HAPPY 90TH BIRTHDAY, LUCY!



Today is the birthday of the grandest comedian who ever lived- bar none. Today Lucille Ball would have been 90 years old!~ The most famous red head in the world was born in 1916 in Jamestown, New York. Funny thing, "I Love Lucy" only came about after her movie career seemed to be fizzling. She met Desi Arnaz at a party one evening and the two were instantly attracted to one another!! It was at Desi's suggestion that Lucy try television. The two of them were married four months after that fateful meeting! CBS didn't want any part of Desi Arnaz at first and wanted to film the series In New York using kinescope. Thank goodness Desi insisted on Hollywood studio shooting and a three camera filming of each episode! With a live audience! How did they win? Well a pilot starring Desi helped and then they both agreed to a thirty-five percent salary cut in exchange for their conditions and complete ownership of the show. Brilliant business thinking! Lucy was simply the one person who could always put a smile on my face. No matter how sad I was, no matter what was wrong, somehow, always, she could make me forget my troubles-- at least for awhile and sometimes for the entire day or the entire matter. When I was studying comedy writing with the late great Danny Simon, the one principle that he always harped on was that great honesty makes great comedy. If you try to be funny, you never will. People being themselves can be downright hystrerical. Of course, the magic chemistry she shared with Desi Arnaz (the world's most perfect straight man) and Vivian Vance as Ethel and William Frawley as Fred was a giant contributor to the legendary status of "I Love Lucy"-- but fear not -- what Lucy did solo (even after "I Love Lucy") could also be downright hysterical. And what a head for business she had. She bought Desi's half of Desilu in 1960 with a three million dollar bank loan-- unheard of for a woman at that time! When she sold Desilu to Paramount Pictures seven short years later, she made aa pure profit oif 14 million dollars-- Not bad! There were so many great "Lucy" moments on that show! I remember so well the episode in which Lucy is pregnant and can't seem to tell Ricky. He's so busy. Always running to the club! No time even for morning coffee! She thinks he doesn't love her anymore. She is really sad. Finally in desperation, she goes down to the Copa and takes a table. Ricky comes onstage and announces that someone has requested the song "We're Having A Baby (My Baby and Me) As he sings and goes around the restaurant, he goes up to many couples asking them if they are the ones who requested the song! He passes Lucy and says "Oh, Hello, Honey" and keeps singing and searching for the happy couple. No one responds to his repeated question "Is it you?" Finally, it dawns on him and Ricky realizes that it's Lucy who requested that song. Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls that moment is the most magical moment of television history. The director of that particular episode --the great William Asher wrote that he was taken completely aback by the sentiment, the honesty and the sincerity that was displayed in this scene. There wasn't a dry eye in the entire live audience!~ Lucy WAS pregnant at that moment-- and despite all the troubles Lucy & Desi had in real life-- they really did love one another-- and you just know it in this scene. No doubts! Asher says he filmed a more upbeat version of the same scene-- thank goodness it was never used. Lucy attributed her success in business by saying that she ran her business like she ran her home. She would tell her children. "We touch in this family because there's never enough time to make it up later!" How true! Boy, does that hit home! My mother used to say "Don't bring me flowers after I'm dead-- I can't smell them then!" And oh do I still miss her still after thirty-one long years! Today also is the birthday of actress Billie Burke-- dear Glinda in "The Wizard Of Oz"-- a very special lady too. She had a classic quote that I love "Age doesn't matter unless you're a hunk of cheese!" As I talked about great moments in peace yesterday, I must mention that today is an anniversary for the reason for that desire for that great peace. The atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on this day in 1946. Sixty thousand people in one instant lost their lives. Another interesting note was on this day in 1947, Variety announced that the great John Garfield was to take the lead for a new Tennessee Williams play called "Streetcar Named Desire" But Garfield was a man of his word and with other contractual obligations at hand (though with a smart lawyer he could have gotten out of it) Garfield had to bow out-- leaving room for a yet unknown actor-- that actor was Marlon Brando. Isn't it funny how fate plays such an important role in our lives and destinies? We get sick and think it's disaster-- and then we meet someone because of that illness and that person provides us an opportunity that makes many things possible. So happy birthday, Lucille Ball. When I am old and gray, I will still be laughing and loving you!