1 00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:04,160 Speaker 1: Welcome to steph you missed in history class from house 2 00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:13,640 Speaker 1: stuff Works dot com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. 3 00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 1: I'm Holly Fry and I'm Tracy B. Wilson. So we 4 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:21,959 Speaker 1: have a couple of housekeeping notes we do first, in 5 00:00:22,040 --> 00:00:25,480 Speaker 1: the interest of full disclosure, this episode is sponsored by CNN. 6 00:00:26,239 --> 00:00:28,720 Speaker 1: They have a new mini series coming up called The 7 00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:31,440 Speaker 1: History of Comedy, and they approached us and asked if 8 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:33,760 Speaker 1: we would like to do an episode that might tie 9 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:37,600 Speaker 1: into that. I love comedy and comedy history, and I 10 00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:40,400 Speaker 1: already had many people on my list. We we were like, 11 00:00:40,479 --> 00:00:43,560 Speaker 1: here's a giganto list of things that we have wanted 12 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:46,479 Speaker 1: to talk about for a long time. Yes, So this 13 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:49,120 Speaker 1: is a very easy kind of fit and it made 14 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:51,560 Speaker 1: perfect sense. This is probably an episode that would have 15 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 1: happened regardless, but in this case it is sponsored by CNN. 16 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 1: We're going to talk about the grand Dame of American comedy, 17 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:02,840 Speaker 1: Lucille Ball. She, you know, was incredibly famous. She worked 18 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:05,360 Speaker 1: in modeling, radio and film, but of course really made 19 00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:08,000 Speaker 1: her mark in television and her work really set the 20 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:11,800 Speaker 1: standard for the TV sitcom going forward. We also have 21 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:15,479 Speaker 1: a little bit of a milestone on this one, it's 22 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:19,240 Speaker 1: the npisode of this show. Yes, we haven't been on 23 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:22,200 Speaker 1: all of those episodes, not remotely, and a very very 24 00:01:22,319 --> 00:01:27,040 Speaker 1: few of them, very tiny few, uh, from way back 25 00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:33,039 Speaker 1: into archive are reruns, but there's a lot. It's a 26 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:36,680 Speaker 1: lot of It makes me realize that, you know, in 27 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:39,400 Speaker 1: less than a year, we will be at a thousand 28 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:43,000 Speaker 1: and we should plot something. I know as I have 29 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:45,120 Speaker 1: now I've put that into the universe, and I'm gonna 30 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:47,960 Speaker 1: feel stupid when we're in the studio and I go, oh, crap, 31 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:49,960 Speaker 1: this is the thousandth one, isn't it? And I haven't 32 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:52,440 Speaker 1: planned anything. Oh, but we're gonna. I put it in 33 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:55,520 Speaker 1: the universe so I won't forget. Maybe after we record, 34 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 1: I should do a little math figure out exactly when 35 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:01,640 Speaker 1: that's happening. Would be about a year from now minus 36 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 1: so weak right ish? Huh? Did you want to just 37 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:08,480 Speaker 1: hop into Lucile ball story? Yes? Because I love her 38 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:14,480 Speaker 1: me too. Lucile Desire Ball was the first child of 39 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:18,280 Speaker 1: Henry Durell Ball, who went by Had and Desire hunt Ball. 40 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:21,720 Speaker 1: When she was born on August six of nineteen eleven. 41 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 1: Her family was not wealthy, and had, who was an electrician, 42 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:29,359 Speaker 1: moved them from place to place looking for work. When 43 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:32,160 Speaker 1: Lucy was still a small child, he found a position 44 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:36,240 Speaker 1: in Michigan working for Michigan Bell Company as aligneman. But 45 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:39,960 Speaker 1: the stability that the job offered the family was really 46 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:44,320 Speaker 1: short lived and completely undermined when Had died of typhoid 47 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:50,640 Speaker 1: fever in February nineteen fifteen. This undoubtedly jarring event was 48 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:53,800 Speaker 1: recalled by Lucile Ball later in life as her first memory, 49 00:02:54,160 --> 00:02:55,960 Speaker 1: and when she talked about it or wrote about it, 50 00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:59,680 Speaker 1: she would literally go into great detail about like the 51 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:01,760 Speaker 1: thing that were on the wall and a bird that 52 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:04,239 Speaker 1: was that she saw at the time, like she remembers 53 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:07,079 Speaker 1: that moment so clearly or remembered I should say, uh. 54 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 1: And in addition to the loss of Had, Lucille's mother, Desiree, 55 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:13,080 Speaker 1: was also dealing with the fact that she was pregnant 56 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:15,320 Speaker 1: with the couple's second child, and she was facing a 57 00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:19,440 Speaker 1: really uncertain financial future, and she decided to move back 58 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:22,040 Speaker 1: to Jamestown, New York, which was where the Balls had 59 