Lucille: The Life of Lucille Ball

Description

Lucille: The Life of Lucille Ball is an entertaining, informative, scholarly, and fascinating biography of one of the most revered actresses in television history. Moving beyond the typical celebrity bio, author Kathleen Brady separates the actress from Lucy Ricardo, the antic, enduring character she created on I Love Lucy.

Brady is the only biographer to have spent extensive time in Jamestown, New York, Lucille Ball's hometown, where she interviewed Ball's childhood friends. Other interviews for the book included family, employees, Bob Hope, Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers, Milton Berle, Maureen O'Hara, Maxine Andrews of the Andrews Sisters, and the late chairman of CBS Bill Paley. Kathleen Brady's definitive biography presents a human Lucille Ball the fans have never known: the would-be showgirl in New York, fired almost as soon as she was hired because she was too flat-chested and mousy; her great love for Desi Arnaz, their tempestuous marriage, the day she thought she had killed him with a hammer, and the incident that ended their marriage; Lucille as head of Desilu Studios, overriding the advice of her most trusted executives and agreeing to green light the pilots of Star Trek and Mission Impossible; and her run-in with the House on Un-American Activities Committee and fears of being black-listed.

Brady reveals that Lucille Ball's life was a roller coaster, going from disaster to victory and triumph to tragedy. As a young woman, Ball believed that she had to work had to make people like and appreciate her. As a star, she felt she had to work hard to maintain her popularity, and was also conscious that what her fans wanted from her was not herself, but Lucy Ricardo.

Of the first edition of this book, published by Hyperion in 1994, critic Molly Haskell wrote: "It's a beautiful portrait of someone with enormous talent as an entertainer and heartbreaking fragility as a woman. In giving Lucille Ball the serious appraisal she deserves, Kathleen Brady has really gotten behind the scenes and the cameras to provide an invaluable chronicle of several areas and eras of show business."

New to this edition of Lucille is an introductory essay focusing on the place of the character of Lucy Ricardo in the history of comedy, going back to the traditions of the Italian commedia dell'arte and forward to the end of the 20th century. In this essay, Lucille Ball is compared to other key female figures in comedy like Mabel Normand, Mae West, Frannie Brice, Gilda Radner, and Fran Drescher. As the author writes, "Lucille Ball was a revolutionary figure because Lucy Ricardo was the first female character to combine the knock-about physical comedy of vaudeville and music halls (and 15th century carnivals) while being beautiful, feminine, and sweetly appealing." This edition also includes many new photographs from various sources.

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Customer Reviews

Great Book
I bought this book with a few other items about Lucille Ball. I thought it was put together well. Though the book has factual items in it there are some things that are not correct. Otherwise it is a wonderful read.

2009-02-20 (Arkansas) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Lucy, a woman for the ages
The author tried really hard to portray Ms Ball realistically. And I think for the most part she succeeded. Certainly, I felt no less for the famous comedienne than I had before. If anything, I was greatly saddened by her childhood, which, I think Ms Ball herself mildly characterized in her own autobio, as difficult. She's short-changing herself there. Parts of her early life were traumatic in my opinion.

Nevertheless, she clearly triumphed over the adversity she had. Most impressive to me is that she always thought about the welfare of her immediate family, mother, brother, grandfather, etc...and worked very hard to keep the relationship between them close. That's amazing to me and shows what kind of woman she really was.

The fact that the author brought out some of the more unpleasant aspects of her personality, only made her seem more human to me. Nobody's perfect. But because society tends to deify celebrity, many become intolerant or unwilling to listen to the truth about their very human side.

But this is exactly why I enjoy reading these bio's. Some books are better than others. This one is well-researched even if the facts are a bit skewed here and there. It doesn't detract from a sympathetic portrait of the famous comedienne. At least not for me, because as I read it, I discovered that Ms Ball was an extraordinarily gifted woman who cared deeply about humanity, and left a priceless legacy.

She sure as heck still makes me laugh!

2008-08-10 | Torchy | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 3

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Disappointing Telling of Miss Ball's Interesting Life
I had been looking forward to this biography, and found myself quite disappointed by the result. The first red flag was a rookie mistake located on the second page of the introduction, and then another on the third (Buster Keaton didn't work for Sennett - five minutes of research would reveal this to a conscientious writer; nor were Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance the first female comedy team - Hal Roach gave us Todd & Pitts a good 20 years prior to Ball & Vance). When these clear mistakes are at the very beginning, one has to wonder what else is in error throughout the book (the topless photo purported to be Lucille, but clearly not, for instance).

