The Early Years
Lucille Desiree Ball was born August 6, 1911 in Jamestown, New York. Since her father was a telephone lineman and transferred from one location to another, the family moved often . Lucy’s father died of typhoid fever in 1915 while Lucy was only three years old.  Her mother was pregnant with their second child and returned to Celeron, New York to be with her parents. It was here, on the outskirts of Jamestown, that the children were raised by their grandparents. It was Lucy’s grandfather, Fred C. Hunt‘s love of theater that influenced Lucy. He often took the children with him to vaudeville shows and encouraged Lucy to act in school plays and plays she had created.

At the age of 16, much to the chagrin of her mother, Lucy began dating a gangster’s son. To nip any romantic notion in the bud, her mother sent Lucy off to attend school in the big city.  At the John Murray Anderson School for the Dramatic Arts in New York, Lucy was told she had no future as a performer and returned home.  Two years later she returned to New York City and began a career as a fashion model.  At the peak of her modeling career, she was afflicted with rheumatoid arthritis and unable to work. Unstoppable, Lucy recovered and returned to New York in 1932 to again pursue her dreams.

As a model, Lucy ‘s photo appeared as a pin-up in Yank, the Army Weekly

Lucy the Actress
Using the stage name “Diane Belmont”, Lucille Ball began her career in acting.  Although she’d had some success in modeling, New York did not provide much success to her career as an actor. She had been fired from several productions on Broadway and decided to make the move to Hollywood to act in films.  While Lucy never achieved movie star fame from her movie career, she did land a role in Stage Door in 1937 co-starring Katherine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers. As a result, she and Ginger Rogers became lifelong friends.

Co-starring in Stage Door, the above photo is from the 1937 trailer for the film
 
After earning the title “Queen of the B’s” as a result of her star role in numerous B-movies, Lucy sought out other avenues to showcase her talent. She began performing on radio shows in an attempt to gain exposure. In 1938, while working on the Wonder Show, Lucy met Gale Gordon, the announcer for the show, and  bonded a fifty year professional relationship.

Lucy Meets Desi
In 1940, while co-starring in the film version of Too Many Girls, Lucille Ball was immediately taken by her Cuban-born co-star, Desi Arnaz. The attraction was mutual, and the two eloped that same year. The relationship was heated. The couple frequently argued, mostly over Desi’s philandering ways, but the couple would always make up.  In 1944, Lucy filed for a divorce, but as usual, the couple reconciled.

Cheetah’s (an older woman married to a younger man) weren’t socially acceptable back in those days. So the couple hid the fact that Lucy was six years older than Desi.  Lucy subtracted three years from her age while Desi added three to his. The savvy couple both claimed to have been born in 1914.
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Photograph of Lucy and Desi at home (1949)

Lucy Finds her Niche
In 1948, following her success in the CBS Radio show My Favorite Husband, CBS execs asked Lucy to develop the show for television.  Lucy agreed with the condition that her husband work with her. The executives at CBS were reluctant.  They felt American viewers would not readily accept an all American girl married to a Latino. But they finally agreed to let Desi co-star and produce. The pilot episode was produced by the couple’s production company, Desilu Productions. Although it was less than successful, the couple saw promise in the stint and took their show on the road in a vaudeville act. When the network realized the success of the vaudeville tour, they re-enlisted the I Love Lucy show in their lineup.

Lucy the Character
While Lucille Ball was a  highly intelligent, talented and focused woman, Lucy Ricardo was somewhat of a dingbat with no show-biz talent, just plenty of dreams.  Lucy the character  allowed Lucille Ball, the actor, to shine. Lucy was a master of physical comedy. Famous for her antics and crazy schemes, her red hair was her signature trademark. Ricky often referred to her as “that crazy redhead.” 
 
Lucy Lives
Sadly, on April 26, 1989 Lucille Ball died at the age of 77.  Fortunately, Lucy lives on in syndication in homes everywhere. As a pioneer in American television, Lucille Ball’s legacy is timeless. Lucille Ball once said “You cannot teach someone comedy, either they have it or they don’t.” Lucille Ball had it and that’s the reason I Love Lucy.
 
Photos courtesy of Wikimedia Commons