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:25,280 Speaker 1: been living when Lucille was born. After the birth of 60 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:28,840 Speaker 1: Lucille's brother, Fred, desire started working in a factory to 61 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:31,920 Speaker 1: try to make ends meet. She also met and started 62 00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:36,600 Speaker 1: dating a man named Ed Peterson. Peterson and desire got married, 63 00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:39,040 Speaker 1: but once again, what seemed like a situation that might 64 00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 1: offer the family some stability instead ended up causing deeper 65 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:48,600 Speaker 1: fractures in the family. So ed Uh did not want 66 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:51,480 Speaker 1: to be burdened with children, and so he and Desiree 67 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 1: moved to Detroit without Lucille and Fred, and the children 68 00:03:55,880 --> 00:03:58,200 Speaker 1: didn't even get to stay together. Fred moved in with 69 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:02,400 Speaker 1: his maternal grandparents, and Lucille moved in with Ed Peterson's parents, 70 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:06,080 Speaker 1: who were basically strangers to her, and the Peterson's were very, 71 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 1: very poor, and they were really pretty strict with their 72 00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:13,040 Speaker 1: new step granddaughter. After several years of this arrangement, Desert 73 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:16,040 Speaker 1: and Ed moved back to Jamestown once again, so the 74 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:22,960 Speaker 1: children had their mother back, and Lucille really always wanted 75 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:25,960 Speaker 1: to be in show business. I saw one thing, I 76 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:28,960 Speaker 1: think it's part of the package of her Kennedy Center honors, 77 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:30,760 Speaker 1: which we're going to talk about later, that said that 78 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:35,120 Speaker 1: every springtime she tried to walk from their house to Broadway, 79 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:38,400 Speaker 1: and of course didn't make it. But at the age 80 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:41,599 Speaker 1: of fifteen, she left high school and she started drama 81 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:44,200 Speaker 1: school in New York City at the John Murray Anderson 82 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:48,159 Speaker 1: Robert Milton Dramatic School after begging her mother to consent 83 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:50,839 Speaker 1: to let her do this. But though it's hard to 84 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:53,960 Speaker 1: imagine the legendary redhead, which is not her natural color, 85 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:57,120 Speaker 1: and we'll talk about that as well, struggling to stand out, 86 00:04:57,279 --> 00:05:00,640 Speaker 1: she really did not farewell at drama school. She was 87 00:05:00,680 --> 00:05:03,479 Speaker 1: a little too nervous and really struggled to make a 88 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:06,760 Speaker 1: name for herself. Later, she would describe this time of 89 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:09,440 Speaker 1: her life saying, quote, all I learned in drama school 90 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:13,360 Speaker 1: was how to be frightened. The school even wrote Desiree 91 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:16,320 Speaker 1: to let her know that her daughter was really way 92 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:19,680 Speaker 1: too shy for the stage. As a point of trivia, 93 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:25,360 Speaker 1: Bettie Davis was at school at the same time. Yeah, yeah, 94 00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:27,680 Speaker 1: Lucile Ball was definitely in awe of her. So you 95 00:05:27,680 --> 00:05:30,280 Speaker 1: can imagine if you're already a little uncertain and then 96 00:05:30,320 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 1: you have Betty Davis, who was by all accounts of powerhouse, 97 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:37,760 Speaker 1: you kind of probably don't feel like making a really 98 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:40,680 Speaker 1: big move to try to stand out. Uh. But while 99 00:05:40,760 --> 00:05:43,760 Speaker 1: Lucille did leave drama school, she chose to stay in 100 00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:46,800 Speaker 1: New York and she adopted a new stage name, which 101 00:05:46,839 --> 00:05:49,880 Speaker 1: was Diane Belmont, and less than a year after her 102 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:53,680 Speaker 1: failed started drama school, she was booking modeling jobs. She 103 00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:57,800 Speaker 1: modeled clothing for the Vienna born designer Hattie Carnegie, who 104 00:05:57,839 --> 00:05:59,520 Speaker 1: I would love to also do an episode on at 105 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:02,880 Speaker 1: some point. Uh and later Chesterfield Cigarettes booked her for 106 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:07,640 Speaker 1: modeling gigs, including rather large scale campaigns, which got the 107 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:11,440 Speaker 1: attention of Hollywood producers. So after a few years working 108 00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:13,640 Speaker 1: as a model in New York, she decided to make 109 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:17,200 Speaker 1: her way to Hollywood to transition into acting. She also 110 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:21,200 Speaker 1: changed her hair from its natural chestnut brown blonde, just 111 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:24,120 Speaker 1: as she had managed with her modeling career. After leaving 112 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:28,320 Speaker 1: drama school, Ball began to book acting gigs rather quickly, 113 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:31,480 Speaker 1: although many of them in her early career were uncredited. 