July 25, 2010

Lucy’s 99th birthday celebration in August

The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center of Jamestown is proud to announce activities for the Lucille Ball New Comedy Celebration, commemorating what would have been Lucy's 99th birthday. It is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 6 and Saturday, Aug. 7.

A special discounted admission will be offered during the festival weekend only. A $15 dual admission will be reduced to $10 per person for both museums, $5 per person for either one separately. Special merchandise sales and promotions will also be in effect.

The Downtown Jamestown Development Corporation will host its annual Taste of Jamestown on Third Street between Pine and Cherry streets on both days. The center will host a birthday party at the its 300 N. Main Street location from noon-3 p.m. on Aug. 6, in conjunction with the Taste. The party will include cakes donated from local bakeries, caterers and stores; as well as a wine tasting of Willow Creek Winery's signature chocolate wine.

The center will also present a silent auction in the same location featuring memorabilia and collectibles. This will take place both days.

The celebration will continue as the Lucy-Desi Center, in association with the Reg Lenna Civic Center, presents the comedic talents of Chris (Crazy Legs) Fonseca Friday, Aug. 6 at 7:30 p.m. Chris has been dubbed America's original sit down comic, having been born with cerebral palsy. His media appearances include The Howard Stern Show, Late Night with David Letterman, The American Comedy Awards, Entertainment Tonight, Baywatch and many others. Tickets, just $20, are general admission seating and may be purchased online at www.lucy-desi.com, at either of the Center's museum gift shops, or at the Reg Lenna box office.

A special Lifetime Membership campaign for the Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center will be brought back during the month of August in honor of Lucy's Birthday. The cost is $1000 and this membership offer includes many special benefits.

The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center gratefully acknowledges the support of their sponsors which includes: Advertising Advantage, Coach USA, Community Bank, Desilu, Too, LLC, Down Jamestown Development Corporation, Garden of Eden, Hanson Signs, Jamestown Area Chamber of Commerce, Jamestown Mattress Company, Jon Elder Productions, Lake County Chrysler, Kia and Dodge, Nord Tech, Rhoe B. Henderson Agency, Roberto's, Star Media Group, Betty Schults, Summer Wind, and Talking Phone Book.

For more information about the Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center, call 484-0800 or visit www.lucy-desi.com. Hours for the Lucy-Desi Museum (10 West Third St.) and the Desilu Playhouse Museum (2 West Third St.) are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

July 22, 2010

Lucie and Desi Jr. (Re)create Famous Photo of Their Parents

For more than a half-century, the legendary entertainment couple—Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz – has held the key to America’s heart—and, after 1954, they also held the Key to the City of Miami!

When their children – Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz, Jr. – arrived in Miami last week to celebrate their father's legacy with a four-day engagement of Babalu—a concert tribute to Desi's music at the Adrienne Arsht Center—they, too, won the hearts of our community and earned the Key to the City of Miami. Joined by City of Miami officials and a barrage of media, Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado, Lucie and Desi recreated the famous photo their parents took outside City Hall in 1954 when Miami first welcomed them with open arms.


Pictured above is a Mid-1950s scene of the I Love Lucy cast taken behind City Hall with then mayor, Randy Christmas.


And the recreation above of Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz, Jr. with Miami Mayor Regalado recreate their parents’ famous photo in front of City Hall. Photo by Manny Hernandez.

July 18, 2010

Auction House Returning Some Items to Lucie Arnaz

The auction house in charge of selling Lucille Ball's memorabilia, which were embroiled in a legal battle, withdrew the actress’ lifetime achievement awards from the auction and will give them to her daughter, Lucie Arnaz.

Heritage Auction Galleries says a deal was reached on Saturday to return the prized possessions. "The lawsuit between Susie McAllister Morton and Lucie Arnaz Luckinbill has been amicably settled," said Doug Norwine, Head of the Music and Entertainment Division for the Hertiage Auction Galleries.

