When deciding what to write about today, I was kind of stuck. I had a lot of thoughts all clouded up into one, but I couldn't chose just which one to talk about. So, finally, I settled on a rambling post. It's been a while since I did one of those, so why the heck not?
You'll notice on my sidebar a new banner advertising the Film Noir Contest at Film Classics. I really hope you bloggers out there click the banner and decide to participate, because in the last contest there were only two competitors, and that makes it no fun, really. So... JOIN! JOIN! I like rivalry. ;)
Also, today is August 16th, which (drum roll please) marks the ONE MONTH ANNIVERSARY OF MY BLOG! I can't believe it's already one month. This also marks exactly two weeks until I go back to school. Ew. Anyway, I've come to the conclusion that I totally LOVE blogging and all of that, so I'll be doing it for many more anniversaries to come. I'm not quitting anytime soon. :)
So last night I watched "Splendor in the Grass" for the first time. (Yeah, it's a part of my box set). It was kind of weird, but I did enjoy it. Anyway, I won't get into it because I'm saving it for my Sunday Movie Review, so you'll just have to wait until then to hear my complete opinion.
Anyway, I guess this is kind of random, but I was just thinking about how I really like most actors from the Golden Era, and up into the 60's and a little bit farther... there isn't really one I "hate." And then I thought of Robert Wagner.
Yes, this is quite random. But i always talk about the actors I love, so why not talk about the ones I don't - not really?
It's not the fact that I hate Robert Wagner as an actor, because I haven't seen enough of his movies, or "Hart to Hart" or whatever, to judge that. (And maybe hate is an eensy bit of a strong word.) It's because of what he did with Natalie Wood that makes me upset.
If you didn't know, Natalie and "RJ" were married twice. Once, in the early sixties, and then again from about 1972 to her death. He was with her that night on the boat - that night when she drowned.
I'm not going to say he murdered her, but there's totally something fishy about the way he tells his side of the story. According to the book "Natasha" by Suzanne Finstad, he took about four hours to call the Coast Guard - four hours AFTER he noticed Natalie was missing. Apparently, he thought she "may have taken the dinghy out to the diner at the shore" or something. Natalie, who was terrified of water - especially water at night, dark water? Yeah, right!
Wagner will be back on the TV screens in the USA this fall with the new "Charlie's Angels" (I know, very disgusting). He voices Charlie.
It annoys me how he doesn't do much to keep Natalie's memory alive. She was such a Hollywood giant in her time, but today she doesn't have that legendary status that most movie stars (especially those died young) of Classic Hollywood hold. He could be doing a lot more. But he never talks about her death, and he never talks about her. Whenever he gives interviews, there is no mention of her whatsoever. It was like he wasn't even married to her.
Maybe he feels guilty - but that's evidence in itself, isn't it?
He's talking about his autobiography, "Pieces of My Heart" (HA! How clever) here. What annoys me is the way he glosses over Natalie's death: "She died, but life goes on." What the heck?
Well, yeah. I just wanted to say that. I happened to catch that video, and it annoyed me, so I thought I'd... talk about it here. I'm so random. Oh, well.
Also, last night when I was watching Warren Beatty, I got a great idea for an issue of celebrity lookalikes. I went all, "Doesn't Montgomery Clift look like Warren Beatty?" and my dad was, "WHAT? no way."
But I think so. So here's my lookalies, Montgomery and Warren included.
Montgomery Clift and Warren Beatty
Jean Simmons, Vivien Leigh, Hedy Lamarr, Elizabeth Taylor
seriously, these girls look SO alike. Jean, Vivien, and Hedy could be triplets and Elizabeth could be like, their little sister or something.
Anne Bancroft and This Chick Who Played Angelina in "Splendor in the Grass"
There was also this chick in "The Snake Pit" who looked a lot like her, but I couldn't find a picture of her.
Wow, this is a really random post. And really stupid...
Well, anyway, surprisingly I've got nothing left to ramble about... and this was probably a mindless post... and I don't blame you if you found this a waste of your time... and I promise something more substantial and worthwhile tomorrow. When I've got more brain energy.
Before I start my movie review for "Woman of the Year," I'd like to quickly mention a few things. The first is that I have entered a new blogathon. Participating in the Loving Lucy Blogathon was so much fun and also helped get the word out about my blog, so I decided to join another. This one is called the "Fashion in Film" Blogathon, hosted by The Hollywood Revue (hollywoodrevue.wordpress.com). The blogathon will take place on September 24th and basically the idea is to discuss fashion in film. I'm not sure yet of what I'll blog about, but I've got time. I encourage other bloggers to join this too, because it looks like great fun.