114 00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:35,720 Speaker 1: Starting in nineteen thirty three, she worked at times as 115 00:06:35,720 --> 00:06:38,120 Speaker 1: a Goldwyn Girl, and this was a stock group of 116 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:42,080 Speaker 1: young women who danced and entertained to appear in and 117 00:06:42,160 --> 00:06:45,600 Speaker 1: promote new films for Samuel Goldwyn. So in thirty three 118 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:48,200 Speaker 1: that movie was Roman Scandals, which is a picture with 119 00:06:48,240 --> 00:06:50,839 Speaker 1: a plot about a young man from West Room, Oklahoma, 120 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:54,000 Speaker 1: dreaming that he was in ancient Rome, and the Goldwyn 121 00:06:54,040 --> 00:06:57,359 Speaker 1: Girls in this particular film, were featured as Roman slave girls. 122 00:06:57,880 --> 00:07:01,400 Speaker 1: Other uncredited work included appearing as a show girl in 123 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:04,880 Speaker 1: the ninety four Moulin Rouge, as a nurse and Carnival 124 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:08,520 Speaker 1: in ninety five, and as an extra and the slapstick 125 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:11,360 Speaker 1: version of The Three Musketeers starring the comedy team the 126 00:07:11,440 --> 00:07:15,560 Speaker 1: Ritz Brothers, and Lucy continued to take small parts. She 127 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:18,040 Speaker 1: had a reputation for never saying no because she knew 128 00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 1: she hadn't make ends meet, and she finally got a 129 00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:23,680 Speaker 1: more substantial part in nineteen thirty seven Stage Door, which 130 00:07:23,720 --> 00:07:26,280 Speaker 1: was a story about a group of aspiring actresses living 131 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:29,600 Speaker 1: together in a boarding house. Also featured in that cast 132 00:07:29,640 --> 00:07:32,400 Speaker 1: where Katherine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers a couple of you 133 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:35,160 Speaker 1: know people no one's heard of. No, they're not famous 134 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:39,600 Speaker 1: at all. In nineteen forty, Lucy'll played the role of Bubbles, 135 00:07:39,760 --> 00:07:43,720 Speaker 1: third build after Maureen O'Hara and Louis Hayward in a 136 00:07:43,760 --> 00:07:47,400 Speaker 1: picture called Dance, Girl Dance. While the movie is far 137 00:07:47,520 --> 00:07:50,240 Speaker 1: from her most famous work, it did have a significant 138 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:53,720 Speaker 1: impact on her life. The movie's story centered around a 139 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:57,520 Speaker 1: troop of dancers, and while Judy played by Marin O'Hara 140 00:07:57,720 --> 00:08:01,720 Speaker 1: longed to become a ballerina. Bubble act was burlesque. The 141 00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:05,000 Speaker 1: two were also rivals in love, and the two actresses 142 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:09,960 Speaker 1: enjoyed playing up their competitive but friendly relationship. Yeah when 143 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:12,320 Speaker 1: it came time to film a fight scene between the 144 00:08:12,360 --> 00:08:16,040 Speaker 1: two characters, the production actually allowed an audience to attend, 145 00:08:16,160 --> 00:08:19,560 Speaker 1: and they charged admission, but they donated that money to charity, 146 00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:21,920 Speaker 1: and after the fight was over, the ladies went to 147 00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:25,000 Speaker 1: the studio commissary together for lunch because he really were friends, 148 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:28,800 Speaker 1: and it was there that Lucy met Desiderio Alberto Arnez 149 00:08:29,360 --> 00:08:32,240 Speaker 1: Desi Arnez, and she would later say of their meeting, 150 00:08:32,679 --> 00:08:35,040 Speaker 1: it wasn't love at first sight. It took a full 151 00:08:35,080 --> 00:08:39,000 Speaker 1: five minutes. The actress and the Cuban band leader appeared together. 152 00:08:39,040 --> 00:08:42,559 Speaker 1: Involved next movie too many girls, and their time working 153 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:46,480 Speaker 1: together on the picture sped their courtship along. Those who 154 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:50,000 Speaker 1: were close to Lucy advised her to stay away from Desi. 155 00:08:50,440 --> 00:08:54,240 Speaker 1: Those pieces of advice were completely pointless. Arnez, who was 156 00:08:54,280 --> 00:08:56,840 Speaker 1: just twenty three at the time, had a reputation for 157 00:08:56,960 --> 00:09:00,680 Speaker 1: dating a string of ladies, but Desi Lucy fell in 158 00:09:00,720 --> 00:09:03,920 Speaker 1: love and got married within a year. Their wedding was 159 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:08,160 Speaker 1: on November and it wasn't long after the marriage in 160 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:12,160 Speaker 1: two that Lucille Ball dyed her hair. The signature read 161 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:14,120 Speaker 1: that she would be known for the rest of her life, 162 00:09:14,520 --> 00:09:17,600 Speaker 1: having done so at the suggestion of movie Studio MGM 163 00:09:17,679 --> 00:09:20,840 Speaker 1: for her role in du Barry was a Lady. The shade, however, 164 00:09:20,920 --> 00:09:23,080 Speaker 1: would shift and not from that original red but to 165 00:09:23,120 --> 00:09:26,520 Speaker 1: a more apricot tone, though not for several years Before 166 00:09:26,559 --> 00:09:29,040 Speaker 1: we get to the next big step in Lucy's career, 167 00:09:29,240 --> 00:09:32,440 Speaker 1: went to pause for a word from a fantastic sponsor. 168 00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:41,400 Speaker 1: While Lucille Ball had been relatively successful in film, she 169 00:09:41,440 --> 00:09:43,960 Speaker 1: felt that her career wasn't really reaching the level that 170 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:47,480 Speaker 1: she wanted. Her starring roles were mostly in B films 171 00:09:47,600 --> 00:09:50,720 Speaker 1: rather than big budget films, and so she expanded her 172 00:09:50,720 --> 00:09:53,839 Speaker 1: work into radio as well. She quickly landed a role 173 00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:56,640 Speaker 1: in the comedy My Favorite Husband, and it was that 174 00:09:56,720 --> 00:09:59,920 Speaker 1: work that led to CBS offering to develop a sear 175 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:03,240 Speaker 1: ease along the same lines with her. That seemed like 176 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:07,080 Speaker 1: great news, but things did not go well in negotiations. 