"The auction will now go forward as planned. As part of the settlement Heritage has withdrawn 5 awards and a painting by Ratterman. We believe that most or all of these items will now be donated to a charitable institution."

The other items including love letters - which are currently selling for $1,300 - and a Rolls Royce, will remain up for grabs.

Earilier, there was a legal disagreement between Lucie Arnaz and Susie Morton, the widow of her mother's second husband, Gary Morton, who offered the items for sale.

Lucie Arnaz initially wanted 13 of the more than 150 items set to be sold at the auction, including eight love letters Ball had exchanged with Gary Morton and five lifetime achievement awards, to be given to her so she can donate them to her parent's charity, he said.

Lucie said the returned awards will be displayed in a museum honoring her mother.

July 16, 2010

Judge Rules in Favor of Lucie Arnaz to Block Auction But Imposes Unafordable Bond

This just in from Yahoo News: Some of Lucille Ball's love letters and awards will be sold at auction after a judge ruled to block the sale but imposed a hurdle that the comedienne's daughter cannot overcome.

While Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Robert O'Brien agreed to block the sale Friday, he imposed a $250,000 bond that Lucie Arnaz Luckinbill would have to pay to get a restraining order issued. Her attorney, Ronald Palmieri, said the amount is too high and can't be met.

"We won on a legal basis, and the judge took it away from us on an economic basis," Palmieri said. "That is very sad."

Lucie Arnaz Luckinbill is the daughter of Ball and first husband Desi Arnaz. She sought the return of some of the items after Susie Morton, the widow of Ball's second husband, Gary Morton, offered them for sale.

Ball and Gary Morton were married until the time of the actress' death in 1989. He later married Susie Morton. She consigned several items to Heritage Auction Galleries, including a Rolls-Royce, some of the couple's love letters, photos and Ball's personal items. The items are scheduled to go on sale Saturday at an auction being conducted online and in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Morton sued Luckinbill this week, seeking a judge's order allowing the sale to go forward. Luckinbill in turn sought the restraining order Friday.

Through Palmieri, she had sought the return of the love letters and Ball's lifetime achievement awards, which she said would be donated to a museum honoring her mother.

Heritage President Greg Rohan has said the auction house supported Susie Morton and had received documentation from her affirming her right to sell the items.

Susie Morton's lawsuit claimed that Luckinbill had forfeited her right to the items after her mother's estate was distributed.

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I hope Susie Morton has the decency to allow Lucie Arnaz to obtain her mother's personal items or at least donates them to the Lucy-Desi Museum in Jamestown, NY. It's a shame to use Lucille Ball's legacy for her own personal gain without even asking Lucy's own children first.

I hope if these items are auctioned, that the people who buy them would donate them or offer them back to Lucie.

July 13, 2010

Lucie Arnaz Trying to Block Lucille Ball Items Going Up for Auction

Lucie Arnaz, daughter of Lucille Ball, is trying to block the Heritage Auctions from auctioning off the personal effects that belonged to her mother, Lucille Ball.

The auction is set for July 17th and include love letters between Lucille Ball and her second husband Gary Morton, her 1984 Rolls Royce and her personal address book that includes addresses from many stars from her day, artwork, silverware and Ball’s favorite backgammon boards, a game which was reportedly a passion of the actress.

These items came into the hands of Susie Morton, who married Gary Morton in 1996, after the death of Lucille Ball in 1989.  Susie Morton is better known as Susie McAllister, a former professional golfer on the LPGA Tour.

According to the suit brought forth by Susie Morton, she came into ownership of these items upon the death of her husband, Gary Morton, in March 1999.  She claims that Lucille Ball willed her residential real property in Palm Springs, "along with the furniture, furnishings, household equipment and appliances located therein" to Gary Morton. The property included "jewelry, furs, clothing and personal effects," artwork and autographed photographs, according to the complaint.

Upon the death of her husband, she claims she inherited his personal property - including the property he had inherited from Lucille Ball.