Also, you may have noticed that my "Old Hollywood Bio" book has changed (see the sidebar). I know I promised everyone a review of "Not the Girl Next Door", but here's the thing - I lost it. The book, I mean. I wasn't very far and then somehow it got misplaced, and I can't find it. I hate when that happens! Anyway, I decided to finish "Desilu" instead. I want to write a book review of that and plan to do so soon, but I thought I'd give you all a break because you're probably tired of me babbling about Lucy (even though I could never get sick of it!). So, I've started "I Know Where I'm Going", and it looks great.
Last night I watched "Woman of the Year." I really love Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn films - they are one of my favorite screen pairings. Now that I've seen "Woman of the Year," I've viewed six of their total nine films and I plan to watch the other three eventually, too.
I'm sure most of you have already seen "Woman of the Year" and know what it's all about, but here's a brief summary, anyway.
Katharine Hepburn plays Tess Harding, a greatly respected wordly feminist who gives her views on politics in a column she runs in the newspaper. Spencer Tracy is Sam Craig, who is serious about baseball and writes the sports column. The two begin a war of words after Tess openly criticizes baseball over the radio, despite working for the same newspaper. When the two finally meet face to face, it's an instant attraction and all is forgiven. They fall in love, despite the fact that their personalities are quite different. They decided to get married but it is not long before Sam discovers he is living life as "Mr. Harding," playing second fiddle to Tess - The Woman of the Year.
This film is certainly not the BEST of the Hepburn and Tracy set, but I still enjoyed myself. It is more of a romantic comedy then you would have expected. This is the first film the two ever made together and, I think, they fall in love on the set of this movie. (Apparently, when Joseph Mankiewicz introduced Katharine Hepburn to Spencer Tracy, she went, "I'm afraid I'm too tall for you, Mr. Tracy." Ha! I love Kate).
Anyway, I think Kate and Spencer's backstage rendezvous helped them on screen. In many ways, it's quite hard to understand what makes the two of them fall for each other so hard and all of a sudden. (Besides the fact that Sam seemed to have some sort of an infatuation with Tess's legs). I think it's the most obvious "love at first sight" scenario that I've ever seen.
Whatever they lose in back story, they make up in chemistry. They're all quite affectionate and cute with each other, which is nice ("That's nice," as Tess would whisper often), but makes it more of a romance than a comedy.
I really liked Kate's performance. Actually, I quite liked the character. If you're a male chauvinist you'd probably hate her - well, then you'd hate the whole film. I guess some people could call Tess Harding annoying, but I'll tell you why I liked her. It was 1942, and, maybe with the exception of Roz Russell's Hildy Johnson in "His Girl Friday", her character was most unusual. Think about it: besides the fact that she's a woman who writes a column about politics, men and women alike actually value her opinion on serious topics. The Sam Craig character pales next to her - his greatest priority is discussing last night's fights while Tess, a woman of the world, covers the war in Europe.
That's why I liked Tess Harding. And, I liked Kate's portrayal of her.
Then there is Spencer as Sam Craig. Really, Spencer Tracy is Sam Craig and Sam Craig is Spencer Tracy. He really fits his character. Sure, maybe a younger actor would have been more physically appropriate to be romancing Kate but I still think he did a good job. He quite falteringly plays second banana to Kate - to be fair, it's really Kate's film, though. That's why it's called "Woman of the Year."
I found some weaknesses in the plot. I was kind of upset with the way Sam and Tess just fall for each other without much explanation - but even though I can take that, it annoyed me when later in the film Sam becomes all of a sudden upset of Tess's successes. For God's sake, when they were dating he crumpled in her dinner parties of foreign tongued big wigs. He knew what an important person she was to begin with, so he obviously should have been prepared if he planned on marrying her. His only excuse, I guess, was he was blinded by love.
Still, it was enjoyable. I really enjoyed the ending. Even though this movie is quite light fare and you can probably predict the ending yourself, I'll give you a big spoiler alert right here:
** SPOILER! SKIP THE NEXT TWO PARAGRAPHS IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE FILM! **
My favorite scene was the last one in which Kate tries to cook breakfast for Spencer. She realizes she really wants to be with him and make him happy like the average retro housewife. So she sneaks into his house early in the morning (no, it's not as creepy as it sounds) and attempts to make him coffee and waffles. Attempts. Even when he walks in on her and rebuffs her for what she's trying to do, she determinedly continues on. She destroys the waffles, which rise from the iron in a bubbling concoction due to yeast, and the coffee comes exploding out of the peculator. It's a really a cute scene and gives Kate a chance to show off her comedic abilities. It is quite symbolic that Tess Harding may be the Woman of the Year, but she can't do a simple task like cook breakfast.
Kate's waffles
Finally, Sam gives in and takes Tess in his arms and says some meaningful lines: "I don't want to be married to Tess Harding any more than I want you to be just Mrs Sam Craig. Why can't you be Tess Harding Craig?" I think this is a telling compromise to the end the film. It's not stereotypical: give up your job to cook the breakfast and kiss me good bye in the morning and when I come back hang up my coat for me and tell me what you and the girls did all day.Instead, it is more of a symbol of some kind of an awkward equality between the two. The best of both worlds.