177 00:10:07,880 --> 00:10:10,720 Speaker 1: Lucy wanted to develop to develop a show with Desi 178 00:10:11,040 --> 00:10:14,959 Speaker 1: starring alongside her, and CBS was not interested in him, 179 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:18,360 Speaker 1: in part because of his accent, and the talks quickly ended. 180 00:10:19,760 --> 00:10:22,600 Speaker 1: But the couple's desire to create a husband wife show 181 00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:26,000 Speaker 1: together eventually developed by the two of them into the 182 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:28,920 Speaker 1: form of a vaudeville act, and as they toured this 183 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:31,439 Speaker 1: stage show, they garnered a lot of attention. It was 184 00:10:31,480 --> 00:10:34,160 Speaker 1: actually a huge hit. People found it so charming that 185 00:10:34,200 --> 00:10:36,160 Speaker 1: the two of them were singing and dancing together, and 186 00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:38,640 Speaker 1: they were very funny, and it was so huge a 187 00:10:38,720 --> 00:10:41,520 Speaker 1: hit that CBS wanted to talk to them again, and 188 00:10:41,640 --> 00:10:44,760 Speaker 1: this time because they had this reputation built around them 189 00:10:44,800 --> 00:10:46,760 Speaker 1: and the two of them as a pair working together, 190 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:49,520 Speaker 1: Lucy and Desi were in a position to make some 191 00:10:49,640 --> 00:10:53,160 Speaker 1: demands and have those demands met. As I Love Lucy 192 00:10:53,280 --> 00:10:55,880 Speaker 1: was in development, the pair decided they did not want 193 00:10:55,920 --> 00:10:58,120 Speaker 1: to shoot the show in New York, in a move 194 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:01,280 Speaker 1: that separated them from most other TV shows and this 195 00:11:01,800 --> 00:11:05,199 Speaker 1: still pretty young medium, they opted to set up production 196 00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:08,720 Speaker 1: in Hollywood. They also wanted to shoot on film, despite 197 00:11:09,040 --> 00:11:12,080 Speaker 1: protests from CBS that kinescope would be a lot more 198 00:11:12,280 --> 00:11:16,800 Speaker 1: cost effective, but they really wanted film, and they decided 199 00:11:16,840 --> 00:11:19,040 Speaker 1: that they would sacrifice some of their pay to get it, 200 00:11:19,520 --> 00:11:22,320 Speaker 1: and so they renegotiated their deal, and they also made 201 00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:24,679 Speaker 1: sure that they would retain rights of ownership of the 202 00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:28,840 Speaker 1: project and they formed Desolue Productions as the umbrella company 203 00:11:28,880 --> 00:11:32,760 Speaker 1: for it. Everything changed for Lucille Ball and her husband 204 00:11:32,800 --> 00:11:35,920 Speaker 1: in nineteen fifty one. They had their first child, Lucy, 205 00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:38,560 Speaker 1: in July of that year, and then I Love Lucy 206 00:11:38,679 --> 00:11:43,679 Speaker 1: debut on October. The show became a national success in 207 00:11:43,679 --> 00:11:47,400 Speaker 1: this mix of comedy and examination of common social issues 208 00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:51,079 Speaker 1: really struck a good note with the viewing audience. Yeah, 209 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:53,480 Speaker 1: it blew my mind when I realized that she had 210 00:11:53,520 --> 00:11:55,680 Speaker 1: her kid while they were in development for a major 211 00:11:55,720 --> 00:11:59,480 Speaker 1: TV show like that just seems like a lot to 212 00:11:59,480 --> 00:12:02,600 Speaker 1: be juggleing. Uh, And yeah, it was just months from 213 00:12:02,640 --> 00:12:04,080 Speaker 1: from the time she had the baby to when they 214 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:07,520 Speaker 1: went into like full production schedule. And Lucy was based 215 00:12:07,559 --> 00:12:10,640 Speaker 1: on anything you could ever possibly read or hear about 216 00:12:10,679 --> 00:12:14,560 Speaker 1: her from her colleagues, absolutely relentless in her pursuit of 217 00:12:14,600 --> 00:12:19,520 Speaker 1: creating the most perfect possible production. Her standards were incredibly high, 218 00:12:19,559 --> 00:12:22,280 Speaker 1: and she would rehearse even the most casual lines of 219 00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:24,920 Speaker 1: the show until she felt that they were the absolute 220 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:28,439 Speaker 1: best they could be. She took comedy, very very seriously. 221 00:12:28,559 --> 00:12:30,280 Speaker 1: And it's one of those things where people always think 222 00:12:30,320 --> 00:12:32,960 Speaker 1: a lot of the show was ad libbed, but she 223 00:12:33,160 --> 00:12:36,120 Speaker 1: really rehearsed almost everything to the point that it was 224 00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:38,080 Speaker 1: just perfect and you could not tell that she was 225 00:12:38,160 --> 00:12:43,400 Speaker 1: not in the moment. Well. And another mark that it 226 00:12:43,440 --> 00:12:47,280 Speaker 1: paid off is that when you say to someone, oh, 227 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:53,360 Speaker 1: we're working on show about Lucy ol Ball, often the 228 00:12:53,600 --> 00:12:56,760 Speaker 1: things that come spilling out of their mouth are all 229 00:12:56,840 --> 00:13:00,240 Speaker 1: kinds of lines from this TV show from literally more 230 00:13:00,240 --> 00:13:03,640 Speaker 1: than half of a century ago. Yeah. I mean it's 231 00:13:03,640 --> 00:13:08,400 Speaker 1: been it's been on in syndication forever, but it's people 232 00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:10,600 Speaker 1: still watch it and laugh. Yeah, it was the thing 233 00:13:10,640 --> 00:13:12,640 Speaker 1: that I watched. One of the things that I would 234 00:13:12,679 --> 00:13:14,960 Speaker 1: watch in the in the morning while I was getting 235 00:13:15,120 --> 00:13:16,920 Speaker 1: awake and ready to go to school, like my mom 236 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:19,480 Speaker 1: would be making me breakfast. It would be on and 237 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:22,840 Speaker 1: syndicated in the time slot before the morning news. Uh, 238 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:25,120 Speaker 1: either that or the Into Gripic Show. Because this was 239 00:13:25,200 --> 00:13:30,360 Speaker 1: North Carolina, you gotta have some expectations. Um, I've probably 240 00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:34,640 Speaker 1: seen every episode of it. Anyway, I Love Lucy ran 241 00:13:34,800 --> 00:13:38,040 Speaker 1: for six years and lad all shows in the US 242 00:13:38,200 --> 00:13:40,760 Speaker 1: ratings for four of them. It would be broadcast in 243 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:44,080 Speaker 1: seventy eight countries. When the show aired an episode in 244 00:13:44,120 --> 00:13:47,360 Speaker 1: which Lucy gave birth to little Ricky in ninety three, 245 00:13:47,480 --> 00:13:49,959 Speaker 1: which aired on the same day desiern As Junior was 246 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:52,840 Speaker 1: born in real life thanks to a scheduled cesarean section. 