Couple in running to win 'Lucy' wedding

Reported fm democrat and chroniclee by Meaghan M. McDermott, Staff writer:

As a young girl, Jessica Battaglia relished snuggling in front of the television, watching episodes of I Love Lucy with her mom.

As she grew older, I Love Lucy became a bigger part of the Battaglia family's traditions, when they'd gather together to watch reruns of the long-running CBS series or wholesome comedies starring husband-and-wife team Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.

Now, Battaglia, 27, hopes I Love Lucy can become an even larger part of her life: she and fiancé Benjamin Bianchi are in the running to win the Lucille Ball Hometown Wedding Giveaway. They are competing in the online contest against four other contestant couples from across the country.

Grand-prize winners in the mediaonebridal.com contest will receive a 1950s-inspired wedding and cocktail reception at the Tropicana Room in Jamestown, Chautauqua County, and a free honeymoon.

Battaglia, a 2001 graduate of Greece Arcadia High School and 2005 St. John Fisher College graduate, said she loves Lucy because the comedy is timeless, Ball's skills with physical comedy are unmatched and the humor is family-friendly.

"It would be a dream come true to win this wedding," said Battaglia. The wedding would be a perfect complement to the extensive collection of I Love Lucy and Lucille Ball memorabilia that fills parts of her Penfield home, and to her tradition of visiting Jamestown for annual Lucy-Desi Festival events. Jamestown is Lucille Ball's hometown, and home to the Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center.

Battaglia wouldn't have had even a shot at the dream wedding if not for her fiancé. Although the couple learned of the contest early, they'd let the days slip away from them and it wasn't until late in the morning of the contest deadline that Bianchi remembered they hadn't finished their entry.

"I ran home on lunch and put (the video) together, just on a whim," he said. "I knew she really wanted to win."

He told her on Dec. 15 that he'd submitted the entry and on Dec. 16, they learned their entry was picked for the finals.

"Winning this would really be a memorable experience," said Bianchi, 32.

"It would be something we'll always be able to tell our grandkids. There's nobody else going to have a wedding like that."

The contest winners will be announced around Valentine's Day. The wedding will take place July 30, in honor of what would have been Lucille Ball's 100th birthday.

How to vote

To cast an online vote for Penfield couple Jessica Battaglia and Benjamin Bianchi in the mediaonebridal.com Lucille Ball Hometown Wedding Giveaway, go to www.lucilleballhometownwedding.com. Voting closes Feb. 11.

Lucille Ball Specials: Happy Anniversary and Goodbye & What Now Catherine Curtis to be Released on DVD by Christmas!

MPI is releasing two of the Lucille Ball Television Specials on December 14, 2010: "Happy Anniversary and Goodbye" and "What Now Catherine Curtis?". These one hour Specials both featured the great Art Carney (from The Honeymooners) with Lucy.

Happy Anniversary And Goodbye directly followed the last episode of Season 6 of Here's Lucy, airing on November 10, 1974. Lucy was paired with Art Carney again, as they had previously played a married couple in the great 1967 Walter Matthau/ Inger Stevens comedy, A Guide For The Married Man. Lucy and Art play Malcom and Norma Michaels who are celebrating their 25 year Wedding Anniversary, and at the same time are losing their only daughter who is getting married. When their daughter marries, they see each other alone for the first time in decades and realize they are very unhappy with what they see and decide to separate. After living apart for awhile, they realize just how much love there actually was between just the two of them. This is just a beautifully acted special and is very touching. Lucy played comedy/drama just as well as comedy. (If you've ever seen Stone Pillow or any of her earlier drama films, you'll know what I mean.) You will also see a very young Arnold Schwarzenegger making his American television debut as Rico, the muscled masseur.

The second special What Now Catherine Curtis?, is divided into 3 Acts. This Special aired on March 30, 1976. The first Act is a Monologue with just Lucy speaking of her life on being divorced after 23 years of marriage. Act 2 titled, First Night, is about how Catherine, now living alone in her own new apartment, is getting ready to embark on a new romance with Art Carney- a widowed carpenter. The last Act 3 is titled First Love. Catherine is confronted with fears of falling in love with a man 14 years younger than herself, played by Joseph Bologna. Lucy is magnificent in these 3 Acts! I think it's because she is playing a part so close to herself! She was faced with fears of being alone after her divorce from Desi and both Desi and Gary Morton are younger than Lucy, so these are fears that Lucy really did deal with in her own personal life. Lucy's performance is priceless!

With these two Specials being released on December 14, 2010, that only leaves 4 more Lucy Specials left to be released on dvd- Lucy In London, Carol Plus Two, Lucy Comes To Nashville and Lucy Moves To NBC!

You can order this directly through the Everything Lucy store!  Your purchase helps support our site and continuing news updates on this blog!  Thanks for your support.  You can also pre-order through the link below as well as order the previous Lucille Ball Specials that were released:

Here's Lucy Season 4 DVD Revealed

MPI Home Video will be releasing the Lucille Ball hit, "Here's Lucy" - Season 4 sometime in the first quarter of 2011. MPI still hasn't formally announced the actual release date yet.

Lucille Ball is joined by her real-life children in her third long-running sitcom. Lucy plays Lucille Carter, widowed mother of teenagers Kim and Craig. Lucy works for her brother-in-law, played by Gale Gordon, who owns Carter's Unique Employment Agency, leading Lucy into endless predicaments and hilarious hijinks.

The complete fourth season of Here's Lucy (1972-72, CBS TV) features all 24 color episodes uncut and digitally remastered for superious quality, plus a wealth of new and never-before-seen special features. Guest starts include Tony Randall, Flip Wilson, Ginger Rogers, Mike Conners, Dinah Shore, Rich Little, Kaye Ballard, Bob Cummings, Helen Hayes, Wally Cox, David Frost, Dan Dalley, Allen Funt and Vivian Vance.

Each Here's Lucy DVD features a treasure-trove of new and previously unseen bonus material, including exclusive featurettes and videotaped introductions by Lucie Arnaz, Desi Arnaz Jr., Gues Stars and Production Personnel. Unreleased Home movies and behind-the-scenes footage.  It also includes "Let's Talk to Lucy", the long-lost radio show where Lucy interviews celebrities.  It also contains bloopers, promos, original commercials and other special footage.

If you don't have Seasons 1 through 3 yet of Here's Lucy, be sure to visit the Everything Lucy Store to purchase your copies!   Or click on the links below:

    

The Lucy Show, Season Three DVD Released Today!

Today, the long awaited Season Three of "The Lucy Show" is being released!

This season's DVD includes a featurette that shows archival news footage of Lucy at the 1964 New York World's Fair during "Lucille Ball Day" there.

