April 22, 2008

Lucy Author To Appear on Internet Radio Show

Lucille Ball's career and her impact on television will be the topic on a special two part edition of Talking Television With Dave White, on April 22 and April 29 from 7:30-9 p.m. Pacific time (10:30-Midnight Eastern).

Michael Karol, author of Lucy A to Z: The Lucille Ball Encyclopedia will be the special guest. The listening audience is invited to participate by phone (800)407-KSAV(5728) or via e-mail at talk@ksav.org.

Talking Television is broadcast live, Tuesday evenings, on internet radio station KSAV (www.ksav.org). First-time listeners should visit the website prior to the broadcast day and ensure the audio streams properly. Those requiring assistance should e-mail talk@ksav.org.

April 21, 2008

Lucy's Laugh Enlivens the Solar System

We make a lot of noise here on Earth with our TV and radio broadcasts and some of that sound escapes into space. But how far will those signals travel? Is someone or something in the distant universe hearing Lucille Ball in the sky right now?

According to National Public Radio, I Love Lucy passed Proxima Centauri, the nearest star to our sun, around 1955 and has now moved past about 200 stars and who knows how many planets.

When Lucy's signal first left Earth in 1951, it was much, much louder than the hum of background radiation. But the farther waves go, the weaker they become. So while the signal may travel forever outward it eventually will become impossible to detect.

April 17, 2008

Salma Hayek Wins 2008 Lucy Award

From The Hollywood Reporter, Salma Hayek, Ginnifer Goodwin, Sherry Lansing, Diane English and the cast of English's upcoming film "The Women" will be honored at the 2008 Crystal+Lucy Awards, set for June 17 at the Beverly Hilton.

The 2008 Lucy Award for excellence in television, named in honor of Lucille Ball, will be presented to Hayek, the actress/director/producer who serves as exec producer of ABC's "Ugly Betty."

The annual dinner marks the 35th anniversary of Women in Film and supports WIF, Los Angeles (headed by president Jane Fleming) and its educational and philanthropic programs.

April 11, 2008

Lucille Ball Most Beloved Deceased Celebrity

According to a study conducted every two years by Marketing Evaluations, the Q Scores, which rate the popularity of personalities has again found Lucille Ball to be the most beloved deceased celebrity! Read more about it here.

Elvis Presley is the most familiar dead celebrity to the public (98% of the public recognizes him). Close behind is Lucille Ball (95%)

But while Elvis is the best known, that doesn't mean he's the most beloved. His Q score, rating his popularity, is 36%, while Lucy's Q score is 52%. In fact, the celebrities that people miss the most are Lucille Ball, Walt Disney, Bob Hope, John Wayne and Red Skelton.

April 09, 2008

Melody Scott, star of "The Young and the Restless" to visit Jamestown

Jamestown, NY - Melody Thomas Scott, who stars as “Nikki Newman” in The Young and The Restless, will be spending her Memorial Day Weekend holiday in the hometown of her idol, Lucille Ball!

The founding board member of the Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center in Jamestown, New York, will be highlighting the weekend-long festivities by starring in three very special events on Sunday, May 25.

That morning Melody will welcome guests to a brunch in the beautiful Tropicana Room, a recreation of Ricky Ricardo’s nightclub from the most famous sitcom in TV history, “I Love Lucy”. Melody will share stories and answer questions about her own career and how she came to love The Queen of Comedy. Each guest will receive a personally autographed picture of Melody. This limited admission event is sponsored by Roberto’s Restaurant.

Sunday night Melody will host the Lucy-Desi Fans Talent Show & Costume Contest. She will welcome the audience to the beautifully restored theatre where a young Lucille Ball watched vaudeville and movies - and was inspired to go into show business. Fans gathered from across the land will take the stage to prove their “unexpected” talents and showcase their original costumes inspired by classic moments from their - and Melody’s! - all-time favorite comedy show. Costume contest winners will receive prizes courtesy of The Franklin Mint.

Following the Talent Show & Costume Contest, the Grand Finale Wrap Party will be on the stage of the theatre, where fans will mix and mingle with Melody and the other festival VIPs, while enjoying live music, wine tasting courtesy of Johnson Estate Winery, and a wonderful dessert buffet.

For a Festival booklet or to order tickets, call (716) 484-0800 (toll-free: 1-877-LUCY-FAN) ext. 203 or visit online at www.lucy-desi.com.

April 02, 2008

Lucie Arnaz Sends Memorabilia to Jamestown

Jamestown, NY--Jamestown’s Lucy-Desi Center received a special delivery last week.

Cartons containing memorabilia that were once part of Lucille Ball’s Beverly Hills home arrived in Jamestown courtesy of Lucie Arnaz. The items had previously been showcased at Universal Studios: Hollywood where a special tribute to Lucille Ball was created in the early 1990’s and has since been seen by millions of visitors from throughout the world.

“It feels like Christmas,” said Ric Wyman, executive director of the Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center. “While we have an itemized list of everything that has been shipped to us, there will be a lot of unwrapping and excitement in the next few days,” Wyman explained.

Items that arrived include Lucille Ball’s TV console, one of Lucy’s backgammon tables, and a swag lamp that comes with a very special story.