247 00:13:53,200 --> 00:13:59,400 Speaker 1: It's set ratings records, surpassing audience numbers for the Eisenhower inauguration. Yeah, 248 00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:03,760 Speaker 1: it's the first instance where an actresses real life pregnancy 249 00:14:03,880 --> 00:14:06,840 Speaker 1: was part of their fictional story. And while it seemed 250 00:14:06,960 --> 00:14:09,600 Speaker 1: natural to write their real life pregnancy into the show 251 00:14:10,040 --> 00:14:12,440 Speaker 1: and their sponsor and this seems odd now, of course, 252 00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:16,040 Speaker 1: through the Modern Lens cigarette company Philip Morris was behind 253 00:14:16,040 --> 00:14:19,480 Speaker 1: the idea. The decision to do so really ran into 254 00:14:19,480 --> 00:14:24,120 Speaker 1: some hurdles at CBS. The network was first deeply uneasy 255 00:14:24,240 --> 00:14:26,720 Speaker 1: about the idea of showing a pregnant woman on TV. 256 00:14:26,880 --> 00:14:30,120 Speaker 1: They thought people might find it vulgar or distasteful. Though 257 00:14:30,240 --> 00:14:33,640 Speaker 1: CBS eventually did go along with the plan and they 258 00:14:33,680 --> 00:14:36,440 Speaker 1: consulted various experts and felt like, no, this would be okay. 259 00:14:36,520 --> 00:14:39,080 Speaker 1: They did forbid the use of the word pregnant on 260 00:14:39,120 --> 00:14:42,040 Speaker 1: the show, so they could never say Lucy was pregnant, 261 00:14:42,040 --> 00:14:46,800 Speaker 1: and they would say she was expecting instead, and there 262 00:14:46,800 --> 00:14:51,000 Speaker 1: were also titters about how Dasi pronounced the word yeah, 263 00:14:51,040 --> 00:14:54,240 Speaker 1: and they had they had to name it um Lucy 264 00:14:54,320 --> 00:14:56,600 Speaker 1: is pregnant, but they used the French word for pregnant, 265 00:14:56,680 --> 00:15:00,680 Speaker 1: so that even though the titles never appeared on the show. Uh. 266 00:15:00,720 --> 00:15:03,320 Speaker 1: That's one of my favorite episodes if you've never seen it. 267 00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:06,960 Speaker 1: The whole episode centers around Lucy trying to tell Ricky 268 00:15:07,080 --> 00:15:09,080 Speaker 1: that she is pregnant, and he's kind of dense and 269 00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:12,760 Speaker 1: not catching her hints for a long time, and everybody knows. 270 00:15:12,920 --> 00:15:16,360 Speaker 1: Fred and Ethel both know, like the whole everyone connected 271 00:15:16,400 --> 00:15:18,560 Speaker 1: to them already has it figured out, but he just 272 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:20,520 Speaker 1: is not getting the message. And she does this. I 273 00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:23,280 Speaker 1: don't even want to give it away because it's so sweet. Uh. 274 00:15:23,320 --> 00:15:25,640 Speaker 1: The way that she eventually tells him in the end 275 00:15:26,120 --> 00:15:28,360 Speaker 1: is through his own song. He just doesn't know it's 276 00:15:28,400 --> 00:15:31,320 Speaker 1: happening to him initially, and it's lovely, making me tear 277 00:15:31,400 --> 00:15:33,840 Speaker 1: up a little bit me too. I love it so much. 278 00:15:34,360 --> 00:15:36,960 Speaker 1: During the run of the sitcom, Lucy's hair also hit 279 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:39,440 Speaker 1: the shade that would become her trademark for the rest 280 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:43,400 Speaker 1: of her career. According to hairstylist Irma Cousley, who worked 281 00:15:43,400 --> 00:15:46,960 Speaker 1: on numerous Desilie productions. Quote. Lucy's hair was a golden 282 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:50,280 Speaker 1: apricot color and she used a Hannah rents to achieve it. 283 00:15:50,720 --> 00:15:53,600 Speaker 1: She met a very wealthy Shake who had heard about 284 00:15:53,600 --> 00:15:55,880 Speaker 1: her problem and getting the right coloring. He said that 285 00:15:55,920 --> 00:15:58,360 Speaker 1: he would send her a lifetime supply of Hannah, which 286 00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:01,680 Speaker 1: he did. We kept it in my garage, locked away 287 00:16:01,720 --> 00:16:05,960 Speaker 1: in a safe. Yeah, you'll sometimes hear that sort of 288 00:16:06,080 --> 00:16:10,280 Speaker 1: told as a slightly different story where her hair color 289 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:12,680 Speaker 1: formula was secret and was kept in a safe. But 290 00:16:12,800 --> 00:16:15,640 Speaker 1: according to her stylists, no, it was just the boxes 291 00:16:15,800 --> 00:16:18,120 Speaker 1: or the whatever format, the tubes or whatever that the 292 00:16:18,160 --> 00:16:21,640 Speaker 1: Hannah was in. Uh. The other significant event of their 293 00:16:21,680 --> 00:16:24,640 Speaker 1: lives while I Love Lucy was running was a scandal 294 00:16:24,760 --> 00:16:29,680 Speaker 1: around Lucille's political history. The White House Un American Activities 295 00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:33,440 Speaker 1: Committee investigated Ball due to the fact that in ninety 296 00:16:33,560 --> 00:16:36,640 Speaker 1: six she had registered as a member of the Communist 297 00:16:36,720 --> 00:16:40,760 Speaker 1: Party and sworn testimony before the committee. Lucille Ball testified 298 00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:43,800 Speaker 1: that she had registered with the party in ninety six 299 00:16:43,920 --> 00:16:47,000 Speaker 1: at the request of her grandfather, Fred Hunt, and then 300 00:16:47,040 --> 00:16:49,400 Speaker 1: it was nothing more than a gesture to please the 301 00:16:49,400 --> 00:16:53,160 Speaker 1: elderly patriarch. Her mother and brother had apparently done the 302 00:16:53,200 --> 00:16:56,960 Speaker 1: same thing. Yeah, there was also there were also stories 303 00:16:57,000 --> 00:17:00,680 Speaker 1: that she had hosted some parties UH at her homes 304 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:04,000 Speaker 1: and get togethers for people interested in communism, but she 305 00:17:04,040 --> 00:17:07,600 Speaker 1: claimed she did not realize that that's what they were doing. 