Here's the trailer, because I couldn't find a video clip:
Over all, I enjoyed this movie because I enjoy Tracy and Hepburn, and I enjoy them together. Maybe I'm being a little generous, but I'll give it four out of five. Not the very BEST of their films, but being the first Hepburn/Tracy film, it's one everyone should try and see.
Actually, I've been blogging for Lucy for five days now (today is day sixth!), all in celebration of her big 100.
Here's a quick review of what I've already blogged about Lucy for her birthday....
Day One:
I discussed Lucy tributes on TV, on the web, in press releases.... etc. Btw, since that post (which I wrote on Monday), the coverage on Lucy's 100th has doubled. Among many, you can check out LIFE.com for a gallery of "Lucy's many faces," "I Love Lucy," and my personal favorite, unpublished photos of Lucy taken by LIFE. Also, Access Hollywood honored Lucy on their Friday, August 5th show with loving words about her from Mary Tyler Moore and Carol Burnett, who are just a few of the many television actresses, and actresses in general, who benefited from what Lucy has given us, as well as their five favorite "Lucy" moments. It's on their website, so check it out. That's not all - just Google "Lucille Ball," and you'll be hit with articles from top news services everywhere.
So, I thought long and hard about how to make this post on her actual birthday a really awesome tribute to the funniest lady that ever lived. I'm going to be sharing a couple things with you (And I'm really sorry if this gets a little long.... you're welcome to stop and turn away at any time, because I'm not that interesting. Well, actually, this is about Lucy. Well, Lucy and me. But anyway, it's just - I really wanted to make it an awesome post so everything will come spilling out sort of).... about why I love Lucy, what "I Love Lucy" and Lucille Ball/Lucy Ricardo means to me, and, of course, a tribute video from Frankly My Dear TV. (You expected, that right?)
(from LIFE magazine)
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How Lucille Ball Became My Favorite Actress of all Time,
And how "I Love Lucy" Became my Favorite TV Show, and all of That Jazz
The first time I ever actually watched an episode of "I Love Lucy," (and not just in passing), was when I was nine years old. That was the same year I fell in love with classic movies - but that's another story, for another day.
The thing is, even though it wasn't until then that I'd actually watched an episode, I'd always heard of "I Love Lucy" - even before I loved classic film and all things Golden Age. It was a show that my mother loved and I think, really, even if you don't watch the show, is simply the show that comes to everyone's mind when you think of "classic television." There are other shows, other shows that are wonderful -- but "I Love Lucy," holds a place in our hearts, minds, memories, etc. that other shows are forced to compete with.
The episode was "Return Home from Europe." I did not know much more than Lucy and Ricky were married - I didn't even know who Fred and Ethel were! How embarrassing is that? But it was just after dinner, and I sat down to watch it. I didn't understand where they'd been (Europe) or where they were going (New York) but I decided to watch. needless to say, I'm very thankful for watching!
That's the episode where Lucy wants to bring a heavy, Italian cheese home to her mother, who, with Mrs. Trumbell, has been watching Little Ricky back in New York. However, Ricky's not about to pay for the pricey cheese's airfare, so Lucy disguises it as a baby, thinking it will fly for free in her arms. Needless to say, the results are priceless - especially when Lucy is seated next to a fellow "mother", played by the woman who would later become Betty Ramsey in the Connecticut episodes (Mary Jane Croft, I believe).
From the opening credits of the satin heart, to the moment where Ricky finds melted cheese in an instrument in the band, I could not stop laughing. I just couldn't get over how plain funny it was. It wasn't like anything I'd ever seen before. Up until that point, I'd seen Disney Channel and was used to sarcastic humor that you could only chuckle at - but Lucy was different. The laughter I got from her was the type that makes you clutch your stomach, with tears running out of your eyes. I loved laughing like that.
That was really all it took. After that, every day after school I'd settle in for two episodes of "I Love Lucy", to make myself laugh like mad. (Those were the days when homework was just a "worksheet".) No episode failed me. I was religious. I was quickly drawn into the show and the characters in ways I'd never felt with another show (I still stand on that, by the way) - why can't Fred buy Ethel a new dress??? Why can't Ricky just let Lucy be in the show???
By November of that year, they began to air the pregnancy episodes. I was so excited and happy for Lucy and Ricky. I didn't even know anything about Lucy and Desi's real marriage, and the reason that they began to tear up in the end of "Lucy is Enciente." Even though I already knew that the baby would be a boy and his name would be Little Ricky, I was excited and almost on the edge of my seat in the "Lucy Goes to the Hospital" episode... I acted as if this was a new show, airing for the first time.
