Lucille Ball
Biography
Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy. One of the most popular and influential stars in America during her lifetime, with one of Hollywood's longest careers, especially on television, Ball began acting in the 1930s, becoming both a radio actress and B-movie star in the 1940s, and then a television star during the 1950s. She was still making films in the 1960s and 1970s. Ball received thirteen Emmy Award nominations and four wins. In 1977 Ball was among the first recipients of the Women in Film Crystal Award. She was the recipient of the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1979, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Kennedy Center Honors in 1986 and the Governors Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in 1989. In 1929, Ball landed work as a model and later began her performing career on Broadway using the stage name Dianne Belmont. She appeared in many small movie roles in the 1930s as a contract player for RKO Radio Pictures. Ball was labeled as the "Queen of the Bs" (referring to her many roles in B-films). In 1951, Ball was pivotal in the creation of the television series I Love Lucy. The show co-starred her then husband, Desi Arnaz as Ricky Ricardo and Vivian Vance and William Frawley as Ethel and Fred Mertz, the Ricardos' landlords and friends. The show ended in 1957 after 180 episodes. They then changed the format a little - lengthening the time of the show from 30 minutes to 60 minutes (the first one went 75 mins), adding some characters, altering the storyline somewhat, and renaming the show from "I Love Lucy" to "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour", which ran for three seasons (1957–1960) and 13 episodes. Ball went on to star in two more successful television series: The Lucy Show, which ran on CBS from 1962 to 1968 (156 Episodes), and Here's Lucy from 1968 to 1974 (144 episodes). Her last attempt at a television series was a 1986 show called Life with Lucy - which failed miserably after 8 episodes aired although 13 were produced. Ball met and eloped with Cuban bandleader Desi Arnaz in 1940. On July 17, 1951, almost 40 years old, Ball gave birth to their first child, Lucie Désirée Arnaz. A year and a half later, Ball gave birth to their second child, Desiderio Alberto Arnaz IV, known as Desi Arnaz, Jr. Ball and Arnaz divorced on May 4, 1960. On April 26, 1989, Ball died of a dissecting aortic aneurysm at age 77. At the time of her death she had been married to her second husband, standup comedian and business partner Gary Morton, for twenty-eight years.
Movies (144)
Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution
2024
Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed
2023
Mad About the Boy: The Noël Coward Story
2023
Lucy and Desi
2022
My Darling Vivian
2020
This Is Bob Hope...
2017
I Love Lucy Christmas Special
2016
Mary Tyler Moore: A Celebration
2015
Classic TV Bloopers Uncensored
2011
Pioneers of Primetime
2005
Judy Garland: By Myself
2004
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
2004
Biography: Bob Hope: America's Entertainer
2003
The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 1
2001
The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 2
2001
The Best of the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
1998
The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender
1997
The Funny World of Lucy, Volume 1
1997
That's Entertainment! III
1994
The Best Of Danny Kaye - The Television Years
1993
Lucy and Desi: A Home Movie
1993
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
1988
A Beverly Hills Christmas
1987
Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood
1987
Stone Pillow
1985
Night of 100 Stars II
1985
That's Dancing!
1985
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
1985
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
1983
Showbiz Goes to War
1982
A Love Letter to Jack Benny
1981
Lucy Moves to NBC
1980
Cher... and Other Fantasies
1979
Lucy Calls the President
1977
CBS Salutes Lucy: The First 25 Years
1976
NBC: The First Fifty Years
1976
What Now, Catherine Curtis?