306 00:17:07,680 --> 00:17:10,440 Speaker 1: She thought they were just like friends getting together uh. 307 00:17:10,480 --> 00:17:12,639 Speaker 1: And when she was asked by a member of the 308 00:17:12,680 --> 00:17:15,199 Speaker 1: press if she thought the matter would damage her career, 309 00:17:15,640 --> 00:17:18,919 Speaker 1: Lucy responded, I have more faith in the American people 310 00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:21,160 Speaker 1: than that. I think any time you give the American 311 00:17:21,160 --> 00:17:24,040 Speaker 1: people the truth, there with you. And in her case, 312 00:17:24,080 --> 00:17:27,440 Speaker 1: she was right. Her fans sent cards and telegrams of support, 313 00:17:27,880 --> 00:17:29,680 Speaker 1: and she and Desi told the press that they were 314 00:17:29,680 --> 00:17:31,639 Speaker 1: in fact happy to have the whole thing out in 315 00:17:31,680 --> 00:17:35,240 Speaker 1: the open. I Love Lucy ended in nineteen fifty seven, 316 00:17:35,400 --> 00:17:38,600 Speaker 1: but Lucy and Desi continued at the Helm of Desily Productions. 317 00:17:39,080 --> 00:17:42,640 Speaker 1: The Untouchables and Star Trek were produced there, but while 318 00:17:42,680 --> 00:17:45,600 Speaker 1: they were having commercial success, their marriage didn't thrive, and 319 00:17:45,640 --> 00:17:49,360 Speaker 1: they divorced in nineteen sixty. There had long been rumors 320 00:17:49,359 --> 00:17:52,680 Speaker 1: of infidelity and rocky times between the two of them, 321 00:17:52,720 --> 00:17:55,040 Speaker 1: but even after they called their marriage quits. They remained 322 00:17:55,160 --> 00:17:58,439 Speaker 1: friends and colleagues. They also made some movies together in 323 00:17:58,480 --> 00:18:02,200 Speaker 1: addition to the TV show Yeah, when she switched to TV. 324 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:04,639 Speaker 1: When they switched to TV, it wasn't as though she 325 00:18:04,720 --> 00:18:07,440 Speaker 1: stopped doing movies altogether. She did them on and off 326 00:18:07,440 --> 00:18:10,800 Speaker 1: throughout her career when when good projects came up. And 327 00:18:11,160 --> 00:18:13,640 Speaker 1: Uh she also did theater, which is how she met 328 00:18:13,680 --> 00:18:17,800 Speaker 1: her second husband. Uh. She remarried Gary Morton not long 329 00:18:17,840 --> 00:18:20,080 Speaker 1: after her split from Desi. She had at the time 330 00:18:20,119 --> 00:18:22,640 Speaker 1: been in New York to start in the Broadway show Wildcat, 331 00:18:22,960 --> 00:18:25,080 Speaker 1: which ran at the Alvin Theater, and that was when 332 00:18:25,119 --> 00:18:27,520 Speaker 1: she met the comedian and they were married on November 333 00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:30,399 Speaker 1: nineteenth of nineteen sixty one, so just a little more 334 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:33,000 Speaker 1: than a year after the divorce. In nineteen sixty two, 335 00:18:33,080 --> 00:18:37,040 Speaker 1: Lucille Ball bought out Desi Arneza's interest in Desilu Productions. 336 00:18:37,480 --> 00:18:40,119 Speaker 1: After running the company for six years, she sold it 337 00:18:40,160 --> 00:18:43,920 Speaker 1: in nineteen sixty seven for seventeen million dollars. The person 338 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:48,000 Speaker 1: company Gulf Western, which also owned Paramount Pictures, renamed the 339 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:52,840 Speaker 1: studio Paramount Television. Lucy founded a new production company, smaller 340 00:18:52,840 --> 00:18:56,639 Speaker 1: and scale than Desilu, called Lucille Ball Productions. While she 341 00:18:56,760 --> 00:19:00,399 Speaker 1: was done with running her big production company, Lucy certainly 342 00:19:00,400 --> 00:19:03,159 Speaker 1: wasn't done with comedy. That's why she started her her second, 343 00:19:03,200 --> 00:19:07,440 Speaker 1: smaller production company. She started two series in the nineteen sixties. 344 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:10,400 Speaker 1: The Lucy Show ran on CBS from nineteen sixty two 345 00:19:10,400 --> 00:19:13,240 Speaker 1: to nineteen sixty eight, and it featured Lucille Ball as 346 00:19:13,280 --> 00:19:15,679 Speaker 1: a widow living with her divorced best friend and the 347 00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:19,240 Speaker 1: two women's children. Vivian Vance, who had played Ethel on 348 00:19:19,320 --> 00:19:22,040 Speaker 1: I Love You Lucy, as well as several writers from 349 00:19:22,040 --> 00:19:25,600 Speaker 1: I Love Lucy, also joined the production. After The Lucy 350 00:19:25,640 --> 00:19:28,520 Speaker 1: Show ran for sixty years, Lucille moved on to another 351 00:19:28,560 --> 00:19:32,080 Speaker 1: sitcom titled Here's Lucy in nineteen sixty eight. She was 352 00:19:32,119 --> 00:19:34,720 Speaker 1: once again playing a widow, but this time her two 353 00:19:34,760 --> 00:19:37,920 Speaker 1: sitcom children were played by her actual children, Lucy and 354 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:43,640 Speaker 1: Desie Jr. Here's Lucy continued until nineteen seventy three. Lucy's 355 00:19:43,720 --> 00:19:46,359 Speaker 1: last two projects were in nineteen eighty five and nineteen 356 00:19:46,400 --> 00:19:48,840 Speaker 1: eighty six, So in eighty five she took a role 357 00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:51,800 Speaker 1: that was a significant departure from the comedy that had 358 00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:55,560 Speaker 1: really made her career. She started a TV movie which 359 00:19:55,560 --> 00:19:58,359 Speaker 1: was titled Stone Pillow, in which she played a homeless woman. 360 00:19:59,160 --> 00:20:02,080 Speaker 1: And after that, while while she got good reviews for 361 00:20:02,119 --> 00:20:06,520 Speaker 1: her work on that, it wasn't a particularly successful film. Uh, 362 00:20:06,680 --> 00:20:10,320 Speaker 1: And she once again moved into sitcoms because that is 363 00:20:10,359 --> 00:20:13,440 Speaker 1: really what people wanted of her. So she worked with 364 00:20:13,480 --> 00:20:15,959 Speaker 1: CBS one more time, and she premiered Life with Lucy 365 00:20:16,040 --> 00:20:20,600 Speaker 1: in nineteen six, but unlike her previous three sitcoms, it 366 00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:24,280 Speaker 1: was a flop and only lasted for eight episodes. In 367 00:20:24,320 --> 00:20:28,440 Speaker 1: April nine, she underwent an eight hour open heart surgery 368 00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:32,000 Speaker 1: at Cedar sign A Medical Center after experiencing chest pains 369 00:20:32,080 --> 00:20:36,399 Speaker 1: and being diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm. After the procedure, 370 00:20:36,560 --> 00:20:39,919 Speaker 1: she initially appeared to be recovering well, but then she 371 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:44,360 Speaker 1: experienced another aortic rapture which claimed her life. She died 372 00:20:44,400 --> 00:20:49,840 Speaker 1: on April nine. And next up, we're going to talk 373 00:20:49,880 --> 00:20:52,359 Speaker 1: a little bit about Lucy's legacy, but before we do, 374 00:20:52,480 --> 00:20:54,560 Speaker 1: we're going to take a quick break in here again 375 00:20:54,640 --> 00:21:04,080 Speaker 1: from a fantastic sponsor. So over the course of her career, 376 00:21:04,160 --> 00:21:07,280 Speaker 1: Lucille Ball was honored with many