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PEOPLE: LUCY 1911-1989
May 8, 1989
On May 8, 1989, People Weekly (vol. 31, no. 18) dedicated its cover to the late Lucille Ball (1911-1989). The cover photograph is by Neal Peters.
QUIZ: Name the above episodes! Which is not from “I Love Lucy”? Which classic “Lucy” moment is missing from this collage?
In the beginning...
The movie years....
Broadway at last!
After “I Love Lucy”...
Family and Home Life....
More Family and Home Life...
Stephen Lang as Tim in Stone Pillow (1985)
WHICH HUSBAND DO YOU MEAN?
January 3, 1962
Lucille Ball gave an interview to Dick Kleiner of Newspaper Enterprise Association that was printed in newspapers on or about January 2, 1962. The article is reprinted verbatim below with added footnotes in parentheses for historical perspective and photos for editorial enhancement. Quotes by Lucille Ball are in bold italics.
Richard Arthur Kleiner (1921-2002) was an American columnist whose question-and-answer column "Ask Dick Kleiner" appeared in hundreds of newspapers across the country. Kleiner wrote about Broadway for fifteen years, then switched to covering Hollywood in 1964. He was syndicated by Newspaper Enterprise Association, interviewing thousands of stars.
Lucille Ball's blush clashed frightfully with her orange and lavender stretch slacks.
But it was hard for her to keep from blushing after her remark, which is known, technically, as a "boo-boo."
The question had been, "Do you plan to do any work with your husband?"
Lucy sailed right into her answer. "I don't think so," she said. "You see, nowadays he's more interested in producing and directing and isn't acting as much as he---"
Then she stopped and there was a slightly sick look on her beautiful face.
"Did you mean Desi or Gary?" she asked.
"Gary."
"Oh."
The blush started. "I was sure you meant Desi."
* * * * *
The blush spread. It clashed with her coral lipstick, too. But she recovered beautifully. In fact, she burst out into that wild, ringing laugh which her fans know so well.
"You know," she said, "these things have been happening to me. Three days after Gary and I were married, l was in the elevator here in the apartment. And the operator said. ‘How is Mrs. Morton today?' I said, 'Well, you know I don't get to meet many people in the building.' And then realized he meant me. So I said, 'Oh, I'm fine, thank you’. He gave me the oddest look.” (1)
* * * * *
The blush began to recede. The tall redhead seemed to be part of the interior decoration of her apartment. She was the splash of color the room needed; her walls, carpet, furniture, are all in shades of pale green, and against that wan background her color and costume stood out like a well thumb.
She was eating a bowl of prunes. "I'm on a diet, just grapefruit, prunes, meat and coffee; it makes me tired, but I feel great."
And she was full of plans for her future. She ticked off the movies and TV specials she wants to do, starting with "The Good Years" on CBS-TV January 12. (2)
"I've had so many offers," she said. "I can do almost anything I want to do and that s a nice feeling. Any TV series or spectacular I want to do. But I don't think I'll do a TV series again. It s too much work.” (3)
She says she likes to keep busy, because she's the kind who just can't sit around on her pale green furniture and wither.
"I don't have any plans or desire to retire," she says: "I'm going to die when I'm 69 of a cerebral hemorrhage and I'll be working right up to then." (4)
One thing she doesn’t want to do is go outside her own field. She’s had several chances to try straight dramatic parts, but she's turned them all down.
* * * * *
"I have no desire to do a dramatic part." she says. "That would spoil the magic, and I don't want, to do that." (5)
By "spoiling the magic," she meant that she has a place in the hearts of the public with her comedy. It's a place she richly deserves and has long wanted to occupy.
"Even as a kid," she says. "I liked to be funny. At the time, I thought it was because I liked to be funny. But now, after reading all these autobiographies of show people, I realize it was because I was insecure and wanted to be liked. So I tried to make people laugh. It's amazing what a great psychologist I was as a kid."
____________________
FOOTNOTES
(1) It is apparent that Lucille Ball is giving this interview in her New York City apartment. She resided at the Imperial House, located at 150 East 69th Street.
(2) “The Good Years” was an adaptation of the book of the same name by Walter Lord about the first two decades of the 20th century. Ball co-starred with Henry Fonda. Billed as her return to network television, it aired on January 12, 1962.
(3) As history knows, Ball was soon convinced to return to series television just a few months after this interview was published. The show would be titled “The Lucy Show” and aired until 1968. Although the workload never lessened, Ball immediately followed up with “Here’s Lucy.” Undaunted, in 1986, she made a third and final attempt at a sitcom titled “Life With Lucy,” which only ran for three months.
(4) After her exhaustion while on Broadway doing Wildcat, Lucille Ball was keenly aware that her health was precarious. At the age of 50 in 1962, Ball here predicts her death at age 69, just 19 years later (1981). In fact, she lived until 1989, dying at age 77. The cause of Ball’s death was listed as a ruptured abdominal aorta. A cerebral hemorrhage is most often associated with strokes.