1976
Shirley MacLaine: Gypsy in My Soul
1976
Three for Two
1975
Texaco Presents: A Quarter Century of Bob Hope on Television
1975
Lucy Gets Lucky
1975
Happy Anniversary and Goodbye
1974
Mame
1974
Swing Out, Sweet Land
1970
The Dean Martin Christmas Show
1968
Yours, Mine and Ours
1968
Carnival Nights
1968
A Guide for the Married Man
1967
Lucy in London
1966
Carol + 2
1966
The Big Parade of Comedy
1964
The Lucille Ball Comedy Hour
1964
Critic's Choice
1963
The Facts of Life
1960
Hedda Hopper's Hollywood
1960
The Bob Hope Chevy Show
1956
Forever, Darling
1956
Lucy's Really Lost Moments
1956
A Star Is Born World Premiere
1954
The Long, Long Trailer
1954
I Love Lucy: The Movie
1953
Ellis in Freedomland
1952
The Magic Carpet
1951
The Fuller Brush Girl
1950
Fancy Pants
1950
A Woman of Distinction
1950
Miss Grant Takes Richmond
1949
Easy Living
1949
Sorrowful Jones
1949
Her Husband's Affairs
1947
Lured
1947
Easy to Wed
1946
Lover Come Back
1946
Two Smart People
1946
The Dark Corner
1946
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood
1945
Ziegfeld Follies
1945
Without Love
1945
G.I. Journal
1944
Meet the People
1944
Best Foot Forward
1943
Thousands Cheer
1943
Du Barry Was a Lady
1943
Seven Days' Leave
1942
The Big Street
1942
Valley of the Sun
1942
Look Who's Laughing
1941
A Girl, a Guy, and a Gob
1941
Too Many Girls
1940
Dance, Girl, Dance
1940
You Can't Fool Your Wife
1940
The Marines Fly High
1940
That's Right – You're Wrong
1939
Five Came Back
1939
Panama Lady
1939
Beauty for the Asking
1939
Twelve Crowded Hours
1939
Next Time I Marry
1938
Annabel Takes a Tour
1938
Room Service
1938
The Affairs of Annabel
1938
Having Wonderful Time
1938
Joy of Living
1938
Go Chase Yourself
1938
Stage Door
1937
Don't Tell the Wife
1937
That Girl from Paris
1936
Winterset
1936
One Live Ghost
1936
Dummy Ache
1936
Bunker Bean
1936
The Farmer in the Dell
1936
Follow the Fleet
1936
Muss 'em Up
1936
Chatterbox
1936
I Dream Too Much
1935
The Three Musketeers
1935
Top Hat
1935
Old Man Rhythm
1935
A Night at the Biltmore Bowl
1935
Hooray for Love
1935
I'll Love You Always
1935
Roberta
1935
The Whole Town's Talking
1935
Carnival
1935
Fugitive Lady
1934
Three Little Pigskins
1934
Broadway Bill
1934
Jealousy
1934
Men of the Night
1934
Perfectly Mismated
1934
Kid Millions
1934
The Affairs of Cellini
1934
Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back
1934
Murder at the Vanities
1934
Bottoms Up
1934
Hold That Girl
1934
Nana
1934
Moulin Rouge
1934
Roman Scandals
1933
Blood Money
1933
Broadway Thru a Keyhole
1933
The Bowery
1933
The Lucy-Desi Milton Berle Special
TV Shows (37)
E! True Hollywood Story
1996
Intimate Portrait
1993
The RKO Story: Tales From Hollywood
1987
Life with Lucy
1986
Body Language
1984
Entertainment Tonight
1981
The Kennedy Center Honors
1978
The Practice
1976
Donny & Marie
1976
Dinah!
1974
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
1973
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
1973
The Flip Wilson Show
1970
The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour
1969
Here's Lucy
1968
The Dick Cavett Show
1968
Omnibus
1967
The Carol Burnett Show
1967
The Danny Kaye Show
1963
The Lucy Show
1962
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962
The Merv Griffin Show
1962
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962
The Mike Douglas Show
1961
The Mike Douglas Show
1961
Password
1961
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
1958
The Ann Sothern Show
1958
The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour
1957
MGM Parade
1955
This Is Your Life
1952
I Love Lucy
1951
The Jack Benny Program
1950
The Bob Hope Show
1950
What's My Line?
1950
The Emmy Awards
1949
The Ed Sullivan Show
1948