Today marks the 112th birthday of one of the greatest talents of the 20th Century and a true pioneer, who had an immeasurable impact on the world that continues to be felt every day.
If you're my age, you know Lucille Ball from the one endless reruns of I Love Lucy, one the of the templates for television comedy we're still referencing and still trying to top. Prior to her show, she was a model and movie star - but wasn't aimed to be one of the greats. If you've seen any of her films, she seems like she's too big for what they're giving her whether it's a comedy or a drama (she appears in a couple of crime movies I've seen). But my guess is they didn't know what to do with her in a male-forward Hollywood of the time.
In musicals and comedies, it's weird to see her not given the lead. I grew up with Lucy as a huge star, so you're retroactively thinking "why can't they give her more screentime?"
She honed an act with husband Desi Arnaz, and it more or less created the basis for what would become the show they'd take to the networks. And much like Seinfeld, because it was her show and not one she was cast for, as it became a hit, she was able to build more and more of an empire, setting up Desilu Studios.
I was reminded that today was Lucille Ball's birthday by Star Trek social media, who has never forgotten that if it weren't for Lucy championing the show and everything it stands for as head of Desilu Productions, we either get no Star Trek or a very watered down show that wasn't what we think of as Star Trek. And they're still making that show.
But go back and watch some I Love Lucy. The show is so... good. Sure, it's a multi-camera show and it doesn't always fit with everything we expect out of a modern sitcom, but in addition to being a female-led show (and produced as Lucy was very involved in *everything*, more so than Desi) it's amazing to see how we're still working bits from the show now. It's a classic for a reason.
And, very indirectly, Ball is responsible for TCM. When the network was coming together and they recruited Robert Osbourne to be Robert Osbourne, it turns out that he was a friend of Ball's who had been given the opportunities in Hollywood he'd had because of her largesse paired with his know-how and encyclopedic knowledge of Hollywood history. And you do not get the TCM of today without Osbourne, pals.
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