The next Long Live Lucy DVD Giveaway will be held in mid-February. Keep your eye on the Official Board Competitions section to find out the exact date and what episodes will be offered.
The winners of the January DVD Giveaway were:
*bandgeek2003
*aod4
*LucyShowFanatic
Congratulations to our winners! DVD Giveaways are sponsored by (Josh) DizzyArnizzy.
Shirley Mitchell, the actress that made several appearances as Marion Strong on "I Love Lucy" is shown on the cover of The Lucy-Desi Center Gift Shop Winter 2007 Merchandise Guide. Mitchell models "I Love Lucy" Flannel Pajamas (item #2218).
Haley Arnaz, Lucy and Desi's granddaughter, models a Ricardo Vintage Fitted T(item #2391) inside the guide. Arnaz also appeared in the 2007 edition of the gift shop catalog which was released last November.
The winter guide focuses on new merchandise and retired Carlton Cards Ornaments.
Related Links:
Shirley Mitchell's Filmography
The Lucy-Desi Center Gift Shop
Thanks to LLL member, Claude (morethanonesubject), for this news! Claude writes:
Was watching Regis and Kellie today and while they were doing their annoying patter, Regis started making fun of her for hosting the next TV Land awards and generally putting the awards down, so she shot back that Carol Burnett will be on and that there's this tribute to Lucille Ball and that her kids will be on the show too. TALK ABOUT GETTING A SCOOP!
"The Facts of Life" will be shown Saturday, February 3 at 7:30AM Eastern on TCM as a part of a month long tribute to classic films that were awarded Oscars.
"The Facts of Life," starring Lucille Ball and Bob Hope, was awarded an Oscar for Best Costume Design (Black-and-White). The film also received nominations for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration (Black-and-White), Best Cinematography (Black-and-White), Best Music, Original Song, and Best Writing, Story and Screenplay - Written Directly for the Screen.
"The Facts of Life" is the only Lucille Ball Movie being shown on Turner Classic Movies in February, but don't worry - they'll be more Lucy on in March!
The Lucy-Desi Center reports:
Plans are underway for the Lucy-Desi Center’s next Legacy of Laughter seminar—this time, in Boulder City, Nevada! The event will take place on Saturday, March 3 at 7 pm in the Historic Boulder Theatre. Lucie Arnaz will moderate the panel that, to date, includes:
*
Desi Arnaz, Jr.: vice-president of the Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center, musician and actor; with his wife Amy, currently operates the Boulder City Ballet Company and the historic Boulder Theatre
*
Sean Astin: actor (The Goonies, Rudy, Memphis Belle, Lord of the Rings), Academy Award nominated director (Kangaroo Court), and member of the Directors Guild of America, the Screen Actors Guild, and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
*
Jim Dunnigan: drug and alcohol intervention counselor
Legacy of Laughter (LOL) events are panel discussions (with audience interaction) that explore and celebrate the inestimable value of laughter. The LOLs are moderated by Lucie Arnaz, and panelists include those who create or perform comedy, who use it in their work, or who have been healed by it.
Seating is limited for LOL: NV. All seats are $20. Call the Historic Boulder Theatre at (702)-293-1161 for tickets. For more information, visit click here.
"The Pack", an independent film starring Lucie Arnaz as Eleanor Jordan, will be released by in May. Here's an excerpt of the film's synopsis from The Pack's Official Website:
"The Pack" is inspired by real life stories and documented cases where secondhand smoke is believed to be the cause of a loved ones death. In The Pack, an ambitious District Attorney prosecutes a wife on three counts of murder after her forty-seven year old husband dies of lung cancer from breathing her secondhand smoke for thirty years. In a wrenching twist, it turns out that the District Attorney is acting at the request of the couple's twenty year old son. At first, the jury struggles with what appears to be a ridiculous case, but as one juror delves deeper into the facts, the jury finds itself drawn into an intriguing, emotional and complicated choice regarding individual responsibility.
Be sure to visit our blog often to find out about unscheduled Lucille Ball and Arnaz Family appearances on TV. You can find out when Lucy will be on TV anytime throughout the month by clicking "Lucy and Desi on TV" under Lucy Links on the right side of the page.
*All times listed are Eastern*
Lucille Ball on Turner Classic Movies (U.S. and Canada):
The Facts of Life
Not available on DVD
Sat., Feb. 3, 7:30 AM
Desi Arnaz on Turner Classic Movies (U.S. and Canada):
No scheduled appearances.