“The story goes that Lucy didn’t like how the light from the lamp shone in her eyes while it hung above her backgammon table,” Wyman explained, “so Lucy asked a member of the house staff to fix it. Earl, the handyman, solved Lucy’s concerns by painting an empty coffee can with a metallic gold paint and sticking the can inside the lamp to shelter the direct light from Lucy’s eyes. Earl’s solution didn’t bother the Queen of Comedy at all,” Wyman said.

The painted coffee can hung in Lucy’s home in Beverly Hills for the rest of her life.

This lamp and other items on loan from Lucie Arnaz will be featured in future exhibits at the Lucy-Desi Museum.

April 01, 2008

Wilmer Valderrama Headlines Lucy-Desi Days 2008 This May

Jamestown, NY - Wilmer Valderamma, star of That ‘70s Show and Fast Food Nation and creator and host of MTV’s Yo Momma, is heading to Jamestown, New York, on Saturday, May 24, to celebrate Desi Arnaz’s contributions to the world of entertainment.

Wilmer will take the stage to share how Desi personally inspired his career and to salute the man that paved the way for other Hispanic actors in America. With a collection of rarely seen film clips of Desi’s career -- and some added surprises -- this will be a night not to miss! Wilmer fans will also be encouraged to take part in a special question and answer session that will feature highlights of Wilmer’s career to date. A gala reception with limited admission will follow.

With more than 40 events in the line-up for Lucy-Desi Days, Jamestown, New York will be the place to be on Memorial Day Weekend, May 23-25, 2008!

On Friday morning, host Linda Pellegrino will kick off the weekend festivities with a broadcast of WKBW’s AM Buffalo from the Desilu Playhouse, Jamestown’s “I Love Lucy” museum. Ms. Pellegrino will interview Lucy-Desi VIPs live on the Ricardos’ New York City living room set. Weekend Guest Passes admit festival goers to the Desilu Playhouse and the Lucy-Desi Museum for this event and throughout the weekend.

Friday afternoon, Zo Ball, Lucille Ball’s sister-in-law, and her children will welcome guests on board the Summer Wind for a cruise on Lake Chautauqua. Passengers will feel like a part of Lucy’s extended family!

Melody Thomas Scott, “Nikki” of The Young & The Restless, will share stories during Sunday brunch in the beautiful recreation of Ricky Ricardo’s Tropicana nightclub. That evening Melody will host the Lucy-Desi Fans Talent Show & Costume Contest, with prizes courtesy of The Franklin Mint. She’ll join other festival VIPs on stage afterward for a Grand Finale Wrap Party, with live music, wine and a wonderful dessert buffet!

Universal Studios’ “Lucy” (Diane Vincent) and her sidekick “Ethel” (Rhonda Medina) will host special “I Love Lucy” reenactment dinners each evening in the Tropicana Room.

Howard Rayfiel, Resident Counsel to Desilu Productions and Vice President of Lucille Ball Productions, will be joined by Wanda Clark, Lucy’s long-time personal secretary, in presenting a special slide show featuring never-before-seen photos of Lucille Ball along with storytelling, video highlights, and a question and answer session.

Tribute will be paid to We Love Lucy Fan Club President Tom Watson at the Fan Reunion and Picnic in Celoron. Steven Kay, the actor who played Little Ricky’s best pal, Stevie Appleby, in the classic episode that featured Superman, will make a special “I Love Lucy” Legend appearance.

Three events will celebrate this year’s 50th anniversary of the beginning of the television anthology series Desilu Playhouse, sponsored by Westinghouse: “I Love Lucy” film editor Dann Cahn will introduce rarely seen footage of the series plus there will be separate screenings of two episodes, Lucille Ball in “K. O. Kitty” and Desi Arnaz in “So Tender, So Profane.”

Among the free events will be outdoor movies, a Downtown Jamestown Development Corporation-sponsored “Jamestown Loves Lucy” street festival, the Prendergast Library’s exhibit of studio audience Lucille Ball TV show tickets, original “Visions of Lucy” artwork on exhibit at Roberto’s Restaurant, and Lucy’s Mystery Theatre.

Fans will have the opportunity to qualify as finalists in three Lucy street competitions that will determine the festival’s best snail snackers, spaghetti eaters and salad dressing pushers! Komedy Kollege classes will teach ballooning, juggling, and clowning.

Collectors will have great opportunities all weekend long at the Collectors Show and the Lucy-Desi Memorabilia Auction. Film fests, Lucytown Tours, Lucy-Desi photo ops, great Lucy-Desi shopping, merchandise giveaways, and more will round out the festivities!

Many Festival events are free and several ticketed events have limited admission. For a Festival booklet or to order tickets, call (716) 484-0800 (toll-free: 1-877-LUCY-FAN) ext. 203 or visit online at www.lucy-desi.com. The Lucy-Desi Museum at 212 Pine Street, Lucy-Desi Gift Shop at 300 N. Main, and Desilu Playhouse at 2 W. 3rd - all in downtown Jamestown - are open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mon.-Sat. and 1-5 p.m. Sundays.