I loved seeing Lucy Ricardo, the mother. As a young kid I often paralleled TV characters with my own life, and for me to like them, or love them in this case, they needed to be likable characters... characters I could relate to. In the episodes with Lucy and Little Ricky, I was happy about the way Lucy cared for Little Ricky. Take the episode "Lucy and Superman," for example. Lucy is willing to climb out onto the ledge with all of New York City below her (and in a helmet and cape, mind you!) just to keep a promise to Little Ricky. With this episode, i could feel her love for Little Ricky in the ways my own mother loves me, and keeps her promises.
Of course, as a nine year old, I was not analyzing this as I watched. It was somewhere in the back of my brain, someplace I couldn't understand yet - but it was there. And I knew I loved Lucy because I loved to laugh, but also because I loved to smile. It's impossible to watch an episode without smiling. All of these episodes were new to me when I first watched them, despite being so old, and I anxiously awaited to see what Lucy, Ricky, and the Mertzes would be up to next... I knew "I Love Lucy," was classic. But it hadn't really yet registered in my brain how important it was in history, and all of that... I just knew I liked it.
Then there was Lucille Ball, the actress who played Lucy Ricardo. I wasn't a great researcher, as most nine years old aren't, and I didn't know much about her... it took a while for that to come. But I loved her show, and so it was as simple as that: Lucille Ball was my new favorite actress.
Over the years came the books, the TV specials, the documentaries, and the Googling... but then it was very simple. I just loved Lucy.
It's still that way. It's always going to be that way. I just can't imaging not loving Lucy, and not needing to watch the show. Because sometimes I need to - sometimes I think we all need to. Whenever I'm feeling stressed or just need cheering up, a single episode of "I Love Lucy" does the trick.
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I guess I'm not a Lucy expert, but I'm pretty close! I've read books, watched documentaries and interviews... I know a lot. So I thought it would be appropriate to give you a brief biography of her, and some of my favorite trivia (like I did on Natalie Wood's birthday).
Biography
Lucille Desiree Ball was born on August 6th, 1911 in Jamestown, New York. Her parents were Desiree "DeDe" and Henry Durrell Ball. DeDe was a beautiful pianist and was working to that profession when she met Henry. She was seventeen when she married him (it was common of those days to be married so young), and became pregnant with their first child - Lucille. Not long after she was born, Lucille and DeDe traveled to Detroit, where her father was holding down a job. There the family was united, but soon after they traveled to Michigan for a softer change of scenery. It was here where Henry worked as a telephone linesman. He worked through a rough winter storm and caught the grippe - not much longer after, he died. DeDe was about nineteen, pregnant with their second and, obviously, last child. Lucille was not yet four. They went back to New York to live with DeDe's parents, Fred and Florabelle, who raised Lucille when DeDe was gone, holding down jobs wherever she could get them. Fred, Lucille's brother, was born soon after. Lucy's childhood was tough, often parceled off from relative to relative. They were also quite poor. But she maintained a strength that she would carry with her for the rest of her life, and developed a love of acting, putting on "plays" in her front yard with friends. When she was fifteen, DeDe sent her rebellious daughter to acting school in New York. However, everyone there was too enchanted by the star pupil, Bette Davis, and did not think Lucille had any talent - she was sent home. Lucille was not discouraged, and it was not long after when she was on her way to Hollywood as one of Samuel Goldwyn's "Goldwyn Girls." She made a home there, and after she had enough money, sent for her family. She did her best to climb up the Hollywood chain. Eventually she was getting lead roles in B movies; the public dubbed "RKO's Queen of the B's." It was in 1940 when she met a Cuban drummer named Desi Arnaz on the set of one of these B movies, "Too Many Girls." They fell in love and six months later they were married. Their union proved to be a tumultuous one. They were often separated, which resulted in nasty fights. They wanted children; but Lucille suffered many miscarriages. Desi called her "Lucy," and the name stuck. Lucy continued to be the Queen of B movies, her career stuck. It was not until the late 1940's, when her radio show "My Favorite Husband" was turned into a TV show - it was called "I Love Lucy." (We don't really need to get into that, do we?) It was an amazing success. In 1960, the Arnazes ended the show and divorced. Lucy got custody of the two kids they eventually were able to have - Lucie and Desi, Jr. She did two more television shows, "The Lucy Show" and "Here's Lucy" - successful and popular in their own right, but not with the same impact of "I Love Lucy." She also made a few movies. She continued to be insanely popular with the public. She died on April 26th, 1989, at the age of 77 from a ruptured aorta.
Once again, that's just a brief little biography... there are lots of books about Lucy's life, most notably her autobiography, "Love, Lucy." So you should be sure and check that out to learn more.
Some Trivia
Carole Lombard was her favorite actress - Carole and husband Clark Gable would often come over to Lucy and Desi's ranch in the years before Carole's death, and vice versa.
She made over 100 movies, most of them B movies before "I Love Lucy" turned her into a sensation. Her own personal favorite was "The Big Street," where she played a beautiful yet cold hearted chanteuse... her co-star was Henry Fonda.