The classic comedy, hilariously performed by TV superstar Lucille Ball, playing suburban mom Lucy Carmichael. This season, Lucy squares off again with Theodore J. Mooney (Gale Gordon), the stubborn bank president who controls her finances - but who always manages to fall for Lucy's schemes. Also returning are Lucy's TV family: her partner-in-crime Vivian (Vivian Vance, I Love Lucy), Lucy's daughter Chris (Candy Moore), Lucy's young son Jerry (Jimmy Garrett), and Vivian's son Sherman (Ralph Hart). The Lucy Show is pure gold, confirming Lucille Ball as the queen of TV comedy!

Be sure to visit the Everything Lucy Store to purchase your copy of "The Lucy Show" Season 3 or click on the image above to purchase and show your support for our website and our continued news on Everything Lucy!

If you don't have the previous seasons of "The Lucy Show" - get them at the Everything Lucy Store or click on the links below:

Upcoming Here's Lucy - Season Four DVD and Lucille Ball Specials

MPI will release "Here's Lucy - Season 4" on DVD sometime in the first quarter of 2011 (but that could still possibly move).

Upcoming for December 2010 MPI DVDs for their Lucille Ball line-up will be a double-feature of specials Lucy starred in (both with Art Carney of The Honeymooners) back in 1974 and 1976: "Happy Anniversary and Goodbye" and "What Now, Catherine Curtis?"

The Lucy Show - The Official 3rd Season

The Lucy Show - The Official 3rd Season will be available November 30th!

The classic comedy The Lucy Show is back on DVD for a Third Season of side-splitting episodes, hilariously performed by TV superstar Lucille Ball, playing suburban mom Lucy Carmichael. This season, Lucy squares off again with Theodore J. Mooney (Gale Gordon), the stubborn bank president who controls her finances - but who always manages to fall for Lucy's schemes. Also returning are Lucy's TV family: her partner-in-crime Vivian (Vivian Vance, I Love Lucy), Lucy's daughter Chris (Candy Moore), Lucy's young son Jerry (Jimmy Garrett), and Vivian's son Sherman (Ralph Hart). The Lucy Show is pure gold, confirming Lucille Ball as the queen of TV comedy!

This 4-DVD set, with extras, will arrive on the Tuesday following the USA's post-Thanksgiving shopping weekend, which is kicked off by the so-called "Black Friday" sales events...so be prepared to head back to stores and pick this up, or just pre-order it from Amazon with the link below, so it can be delivered straight to your doorstep!

Lucy Show: Official Third Season

The Lucy Show - Season 4 DVD is slated for March 15th, 2011!

Lucille Ball Hometown Wedding Giveaway

MediaOneBridal.com and the Lucille Ball & Desi Arnaz Center invites engaged couples to participate in the national "Lucille Ball Hometown Wedding Giveaway" Contest in honor of the legendary couple, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz and in commemoration of Lucy's 100th birthday.

On July 30, 2011, one very deserving bride and groom, along with 50 of their closest friends and family, will win an all inclusive 1950's , Lucille Ball inspired wedding ceremony at the world famous Tropicana Room and a glamorous cocktail reception at the chic Desilu Playhouse and Museum. All located in the Lucille Ball's hometown of Jamestown, New York. Also included is a romantic 7 night honeymoon to thrilling Niagara Falls. Over twenty-five of Media One Bridal's premiere wedding specialists from New York and Pennsylvania will collaborate to make this a once in a lifetime dream come true. For full details and to register, visit MediaOneBridal.com.

"I Love Lucy" Diamond Jubilee Cruise

Presented by Cruise Planners - cruise with Lucy and Rick on October 15, 2011.

Celebrate the life and laughter of Lucy during the 60th Anniversary of "I Love Lucy" and Lucy's 100th Birthday as we sail the Western Caribbean for 7 nights aboard Royal Caribbean's unforgettable Oasis of the Seas!

Live the Lucy Experience! Live performances, meet and greet cocktail party, Lucy's 100th Birthday Bash, Look-a-Like Costume contests and much more!
1st 100 booking will be entered to win 1 of 8 chances for an exclusive Lucy and Rick specialty dining experience.

Come join Cruise Planners in our once in a lifetime celebration of the "I Love Lucy Show" 60th Anniversary and Lucy's 100th Birthday aboard Royal Caribbean's unforgettable Oasis of the Seas!

On October 15, 2011 we'll depart on a 7 night celebration of the life & laughter of Lucy as we sail the Western Caribbean, departing Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to Royal Caribbean's private island in Labadee, Haiti followed by Falmouth, Jamaica and onward to Cozumel, Mexico.

Immerse yourself in unparalleled detail into all that is Lucy with some of the best known experts on Lucy, including our emcee Tom Watson, one of the foremost experts of all that is Lucy; Michael Stern who's known as Lucy's Greatest Fan; ....and of course Lucy and Ricky themselves.*

Live the Lucy experience through live "I Love Lucy" performances, meet and greet party and cocktail hour. Find yourself surrounded in nostalgic cameo scenes like the Crazy Gypsy Lady or the Candy Conveyor Belt! Speed it up with full length episodes including the 1st I Love Lucy show ever shown! You'll even be able to give your personal best wishes to America's Favorite Red-Head* at her 100th Birthday Celebration! Trivia contests, Look-A-Like contest, decorate your cabin door contest, prizes & much, much more!

*Impersonators so unique, you'll swear they are the real deal!

Tentative List of Events:

First Night Enjoy a Cocktail Party to welcome everyone on board and Watch thee First Episode of I Love Lucy to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the First Show.

Day two Lucy's 100th Birthday Celebration. Enjoy a Conga band, dance, have cake and Toast to Lucy's Big Birthday! Photo Ops!!!!

Through out the week:

1. Headline performance entertainment by "Lucy" impersonator, Suzanne LaRusch
2. Headline Performance entertainment by "Ricky" impersonator, Adrian Israel
3. "I Love Lucy" Trivia Contest(s),
4. "I Love Lucy" character look-a-like contest(s)
5. Character costume photo opportunities
6. Memorabilia Display
7. Daily appearances, Passenger interaction, photo-ops etc. by Suzanne LaRusch and Adrian Israel.
8. Special guest appearances
9. Last Night cocktail party and delivery of "I Love Lucy" Commemorative Pin

Call 866-403-1318 or 877-278-9386 or visit http://www.danidestinations.com/rw/view/923

UPDATE - New Website for Information - www.ilovelucycruise.com/

Celoron Park on Chautauqua Lake

A new book out by Tom Goodwill that is about a history of the Celoron amusement park from the turn of the last century just came outl. This park was around when Lucille Ball lived in Celeron. Lucy spent time at the park and enjoyed the shows that played there.