(5) Lucille Ball was dubbed the Queen of Comedy, but she did tackle dramatic roles occasionally. Her biggest success in a drama was The Big Street (1942). Despite her eloquent reasoning here, she succumbed to the allure of stretching her talents by acting in the dramatic telefilm Stone Pillow in 1985. Once again, Lucille Ball’s health was pressed to the limit by the rigorous location shooting. Ball should have stuck by her initial instincts. The critics were unkind, expecting the same comic Lucy they had grown used to from 30 years of television.
BENCH WARMERS
In Springtime, there’s nothing better than sharing a bench in a park - or just getting off your feet wherever you are. Here’s a tribute to the mighty benches that gave comfort to Lucy and her friends!
THE LUCY GUIDE TO THANKSGIVING
Your Step-by-Step Guide to Hosting a Perfect Thanksgiving Dinner!
First, remember to pay homage to the original settlers and the Native Americans, who started this wonderful tradition.
A few days before the big event, make sure you stock up with a visit to your local supermarket.
You may even want to go to directly to the butcher for your turkey to make sure it is freshest!
If you’re a more adventurous hostess, a pork roast or ham would also be nice!
Or even a rack of lamb!
Don’t worry if you forget something...
You can always send a friend or relative out later to pick up extra items.
Or maybe your grocer delivers?
Fresh cauliflower is nice as a side dish, although you may want to cook it a few hours before your guests arrive due to its strong smell.
It is visually pleasing to serve some orange or yellow vegetables to give your table that autumnal look.
But you can easily take a few time-saving shortcuts...
like canned...
or frozen vegetables.
Speaking of sweets, you’ll need to start baking at least a week in advance to make sure your oven is free for your turkey.
Leave a note for the milkman that you’ll need extra milk and cream for Thursday…
- not to mention lots of eggs…
and shortening!
They’ll come in handy when baking your holiday bread.
Especially shortnin’ bread!
And don’t forget the butter!
When designing your holiday menu, pies…
and cakes of every variety help top off the perfect meal.
But if baking is not your forte…
Be creative!
You can always run down to the local bakery and no one will be the wiser!
You might also ask someone to bring something for dessert. Ice cream is always a crowd-pleaser.
If you’re lucky, one of your guests may even bring a fruit basket for your holiday table.
To host a successful Thanksgiving Dinner, you’ll need to abide by a rigid time schedule! Don’t forget to leave time to…
wash and iron the table linens...
make sure your cutlery is polished and in good shape...
and clean your oven and stove-top! It will be working overtime!
Hopefully, you had a few moments to buy yourself something pretty to impress your guests. Just don’t go over budget!
Thanksgiving is a holiday centered on fattening foods, so it may be a good idea to fast for a few days before.
Get plenty of rest! You don’t want to be dozing off during the big day. There are tons of things to do.
First, set up the children’s table.
There will be lots of young people to feed and there’s never enough room at the adult table for all those young tykes.
On Thanksgiving eve, don’t forget to set your alarm!
You’ll want to be up extra early to tackle a full day of cooking and family visits!
Prepare a light breakfast - you don’t want to fill up too soon!
Make sure you are dressed for cooking - you don’t want to stain that new dress!
Don’t be embarrassed to recruit your family to help you in the kitchen! Kids love to cook!
Be sure to put your bird in the oven early! The smell of it roasting will fill the house when your guests arrive, but not if you forget to pay the gas bill!
The proper hostess always serves a fresh green salad...
dressed with a delicious salad dressing, perhaps one made from an old family recipe.
Remember to taste your food as you go - but don’t let your guests catch you or they’ll all want a bite!
As the dinner hour approaches, you may want to put out some finger foods like a fancy pickle tray...
or an array of international cheeses.
Finally, it is time to sit around the table.
Start by having the youngest guest say grace.
And then the host may propose a holiday toast!
You may even want to serve a vintage wine with dinner.
Then with as much fanfare as possible, produce the star of your show - your beautiful Thanksgiving turkey!
Enjoy your meal at a leisurely pace, but don’t get impatient if not everyone finishes at the same time!
Don’t forget to leave room for dessert! You may want seconds!
End the meal with fresh hot coffee and tea.
After dinner, volunteering at the local soup kitchen can reinforce the true meaning of Thanksgiving.
Or you might consider showing home movies...
board games...
gathering for a good old fashioned sing-along...
watching football...
or just sit around telling heart-warming stories.
But don’t forget that you still have to clear the table...
and generally clear away the remains of the feast.
and wash the dishes.
You will likely have lots of leftovers, so don’t hesitate to give your guests something to take home.
Turkey makes excellent sandwiches...
or a hearty lunch-box snack for the man in your life!
After your company has departed, tend to those last little details that come from having a houseful of guests.
Hectic days like this can age even the most energetic hostess, but sleep soundly in the knowledge that you’ve served up the ideal Thanksgiving Dinner!
Remember, Christmas is just around the corner!
This Pillow Is as Hard as Rock, Literally
Things are not alway what they seem, especially for this fluffy white pillow, which is actually masterfully sculpted out of white marble by Norwegian artist Håkon Anton Fagerås. It’s a show of skill and perception, working with a classic sculptor material on something so ordinary and familiar as a pillow. But the juxtaposition is great, and the final piece so convincing that we want to flop down…
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