"Twenty-three percent alcohol?!"
I believe she is and will always be one of the funniest people on television (although I may be biased—I Love Lucy is one of my absolute favorite shows). This clip from one of my favorite episodes made me laugh when I was a kid as it makes me laugh now. And that is the magic of Lucille Ball—her timelessness. Can we honestly point to any contemporary TV personality today who will charm audiences in 50 years?
Not only was Lucille Ball a comic genius, but she was a pioneer for the entertainment industry—she was the first woman to run a major television studio (Desilu, founded by her and Desi Arnaz), she and Arnaz developed the three-camera filming style which would become a staple of sitcom production for decades, and she was among the first people to successfully fight the House Un-American Activities Committee.
Lucille Ball has also been featured on the cover of TV Guide more than any other person.
The Museum of Broadcast Communications has a great bio on the life and legacy of Ball:
Her comedic skills were grounded in the style of the silent comics, and Buster Keaton, with whom she once shared an office at MGM, seems to have been particularly influential in the development of Lucy's daring exploits, hang-dog expressions, and direct looks at the audience ... So distinct were her rubbery facial expressions, that scriptwriters for I Love Lucy referred to them with specific code word notations. For example, the cue "puddling up" directed the star to pause momentarily with huge tear-filled eyes and then burst into a loud wail. "Light bulb" was an indication to portray a sudden idea, while "credentials" directed the star to gape in astonished indignation.
Life magazine also released a gallery of unpublished photos of the star, many from her modeling career before she established herself as the undisputed "first woman of television."
Happy birthday, Lucy!
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I do LOVE Lucy!
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