels of this success (still without a nod from CBS) Ball and Arnaz proceeded to finance a pilot episode of the show - which they summarily titled - "I Love Lucy".
The sitcom premiered in October of 1951 and became the most popular television show in America, running successfully on Television for six straight years.
During the course of the run, "I Love Lucy" won more than 200 awards, which included five coveted Emmys.
In retrospect, it's important to note that at one juncture in her early bid for stardom, the legendary star was advised to die her hair blond or brunette.
"You'll never make it in the business with red hair," agents and managers whined.
Ironic, that.
Ms. Ball became the most famous redhead in show-business history.
The moral of the story?
To thine own self be true!