The book also contains a complete chapter on Lucy. Written by Tom Goodwill, a former Jamestown resident, amateur historian, and avid postcard collector. It's a great read, and you'll learn a lot of things about Lucy's childhood hometown that you never knew!

Thanks to Abbie for this story - who has a great website on Lucy's childhood home in Celeron - http://59lucylane.com

Theater Preview: You'll love "Lucy" in Laguna

Although Lucille Ball stands at or near the top of every list of comedic actresses, and her "I Love Lucy" television shows live on forever in reruns, the last three decades of her life were marked by bitterness and failure. Fortunately, she had Lee Tannen as a buffer.

Tannen, a distant relative of her last husband, Gary Morton, was a rabid Lucy fan from childhood and, when finally accorded a chance to meet the legend, stayed at her side for the better part of those last 30 years. After her death, he compiled his reminiscences into a book entitled "I Loved Lucy."

That book is now a stage play, receiving its world premiere at the Laguna Playhouse where a pair of terrific actors bring the Lucy-Lee relationship back to life under the spirited direction of Todd Weeks. It's a box of theatrical bonbons for Lucy fans, of whom there are legion.

Taking on the tricky task of playing a still-living person while that person is in the audience (as he was opening night) is Jeffry Denman, who both performs and, alternately, narrates the story. Denman skillfully projects a gay man's adoration while gradually standing his ground against the diva's dominance — which shatters the friendship on at least two occasions.

The even trickier assignment of bringing a beloved figure, about whom most fans have decades of knowledge, to life on stage falls to Diane J. Findlay, and she is a revelation. Findlay captures the late-life Lucy as a tough, sharp-tongued, gravely voiced lady with no illusions about her status — she's the polar opposite of Norma Desmond in "Sunset Boulevard."

These two apparent opposites truly attract, building a relationship off their need for one another — he's a fervent fan; she needs companionship since Morton usually is off playing golf. Never mind that he lives in New York with a partner and she's based in Los Angeles.

Denman has the lion's share of the load in this captivating exercise, both enthusiastically playing Tannen and keeping the audience updated on Lucy's progress and various mood swings as he revels in her orbit. A novice at backgammon, Lucy's favorite pastime, he virtually wills himself to become her equal until she's finally into him for several hundred dollars.

Findlay brings the swagger of a star to the early scenes, but settles into a comfortable mood of companionship and barbed exchanges. Don't look for any Lucyesque laughs here — she reserved those for the camera — but Findlay vibrantly brings out the legend's wounded ego over the failure of such later projects as the movie "Mame" and the TV series "Life with Lucy."

The pair act out those later years against an immaculate backdrop representing Lucy's home and various other venues in her life. It's designed by Bruce Goodrich, who also created the impressive costumes. Paulie Jenkins' lighting effects and Corinne Carrillo's sound design complete the illustrious picture.

"I Loved Lucy" brings TV's queen of comedy back to life in an affectionate portrait from a devoted fan and friend. This show gets the Laguna Playhouse's 91st season started off with a bang.

IF YOU GO:

WHAT: "I Loved Lucy"

WHERE: Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, California

WHEN: Tuesdays through Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 8, Sundays at 2 p.m. until Oct. 31

COST: $35 to $65

CALL: (494) 497-2787

Lucy would have been 99 today!

Just a quick "Happy Birthday" to our leading lady of comedy, Lucille Ball. She would have been 99 today, born August 6th, 1911 in Jamestown, NY.

A few years before she died in 1989, she was honored by The Kennedy Center on December 7, 1986, here are video clips from that Honors ceremony:



Walter Matthau gives a presentation on Lucy's career with some great video clips:



Desi Arnaz, who had just died five days earlier following a long bout with cancer, had written a touching statement for this event, which is read here by Robert Stack. (Lucy had to fly almost immediately to Washington following Desi’s funeral in order to attend this event.) Lucy struggles to keep her composure, but the mood quickly changes when Bea Arthur, Valerie Harper and Pam Dawber come out for a musical tribute to Lucille Ball — a musical medley of WILDCAT, MAME and I LOVE LUCY, set to special new lyrics. “I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t had this thing to keep me occupied. Desi died and my show got canceled. If I hadn’t had this, if I hadn’t this reassurance that I was still wanted, I don’t think that I could have gone on.” — Lucille Ball



Lucy - Happy Birthday - We still Love Lucy!

Results of Recent Lucille Ball Auctioned Items

As previously reported, Heritage Auction Galleries held an auction that contained a number of Lucille Ball's personal items that had passed to her husband, Gary Morton upon her death. These items were then put up for auction by Susie McAllister Morton, who married Gary Morton in 1996, after the death of Lucille Ball in 1989.

Lucie Arnaz, daughter of Lucille Ball tried to block the items from going up for auction by court order. Although she won, she lost in technicality as she could not come up with the imposed $250,000 bond in order to stop the auction. The auction house then agreed to return some items to Lucie. They gave her Lucille Ball's lifetime achievement awards but the other items remained up for auction.

So what happened to those items that went up on the auction block? A trove of more than 120 lots from the Estate of Gary Morton and his wife, Lucille Ball, brought $230,780 on Saturday, July 17, as part of a $1.3 million+ Music & Entertainment auction at Heritage Auctions Beverly Hills. Lucille Ball’s 1984 Rolls Royce Silver Spur was the highest priced item from that consignment at $29,875. All prices include 19.5% Buyer’s Premium.

"What we saw here today was an amazing outpouring of love and respect from Lucy’s fans," said Doug Norwine, Director of Entertainment Auctions at Heritage. "Collectors paid top prices to obtain a cherished piece of Lucy’s personal legacy – far beyond our expectations – and they came out in droves, not only in the auction room, but by the hundreds online."

Other top lots of the Lucille Ball consignment was $7,768 for the painting L’Opera, Paris, by Regis (Count) de Cachard, from Morton and Ball’s collection, and $8,963 for her personal address book, containing the names, phone numbers and addresses of many of the top stars of the 1950s and 1960s.

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.

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.

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.

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.

-------------------------------------------------

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

2010 Lucy-Desi Days Fan Appreciation Weekend

The headliner on Saturday, May 29th during the 2010 Lucy-Desi Days Fan Appreciation Weekend will be Lucille Ball impressionist, Suzanne LaRusch! Suzanne will be bringing her one-woman show to Jamestown, "An Evening with Lucille Ball: 'Thank You for Asking,'" Directed by Lucie Arnaz, this amazing program is crafted in the spirit of the amusing lectures Lucille Ball gave throughout her career.

It's the Lucy the whole world loved, from "Ricardo" to "Mame", but, more importantly, it's an evening with the closest thing to the real Lucy, as you've never seen her before.