awards. We could never 377 00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:09,480 Speaker 1: list them all, but we will talk about some of them. 378 00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:12,920 Speaker 1: For one thing, She won four Emmy Awards, Best Comedian 379 00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:17,280 Speaker 1: in nineteen fifty two, Best Actress in a Continuing Performance 380 00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:20,680 Speaker 1: for I Love Lucy in nineteen fifty five, an Outstanding 381 00:21:20,680 --> 00:21:23,320 Speaker 1: Continuing Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in 382 00:21:23,320 --> 00:21:26,360 Speaker 1: a Comedy Series, which is a mouthful of a category 383 00:21:26,400 --> 00:21:29,119 Speaker 1: for The Lucy Show. In both nineteen sixty seven and 384 00:21:29,240 --> 00:21:33,040 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty eight, she was given two different stars on 385 00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:35,200 Speaker 1: the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for her work in 386 00:21:35,280 --> 00:21:38,760 Speaker 1: film and the other for her work in television. And 387 00:21:38,800 --> 00:21:41,720 Speaker 1: while Here's Lucy was on the air, Ball received the 388 00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:45,959 Speaker 1: International Radio and Television Society's Gold Medal in nineteen seventy 389 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:48,760 Speaker 1: one that made her the first woman to be honored 390 00:21:48,800 --> 00:21:52,240 Speaker 1: with that award. In nineteen seventy eight, she was honored 391 00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:55,720 Speaker 1: with the Hollywood Foreign Press Associations Cecil B. Demill Aboard 392 00:21:56,960 --> 00:22:00,840 Speaker 1: Lucy was honored by the Kennedy Center on December seven six. 393 00:22:01,200 --> 00:22:04,199 Speaker 1: It was a bittersweet event because Desi had died just 394 00:22:04,320 --> 00:22:08,640 Speaker 1: five days before. During the ceremony, actor Robert Stack, who 395 00:22:08,680 --> 00:22:12,679 Speaker 1: had starred in the Desilu show The Untouchables, read remark 396 00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:15,720 Speaker 1: that Desi had written I Love Lucy had just one 397 00:22:15,760 --> 00:22:20,040 Speaker 1: mission to make people laugh. Lucy gave it a rare quality. 398 00:22:20,359 --> 00:22:23,920 Speaker 1: She can perform the wildest, even the messiest, physical comedy 399 00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:27,879 Speaker 1: without losing her her feminine appeal. The New York Times 400 00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:31,000 Speaker 1: asked me to divide the credit for its success between 401 00:22:31,119 --> 00:22:34,000 Speaker 1: the writers, directors, and the cast. I told them, give 402 00:22:34,080 --> 00:22:37,880 Speaker 1: Lucy of the credit, divide the other ten percent among 403 00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:41,480 Speaker 1: the rest of us. DESI concluded Lucy was the show. 404 00:22:41,960 --> 00:22:45,240 Speaker 1: Viv Fred and I were just props. Sdam good props, 405 00:22:45,320 --> 00:22:49,480 Speaker 1: but props. Nevertheless, PS, I Love Lucy was never just 406 00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:54,200 Speaker 1: the title. After her death in nine she was posthumously 407 00:22:54,240 --> 00:22:57,560 Speaker 1: awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and in two thousand one, 408 00:22:57,800 --> 00:23:00,800 Speaker 1: Newsweek named her the top female entertain nor of the 409 00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:05,040 Speaker 1: twentieth century. If that were not for Lucile balls incredibly 410 00:23:05,160 --> 00:23:08,400 Speaker 1: skilled and dedicated comedic work on I Love Lucy, we 411 00:23:08,480 --> 00:23:11,600 Speaker 1: might never have had other women led comedy shows like 412 00:23:11,760 --> 00:23:14,960 Speaker 1: The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Laverne and Shirley, the 413 00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:19,160 Speaker 1: many shows that make me ask why are we still 414 00:23:19,160 --> 00:23:25,160 Speaker 1: talking about whether women are funny? But her influence goes 415 00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:29,439 Speaker 1: a lot deeper than that. She really spearheaded the style 416 00:23:29,520 --> 00:23:31,080 Speaker 1: of comedy. As we said at the top, of the 417 00:23:31,080 --> 00:23:33,600 Speaker 1: show that developed into the sitcom, and that's a format 418 00:23:33,640 --> 00:23:37,080 Speaker 1: that continues to be a TV standard today. I Love 419 00:23:37,160 --> 00:23:39,680 Speaker 1: Lucy was also the first show to use three cameras 420 00:23:39,680 --> 00:23:42,560 Speaker 1: in production, rather than just one stationary camera, and that 421 00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:45,720 Speaker 1: was a major innovation at the time. As the head 422 00:23:45,800 --> 00:23:49,120 Speaker 1: of Desilu Productions, Lucy became the first woman to run 423 00:23:49,160 --> 00:23:52,040 Speaker 1: a major Hollywood studio, so she was not only a 424 00:23:52,080 --> 00:23:55,880 Speaker 1: trailblazer as a funny woman, but also as an executive 425 00:23:55,960 --> 00:24:00,000 Speaker 1: and a savvy businesswoman. She was employed in Hollywood from 426 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:03,600 Speaker 1: more than fifty years continuously, something that not many people 427 00:24:03,640 --> 00:24:07,320 Speaker 1: can boast. She once said that she wasn't funny, she 428 00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:10,000 Speaker 1: was brave, and while she had started her career as 429 00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:12,600 Speaker 1: a model and was in fact a great beauty, she 430 00:24:12,720 --> 00:24:15,960 Speaker 1: set herself apart through her willingness to do crazy stunts 431 00:24:15,960 --> 00:24:18,960 Speaker 1: and look foolish. Being pretty, it seems, was not as 432 00:24:18,960 --> 00:24:22,080 Speaker 1: important to her as being funny. She was willing to 433 00:24:22,119 --> 00:24:24,680 Speaker 1: do broad physical comedy at a time that it was 434 00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:28,000 Speaker 1: still considered the territory only of men, and in doing so, 435 00:24:28,040 --> 00:24:30,959 Speaker 1: she opened up the door for women who came after her. Also, 436 00:24:31,200 --> 00:24:34,560 Speaker 1: during her Kennedy Center Honors presentation, Robert Stack said, quote, 437 00:24:34,600 --> 00:24:38,000 Speaker 1: it will always be remembered that you established a place 438 00:24:38,080 --> 00:24:41,960 Speaker 1: in television for women. And to bring up kind of 439 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:47,360 Speaker 1: an interesting source. According to Arnold Schwarzenegger, writing in his autobiography, Lucy, 440 00:24:47,440 --> 00:24:51,160 Speaker 1: Lucy once gave him the following advice about working in Hollywood, 441 00:24:51,160 --> 00:24:53,879 Speaker 1: although I think it is pretty good advice for almost 442 00:24:53,920 --> 00:24:57,560 Speaker 1: anything in life. Quote when they say no, you hear yes, 443 00:24:58,119 --> 00:25:00,800 Speaker 1: someone says we can't do this movie, hug them and 444 00:25:00,840 --> 00:25:05,000 Speaker 1: say thank you for believing in me. I love that 445 00:25:05,119 --> 00:25:08,760 Speaker 1: so much and I can still hear her saying it. Fantastic. 