TV Guide says her face has been seen by more people than any human being who ever lived. (How awesome is that????!!!)
"I Love Lucy" went on air in 1951, and thanks to reruns, has never been off since. It plays on television someplace in the world, every day, and every day, someone's watching it. It is dubbed in twenty-two different languages.
There is a Lucille Ball Diabetes Research Library, named after her when she was honored by the Variety Club ("All Star Party for Lucille Ball.")
Her favorite song was "Make Someone Happy."
She loved the show "Three's Company," and even made a guest appearance.
Whoismorefamous.com (a little lame sounding - but they have a substantial list of "the most famous people of all time") lists Lucille Ball as the 103rd most famous person of all time.
After Desi Arnaz gave up his position as president of Desilu Studios, Lucy ran the company - she was the first woman to do so.
Her favorite episode of "I Love Lucy" is the one in which she dresses up as Queen of the Gypsies.. "The Operetta."
When Americans were polled a few years ago, they named Lucille Ball the most missed deceased celebrity.
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Okay, so this is the first of my two special tributes for Lucy.... since she is turned one hundred, I thought I'd share with you my top 100 favorite TV episodes and movies starring Lucy. I promise not to go into detail. I'll just list them. Because if I did go into detail, you'd be here forever... and I've already blabbed for too long! (But it's Lucy blabbing... so... I think that makes it better. I hope!)
Oh, and by the way - after the first few, it's kind of in no particular order. I mean... these are my one hundred favorite, just I didn't want to get into the technicalities after about the first ten.
MY TOP 100 LUCILLE BALL APPEARANCES
(in films and movies)
----
"Lucy is Enciente" - I Love Lucy
"The Handcuffs" - I Love Lucy
"First Stop" - I Love Lucy
"The Girls Want to Go to a Nightclub" - I Love Lucy
"Lucy Goes to the Hospital" - I Love Lucy
"Lucy Does a TV Commercial" - I Love Lucy
"Return Home from Europe" - I Love Lucy
"Stage Door" - movie
"Yours, Mine and Ours" - movie
"Lucy Fakes Illness" - I Love Lucy
"Lucy Thinks Ricky is Trying to Murder Her" - I Love Lucy
"The Quiz Show" - I Love Lucy
"Lucy is Jealous of Girl Singer" - I Love Lucy
"Breaking the Lease" - I Love Lucy
"The Ballet" - I Love Lucy
"Young Fans" - I Love Lucy
"Fred and Ethel Fight" - I Love Lucy
"The Gossip" - I Love Lucy
"Pioneer Woman" - I Love Lucy
"The Marriage License" - I Love Lucy
"The Publicity Agent" - I Love Lucy
"Lucy's Schedule" - I Love Lucy
"Job Switching" - I Love Lucy
"The Anniversary Present" - I Love Lucy
"The Courtroom" - I Love Lucy
"Pregnant Woman are Unpredictable" - I Love Lucy
"Lucy Hires an English Tutor" - I Love Lucy
"Sales Resistance" - I Love Lucy
"Inferiority Complex" - I Love Lucy
"The Black Eye" - I Love Lucy
"No Children Allowed" - I Love Lucy
"Ricky and Fred are TV Fans" - I Love Lucy
"Never Do Business with Friends" - I Love Lucy
"Lucy and Ethel Buy the Same Dress" - I Love Lucy
"Sentimental Anniversary" - I Love Lucy
"Fan Magazine Interview" - I Love Lucy
"Ricky Loses his Temper" - I Love Lucy
"Home Movies" - I Love Lucy
"Lucy Writes a Novel" - I Love Lucy
"The Black Wig" - I Love Lucy
"Tennessee Ernie Visits" - I Love Lucy
"Tennessee Ernie Hangs On" - I Love Lucy
"The Golf Game" - I Love Lucy
"The Sublease" - I Love Lucy
"Lucy's Mother-in-Law" - I Love Lucy
"Ethel's Birthday" - I Love Lucy
"Getting Ready" - I Love Lucy
"Lucy Learns to Drive" - I Love Lucy
"California, Here we Come!" - I Love Lucy
"Ethel's Hometown" - I Love Lucy
"L.A At Last" - I Love Lucy
"Lucy Gets in Pictures" - I Love Lucy
"The Fashion Show" - I Love Lucy
"The Hedda Hopper Story" - I Love Lucy
"Hollywood Anniversary" - I Love Lucy
"The Star Upstairs" - I Love Lucy
"Lucy in Palm Springs" - I Love Lucy
"Dancing Star" - I Love Lucy
"Harpo Marx" - I Love Lucy
"Ricky Needs an Agent" - I Love Lucy
"Lucy Visits Grauman's" - I Love Lucy
"Lucy and John Wayne" - I Love Lucy
"Ricky Sells the Car" - I Love Lucy
"The Great Train Robbery" - I Love Lucy
"Nursery School" - I Love Lucy
"The Passports" - I Love Lucy
"Staten Island Ferry" - I Love Lucy
"Bon Voyage" - I Love Lucy
"Second Honeymoon" - I Love Lucy
"Lucy Meets the Queen" - I Love Lucy
"Paris at Last" - I Love Lucy
"Lucy Gets a Paris Grown" - I Love Lucy
"Lucy in the Swiss Alps" - I Love Lucy
