The life of Hollywood legend Lucille Ball was marked by both joy and hardship. Through a series of photographs, we explore her childhood, her journey to stardom, and the challenges she faced along the way, including the loss of a loved one and struggles with finding success.

I Love Lucy was a hit show from the golden age of television, thanks to Lucille Ball’s comedic talents and the show’s heartwarming storylines. The redheaded star left a legacy of laughter for future generations to enjoy.

Lucille Ball was born on August 6, 1911, in Jamestown, New York. She was the eldest daughter of an electrician father and a young mother. From a young age, Lucille enjoyed her father’s roughhousing, which may have contributed to her penchant for physical comedy. She considered herself a tomboy, which is reflected in her comedic style.

Lucille’s love for running up and down the street worried her mother, so she struck a deal with the local butcher for Lucille to perform at his shop. This marked her debut as a performer and set her path to a successful showbiz career.

Lucille’s father, who worked as a telephone lineman, developed flu symptoms after repairing storm-damaged cables in the winter. What began as a cough and a runny nose quickly turned into something far worse.

When Lucille was 11, her mother married a man named Ed Peterson. She was excited to have a father figure again, but Ed never showed interest in her. In her memoir, Lucille described Ed as “enigmatic,” saying that she never knew what he was thinking. It was certainly not the fatherly presence she yearned for.

Lucille felt nervous on stage, which hindered her ability to showcase her talents as a performer. Her instructor took notice and sent her mother a letter to tell her what was happening.

After receiving such harsh criticism at drama school, Lucille decided to become a model. She changed her name to Diane Belmont and worked for fashion designer Hattie Carnegie. Changing her name was her way of distancing herself from her failed attempt at drama school.

Lucille didn’t give up on her dream of acting while modeling. However, she struggled to balance both careers. She tried to be a chorus girl on Broadway but was dismissed from four shows. Acting coaches criticized her, saying she didn’t have the talent to make it big.

Ball had a strong feeling she was destined for something big. Her body, however, needed time to recuperate from the frantic pace of her mind. Her body was protesting the arthritis, the fast paced lifestyle, and it didn’t help that she was an avid smoker as well. This combination often gives way to heart disease. Her body finally declared enough was enough after years of being put through the pressures of modeling. She decided to take a hiatus. 

She had done some modeling work for department stores and perfume ads, but her first major opportunity came after her hiatus. Lucille got the opportunity to become a Cigarette Girl on the national advertising posters of Chesterfield Cigarettes in 1933. Following that, she was given an opportunity that would propel her to stardom: she was cast in her first acting role.

Ball’s luck began to change. In 1937, she worked with Katharine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers in Stage Door. From the 1930s to the 1940s, she appeared in a total of 72 films! The majority of her projects were not big successes, earning her a reputation as “the Queen of B Movies.” While she wasn’t yet getting jobs that were considered “top tier” she was quickly earning a name for herself and she always knew she could propel herself to the next level.

Lucille Ball was never the type to swoon over a man. On top of this, Arnaz was the polar opposite of the men she usually dated. She preferred older men, but Arnaz was a little younger (he was 23, and she was 28 when they met). Despite all this, they soon became inseparable. 

Ball clearly had a deep love for her co-star. It was an intense love affair. They couldn’t keep their hands off each other, and Arnaz admired Ball for being a strong, intelligent, and humorous woman. It was difficult not to be smitten with her.

Many saw Ball and Arnaz as strongly attached partners. Six months after dating, friends were surprised when their marriage was announced. Many in their close-knit networks didn’t think it would work out because they both wanted to reach the top of the entertainment world.

It was not an easy marriage for them. Ball was taking Hollywood by storm while Arnaz was busy creating a reputation for himself as a musician. They were both a little jealous of each other’s successes.

Lucy won the main role on the radio show My Favorite Husband, starring alongside Richard Denning. This was the role that would later become Ball’s famous persona – the one we all know and love from I Love Lucy. Unlike her movie roles, this part demanded that Ball perform in front of a studio audience.

Lucy wanted Arnaz to play the role of her husband. At the time, however, discrimination against Latino-Americans was rampant. The studio executives didn’t think a Cuban singer with an accent would be popular with the public.

The CBS executives couldn’t ignore the positive feedback for the I Love Lucy vaudeville show. They couldn’t go ahead without Lucille Ball, and Arnaz was a strong, attractive counterpart to her humorous and clumsy persona. They rapidly became America’s most popular pair.

The redheaded star was conscious of how Hollywood shapes culture. The show emphasized positive female friendships and showed the first television pregnancy. Ball’s remarkable facial expressions and body language were what made the show so humorous and intriguing.