Aside from that, this book paints Lucille in a fairly monstrous light, with only glimmers of her generosity and kindness. She herself indicated that she wasn't a funny person, but that it was her writers who made her work SEEM funny, so that's not what's at issue here. The discussions of her seemingly endless tantrums, fits and petty jealousies are piled on until Lucille reads like "Lucy Dearest." Desi, Sr. and her children don't come off much better, and even Gary Morton, who loved her for the last 28 years of her life, doesn't emerge unscathed.

I wanted to read an even-handed biography of Lucy, and a complete one, one that covered her early career in some detail and dealt with her life after I Love Lucy in more than just glancing copy. The bulk of the book is made up of her admittedly iconic 1950's series, but I don't feel as if I learned anything more about Lucille Ball than I knew before I opened the pages, and even more problematic, I don't know what, if any, of the work I can believe. This one is for the completists, I'm afraid, and not to be read as a definitive work on the complex woman who was Lucille Ball.

2008-04-01 | Books Fuel My Life (London, UK) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 2

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Best Bio (and I've read them all)
There are some minor factual errors with regard to some of the TV series indicating that the author--an obvious admirer--was not a fan per se. This actually helps in terms of objectivity. The book is unflinching but warm, and is the sole book to really go in depth about Lucille's childhood and teen/young adult years. "Ball of Fire" and many others are shockingly un-new in their stoties and historical references. No one can really know "Lucille" after the fact but this book, and "Desilu" come as close as you canget.

2004-05-02 (CONCORD, CA United States) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 4

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My favorite book about my favorite commedienne
When I was ten and heard that Lucy and Desi were divorcing, I was devastated. No one in my little village had ever divorced, and I did not know anyone who knew anyone who had. So, Lucy and Ricky, who were interchangeable in my mind with Lucy and Desi, were the first people I "knew" who took that drastic step. I couldn't figure out how they could be so happy on TV and still want to split.

A few years later, when Lucy returned to television, along with Ethel, rechristened as Vivian, I kept longing for DesiRicky to show up. Of course he didn't. Later, I saw some of her early movies and became one of the three people in the US who loved her on the screen as Mame. Even though I appreciated her skill and talent, for me, she was always Lucy Riccardo. Somewhere along the line, though, I realized that Lucille Ball was more complex than her TV counterpart.

Of the half-dozen books I've read about Lucy, which include the newly-released "Ball of Fire", a couple of the books about the series, and Vance's biography, Kathleen Brady's is my favorite. She comes closest to cracking the code, finding what drove Lucille Ball to the top of her profession.

Brady treats her subject tenderly, but does whitewash the harder side of her character. Rather, she tries to bring the apparently incompatible parts of her personality together into one whole, very understandable person. As much as is possible, she succeeds.

Where she is sure of details, she gives them. Where she is not, she offers alternate possibilities, for example, the unknown cause of Ball's paralysis that sent her home from NY and to bed for months or, on the more humorous side, exactly what happened the night that Tallulah Bankhead decided to disrobe during a production meeting of the LucyDesi Comedy Hour.

Well-researched and well-written, this is mandatory reading for any die-hard Lucy fan and an excellent choice for anyone who intends reading only one book about America's most famous comedienne.

2003-09-04 | 800rsd (New York, NY) | Helpful Votes: 12 | Rating: 5

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Love, Lucy

Product Details

• ISBN13: 9780425177310
• Notes: Stamp New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• <a title='Condition Guide' href='/content/Condition_and_S hipping_Guide.htm' target='_blank'>Click here to conception our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices</a>
• Teach: NEW

Description

The one and only New York Times bestselling autobiography by Lucille Ball...

"Filled with light and laughter." (New York Times Book Review)

"Lucy fans will find this book fascinating." (Detroit News)

"A winner." (New York Newsday)

"Intensely moving."(San Francisco Chronicle)

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Although Lucille Ball died in 1989, this autobiography written prior to 1964 has only recently been discovered among her papers. She describes a childhood deeply affected by her father's death and her mother's withdrawal from her life. Raised by her grandparents, Ball craved attention and developed a tempestuous, vivacious, fiery, and yet insecure personality that would later lead her to comic stardom. It took years of working from the bottom of show business before she became a television hit, with the help of her husband, co-star, and business partner, former Cuban bandleader Desi Arnaz. Ball abandoned the book for fear of hurting Arnaz, although she gives him credit for the tremendous success she enjoyed with "I Love Lucy."