"Lucy Gets Homesick in Italy" - I Love Lucy
"Lucy Goes to Monte Carlo" - I Love Lucy
"Little Ricky Learns to Play the Drum" - I Love Lucy
"Visitor From Italy" - I Love Lucy
"Off to Florida" - I Love Lucy
"Lucy and Superman" - I Love Lucy
"Lucy Hates to Leave" - I Love Lucy
"Lucy Misses the Mertzes" - I Love Lucy
"Lucy Does the Tango" - I Love Lucy
"The Celebrity Next Door" - The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour
"Lucy's Summer Vacation" - The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour
"Too Many Girls" - movie
"The Facts of Life" - movie
"Lucy and Viv Put in a Shower" - The Lucy Show
"Lucy Gets Trapped" - The Lucy Show
"Lucy and Joan" - The Lucy Show
"Lucy Gets the Burtons' Ring Stuck on her Finger" - Here's Lucy
"The Long, Long Trailer" - movie
"Forever Darling" - movie
"Lucy's Italian Movie" - I Love Lucy
"The Big Street" - movie
"Best Foot Forward" - movie
"Easy to Wed" - movie
"Dance, Girl, Dance" - movie
"Sorrowful Jones" - movie
"Lured" - movie
"Mame" - movie
If you're wondering why there is a lack of "The Lucy Show" and "Here's Lucy" episodes, it's because i haven't seen that actual many. I can't find it on TV and not all the seasons our on DVD yet, so whatever I watch is usually whatever I can find on YouTube. Also, some of these movies, like "The Big Street" and "Mame" aren't actually good movies... but I enjoyed Lucy's performances in them.
(from LIFE magazine)
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Finally, I of course made a special tribute for her on Youtube... I'm still getting used to this tribute thing. I have this really old, unfortunate version of Windows Movie Maker that for some reason sticks at the beginning of clips, which really annoys me - but there's nothing I can do about it. * sigh *...and the ending is choppy, too. I really wanted this to be good and perfect, because it's Lucy's birthday, and it's her 100th!!! So I worked on it for several days... and yep. I used clips from several "I Love Lucy" episodes, and the movies "The Big Street," "Dance, Girl, Dance," "Too Many Girls," "Du Barry was a Lady" and "Beauty for the Asking".... as well as a few clips from "Lucy and Desi: A Home Movie."
I decided to use the song "Isn't She Lovely" by Stevie Wonder. Okay, so, I know the song is about a baby girl being born - you can tell from the lyrics... Just one minute old! - BUT I just liked the feel of it.... and maybe since it's a birthday tribute, it's somewhat appropriate. I know at times the lyrics don't work, but I really wanted to use this. I decided to use Lucy's "pretty" moments from her movies and television shows, and "Isn't She Lovely" just went very well. Besides. She was lovely..
So.... yep. I really hope you enjoy it and I hope it captures... I don't know the word. "Birthday spirit"? Lol.
♥♥♥
Soo, there it is. I hope I was able to give Lucy a little bit of the 100th birthday tribute she deserves!!!!
Lucille Ball was - and is - truly amazing. She's inspirational, too. She had a spirit in her that never gave up. And she inspires me to do the same...She was just a girl growing up in a small town in New York, struggling a little, and she was able to make herself famous around the whole world! Chances are, I'm not likely to become an actress like she. But I love to write. And Lucy proves to me that with handwork and determination, anything is possible - and if I want to write, I'll write.
Thanks a billion, Lucy. And happy birthday. <3
One of my favorite photos of Lucy
I can hardly wait to see other blogger's tributes, and I hope you've enjoyed mine. I'll be watching Lucy all day long, and I've got a feeling I won't be the only one.
As you can tell (a la the exclamation points) I'm pretty excited for Lucy's bday. I mean, all of us Lucyphiles are just bouncing off the wall. ;) I feel like Princess Ann in that scene of Roman Holiday when Joe picks her up all drowsy on the streets of Rome - "So happy, so happy." Except, in a more alert state.
So, I thought I'd start of Birthday Week with a little guide on how to celebrate the Lucy festivities.
The most obvious thing you could do is travel to Jamestown, New York, for the Lucille Ball 100th Birthday Celebration. As all us Lucyites know, Jamestown is Lucy's hometown and the location of the Lucy-Desi Museum, Desilu Playhouse, "The Tropicana Club," and Lucy's childhood home and gravesite, all founded by Lucy's children, especially Lucie Arnaz.