Teresa Tirelli was an extra who crushed grapes with Lucy in Lucy’s Italian Movie. Tirelli didn’t speak English well and needed a translator to communicate the scene, but something was lost in the translation.

Desi Arnaz started his own production company, Desilu, a combination of his and Lucy’s first names. This allowed him to take on another aspect of the Hollywood industry. They made millions by purchasing the rights to I Love Lucy from CBS.

Ball was not a natural redhead; she was a brunette who dyed her hair for her television career. Her hairdresser referred to the color as “apricot gold” rather than “red.” The only problem was, this shade was not the easiest thing to create.

Ball and her husband would frequently fight over his flirty behavior with other women. His drinking habits were a problem too. She hoped that having children would prevent him from acting like a bachelor, and for a while, it worked.

On the set of their show, Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball were always in good spirits. They needed to seem like a loving American family dealing with problems that could be remedied in half an hour. Lucy was at her happiest when the cameras were rolling, but with each day, her anger with Desi grew.

I Love Lucy didn’t end as innocently as it began. Lucille believed that no matter how painful reality was, the audience should always be able to believe in a happy ending. In 1957, the final episode of I Love Lucy aired.

Ball’s life was at its darkest during the first few months after their divorce. She had been married to Arnaz for nearly two decades. The fact that she had disappointed not just herself but also the American people was what killed her the most.

Lucy joined the communist party and was called before Congress during the height of McCarthy’s witch hunt. The 1950s were not a terrific time to be anything other than a republican.

The FBI continued to monitor her after she was released. J. Edgar Hoover, who made it his personal mission to track down the Arnaz family, received secret files with “confidential” stamps. The FBI was certain that catered events were being used as a cover for organizing Communist meetings.

Despite these dramas, Desilu was taking Hollywood by storm. The I Love Lucy heyday had ended, but Desilu found great success with The Van Dyke Show, Mission: Impossible, Star Trek, and other popular TV shows. Ball remained a partner in Desilu for years before eventually purchasing it.

Though Ball and Arnaz had a tumultuous divorce, the two remained friends. Thankfully, they were better at being friends than they were at being husband and wife. Lucy found love again with comedian Gary Morton whom she started dating in 1961, a year after her divorce.

Lucille Ball knew how to run a business. She was said to be a difficult boss to work for because she was a perfectionist who valued attention to detail, perfect punctuality, and absolute commitment to getting the job done right.

Ball believed that after The Lucy-Desi Show, she’d find solace in retirement. Instead, she continued acting and decided that involving her children in the Hollywood spotlight would be a good idea. Ball would soon return to television in Here’s Lucy, this time with her children in tow.

Ball welcomed retirement at first since she didn’t see herself working too much beyond the I Love Lucy days. However, it’s difficult to break workaholic habits, especially if you’re as dedicated to your profession as Lucille Ball was.

Lucy eventually found solace in the arms of retirement. When she was down, she had her husband Gary Morton by her side to console her, along with the endless love of her children and grandkids. What more could she possibly want?

Apart from her lethal sense of humor, Lucille Ball was a formidable woman. From failing theatre school to becoming one of history’s funniest female figures, she is a shining example of why you should never give up on your dreams. But what of Lucille Ball, the woman behind the camera? What happened behind the scenes during her six years as “Lucy”?

While watching Lucy slowly become intoxicated by Vitameatavegamin was entertaining, the actor was understandably concerned about performing the scenes. Why? Because you can only say Vitameatavegamin so many times without getting tongue-tied.

Every woman’s body is unique, especially when it comes to pregnancies. Though some women revel in it, pregnancy was tough for Lucy. We all knew Ball was pregnant with her second child when the second season of I Love Lucy premiered.

Desi and his family had no money when they were forced to flee Cuba in 1933 owing to the Cuban Revolution. To make ends meet, Arnaz took odd jobs like cleaning out canary cages until he was able to pursue his dream of being a full-time musician.

The I Love Lucy show creator, Jess Oppenheimer, wanted a live studio audience and three cameras instead of a single-format camera. It was thought to be efficient because the same scene would not have to be repeated, so the audience would not get sick of seeing it.

Because of Lucille Ball’s business savvy, comedic skill, and acting skills, she was able to forge a path for herself and her family. However, it wasn’t just her who felt the cultural impact of her hard work and labor.

Lucille Ball was Hollywood’s first female producer which paved the way for one of the most iconic TV personalities, Oprah WInfrey. This is not to say that without Lucille there would be no Oprah, however, every first is a stepping stone for others to ascend upon.