For more information or to register, visit http://www.aneveningwithlucilleball.com/.


Suzanne LaRusch was a Hollywood baby, the daughter of a propmaster, herself a child actress who appeared in her first commercial when she was 18 months old. Yet she credits her mother’s roots in upstate New York with giving her the ability to channel the star of “I Love Lucy” in her one-woman show, “An Evening With Lucille Ball: Thank You for Asking.”  Read more:
http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/weekend/2270492,051410-Lucy.article

Traversing the bridge between Lucy Ricardo and Lucille Ball, the production welcomes audiences into the never-before-published backstage stories that catapulted Ball to unprecedented fame, as well as into the tumultuous marriage that would eventually endure public scrutiny. LaRusch recently caught up with ShowBiz Chicago to discuss the process of delving into the famous red head’s life, both behind and in front of the rose-colored camera.  Read more:
http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/10663/theater-interview-lucy-were-home-with-performer-suzanne-larusch

“I love taking my experiences, good or bad, and sharing them if it makes the world a better place. And I had a bad experience with my losing my mother at what I thought was too early (an age),” said Arnaz. Read more:
http://timesnews.net/article.php?id=9023073

Featured interview with Suzanne Larush from Showbiz Chicago. "When I started out I did my homework as any actor would, watching many of her tapes, interviews, and episodes of the “I Love Lucy” show that I began to know backwards and forwards. I studied her make-up and mannerisms. My mother was born and raised in Buffalo, New York and Lucille was born and raised about sixteen miles south of there in Jamestown, and I realized that my mother had very similar mannerisms to Lucille. It may be regional, and I caught that early on. So when I would exaggerate my mother’s mannerisms and voice inflections, people thought it was dead-on Lucy. So I found learning points like that along the way." Read more:
http://showbizchicago.com/lucy-were-home-in-conversation-with-suzanne-larusch/

For more information on the 2010 Lucy-Desi Days Fan Appreciation Weekend and for schedule information, tickets, or for accomodations, visit the Lucy-Desi website at: http://www.lucy-desi.com/festival/festival_info.html

I Love Lucy Returns to Hallmark

Hallmark previously removed I Love Lucy from there scheduling but now they are bringing it back!

In a last minute schedule change, beginning Wednesday, April 28 (yes, tomorrow!), I Love Lucy returns to the schedule airing weekdays from 9am-12pm, replacing Martha Stewart programming and an hour of Touched by an Angel.

I Love Lucy will start with the episode "The Girls Want to Go to a Nightclub" on Wednesday morning at 9am. And in more good I Love Lucy news, the previously scheduled marathon that we announced has now been extended! The marathon will still run this coming Sunday (May 2), but now from 6am-4am instead...yes 22 straight hours! Previously it was slated for 9am-4am. Good news indeed! But hopefully the weekday morning block lasts a while! Stay with us if anything changes.

I Love Lucy – The Movie and Other Great Rarities Out Today on DVD

In 1953, three classic first season I Love Lucy episodes (“The Benefit,” “Breaking the Lease,” and “The Ballet”) were edited together with newly-filmed connecting scenes to create a feature-length film. The film had only a single “test” screening in 1953 and was then put back on a shelf, in a mislabeled can, and was lost for half a century.  It was discovered in the Paramount vault in 2001 and this is the first time it will be seen again!

Rarities include:

• Lucy Goes To Scotland
• A TV Academy PSA
• The Series Premiere Opening
• An Animated Commercial 

Just a few weeks ago, another Lucy DVD was released, "Lucy Calls the President".  This was a CBS Special from 1977. This special was more or less, a bittersweet Lucy Show reunion as it featured most of the regulars from that show. This was also the final appearance of Lucille Ball with Vivian Vance. Vivian had already been diagnosed with Breast Cancer and was receiving chemotherapy treatments and had suffered a stroke, which left her face partially paralized, just a few months prior to filming this special. This was also the last time Lucille worked with Mary Jane Croft and Mary Wickes. Lucy had also just lost her mother, DeDe four months prior to the shows airing, in July, and was visibly distraught at her mother's absence in the audience.

Lucille Ball plays, Lucy Whittaker, who decides to call President Jimmy Carter during his weekly radio show and bring up a topic of local Indiana civic importance. He tells her he will be in her area, and will visit her to discuss the matter. Later, the plan is changed to a dinner with the President at Lucy's house, and everyone she has ever known demands to be invited. Lucy finds herself in many situations from chaos in the kitchen to cases of mistaken identity.

Be sure to order your copy today from the links provided here or you can order from the Everything Lucy Store!

I Love Lucy May Marathon on Hallmark

I Love Lucy didn't work on The Hallmark Channel as a regular series on the actual schedule, but it seems the classic sitcom has worked in marathons as Hallmark has scheduled another marathon! They will air the marathon on Sunday, May 2, 2010 from 9am-4am...17 straight hours of Lucy! The last time Hallmark aired a marathon was back in February on President's Day. This marathon kicks off with the episode "Fred and Ethel Fight" at 9am. Below is the full episode schedule for this marathon. Get ready to spend this Sunday with Lucy all-day!

The Hallmark Channel's I Love Lucy Marathon Schedule:

9:00 am - 9:30 am "I Love Lucy: ""Fred and Ethel Fight"": To gain Ricky's sympathy after a fight, Lucy pretends to have been hit by a speeding bus."

9:30 am - 10:00 am "I Love Lucy: ""Pioneer Women"": The Mertzes and the Ricardos bet they can live the same pioneer existence as their ancestors."

10:00 am - 10:30 am "I Love Lucy: ""The Freezer"": Lucy and Ethel install a battered meat locker in the basement, and Lucy learns the hard way how cold it is - she gets locked inside!"

10:30 am - 11:00 am "I Love Lucy: ""Lucy Does a TV Commercial"": Lucy is hired to do a TV commercial for Vitameatavegamin health tonic. After four takes she's happy, but not very peppy."

11:00 am - 11:30 am "I Love Lucy: ""Lucy Gets Ricky on the Radio"": Lucy is so impressed at Ricky's correct answers to a radio quiz show that she gets him on the show as a contestant."

11:30 am - Noon "I Love Lucy: ""Lucy's Schedule"": Ricky is determined to teach Lucy the importance of punctuality, so he puts her on a rigid time schedule."

Noon - 12:30 pm "I Love Lucy: ""Ricky Thinks He is Going Bald"": Ricky's receding hairline is giving him much concern, so Lucy decides to give him scalp treatments."

12:30 pm - 1:00 pm "I Love Lucy: ""Job Switching"": Ricky and Fred think doing housework is much easier than earning money. Lucy and Ethel feel the opposite. So the boys try doing the housework while the girls attempt to hold down a job at a candy factory."

