One of America’s most beloved redheads, Lucille Ball, the adored comic actress, was born on this day in history, Aug. 5, 1911, in Jamestown, New York, as Biography.com and other sources have noted.
Her parents were Henry Durrell Ball, an electrician, and Desiree Ball.
The family moved around due to her father’s employment, and tragically, in 1915, Lucille Ball’s father died from typhoid fever, said History.com.
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At age 15, Ball arrived in New York City to attend drama school with aspirations of working as an actress.
She worked as a waitress and a hat model — and in 1933 Ball was hired as the Chesterfield Cigarette Girl, according to History.com
Actress Lucille Ball (1911-1989) and her husband, actor and musician, Desi Arnaz (1917-1986) attend a formal event, USA, circa 1955. (Archive Photos/Getty Images)
Over the next years, Ball enjoyed leading roles in dozens of B-movies in the late 1930s and 1940s.
Then, in 1940, Ball met Cuban bandleader Desi Arnaz while shooting “Too Many Girls” — and the couple soon eloped, the same source indicated.
Ball starred as a wife on the radio program “My Favorite Husband” from 1947 to 1951.
“It was immediately apparent this was a sitcom like no other.”
“When CBS decided to launch the popular series on the relatively new medium of TV, Lucy insisted that Arnaz be cast as her husband in the TV version,” said History.com.
Although there was some resistance from network executives, Ball and Arnaz were eventually cast as Lucy and Ricky Ricardo in “I Love Lucy.”
On Oct. 15, 1951, the TV sitcom made its debut.
Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz in a pilot episode of the television series “I Love Lucy,” 1951. “I Love Lucy” aired from 1951 to 1957 and became one of the most popular TV sitcoms in history. (CBS/Getty Images)
“And to the television viewing audience across the country it was immediately apparent this was a sitcom like no other,” stated Biography.com.
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The couple welcomed their first child, Lucie, in 1951, less than a year after the premiere of “I Love Lucy.”
Their son, Desi Jr., was born in 1953 and became a part of the show’s storyline, said multiple sources.
Lucille Ball (1911-1989) and Desi Arnaz (1917-1986) appear in a scene from “The Ricardos Dedicate Statue,” the last filmed episode of the television comedy show “I Love Lucy,” April 4, 1957. The episode originally aired on May 6 of that year. Ball is dressed as a statue but is pestered by a dog. (CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images)
The show co-starred Vivian Vance and William Frawley as Lucy and Desi’s two best friends.
The groundbreaking program’s plot lines were about marital issues, women in the workplace and suburban living, said Biography.com.
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“I Love Lucy” aired from 1951 to 1957 and became one of the most popular TV sitcoms in history.
Many commonplace techniques in television productions, such as filming in front of a live studio audience and using three cameras, started with Desilu Productions, according to the National Women’s History Museum.
Ball bought out Arnaz and took over Desilu Productions, becoming the first woman to run a major television production studio.
While the show ended in 1957, Desilu Productions continued on, producing more television hits such as “Our Miss Brooks,” “Make Room for Daddy,” “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” “The Untouchables,” “Star Trek” and “Mission: Impossible,” Biography.com recounted.
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In 1960 Ball and Arnaz divorced.
Two years later, Ball, by then remarried to comedian Gary Morton, bought out Arnaz and took over Desilu Productions, becoming the first woman to run a major television production studio, according to the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum.
Lucille Ball in an episode of “Life with Lucy,” airdate Nov. 8, 1986. (ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
Ball’s acting work continued; she appeared in two sitcoms, “The Lucy Show” (1962-68) and “Here’s Lucy” (1968-73).
“Both achieved a modest level of success, but neither captured the magic that had defined her earlier program with Arnaz,” noted Biography.com.
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Ball’s final television series, “Life with Lucy,” aired for only two months in 1986.
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She made her last television appearance at the Academy Awards on March 29, 1989.
She died less than a month later, on April 26, 1989, in Los Angeles, as Britannica.com noted. She was 77.
Lucille Ball (1911-1989) hugs William Frawley (1887-1966) as she stands behind him during the surprise party for her 13th wedding anniversary to Cuban-born actor and singer Desi Arnaz, held at Larry Finley’s restaurant on Sunset Strip, Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images)
Ball’s comedic genius influenced generations of comedians, and her popularity continued into the 21st century, said Britannica.com.
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The Lucille Ball–Desi Arnaz Center, which boasts a museum dedicated to “I Love Lucy,” is a tourist attraction in Jamestown, New York.
In 2001, the U.S. Postal Service honored Ball with a commemorative stamp.
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