Lucille pushed to have her Cuban-American husband as her co-star at the conception of I Love Lucy. Producers were hesitant though due to Desi’s Cuban descent, however Lucille proved them wrong. 

Lucille’s enigmatic charisma on screen coupled with her goofy faces and charm shot her into mega-stardom as a comedic legend. She is in the canon of comedians who will be everlasting.

Another hurdle for women and television was the ability (or inability) to be pregnant at work and on the job. Lucy changed that with her on screen pregnancy and forever changed television.

The characters Lucy and Ethel had a much different relationship on-air then they did as co-stars. Vivian Vance, who played Lucy’s best friend Ethel, was said to have a strained relationship with the star of the show.

Fred, played by William Frawley, is said to have called his on-screen wife vulgarities and had a distinctive hatred towards her. Furthermore, he was a raging alcoholic.

It is well known that Lucy and Desi divorced in the 1960s after spending two long decades together and creating a successful enterprise.

On top of all of the other reasons that Lucy was a groundbreaking star, she also shattered cliches around actresses and the age at which they find success.

Both children of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were given names after their famous parents. The first child, a boy, was named Desi Arnaz, the same name as his father.

As soon as the sitcom aired it was a hit. Even more amazing is that during its entire six-year run  it never fell below third as the most watched show. 

In this cultural climate, women have become more free to express themselves and their struggles with having children and suffering miscarriages. However, when Lucy was at the height of her fame, she was also quietly suffering.

Thanks to his parents, Desi enjoyed fame as a teenage heart throb and this granted him access to guest spots on some pretty top-notch TV shows. Most notably, he guest starred on The Brady Bunch.

According to The Los Angeles Times, Desi Arnaz was the first one to make the conga dance line popular in the United States.

Trying to recreate the success of I Love Lucy, Ball created The Lucy Show from 1962 to 1968 and then her very last show Here’s Lucy which ran from 1968 until 1974.

Apparently, Desi didn’t have too much of an ego when it came to matters of the show. Afterall, his wife’s name was the namesake of the show, and he openly admitted that she was the star. 

I Love Lucy  was able to garner 24 Emmy Award nominations during its time on air. Lucille Ball won two awards for her portrayal as the show’s title character. The show itself won 5 Emmy Awards.

According to The Los Angeles Times, Lucy didn’t find herself all that funny and was exceedingly humble about her comedic success. Apparently she credited the writers and directors on the show for the comedic resonance that the viewers were seeing.

Lucille’s mother, DeDe, was exceedingly proud of her daughter, and would come to each filming of an episode on I Love Lucy.

Lucille Ball was a decade older than Betty White when the two comedians met in the mid-1950s. A friendship blossomed between the two and deepened when they both got married and hung out together as a foursome.

CBS had a lot of hesitation about casting William Frawley as Fred, after Frawley reached out to Lucille and Desi. Apparently, their first choice had not worked out and he was interested. The other choices that Lucy wanted were either busy or too unaffordable.

The show decided to use Ricky’s accent as a comedic element on the show, but with one rule. Only one person had permission to comment on it and that was his on and off screen wife, Lucille Ball.

Lucy was terrified of forgetting her lines or botching them, which could make delivering her comedic timing harder. Lucy was not one to improvise, she liked to memorize her lines.

When Lucy gave birth and was recovering in 1953, the studio had to come up with a solution to keep the show on the air. Philip Morris wanted the show to be aired weekly and thus the idea of episodes replaying was pitched and put into motion.

Once the show got funding, the question became whether or not Lucille and Desi would move to New York City from Los Angeles, as the show was supposed to take place in New York. It seemed natural to shoot there.

CBS and the Aranzes decided to use a new technique that was first used by Jerry Fairbanks. Fairbanks is also credited with developing the three-camera system as well. Al SImon took this and improved the system’s technology.

Desi Arnaz reportedly had ties with Hollywood Pimp Scotty Bowers. Scotty Bowers wrote a book called Full Service: My Adventures in Hollywood and the Secret Sex Lives of the Stars. In the book he described Desi as having a “healthy heterosexual appetite” and a “sweet guy.”

While the real life Lucille Ball and the fictional Lucy Ricardo were both pregnant, the show worked to incorporate it as well as they could into the show. However, the word “pregnant” was not allowed to actually be said.

As stated before, when I Love Lucy was on air, it was not done to have a pregnant woman on the screen. Lucy was only the second person to ever do it. The Code of Practices for Television Broadcasters prohibited anything sexually suggestive on air, and being pregnant confirmed that the couple had been intimate.