1:00 pm - 1:30 pm "I Love Lucy: ""Tennessee Ernie Visits"": Tennessee Ernie Ford shows up in the big city with his guitar and a letter of introduction to the Ricardos."

1:30 pm - 2:00 pm "I Love Lucy: ""Tennessee Ernie Hangs On"": Ernie is still boarding at the Ricardos."

2:00 pm - 2:30 pm "I Love Lucy: ""California, Here We Come!"": Lucy and Ricky are all ready to start their trek to California when complications develop: Lucy's mother decides to join them."

2:30 pm - 3:00 pm "I Love Lucy: ""First Stop"": After a long day of non-stop driving, the Ricardos and the Mertzes pull into a run-down cafe somewhere near Cincinatti."

3:00 pm - 3:30 pm "I Love Lucy: ""Tennessee Bound"": Lucy's rush to get to California lands the Ricardos and the Mertzes in jail in Bent Fork, Tennessee, the home town of their favorite ""peapicker"", Tennessee Ernie Ford."

3:30 pm - 4:00 pm "I Love Lucy: ""Ethel's Home Town"": The Ricardos and the Metzes arrive in Ethel's home town: Albuquerque, New Mexico. Lucy, Ricky, and Fred are jealous when the townfolk give Ethel a big welcome."

4:00 pm - 4:30 pm "I Love Lucy: ""L.A. at Last!"": Arriving in Hollywood, Lucy goes star hunting at the Brown Derby, and finds William Holden in the next booth."

4:30 pm - 5:00 pm "I Love Lucy: ""Don Juan and the Starlets"": Ricky leaves Lucy at home and goes out for an evening of publicity with five gorgeous starlets."

5:00 pm - 5:30 pm "I Love Lucy: ""Lucy Gets in Pictures"": Lucy finally gets her chance - she lands a part as a showgirl in a major MGM musical."

5:30 pm - 6:00 pm "I Love Lucy: ""The Fashion Show"": Lucy is determined to have a beautiful Don Loper gown for her very own."

6:00 pm - 6:30 pm "I Love Lucy: ""The Hedda Hopper Story"": Desi's agent concocts a publicity stunt designed to land Ricky in Hedda Hopper's celebrity gossip column."

6:30 pm - 7:00 pm "I Love Lucy: ""Don Juan is Shelved"": When producer Dore Schary decides to shelve Ricky's film, ""Don Juan,"" Lucy schemes to create public demand for Ricky's talent."

7:00 pm - 7:30 pm "I Love Lucy: ""Bull Fight Dance"": Asked to appear in a Spanish dance number on Ricky's ""Heart Fund"" show, Lucy envisions herself as an exotic Senorita. But Ricky has something altogether different in mind."

7:30 pm - 8:00 pm "I Love Lucy: ""Hollywood Anniversary"": Ricky has forgotten the date of their anniversary, but he has a scheme to convince Lucy that he knew it all along."

8:00 pm - 8:30 pm "I Love Lucy: ""The Star Upstairs"": Lucy poses as a bellboy to gain entrance to movie star Cornell Wilde's hotel room."

8:30 pm - 9:00 pm "I Love Lucy: ""In Palm Springs"": Upset by a quarrel with their husbands, Lucy and Ethel leave for a weekend in Palm Springs, where they encounter Rock Hudson."

9:00 pm - 9:30 pm "I Love Lucy: ""The Dancing Star"": Carolyn Appleby, a friend of Lucy's visiting from New York, wants to meet some of the stars that Lucy has befriended, starting with Van Johnson, who is appearing at the Ricardos' hotel."

9:30 pm - 10:00 pm "I Love Lucy: ""Lucy and Harpo Marx"": Lucy promised Carolyn Appleby she'd produce some real Hollywood celebrities. Now she's got to deliver."

10:00 pm - 10:30 pm "I Love Lucy: ""Ricky Needs an Agent"": Lucy pretends to be Ricky's agent and tries to bluff a studio executive into casting Ricky in a film."

10:30 pm - 11:00 pm "I Love Lucy: ""The Tour"": Lucy and Ethel take a bus tour of movie stars' homes in Beverly Hills, and Lucy winds up picking grapefruit in Richard Widmark's back yard."

11:00 pm - 11:30 pm "I Love Lucy: ""Lucy Visits Graumans"": Lucy discovers that the cement slab with John Wayne's footprints in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater has come loose."

11:30 pm - Midnight "I Love Lucy: ""Lucy and John Wayne"": Lucy and Ethel have made off with the cement slab of John Wayne's footprints. Now the police are called in to investigate."

Midnight - 12:30 am "I Love Lucy: ""Lucy and the Dummy"": MGM asks Ricky to help entertain executives at a studio party. Ricky has plans to go deep sea fishing, but as far as Lucy is concerned, ""the show must go on."""

12:30 am - 1:00 am "I Love Lucy: ""Ricky Sells the Car"": Ricky sells the car and buys train tickets for the trip back East, but he forgets about Fred and Ethel."

1:00 am - 1:30 am "I Love Lucy: ""Pioneer Women"": The Mertzes and the Ricardos bet they can live the same pioneer existence as their ancestors."

1:30 am - 2:00 am "I Love Lucy: ""The Freezer"": Lucy and Ethel install a battered meat locker in the basement, and Lucy learns the hard way how cold it is - she gets locked inside!"

2:00 am - 2:30 am "I Love Lucy: ""Lucy Does a TV Commercial"": Lucy is hired to do a TV commercial for Vitameatavegamin health tonic. After four takes she's happy, but not very peppy."

2:30 am - 3:00 am "I Love Lucy: ""Job Switching"": Ricky and Fred think doing housework is much easier than earning money. Lucy and Ethel feel the opposite. So the boys try doing the housework while the girls attempt to hold down a job at a candy factory."

3:00 am - 3:30 am "I Love Lucy: ""Tennessee Ernie Visits"": Tennessee Ernie Ford shows up in the big city with his guitar and a letter of introduction to the Ricardos."

3:30 am - 4:00 am "I Love Lucy: ""Tennessee Ernie Hangs On"": Ernie is still boarding at the Ricardos."

Here's Lucy Season 3 DVD

The complete third season of HERE'S LUCY (1970-71, CBS-TV) features all 24 color episodes uncut and digitally remastered for superior quality, plus a wealth of new and never-before-seen special features. Guest stars include Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Carol Burnett, Vincent Price, Sammy Davis Jr., Rudy Vallee, Jack Benny, Art Linkletter, Buddy Rich, Wally Cox and Vivian Vance.