Lucy and Desi Appearances On Other Channels (U.S.):
TV Land Myths and Legends
"Film Frights & Red Scares"
Not available on DVD
Thu., Feb. 1, 1:30 PM on TV Land
Sat., Feb. 3, 5:00 AM on TV Land
Sat., Feb. 3, 11:00 AM on TV Land
Sat., Feb. 3, 8:00 PM on TV Land
Sun., Feb. 4, 11:00 PM on TV Land
Mon., Feb. 5, 10:00 PM on TV Land
Tue., Feb. 6, 10:30 AM on TV Land
Wed., Feb. 7, 1:30 PM on TV Land
Sat., Feb. 10, 11:30 AM on TV Land
Mame
Not available on DVD
Tue., Feb. 6, 7:30 AM on More Max
The Three Stooges Show
A 30 minute short called "Three Little Pigskins." One of Lucy's earliest film appearances before she became a redhead. Not available on DVD.
Mon., Feb. 19, 1:00 PM on Spike TV
The Lucy Show
Weekdays - 2:30 AM on ME-TV Chicago
I Love Lucy
Weekdays - 2:00 PM, 2:30 PM, 11:30 PM on ME-TV Chicago
We Love Lucy
Saturdays - 10:00 PM on ME-TV Chicago
"I Love Lucy" On TVLand (U.S.):
Weekdays - 10:30 AM, 11:00 AM
Sundays - 10:30 AM, 11:00 AM
"Here's Lucy" on Sun-TV (Canada):
Weekdays - 1:00 PM
*All times listed are Eastern*
Lucie Arnaz (U.S.):
Down to You
Sat., Feb. 17, 9:00 AM, on FX Network
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
"Sleeping Beauty"
Thu., Feb. 15, 7:00 AM, on HBO Family
Desi Arnaz, Jr. (U.S.):
A Wedding
Thu., Feb. 8, 7:30 AM, on More Max
Wed., Feb. 21, 7:00 AM, on Cinemax
If you would like to send a condolence card or letter to Bob Carroll Jr.'s family, you can mail them to this address:
The Family of Bob Carroll
c/o The Lucy-Desi Center
300 N. Main Street
Jamestown, NY 14701
The Lucy-Desi Center will forward all correspondence to Mr. Carroll's family.
The Lucy-Desi Center reported that Lucie Arnaz will be in attendance at the sold-out Great American Songbook show tonight at Lincoln Center. The event is being held to honor songwriters Alan and Marilyn Berman, whose works include "The Way We Were" and the TV theme song Maude.
The center also announced that Carlton Cards has issued its newest "I Love Lucy" ornament. The 2007 ornament is the ninth Carlton Cards has produced and features Lucy dressed in a tu-tu wrapped around a ballet bar. The ornament is expected to ship this summer, but it can be preordered from The Lucy-Desi Center's Gift Shop now.
View (and preorder) a photo of Carlton Cards' 2007 Ballet Ornament:
http://lucille-ball-desi-arnaz-center.stores.yahoo.net/20cabaor.html
With the recent passing of "I Love Lucy" co-creator Bob Carroll Jr., TelevisionWeek is presenting a retrospective of the most popular American sitcom of its generation.
Starpulse News Blog reports that actress Rebecca Romijn has a new obsession:
"She had a ranch in the 50s... out near where I live. Now I'm obsessed with trying to find it... It's out in Chatsworth somewhere." X-Men star Rebecca Romijn is hunting for her comedy heroine Lucille Ball's lost ranch.
Broadway Belle, Rachel York, who portrayed Lucille Ball in the CBS television movie, Lucy, recently spoke of her experiences of playing the famous redhead.
Eugene: Your portrayal of the legendary Lucille Ball is often described as “brave” and “courageous.” What did it take personally and professionally to fill those shoes?
Rachel: You know at the time, I was in it: “I’m gonna do this!” But looking back I think “Oh my God! How did I do that?” I auditioned for the role about five times in two to three weeks. And I had about a month to prepare for the role, during Christmas time. You have to understand, as much as I love Lucille Ball and “I Love Lucy,” I didn’t know a lot about her. I had to do all of my research. I got a hold of every book and video on her comedy or her life. A couple of documentaries by Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr. were incredibly useful to me. All of this was strictly research, I was relying on them. We had about a week of rehearsal before we started shooting and they were still making script changes. I had to learn so much about Lucy in that time. The script was a good script, but there were just so many interesting parts of her life that were not included. They just kind of had to stick to the TV version of her life. Part of the time I was fighting to get some really interesting information about her.