But Rianna won't be going to Jamestown... ** weep weep ** ....
...
:(
- Attempts to brighten up - however, for those of you who may be lucky to go, the festival takes place from the 3rd to the 7th and will feature Joan Rivers as a highlight for stand up comedy. And, AND, for those of us Lucyphiles who won't be able to make it there, this guide is for you - we can STILL celebrate Lucy's birthday!
I am happy to announce that there are going to be lots of Lucy tributes televised over the following days. I was a little nervous at first, especially since last year instead of showing Lucy's movies on TCM (on the 6th) they showed Ingy's. (And I <3 Ingy, too, of course, but I mean... Ingy's birthday is on the 29th. They could've waited until then!!). But, things are different this year.
August is "Summer Under the Stars" month on TCM, and Lucy will be one of the honorees (to check out the rest of the awesome stars, see here: TCM Summer Under the Stars). Of course, she takes the August 6th spot.
Lucy's page on Summer Under the Stars - how awesome is that??!!
So, of course, they'll be showing Lucy all day on the 6th. Obviously in the line up is "The Long, Long Trailer." Some other interesting movies - "Miss Grant Takes Richmond" (I can hardly wait to catch this... it's with William Holden, and I've been dying to see it, but unfortunately it's not available on Netflix), "Panama Lady" and "The Affairs of Annabel." (Unfortunately, they'll be showing that at three in the morning so I'll have to TiVo it, I guess).
Here's the whole schedule:
I'm pretty happy with the lineup. A lot of these are "B" movies from the 1940's, but they star Lucy, so that's okay. In my opinion, though, it would have been nice to add "Yours, Mine and Ours" (I adore that one) with Henry Fonda, from 1968, and maybe a few of the movies she made with Bob Hope. (Don't see any of them here). Still, they've done a pretty good job, and we'll take what we get!
That's what TCM has got in store (God Bless TCM!). Next up, Hallmark Channel, the home of "I Love Lucy" is joining in the fun with a "100 Years of Lucy: Birthday Bash" celebration, taking place on August the 6th and 7th.
Which is a marathon of back to back "I Love Lucy" episodes - and no "Fraisier" in between! - starting at 5:00 AM Saturday the morning, and closing at 8:00 AM Monday morning. So you can watch "Lucy" all weekend long. Unfortunately, we won't get a mix of Lucy's three shows, but "I Love Lucy" in itself is great enough. Looks like there will be all the classic episodes, like "Lucy Does a TV Commercial" (where the amazing Vitavetavegamin tidbit comes from) and the candy scene in "Job-Switching."
I think I'll tune in for TCM's Lucy marathon on the 6th, then stop by at Hallmark for the rest of the weekend for "I Love Lucy." Or you could alternate and a get a nice mix of both. ;)
Here is the schedule on Hallmark. Click the tabs to view Saturday, the 6th.
Besides these televised tributes and the Festival in New York, there have already been lots of press releases about Lucy. I saw in yesterday's issue of Parade a notice about Lucy's 100 Birthday - I was pink with pleasure, and cut it out to add to my Lucy press clippings - and more honors are popping up throughout the web.
And that's just a little bit of the web - don't forget us Bloggers, especially the thirty two bloggers (Frankly, My dear included) that are a member of the "Loving Lucy Blogathon." (And if you Blog yourself, it's not too late to join! Click the banner on my sidebar).
We love Lucy, and we remember Lucy. It's pretty amazing that so many years after her death people still care and want to celebrate her big 100. How awesome is that???!!!! Pretty awesome.
So, there it is. The first day of Lucy's birthday bash.
Only five more days until Lucytennial!!!! Can you hardly WAIT???
Until tomorrow, keep Loving Lucy - and by the way, it's never too early to start celebrating. Why not go and catch an episode of "I Love Lucy" now?
You may know that - I mentioned it yesterday - Lucille Ball, the Funniest Lady to ever Live, will turn 100 years old on August 6th!! (Well, she would if she were still alive).
Trueclassics.wordpress.com is hosting - drum roll please - a "Loving Lucy Blogathon!" I created this blog just yesterday, but I already knew that my first real post (consider yesterday's some sort of an introduction) would have to be about Lucy. And that's wonderful, because then I can join the "Loving Lucy Blogathon."
I could go on forever about Lucille Ball. Trust me - my friends and family can tell you that, too! I'm scheming up some massive sort of blog tribute for her actual birthday. So, I'm not going to go all out in this particular blog... this is mostly for being accepted into the Blogathon. (And so I can put one of those awesome banners on my sidebar!)
So today I'll present to you simply this:
The Reasons Why I Love (And You Love, and She Loves) Lucy
This list could go on eternally. But I know you don't have time to sit here and read my Blog all day, so I'll try to keep it to a minimum.