Last week we reported that the folks at MPI Home Video are scheduling Here's Lucy - Season 3 on DVD for June 15th. Today the studio made it official, with an announcement that confirms the release date and the $29.98 SRP cost of the 4-disc (960 minute) set. Video is full frame, and audio is English mono. Below is a list of the extensive bonus material mentioned at MPI's official website, including a bonus crossover episode of Make Room for Granddaddy titled "Lucy Carter, Houseguest", starring Lucille Ball as her Here's Lucy character!

• New video intros to each episode by Lucie Arnaz, Desi Arnaz Jr. and others
  
• New Featurette: Lucy Meets The Burtons - A Comedic Gem
  
• Make Room For Granddaddy episode "Lucy Carter, Houseguest", with Lucy guesting as her Here's Lucy character
  
  • Including new intro by series actress Marjorie Lord (not seen in 40 years)
• Let's Talk To Lucy - 1965 radio interview with Doris Day
  
• On The Set - behind the scenes footage with set designer commentary
  
• Lip-Sync Lucy segment with Lucy actress and friend Carole Cook
  
• Lucy Footage From Jack Benny Special
  
• Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr. with Robert Young
  
• Lucy's Home Movies from Hawaii, with family and Vivian Vance
  
• Lucy's Golfing Home Movies
  
• Desi Arnaz Jr. on Art Linkletters' House Party TV show
  
• Here's Lucy episodic syndication promos
  
• Original series sponsor billboards
  
• Lucie Arnaz commercial
  
• Here's Lucy Slide Show
  
• Series Production Files, narrated by Lucy's secretary
  
• English Subtitles

Suggested retail price is $29.98, but you can pre-order it from Amazon at a discount.

Here's Lucy - Season Three DVD

Following up on last November's release of Here's Lucy second season, MPI Home Video has now announced that Here's Lucy - Season 3 will arrive on DVD this June 15th. This brings us to the halfway point of the program's six-season run, with guest stars that included the legendary likes of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Joan Crosby, gossip columnists like Army Archerd and Marilyn Beck, Sammy Davis Jr., drummer Buddy Rich, Charles Nelson Reilly, Robert Alda, Vincent Price, Wally Cox, George Burns, Jack Benny, Rudy Vallee, Art Linkletter, Jayne Meadows, Sid Gould, Hayden Rorke, and Carol Burnett. Package art and extras aren't available yet, but stay tuned for updates. Suggested retail price is $29.98, but you can pre-order it from Amazon at a discount.

Lucie Arnaz Coming to Manhatten

In celebration of her lastest release, Latin Roots, Lucie Arnaz will perform and sign autographs Friday, March 26th at 12pm at J&R Music World, 23 Park Row, Manhattan, New York, NY

Growing up in the public eye with parents Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz and brother Desi Arnaz IV, Lucie has cemented her own footprints in history as an actress, singer, dancer, business executive, producer, director, and Broadway star.

In 1968, at age seventeen, she became a series regular on Here’s Lucy, co-starring with her brother Desi Arnaz, Jr. Since then, Lucie has made a handful of feature films, including the 1980 feature film “The Jazz Singer” with Neil Diamond and her most recent feature film, “Down To You”, with Henry Winkler and Freddie Prinze Jr. which premiered on January 21st, 2000. Her most successful and well-renowned play was the Neil Simon/Marvin Hamlisch hit musical “They’re Playing Our Song”, where Lucie played the lovable goof, Sonia Wolsk, receiving outstanding reviews.

Lucie has had so many other stage, theatre and Broadway hits throughout the years, some of which include - “Vanities” (Kathy); “Seesaw” (Gittle Mosca); “Annie Get Your Gun” (Annie Oakley); “Educating Rita” (with husband, Laurence Luckinbill); “Who’s Life is it Anyway?”; “The Guardsman”; the internationally acclaimed Gershwin musical “My One and Only”; “Social Security”; the Tony Award winning “Lost in Yonkers” (Bella); “Grace and Glorie” (Glorie); “Wonderful Town” (Ruth, she “revamped” in LA, October, 1999); “Master Class” (Maria Callas); the esteemed “The Witches of Eastwick,” playing the role of Alex (as played by Cher in the movie version), in London’s prestigious West End; and her most recent successes, “Once Removed,” “A Picasso” and “Ann & Debbie,” all three of which Lucie starred in at the Coconut Grove Playhouse in Miami, Florida. Lucie has just summed up a very memorable run in “Sonia Flew,” also at the Coconut Grove Playhouse, which nearly didn’t go ahead after financial troubles threatened not only the run of the play, but the future of the historic playhouse.

Lucie can also be heard on several other music CDs, including the soundtrack to her hit Broadway musical, Simon and Hamlisch’s “They’re Playing Our Song”.

Lucy Tells the Truth - New Mattel Doll for 2010

A new Mattel Doll coming in the May-June 2010 time frame (depending on who you talk to) is Lucille Ball in "Lucy Tells the Truth", episode #72 of I Love Lucy.

In this classic episode, Lucy is forced to tell the truth about everything. She accepts a bet that she can withhold from fibbing for 24 hours without realizing she is meeting the girls for a Bridge game.  After much hilarity from telling the truth - she turns to Ricky and the Mertzes. Lucy accuses Fred of being a "tight-wad", Ethel of "looking tacky", and Ricky of being a "coward" for not letting her have her fling at show business.  With that said, Ricky takes her to an audition where she lands the job of assistant to Professor Falconi, a knife thrower.

Below are images from the prototype showing Lucy surrounded by knives with colorful balloons.  The actual packaging will bring back memories of this unforgettable scene. 

Once this new doll becomes available, you'll be able to purchase it in the Everything Lucy Store! Be sure to visit and help our site continue with your purchase. Your loyalty and patronage are greatly appreciated.

Hallmark Adds Another I Love Lucy Marathon

As Hallmark just recently shown an I Love Lucy marathon at the beginning of this month, we are surprised and elated that they are adding another I Love Lucy marathon!

On President's Day, Monday, February 15th, Hallmark will air more I Love Lucy! It looks like the I Love Lucy marathon this past weekend (Feb. 6-7) did well. Will Hallmark consider adding the series back to its regular schedule?

For now, view the episode schedule on the Hallmark Channel for the President's Day Marathon of I Love Lucy!

I Love Lucy - The Movie

I Love Lucy: The Movie & Other Great Rarities
Here is the finalized packaging for the upcoming releae of I Love Lucy - The Movie and Other Great Rairities to be released April 27th.