Eugene: Like what?
Rachel: Well for instance, she had rheumatoid arthritis or something, nobody knew. For about a year after she was a model, she couldn’t walk. She couldn’t walk! These are interesting facts! Basically, at one point, it was like her grandfather was living on like, strawberries, with so little money. She found a way. She had an incredible will. She found a way to be as successful as she was. She fought tooth and nail every bit of her life. I think that’s why later on, you saw her as a bitter woman. Not only because of her marriage with Desi – which made her bitter – but she fought. Perhaps with her comedy, that’s when she could be a child without all of her responsibilities. That was her outlet. So I was absorbing her. I literally was brushing myteeth, eating, drinking Lucille Ball!
Eugene: That’s work!
Rachel: I remember having dreams of her where I’d see every angle of her face and I’d play like she was talking to me in her dream, because I was absorbing so much information in such a short amount of time. We shot like 16-hour days in New Zealand. And on top of it, a lot of the crew was from Australia who do not know Lucille Ball as an American icon. “We have to have the Lucille Ball pony-tail… What are you talking about? I can’t do this scene with her hair long!” You know, people memorize these scenes! People know exactly what she looked like. I was working really hard to honor this woman and her fans. We had to get it right. But so many decisions were made before I got on board. I was fighting so hard, which is fitting, because I know that’s what Lucille Ball would have done. Funny because I don't think of myself as a “fighter.” I guess a bit of Lucy’s characteristics got in me off-screen as well as on! Because I know she had to fight to get all of these things. I sort of became a perfectionist on the set. I enjoyed the crew, producers, and directors. But there were some details that seemed insignificant to them but I know was important. It was probably the most difficult thing. I wanted it to be a tribute to Lucy… but it was a really good made-for-TV movie. That is just the “nature of the beast.”
Eugene: Quite an undertaking.
Rachel: I was proud of the work I did. That’s why it was “brave” and “courageous”! [laughs]
NWI.com reports:
Bob Carroll Jr., a pioneering television writer who worked on all of Lucille Ball's TV shows, including "I Love Lucy," has died. He was 87.
Carroll, who had been in failing health for the past month, died Saturday, family friend and fellow TV writer Thomas Watson told The Associated Press on Monday.
Carroll and Madelyn Pugh Davis, his writing partner of more than 60 years, were working on comedian Steve Allen's radio show in the 1940s when they learned Ball was looking for writers for her show, "My Favorite Husband."
"They actually conned Steve Allen into writing his own show one week and took the time off to write a spec script for Lucy," Watson said. "CBS and Lucy loved it, and they became the first permanent writers on 'My Favorite Husband."'
When the show moved to television in 1953, Ball took her writers with her, changing the name to "I Love Lucy" and adding real-life husband Desi Arnaz to the cast.
Carroll and Pugh went on to work on every episode of the long-running show, Watson said, as well as many episodes of "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour," "The Lucy Show," "Here's Lucy" and "Life With Lucy." The latter show went off the air in 1986, three years before Ball's death.
Many of the shows had essentially the same premise: Lucy gets involved in some routine function and, often through well-intentioned deviousness coupled with incredible clumsiness, manages to turn it into a pratfall-filled disaster.
Carroll and Davis also collaborated on several other projects, including the 1968 film "Yours, Mine and Ours" and the Arnaz-produced sitcom "The Mothers-In-Law."
Carroll was born Aug. 12, 1919, in McKeesport, Pa. (Though some sources list 1918 as his birth date, Watson confirmed that 1919 was correct.)
Carroll moved to St. Petersburg, Fla., with his family when he was 3. His interest in writing was piqued as a teenager when he entered a radio contest, submitting a script he had written while laid up in bed recovering from a hip ailment, Watson said. His submission won first prize.
After a couple of years, he left for Los Angeles, where he landed a job as an usher with CBS radio affiliate KNX, Watson said. After a stint in the mailroom he was promoted to the writing staff.
Married and divorced twice, Carroll is survived by a daughter.