When Susie contacted Heritage Auctions to auction off Lucille Ball's items, she said that Lucie Arnaz, through an attorney, claimed "that the items of Morton personal property were Lucille Ball's 'personal effects' and should have been distributed to her [Lucie Arnaz]."

Susie Morton seeks declaratory judgment, a restraining order and injunction, so she can auction off the items. 

http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/07/13/28767.htm

July 08, 2010

I Love Lucy Marathon on Hallmark on July 11

The Hallmark Channel will add an extra hour of I Love Lucy in the mornings starting next week (Monday, July 12) at 10am (so Lucy will air now 10am-1pm), now they have added a marathon the day before. On Sunday, July 11, 2010, The Hallmark Channel will have an all-day marathon of the classic '50s sitcom from 6am-4am.

July 07, 2010

More on Lucille Ball Items to be Auctioned

BEVERLY HILLS, CA -- Fans of the late great Lucille Ball are about to get an exceedingly rare chance to acquire many of the personal effects and mementos of the legendary comedienne – including love letters from Lucy to her second husband, Gary Morton, Lucy’s Rolls Royce, her personal address book and a trio of her favorite backgammon boards – as a trove of Lucy-related material readies for Heritage Auction Galleries Beverly Hills’ July 17 Signature® Music & Entertainment Memorabilia Auction.

This remarkable and likely once in a lifetime offering comes to Heritage via Susie Morton, who married Gary Morton in 1996, seven years after Lucy passed away in 1989. Susie Morton is perhaps better known as Susie McAllister, as she was known during her days as a professional golfer on the LPGA Tour.
“Susie has lived with these relics of Lucy and Gary’s life for more than 10 years,” said Doug Norwine, Director of Music & Entertainment Auctions at Heritage. “She did it out of respect for her late husband and out of respect for Lucy’s amazing legacy. Now she’s ready to part with these treasures as she remodels her house to make it completely her own.”

Lucille Ball, one of the greatest comedic talents of the 20th Century, and the star of television’s I Love Lucy, among her numerous stage and screen credits, was a notoriously private woman, and one who never let the broader public past her Hollywood persona and who treasured discretion above all else concerning her friends and family.

Now, for the first time, Lucy’s private side is being revealed in this amazing archive, especially as evidenced by the various groupings of correspondence between her and Morton that span the 28 years of their devoted marriage. The love letters are especially poignant, consisting of eight different items, including a pretty Valentine's Day card, and a three-page handwritten letter on Hudson-Rissman Decorative Accessories stationery, which the star has signed boldly in blue ink, "Lucy." This letter is quite touching – Lucy had forgotten that morning to wish Gary a Happy Birthday.

"... I love you,” she wrote, “and I know I must have hurt you so much this morning - Please forgive me..."
Lucy and Gary’s 1984 Silver Spur Rolls Royce marks one of the most interesting lots in the grouping and will give one fan an up-close-and-personal relationship with this stylish sedan owned and used by Lucy and Gary in the last years of their happy life together. The car features a white finish with tan vinyl hard top, boasts a powerful V8 engine and the innovative self-leveling suspension that made the model famous. It has vanity plates reading "GARY M” and, perhaps most stunningly, the odometer shows a mere 21,260 miles.
Anyone who knew Lucy well knew of her deep and abiding passion for the game of backgammon – she was known to be a world class player, to have a board in every room, and one by the pool – which she played on a daily basis, without fail. Included in this auction are three portable backgammon boards from Lucy’s personal collection, which will give collectors a chance to ponder the same points on one of three boards that the legendary redhead herself used to consider as she schooled her various opponents.

Also of note, among so many notable lots, is Lucy’s Personal Address Book dating to the mid-1960s. Its contents include addresses and phone numbers for dozens of celebrities of the time, among them Jack Benny, Edgar Bergen, Milton Berle, Dean Martin, Ethel Merman, Edward G. Robinson and many more, as well as her perennial TV co-stars Vivian Vance and Gale Gordon and her former husband, Desi Arnaz, complete with much annotation, some of it in Lucy's own handwriting.