As previously reported here, in 1953, three classic first season I Love Lucy episodes ("The Benefit," "Breaking the Lease," and "The Ballet") were edited together with newly-filmed connecting scenes to create this never-before-released feature-length film. The film had only a single "test" screening in 1953 at a small theatre in Bakersfield, attended by the Arnazes. But Lucy and Desi had just signed a deal with MGM to do "The Long, Long Trailer", and M-G-M, fearing competition, insisted that they shelve the film. And that's literally what happened. I Love Lucy: The Movie was put back on a shelf, in a mislabeled can, and was lost for nearly half a century, until it was discovered in the Paramount vault by Dann Cahn in 2001.

This new DVD will feature these additional Features:

* Lucy Goes To Scotland
* TV Academy PSA (Revised)
* Emmy Awards
* The Ed Wynn Show
* Series Premiere Opening
* Rear Window
* Animated Commercial
* Here's Johnny!
* The Ballet - TV Version
* Handcuffs/Movie
* Wilbur's Hands

Be sure to visit the Everything Lucy Store to purchase your copy or click on the Amazon link here: I Love Lucy: The Movie & Other Great Rarities

Lucie Arnaz: Latin Roots CD

Just in time to take the chill out of the winter - a new CD from Lucie Arnaz full of hot Latin rhythms to banish cabin fever and make you forget the freezing temperatures outside. "Lucie Arnaz: Latin Roots" is available on CD.

Latin Roots, somewhat of a tribute to Lucie's heritage, also featuring great American songs and brand new tunes with Latin flavor, will be available in stores and on-line February 9th. What a perfect gift for Valentine's Day! Not that any of us needs a special occasion to enjoy Lucie's vocals. Her sexy, sultry voice will draw you into each rhythmic track.

“These are the rhythms of my soul”, Lucie Arnaz says of her new Latin Roots CD to be released on the LML Music label. And indeed it is. An eclectic celebration of her musical heritage, Lucie Arnaz, playfully wends her way through some pop contemporary south of the border sounds, enduring American standards, sensually enhanced by a Brazilian accent or basted by a bossa nova beat, takes on the fiery Latin classics of her father, Desi Arnaz, includes a song penned with his grandson, her musician-composer son, Joe Luckinbill and his godmother, her longtime collaborator, Grammy winning artist, Madeline Stone and a tune her father wrote for her mother which has never been recorded before.

I Love Lucy: The Movie and Other Great Rarities

On October 23, 2007, CBS DVD and Paramount Home Entertainment released the 34-disc heart-shaped package of I Love Lucy - The Complete Series. It contained all 194 episodes from the show's 9-season (by the studio's count) run, all of which had been released on DVD in separate season sets. Fans who had faithfully collected those sets as they were released had gotten upset at the Complete Series package, however, because it contained bonus material that could only be obtained by re-buying the nine seasons in the big collection.

Now, two and a half years after that set's release, CBS/Paramount will go back and make those extras available in a separate release. The title is "I Love Lucy - The Movie and Other Great Rarities", and it will be in stores on April 27th. As you can tell by the title, the focus is on the "shelved and lost" theatrical film, which was edited together from three episodes of the show with new bridging material shot to hold it all together. It will be encoded on the disc in full screen video, running 81 minutes long. Pricing and package art isn't available yet. It should be all the same as the previously-exclusive supplements on the "Complete Series" set (for example, "Lucy Goes To Scotland" should be the colorized version of that episode).

In 1953, three classic first season I Love Lucy episodes ("The Benefit," "Breaking the Lease," and "The Ballet") were edited together with newly-filmed connecting scenes to create this never-before-released feature-length film. The film had only a single "test" screening in 1953 at a small theatre in Bakersfield, attended by the Arnazes. But Lucy and Desi had just signed a deal with MGM to do "The Long, Long Trailer", and M-G-M, fearing competition, insisted that they shelve the film. And that's literally what happened. I Love Lucy: The Movie was put back on a shelf, in a mislabeled can, and was lost for nearly half a century, until it was discovered in the Paramount vault by Dann Cahn in 2001.

Additional Features:

• Lucy Goes To Scotland
• TV Academy PSA (Revised)
• Emmy Awards
• The Ed Wynn Show
• Series Premiere Opening
• Rear Window
• Animated Commercial
• Here's Johnny!
• The Ballet - TV Version
• Handcuffs/Movie
• Wilbur's Hands

Hallmark Brings I Love Lucy back - Temporarily

Hallmark will be featuring a marathon I Love Lucy this Saturday and Sunday, February 6th and 7th.

Be sure to tune in. More information can be found on The Hallmark Channel website.

Lucille Ball Vintage Paper Doll

For those who collect Lucille Ball memorabilia and are interested in the paper doll series, a new paper doll collection will be coming out. It is Vintage Lucille Ball and reminds us of our youth.

Everyone loves Lucy! This vintage cut-out doll of the redheaded comedienne originally appeared in 1964, at the height of Lucy's television fame. Six sheets of colorful 60s fashions add up to more than 25 outfits and accessories, from the famous actress's elegant evening clothes to her sporty casual attire.

There are more paper dolls of Lucy on the market, including some that you can find that are originals. But this next one is of Vintage Movie Star Lucy.

Lucille Ball, MGM Glamour Star, Vintage Paper Doll Book features the beloved star in the 1940s when she was a sophisticated fashion plate. This authorized edition reprint includes two dolls and an 8-page wardrobe of vintage '40s fashions including gowns from Du Barry Was a Lady.

Lucy Special: "Lucy Calls the President" coming to DVD

Fans of Lucille Ball, know that she created a number of TV specials. Although she had appeared on game shows and commercials during the running of I Love Lucy, it was in the 1960s and 70s that the networks created one-hour TV specials featuring Lucille Ball with a well-known guest star.

One of these great TV specials aired on CBS in November, 1977, "Lucy Calls the President". Lucille Ball plays, Lucy Whittaker, who decides to call President Jimmy Carter during his weekly radio show and bring up a topic of local Indiana civic importance. He tells her he will be in her area, and will visit her to discuss the matter. Later, the plan is changed to a dinner with the President at Lucy's house, and everyone she has ever known demands to be invited. Lucy finds herself in many situations from chaos in the kitchen to cases of mistaken identity.

This special was more or less, a bittersweet Lucy Show reunion as it featured most of the regulars from that show. This was also the final appearance of Lucille Ball with Vivian Vance. Vivian had already been diagnosed with Breast Cancer and was receiving chemotherapy treatments and had suffered a stroke, which left her face partially paralyzed, just a few months prior to filming this special. This was also the last time Lucille worked with Mary Jane Croft and Mary Wickes. Lucy had also just lost her mother, DeDe, in July 1977, four months prior to the shows airing, and was visibly distraught at her mother's absence in the audience.

MPI Home Video now brings this Lucy Special to DVD, coming to retail on April 6th.  Bonus features include previously unseen Dress Rehearsal footage with Lucy along with the cast as well as a featurette with guest actor James E. Brodhead and other rare Lucy footage.