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Customer Reviews

Love,Lucy Hardcover **Autobiography* Great book.
Love,Lucy. Great Hardcover, Touching tale of her life story as told by her, A must for Lucy Fans, It's a great gift for them, I gave it to my mom, She loves it, and I read it and I love it too. As a young fan, I love the show.
Read Lucy's Side of the Story and her growing up in Jamestown,NY.

2009-11-15 | Jose Lopez (Miami,Florida USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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lucy in her own words....
this book is an autobiography of lucille where she tells a story of her beginings in jamestown, new york to her acting career. she lost her father at a young age, went to acting school where they had doubted her, became a model, met desi arnaz, marriage, children, and eventually tv shows. it's a good book to read and every lucy fan should get this.

2009-11-02 (Florida) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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The Lucy book
I truly have enjoyed and learned a lot from this book. Learned details about her life that I did not know. Thank you very much for selling the book. I am grateful to have done business with you

2009-09-11 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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Couldn't put this book down!
This book is great. It really captured Lucy's spirit and independence. I just wish she could have continued writing it until her death.

2008-11-15 | lucy fan (usa) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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I do Love Lucy
I found this book to be very well written and interesting I discovered things about Lucille Ball that I did not know. It held my interest from beginning to end. If you are a fan of I Love Lucy you will enjoy this book I highly recommend it to everyone.

2008-08-02 | BJ (Indiana) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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Lucy at the Movies: The Complete Films of Lucille Ball

Description

The world knows her as the First Lady of Television, but Lucille Ball's talent also shone brightly on the cinema screen in over eighty films spanning five decades, most from Hollywood's glamorous golden age of the 1930s and '40s. Lucy at the Movies is a long overdue showcase for this area of the star's career, offering behind-the-scenes stories and essential information for every film in which she appeared. The pages are filled with rare photos of the beautiful young actress, many from her own first scrapbooks. Explored from her days as a showgirl through blonde, brunette, and "Tango Red" incarnations, from black-and-white through glorious Technicolor, this is a complete reference guide and a tribute to a star and an era.

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Customer Reviews

Lucille Ball. The Best!
I just loved this book and didnt realise how big it was. It's fabulous, it has everything in it fabulous photos and the biography tells it all. I am so glad i bought it.

2009-06-26 (Noosa. Qld. Australia) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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1 Star
This book is awful. There's nothing new and the photos have been published before. One of the worst books I have ever read!

2008-12-18 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 1

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Great pictorial treasury of Lucille Ball's life and career
This is Cindy de la Hoz's first book, and judging from this and her next two books (_Platinum Fox_ on Marilyn Monroe and _Lana_ on Lana Turner, written with Turner's daughter Cheryl Crane), de la Hoz is going to be a major writer on classic films in the years to come. I've got all three of her books and expect to keep buying them as long as she keeps on putting out work as good as this.

As with her next two books, _Lucy at the Movies_ is a substantial, high-quality hardback, with the accent on outstanding pictures in both color and B&W, many of them not previously published. De la Hoz begins with a good, concise biographical section and then goes on to the meat of the book, a film-by-film discussion of Lucy's movie career (again, accompanied by numerous first-rate photographs). De la Hoz carefully researched this book, with extensive endnotes and a long bibiliography.

I only own one book on Lucille Ball so far, but I'm glad it's this one!

2008-11-03 (Manassas, VA USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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A True Must Have
This book is truly amazing. I am 47 and have been a huge fan of Lucille Ball since I was young. HERE'S LUCY was on prime time then, both other shows were in constant reruns and MAME was released - a huge treat. I have always loved the whole package that is Lucille Ball - not just Lucy - and this book glorifies exactly that.

Lucille Ball became a legend and a never equalled comedienne when she became Lucy on the infamous I LOVE LUCY. Of course this is her tour de force from herr entire career but many don't know that Lucy was around for decades before I LOVE LUCY with an expansive film career. She was considered the QUEEN OF THE B MOVIES. There was some true quality work here like LURED and the truly exceptional THE BIG STREET. She also made many films after becoming Lucy.

This book is not only a beautiful coffee table book which it indeed is. There are hundreds of amazing pictures both in black and white and color - candids plus pictures from the films. But this book is also a true encyclopedia of the film history of Lucille Ball. Every film she made from the beginning to MAME and even her final television movie STONE PILLOW are thoroughly researched. There is an in depth synopsis of each film, wonderful pictures and multiple critics reviews of each piece. It is priceless.