446 00:25:09,920 --> 00:25:15,840 Speaker 1: I know it's very subtle, but I'm a Lucile Ball fan. Yeah. 447 00:25:13,880 --> 00:25:18,720 Speaker 1: I love the long, long trailer. It is the movie 448 00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:23,280 Speaker 1: starring Lucile Ball and Daisy RNs. And they might be 449 00:25:23,359 --> 00:25:27,480 Speaker 1: giant song called everything Right Is Wrong Again. I really 450 00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:31,640 Speaker 1: love Uh. Barry was a lady, and I will say this. 451 00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:34,040 Speaker 1: I have one beef with the I Love Lucy show. 452 00:25:35,040 --> 00:25:39,960 Speaker 1: It's so specific and nerdy and dorky and weird to dressmakers. 453 00:25:41,040 --> 00:25:43,040 Speaker 1: There was an episode where she was trying to make 454 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:47,959 Speaker 1: her own dress huh and she The gag was that 455 00:25:48,040 --> 00:25:50,960 Speaker 1: she accidentally said it laid out on the floor and 456 00:25:50,960 --> 00:25:54,040 Speaker 1: that she accidentally cut out the carpet along with the fabric, 457 00:25:54,720 --> 00:25:56,960 Speaker 1: which one. If you've ever cut out fabric, you know 458 00:25:57,160 --> 00:26:00,400 Speaker 1: that would be hard to do. But to when they 459 00:26:00,440 --> 00:26:03,119 Speaker 1: lifted it up, it was first sight gag appeal, but 460 00:26:03,200 --> 00:26:05,320 Speaker 1: it looked like the outline of a dress. It didn't 461 00:26:05,359 --> 00:26:07,679 Speaker 1: actually look like a piece of a dress pattern. And 462 00:26:07,760 --> 00:26:09,600 Speaker 1: I remember as a kid seeing that and being like, 463 00:26:09,640 --> 00:26:13,439 Speaker 1: that's not how you make a dress. So that was 464 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:18,480 Speaker 1: my pedantic moment as a childish seamstress. Uh, both a 465 00:26:18,560 --> 00:26:22,320 Speaker 1: child seamstress and a childish seamstress later in life. Yeah. Hey, 466 00:26:22,440 --> 00:26:24,199 Speaker 1: we just wanted to add a quick little note at 467 00:26:24,200 --> 00:26:26,280 Speaker 1: the end of this one since we did reference Mary 468 00:26:26,320 --> 00:26:28,720 Speaker 1: Tyler Moore at the end of the episode. We recorded 469 00:26:28,760 --> 00:26:31,919 Speaker 1: this before her passing, Uh, so we just wanted to 470 00:26:31,960 --> 00:26:35,639 Speaker 1: acknowledge and thank her for the laughs. Do you have 471 00:26:35,640 --> 00:26:38,840 Speaker 1: a listener mail? Yes, I do, and it's pretty light. 472 00:26:39,040 --> 00:26:42,160 Speaker 1: I have two postcards. Uh. The first one is from 473 00:26:42,200 --> 00:26:44,679 Speaker 1: Ashley and Gin and they say, when clothing in history 474 00:26:44,680 --> 00:26:47,320 Speaker 1: come together, I can think I'm no other person than you. Uh. 475 00:26:47,359 --> 00:26:51,040 Speaker 1: They sent a lovely postcard from the Charleston Museum and 476 00:26:51,040 --> 00:26:55,040 Speaker 1: it's a nineteen fifties jade green chiffon evening dress. It 477 00:26:55,080 --> 00:26:58,080 Speaker 1: seemed kind of a good match for Lucy Ball episode 478 00:26:58,080 --> 00:26:59,919 Speaker 1: because I could see her wearing something lovely like that. 479 00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:02,639 Speaker 1: At UH, they also say Charleston is lovely in so 480 00:27:02,680 --> 00:27:04,959 Speaker 1: many ways in each street tells a story. Wishing you 481 00:27:05,040 --> 00:27:08,520 Speaker 1: all the best in the new year. Fantastic. We also 482 00:27:08,560 --> 00:27:12,600 Speaker 1: got a postcard from Stephanie that she sent from overseas. 483 00:27:12,880 --> 00:27:14,679 Speaker 1: She says, Dear Tracy and Holly, thank you for all 484 00:27:14,760 --> 00:27:17,040 Speaker 1: your hard work. Your podcast brings me so much joy. 485 00:27:17,560 --> 00:27:20,320 Speaker 1: My husband and I honeymoon in Iceland over Christmas, and 486 00:27:20,320 --> 00:27:22,280 Speaker 1: I wouldn't shut up about the Cod Wars and the 487 00:27:22,320 --> 00:27:24,879 Speaker 1: Yule Lads, both of which I know about because of 488 00:27:24,920 --> 00:27:30,520 Speaker 1: you wonderful ladies. Thank you, Uh. Congratulations on your nuptials, Stephanie. Yeah, 489 00:27:30,640 --> 00:27:34,199 Speaker 1: and hooray for having a similar trip to Tracy in 490 00:27:34,359 --> 00:27:37,439 Speaker 1: your honeymoon. I love it. UH. If you would like 491 00:27:37,440 --> 00:27:39,040 Speaker 1: to write to us, you can do so at History 492 00:27:39,040 --> 00:27:41,960 Speaker 1: Podcast at house stuff Works dot com. We are also 493 00:27:42,400 --> 00:27:45,160 Speaker 1: visible across the spectrum of social media as at missed 494 00:27:45,160 --> 00:27:47,879 Speaker 1: in History. That means on Twitter is at misst in History, 495 00:27:48,200 --> 00:27:51,119 Speaker 1: Facebook dot com, slash missed in History, missed in History 496 00:27:51,160 --> 00:27:54,080 Speaker 1: dot tumbler dot com, on Instagram, as at misst in 497 00:27:54,160 --> 00:27:58,320 Speaker 1: history uh, and on Pinterest as missed in History. If 498 00:27:58,320 --> 00:28:01,000 Speaker 1: you would like to learn a little bit you're just 499 00:28:01,080 --> 00:28:03,000 Speaker 1: feeling curious, you can go to our parents site, how 500 00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:05,159 Speaker 1: stuff Works, typed in almost anything in the search bar. 501 00:28:05,520 --> 00:28:08,840 Speaker 1: You're gonna churn up a lot of results that are 502 00:28:08,880 --> 00:28:12,000 Speaker 1: fascinating and interesting, and we'll keep you occupied and entertained 503 00:28:12,040 --> 00:28:15,440 Speaker 1: and informed. You can also visit me and Tracy at 504 00:28:15,520 --> 00:28:17,960 Speaker 1: missed in History dot com, where we have an archive 505 00:28:18,040 --> 00:28:20,240 Speaker 1: of every episode of the show that has ever existed, 506 00:28:20,560 --> 00:28:23,560 Speaker 1: as well as show notes for every episode that Tracy 507 00:28:23,560 --> 00:28:26,560 Speaker 1: and I have worked on together. UH and so. Come 508 00:28:26,560 --> 00:28:28,679 Speaker 1: and visit us at how stuff works dot com and 509 00:28:28,720 --> 00:28:38,440 Speaker 1: missed in History dot com for more on this and 510 00:28:38,520 --> 00:28:41,000 Speaker 1: thousands of other topics. Is it how stuff works dot 511 00:28:41,080 --> 00:28:53,600 Speaker 1: com