Last year, MPI brought us a double-feature of Lucy Specials, "Lucy Gets Lucky" and "Three for Two", which was previously featured here on the Everything Lucy blog.  In these specials, Lucy stars with one of her favorites, Dean Martin and Jackie Gleason.

This special was released last year in June 2009.

I'm sure we can look forward to seeing more of the Lucy Specials being released and becoming part of our complete Lucy collections.

You can purchase both of these DVD's from Amazon through the links provided in this article, or visit the Everything Lucy Store to purchase these DVDs and many more great Lucille Ball DVDs and collectables.

Celebrate Valentine's Day with Lucy and Desi!

Celebrate Valentine's Day with Lucy and Desi!  The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center is offering a romantic Valentine evening Saturday, February 13, at the Lucy-Desi Museum and at Roberto's at the Ironstone.

The evening begins at 5 p.m. at the Lucy-Desi Museum, with cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and a tour of the Museum. There'll be romantic music, featuring local musician Steve Swanson, and then a screening of a film starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. There'll even be an opportunity to have your photo taken to commemorate the evening.

Leave the Lucy-Desi Center with special souvenirs of the evening...a lovely long stemmed red rose for the lady, and a wine glass filled with chocolate hearts for the gentleman.

Participants will then proceed to Roberto's at the Ironstone for a Valentine's meal that includes a choice of four entrées, beverage, and dessert selection.

This special Valentine fund-raising treat is limited to 25 couples. Price per couple, $99, including tax and tips.

For reservations, call the Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center at 484-0800 ext. 249.

Vivian Vance Scrapbook Found

An article in the San Francisco Chronicle, details how a never-before-seen scrapbook that was owned by Vivian Vance. Known better as Ethel Mertz on the I Love Lucy Show, Vivian Vance’s personally created archive opens up chapters the public has never seen and presents in pictures and printed newspaper clippings of her extraordinary life as an actress, mental health advocate, and housewife, and the love she had for her husband, John Dodds.

Included with the scrapbook was a transcript of an unpublished book written by Vivian Vance-Dodds about her life. One of the chapters is published within the story about the scrapbook.

This excerpt from Vivian's manuscript details some of the pain she went through in her own childhood, to how her closeness with Lucille Ball was interrupted as her being a lesbian. It also tells of her laughter and wonderful friendship she shared with Lucy throughout the years.

Here is the excerpt:

Lucille Ball and I were just like sisters. We adored each other's company. She and I had so many laughs on "I Love Lucy" that we could hardly get through filming without cracking up. Then I began hearing that Lucille and I were too close. My first husband disapproved of my closeness with Lucille. "People are talking about you two," he'd say. "You ought to be careful about the hugging and kissing you do on the show."

The word in Pacific Palisades, where I lived, was that something was wrong with me, something my analyst wouldn't tell me about. That sent me leaping into my car and driving 30 miles to talk to my analyst, Dr. Steele. "Is there anything the matter with me that you've never told me?" I wanted to know. Dr. Steele reassured me there wasn't.

Overall, my years on "I Love Lucy" were great fun. Lucille and I used to watch our own shows and rock with laughter at what we'd done on camera. We thought we were knock-outs in some routines. Before shooting, Lucille and I would do advance planning. We'd plot together: "What if I step on your head when I climb down from the upper berth...Suppose we both get so busy crawling around on the floor that we back into each other under the table?" Sometimes it took no more than talking about it to send us into stitches.

Yet when the role of Ethel Mertz was first offered to me, I actually tried to turn it down! When Lucille and her husband Desi Arnaz began turning their radio show into a TV series in 1951, Bea Benadaret - not I - was the original choice to play Ethel Mertz, Lucy's next-door neighbor. But Bea signed up for "The Burns and Allen Show." So Desi came to my dressing room after a performance of a play I was appearing in, and he offered me the role of Ethel. I told him: "I really don't care to have anything to do with it."

I meant every word. In 1951 television was a silly new medium that didn't amount to anything and attracted little attention. But, Desi kept calling. Finally, against my real desire and best judgment, I got pushed into playing Ethel Mertz for 13 weeks at $450 a week. Then Lucille's agent advised her to fire me from the show! He told Lucille: "Her eyes are bigger than yours. You'll have to let her go".

Lucille ignored his advice. Later she told me about it, and I said: "If I had your looks and talent, I'd fire that agent - not me!" Shooting began in a rented studio filled with cobwebs and dust, and no heat or hot water. The windows were so grimy you couldn't see out of th...and the toilets were unspeakable. We walked in - and Lucille handed me a can of Bon Ami cleanser. "Clean out the john", she said.

It was hard, but I got a scrub brush and went to work. I consoled myself by thinking, "Maybe you're a girl who's due to go down in history. Nobody's tried doing a television show like this before." I was right. "I love Lucy" was a success. At our peak we had 70 million viewers every week. There'd never been an audience that big before - and there hasn't been one since on a regular week-to-week basis. But throughout the "Lucy" years I was in analysis, trying to sort out crossed wires in my life.

I was married to a man, an actor, who liked to dominate and discipline me. I kept trying to please him, but nothing I did was right. There were times when I would literally beat my head against a bedroom wall in frustration. However, my problems went far back before this marriage. I'd grown up feeling I was the greatest sinner on God's earth. My mother had raged at me, whipped me and served hellfire and damnation up to me three times a day.

To Mama, I was a "bad girl". From the time I could first remember she had said, "What did I ever do to have a child like you?" I had a hang-up about showing my legs in public - Mama used to scream at me that showing my legs could drive men to sin. Whenever I heard four-letter words, I vomited.

Once a man exposed himself to me on the New York subway, and I retched until I was sick. I blamed myself, thinking: "He wouldn't have done that unless I looked like a whore." Mama - who'd cracked up more times than I could count - had told me that someday I'd have a nervous breakdown. And in my mid-30's her forecast came true. I cracked up.

I became perpetually fatigued and felt like I couldn't go on living. There was no telling when I'd black out. Before I went anywhere I always wrote my name and address on a piece of paper and put in my handbag, so someone would know who I was if I went totally crazy - which I thought I was going to do. One morning I woke up and the walls of my room seemed to be closing in on me. If they reached me, I knew my mind would crack. With tears streaming down my face, I slid out of bed, crawled to the telephone and called an analyst, Dr. Steele.

Analysis finally helped me. And working with Lucille Ball, seeing all the strength she had, was good and healthy for me. After 18 years of marriage, we filed for divorce and I went ton to find happiness with my second husband, John Dodds.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/collectivemind/detail?entry_id=55214

See a treasure trove in the photo gallery from Vivian's scrapbook here.