In honor of Women's History month, we spotlight the films of Lucille Ball, Pioneer of Television. While she may be known best for her legendary sitcom work on I LOVE LUCY, she also appeared in over 80 movies, the majority of which were before her days in television. She was the first woman to appear pregnant on one of the three major television networks, and the first woman to own and run a major television studio. She and her husband, Desi Arnaz, were television's first millionaires, and I LOVE LUCY was one of the first sitcoms to shoot in Los Angeles instead of New York. It was also the first sitcom to record on high-quality film instead of being broadcast live and recorded on kinescope (where a film was shot of the television broadcast). Thus, Lucy and Desi created "the rerun". The I LOVE LUCY episode, "Lucy Goes to the Hospital", where Little Ricky was born, was viewed by 71.7% of television viewers, and is one of the most viewed television broadcasts of all time.
Lucy called this film her "big break". She was a student of co-star Ginger Rogers' mom, Lela, who Lucy credits with getting her the role in STAGE DOOR. Lucy's performance as Judy Canfield proved to the studio that she could hold her own among the…
This film introduced Harpo Marx and Lucille Ball. They formed a friendship, and years later, Harpo would guest star on I Love Lucy. This was the only film that The Marx Brothers would make for RKO pictures, a studio that Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz…
This collection features three of Lucy's earlier films. The first two were both released in 1938. Go Chase Yourself was her first leading role, and the first of three films in which a trailer would feature prominently. The second of these films is…
The Affairs of Annabel was the first film in which Lucy's name appears above the title. It was released in September, 1938 and was quickly followed by Annabel Takes a Tour in November 1938. The studio wanted to make more Annabel films, but when…
It was while filming this movie, dressed and made up for the fight scene, that Lucille Ball was introduced to Desi Arnaz. Sporting made up scratches, a fake black eye and bandages, Desi initially couldn't believe that she had been cast as the soft…
This was one of Lucy's only dramatic roles, and it really showcases what a marvelous actress she was. It's said that this was her favorite of her film performances. She was not the first choice for the role because the studio thought she wasn't a…
This fun and delightful musical also features Red Skelton, Gene Kelly, Zero Mostel and Virginia O'Brien. It's packed full of music, full of great dancing, and lots of laughs! But also, DUBARRY WAS A LADY marks an important first: it was the film…
This is essentially a two part film: first comes the love story featuring Gene Kelly and Kathryn Grayson. The second part of the movie has no plot, but is basically a variety show featuring a who's who of MGM talent. Hosted by Mickey Rooney, the…
What an all-star cast! Not only does it feature our girl Lucy, but also Red Skelton, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Fanny Brice, Judy Garland and a host of others. It also marked the first and only film that features both Lucille Ball and her I Love Lucy…
This is the 2nd of 3 films that Lucy and Desi made together, and it's pretty unarguably the best. Filmed in 1954 at the height of their I Love Lucy popularity, this was the first film of a multi-film deal with MGM that the Arnazes made. However,…
This is the last of 4 films that Lucille Ball and Bob Hope made together (the others being Sorrowful Jones, Fancy Pants and The Facts of Life). Based on a play by Ira Levin, the film received a lot of unfavorable feedback at test screenings, so it…
This is such a fun movie, reuniting Lucy with Henry Fonda, her co-star from The Big Street. The film is based on a real life couple and their memoir, Who Gets the Drumstick? It was so well received that a certain TV show in development was given the…
This was Lucy's last film released into theaters. It was widely panned by critics for multiple reasons, but they all had to do with Lucy herself. They hated Lucy's singing voice (or lack thereof), they thought she was too old for the role, that her…
