VOICE ONE:
This is Mary Tillotson.
VOICE TWO:
And this is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English ProgramPEOPLE IN AMERICA. Today, we tell about the much-loved performerLucille Ball. Her famous television series, “I Love Lucy,” was firstbroadcast in nineteen-fifty-one.
((CUT 1: “I Love Lucy Theme”)
VOICE ONE:
The “I Love Lucy” show was a huge success. It was the mostpopular television show of the Nineteen-fifties. The kind oftelevision program Mizz Ball helped develop is called a situationcomedy. Some television experts give her credit for inventing thiskind of series. Today, some of the most popular television programsin America are situation comedies.
VOICE TWO:
One reason for the great popularity of “I Love Lucy” may havebeen its real-life connection with Mizz Ball’s family. On the show,she was Lucy, the wife of Ricky Ricardo, a Cuban musician. Ricky wasplayed by band leader Desi Arnaz, who was Lucille Ball’s husband inreal life. The show combined issues common to the life of marriedpeople living in the city with musical performances and comictheater.
Often, a show would include a part with Mister Arnaz actingseriously while Mizz Ball added a funny element. In the followingpiece, Mister Arnaz tries to sing normally and Mizz Ball adds thecomedy:
(CUT 2: By the Waters of theMinnetonka”)
VOICE ONE:
Also on the “I Love Lucy” show were Vivian Vance and WilliamFrawley. Mizz Vance played Ethel Mertz and Mister Frawley playedEthel’s husband, Fred Mertz. On the show, the Mertzes were friendsof the Ricardos and owned the building in which they all lived.
Fred Mertz loved baseball, whichwas America’s most popular sport at the time. “I Love Lucy,” oftenshowed Fred Mertz intensely watching baseball or some other sportlike boxing while Ethel added her own funny comments:
(CUT 3: “Seeing a baseball game is fun”)
VOICE TWO:
A well-known story about the “I Love Lucy Show” concerns thebirth of the Arnaz’s son, Desi Junior. Officials of the broadcastingcompany wondered what to do when Mizz Ball became pregnant innineteen-fifty-two. Mizz Ball explains that her husband, Desi, cameup with a solution:
(CUT 4: “Why don’t we have it onthe show?”)
VOICE ONE:
Mizz Ball’s pregnancy was made part of the show. In fact, criticssay the show in which Lucy Ricardo tells Ricky that she is pregnantis one of the best. In it, Lucy goes to the entertainment placewhere Ricky’s band is playing to tell him that they are going tohave a baby. Ricky suddenly understands that he is going to be afather after Lucy secretly requests the song, “We’re having a Baby:”
(Cut 5: “We’re Having a Baby”)
VOICE ONE:
Mizz Ball gave birth to her second child on the same day thatLucy Ricardo gave birth. In fact, Desi Junior’s birth date wasplanned to happen on the same day as the broadcast.
The show in which Lucy gave birth was one of the most populartelevision programs ever broadcast in America. (In fact, the storyis that Desi Junior’s birth replaced reports about DwightEisenhower’s first presidential ceremony on the front pages ofAmerica’s newspapers.)
((MUSIC BRIDGE))
VOICE TWO:
The success of the “I Love Lucy” show did not come early inLucille Ball’s life, or easily. Instead, it was the result of yearsof hard work.
Mizz Ball was born near Jamestown, New York, in nineteen-eleven.She tried to get into show business at an early age. Early on, shewent to the same acting school as the famous actress Bettie Davis.However, she left when she was told that she did not have enoughacting ability.
In the early Nineteen-Thirties, she moved to Hollywood. Sheappeared in a number of movies, but was not well-known.
VOICE ONE:
In nineteen-forty, she met the leader of a musical group who hadbeen born in Cuba. His full name was Desiderio Alberto Arnaz de Achathe Third. They worked together in a movie and married soon afterthey met. For the next ten years, she appeared in movies and onradio. He travelled a lot with his band.
In Nineteen-Fifty, the broadcasting company, C-B-S, decided tomake a television program based on the radio show, “My FavoriteHusband.” Lucille Ball was the star of the radio show. She wantedMister Arnaz to play the part of her husband on the television show.C-B-S rejected the idea. But, she refused to give up. She and Desitravelled around the country performing in a show together to provethat they would do well on television. Their show was a success.C-B-S offered them both jobs.
VOICE TWO:
Mizz Ball had another demand. She wanted her show to be aproduction of the best quality. Early television pictures were notof good quality. Mizz Ball wanted her program to be filmed, whichwould improve the picture, and then broadcast later. Yet she wantedpeople to watch the program as it was being filmed so the sound oftheir reactions could be captured.
Mizz Ball also wanted to film the shows in Hollywood. C-B-S didnot want the extra costs. So, Mizz Ball and Mister Arnaz agreed towork for less pay. In exchange, C-B-S let them own the program. Thatagreement made them owners of what would become one of the mostsuccessful programs on television.
VOICE ONE:
During the fifties, Mizz Ball won almost every honor there wasfor television actors including several Emmy Awards. Yet, even themost popular performers could not escape the political realities ofthe time. Conservative lawmakers accused Lucille Ball of being aCommunist. The Federal Bureau of Investigation kept a secret recordof information about her, just as it did about many Hollywood actorsat that time.
VOICE TWO:
Mister Arnaz supervised their company, Desilu Productions. Thecompany produced sixteen different television programs and ran threeproduction centers, called studios.
In Nineteen-Sixty, Lucille Ball and Mister Arnaz legally endedtheir marriage. Mister Arnaz sold his part of the company to hisex-wife. Mizz Ball became the first woman to head a major productioncompany. It was one of the biggest in Hollywood.
Mizz Ball also was the star of several other shows of her own.”The Lucy Show” was broadcast from nineteen-sixty-two tonineteen-sixty-eight. “Here’s Lucy” followed untilnineteen-seventy-four. Mizz Ball later sold her production companyto Paramount Studios.
VOICE ONE:
“I Love Lucy” showed Mizz Ball at her best. Mister Arnaz addedsomething that was unusual for American television at the time. Manyof the songs on the show were in Spanish. One song, “Babalu,” ispopularly connected with “I Love Lucy”. Its words are Spanish andits sound is Latin American. It is this mixture along with theexcellent performances that made the show special:
(CUT 6: “Babalu”)
VOICE TWO:
Mizz Ball died in nineteen-eighty-nine after a heart operation.Yet, she still makes people laugh. Her programs are rebroadcast ontelevision and there are hundreds of Internet sites about her. Afterall these years, everyone still loves Lucy.
(CUT 7: “I Love Lucy”)
VOICE ONE:
This Special English program was written by Mario Ritter andproduced by Caty Weaver. I’m Mary Tillotson.
VOICE TWO:
And I’m Steve Ember. Join us again next week for another PEOPLEIN AMERICA program on the Voice of America.