Lucy was the recipient of numerous awards and honors during her prolific life, and several of these are up for auction as part of this collection, including her Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year Award from 1988, her TV Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award from 1984 and her 1984 Vision Award from the Center for the Partially Sighted in Los Angeles.

Lucy and Gary were also avid art collectors, and devoted a great amount of passion to the paintings in their home. Besides the quality of the artwork, the couple were frequently photographed in front of their favorites and, where applicable, those photographs come with the work itself. Among the highlights are L'Opera, Paris by Regis (Count) de Bouvier de Cachard, pictured in the auction catalog cover, The Joker (1965) by Albert Locca, one of Lucy’s favorite pieces, and New York Traffic by Meinsdorff.

“This barely begins to touch the surface of how deep this archive goes,” said Norwine. “We have a huge selection of artwork, dishware, silverware, perfume bottles and various trinkets that came straight from Lucy. The things in this grouping are literally the things Lucy lived with every day during the last portion of her life.”

Heritage Auctions, founded by Steve Ivy and Jim Halperin, is the world’s third largest auction house, with annual sales more than $600 million, and 500,000+ registered online bidder members. For more information about Heritage Auctions, and to join and gain access to a complete record of prices realized, along with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, please visit HA.com.

Lucille Ball items going up for auction

 More information on the Lucille Ball items that are going up for auction this July 17th by Heritage Auctions.

Heritage Auctions announced the sale of rare personal effects and mementos of the legendary comedienne including love letters between Ball and her second husband Gary Morton, her 1984 Rolls Royce and her personal address book.

These items and more are being offered as part of Heritage Auction Galleries Beverly Hills’ July 17 Signature Music & Entertainment Memorabilia Auction. The love letters between Ball and Morton span their 28 year marriage and her address book includes listings for some legendary performers including Jack Benny, Edgar Bergen, Milton Berle, Dean Martin, and Ethel Merman.

The auction is being made possible due to the items coming to Heritage via Susie Morton, who married Gary Morton in 1996, seven years after Ball died in 1989. Morton is perhaps better known as Susie McAllister, a former professional golfer on the LPGA Tour.

“Susie has lived with these relics of Lucy and Gary’s life for more than 10 years,” said Doug Norwine, Director of Music & Entertainment Auctions at Heritage. “She did it out of respect for her late husband and out of respect for Lucy’s amazing legacy. Now she’s ready to part with these treasures as she remodels her house to make it completely her own.”

Other items up for auction will include artwork, silverware and Ball’s favorite backgammon boards, a game which was reportedly a passion of the actress.

July 05, 2010

Lucille Ball's Rolls-Royce Up For Auction

Lucille Balls’ Rolls Royce will hit the market later this month at a Heritage Auction Galleries event in Beverly Hills, California.

The 1984 Rolls Royce Silver Spur sedan was owned and driven by the “I Love Lucy” television star and her second husband, Gary Morton. Love letters from Lucy to Gary, her address book and other personal items owned by the beloved actress will be offered on July 17, 2010. The car has a white finish with a tan vinyl hard-top and the odometer shows 21,260 miles. Other items include Ball’s personal address book with listings for phone numbers for famous celebrities of the era including Steve Allen, Jack Benny, Edgar Bergen, Milton Berle, Gypsy Rose Lee, Dean Martin, Ethel Merman and Edward G. Robinson as well as her former husband, Desi Arnaz, and her television show co-stars, Vivian Vance and Gale Gordon. The items were consigned by Morton’s third wife, former professional golfer Susie (McAllister) Morton who married him in 1996, seven years after Ball died.

Susie has lived with these relics of Lucy and Gary’s life for more than 10 years and kept them out of respect for her late husband and Lucy’s amazing legacy. Now she’s ready to part with these treasures as she remodels her house to make it completely her own,” said Doug Norwine of Heritage.

The Rolls has an opening bid of $25,000 and could sell for over $50,000.