1) Stating the Obvious: She's Funny
You can't really put it into words. Instead of flipping through my thesaurus and dictionary for hours on end (that versus writing "She's realllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllly funny"), I thought I'd just share a clip from what I consider to be one of her funniest moments.
(You know it - I don't own this clip! Many thanks to the uploader of it).
"Spoon your way to health!"
2) She's lovely - without trying too hard
Lucy was obviously pretty. I am all one for glamour, but Lucy didn't need any of that to make herself pretty... she wasn't afraid to get the pie in the face or wear the black teeth or mess her hair up. She didn't care if it made her look unflattering (though you could see lovely Lucy deep down in there), if I was essential to the role, and to make us laugh, she didn't care.
As "Queen of the Gypsies" -
she played a haggle toothed Gypsy... it was one of her favorite - and funniest - roles
3) Desilu
Though their marriage ended in divorce, Lucy and Desi were really a good team... that includes professionally. They really built an empire out of nothing. Did you know that besides "I Love Lucy", Desilu Productions produced "The Andy Griffith Show," "The Untouchables," "Star Trek," "That Girl,"... just to name a few?? I also think that the fact that they were married in real life during the run of "I Love Lucy" really helped the relationship between Lucy and Ricky more poignant and believable. Below is the very best expression of this: this is the episode in which Lucy tells Ricky she's pregnant. The tears in this are real and unscripted; the story goes that after it was shot, the director told them they'd have to do it again. But the audience stood up and protested, and this version was kept in. I'm glad - it makes it so much more memorable!
"We're having a baby - my baby and me"
4) She cheers you up - and makes you happy
It has been said - and by Lucy herself - that her favorite song was "Make Someone Happy." I think Lucy very much accomplished this. Lucy Ricardo could just cheer you up. She was very imperfect but at the same time that makes her so much more lovable. Whenever I feel upset, I can turn on "I Love Lucy" and make myself feel better again... And it's not just me. I mean, lots of people feel this way - that's why "I Love Lucy" is still popular nearly 60 years after first going on air (and it hasn't been off since!).
How can this NOT make you smile?
5) The blazing red hair
Well, just look at the picture below and you'll get the idea. I also love the fact how, unlike many who dye their hair, she was the first one to poke fun at it and make a "Henna Rinse" joke.
"I saw the flames!"
6) She didn't give up.
There are many examples in Lucy's life when she could have given up - but didn't. She actually had a difficult childhood, in many terms. She lost her father at four. Her family wasn't very rich, and she was often packaged off from relative to relative (though her mother did love her very much, she had to hold down a job wherever she could get one). But she continued onto pursue her dreams. When she was about fifteen or sixteen, her mother enrolled her in an acting school in New York City. She was overshadowed by a star pupil named "Bette Davis" (hmmm?? wonder whatever happened to her? Just kidding ;D) and was sent home, told that she didn't have any "talent." (I wonder how stupid they felt when "I Love Lucy" came out). She didn't give up though. She pushed and pushed and got to Hollywood, where they stuck here in RKO to make B movies. But she still didn't give up. And finally, she made it to the top.
7) She's like another friend. I guess she just always seemed very genial, happy, and appreciative of her fans. She always looked happy to know that people were watching her shows and enjoying them. She just looks like she'd make an amazing friend.
Dance, Girl, Dance!
(the name of a 1940 "B" movie Lucy made with good friend Maureen O'Hara)
8) She was a true professional. Anyone who worked with her can vouch for this. She was a perfectionist. They filmed these shows before a live audience, and didn't have the options for retakes on most occasions. If they made a mistake, they usually had to do their best to cover it up. Lucy never really made mistakes (or, who knows? Maybe she did, but she was too brilliant that she covered it up beautifully and no one ever noticed!!)... from everything I've read or heard about her, she just seems to seem like overtly professional. She did what was necessary to make her show good and audiences happy. One of my favorite stories is told by "I Dream of Jeannie" star, Barbara Eden. Barbara had a role in the episode "Country Club Sirens" as the sultry Diana. They gave her a sort of dismal dress for the episode. Lucy saw it, told her to take it off, and with her assistant, spent hours gluing little rhinestones over the dress so that it sparkled all over. "It was the nicest thing a big television star like that ever did for me," Barbara said of it later.
Barbara speaks of the incident
I have a lot more to say, but I think I'll save it for Lucy's big 100th birthday Blog (I can hardly wait!!). Now, I'm going to go and proudly add myself into the "Loving Lucy Blogathon." If you Blog, you should most certainly go over to yours, hit "New Post," and join the Blogathon.
While I'm here, I also want to wish a happy birthday to Phylis Diller - who turns 94 today - and belated happy birthdays to Barbara Stanwyck and Ginger Rogers (who were yesterday, July 16th - Ginger would've turned 100, too!). I would have done Blogs on that, but I was just getting this started and I hope this makes up for it, a little!
I'll leave you with a picture of Lucy making her "spider face." ;)