There is also a full biography and a detail of all the film shorts she did before she was in her first film ROMAN SCANDALS. So to sum it up - this book is the rare exception. It is a true beautiful coffee table book filled with beautiful pictures but it also provides the fully researched in depth film history of Lucille Ball which has never been tackled like this before.

For all you Lucy fans this book is a must and you will learn how much more there was to this multi-faceted artist. You will run out to get and watch all these films to discover the true Lucille Ball. But this book is not only for Lucy fans for Lucille Ball is one of the greatest artists ever and this book is her true film history. It is a must for any entertainment library as well.

But for all you true Lucy fans - rejoice!! You will devour the beautiful pictures and all the info on the film career of the glorious Lucille ball. Enjoy!

2008-09-26 (Boston, MA United States) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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Given as Gift
I gave my granddaughter who is an avid "Lucy fan" this book for Christmas and she loved it because it focused on Lucy's movie career.

2008-01-14 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Desilu: The Story of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz

Product Details

• Shape: NEW
• Notes: Type New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• ISBN13: 9780688135140

Description

The true, behind-the-scenes story of television's happiest couple, andHollywood's most tumultuous marriage.

Fifty years ago the magical union of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz enthralled American audiences who couldn't got enough of the fiery redhead or her sexy Cuban husband. But off camera the situation couldn't have been less comic, with backstage battles, oversized egos, drinking, philandering, and the demands of phenomenal success undermining what was once a storybook romance.

With exclusive access to family members (including daughter Lucie Arnaz) and rare photographs, Desilu is the firstcandid, inside account of a celebrated, complex, passionate, but ultimately tragic relationship -- as well as a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at Desilu Studios, the Golden Age of Television's most powerful production empire.

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Customer Reviews

Overall, Pretty Good Book
I read this book more as a fan of 50's tv and the historic aspects than as a big Lucy fan. To be honest, I like the old Lucy show, especially the one-hour concept at the end, but have never been a super big Lucy fan.

From that POV I did enjoy the book. The author gave us considerable insight into the relationship between Desi and Lucy over the years and how that effected their public and private lives. Since Desi ran the business operations knowing a bit about the personal life helped figure out some of the various moves he made over the years. I'm not an expert on Lucy lore, but I would imagine the author covered her life in great detail here, and Desi as well.

What I enjoyed most about the book was how the author filled in the background on various decisions Desi made while running Desilu. Since what he did had a great deal to do with our early TV history it's a kin to being there at the begining. Much of what we now know as network TV has its roots in Desi Arnaz running Desilu.

Desilu went from being a standard issue vehicle production company for Ball and Arnaz to the greatest heights in the business to being sold and merged into Paramont and eventually ending up as something call Desilu Too LLC, which exists to capture proceeds from I Love Lucy residuals, products and projects. For example, the Lucy Museum in Jamestown, NY is a joint venture between Desilu Too LLC thru the children (Lucie and Desi IV)and local businessmen in Jamestown. The operation, for lack of a better word, hasn't been doing well as of late and is rumored to be losing money. Some key managers were fired or replaced and the Gift Shop closed. Some locals are concerned the operation may be closing down soon. The company also does business with the marketing firm that specializes in departed celebs, like Elvis, etc.

On the weak side, I think the book is rather thin on detailing why Arnaz sold his share of Desilu in 1962 to Lucy for $3,000,000. The book provides little detail on the period from March, 1960 until the sale. I was curious why Arnaz wanted to sell and what terms he and Lucy had agreed to. All we get is the standard 'Lucy bought Desi's share of Desilu for xxx'. And, the book doesn't give much detail on where the studio was before Lucy sold it in 1967. For years her show was the only one Desilu produced, with most of its cash flow coming from studio rentals to other shows (like Andy Griffith, Gomer Pyle, etc). It totally skips over the logic behind Desilu suddenly getting on board with two shows (Star Trek and Mission: Impossible) and later Mannix. Further research showed that Desilu needed something on the air and turned to the shows at the last minute to improve it's position for potential buyers. Lucy actually knew close to nothing about all three shows and maintained considerable distance from day to day operations. One review at the time said adding the shows increased the value of Desilu by up to $7,000,000.

But, overall a good book. And, I'm sure, not the last on the subject. Finally, I find myself rooting for Arnaz and feeling sad for the way he turned out. It was clear that the pressures of running things and his addiction to the booze nearly took down Desilu, ruined his marriage and eventually led to his early passing. You could almost say he gave his life for show business and building Lucy into a major tv star.

2010-03-08 (Illinois) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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the no so innocent "ricardos":uncut and uncensored!!!
i became a big fan of i love lucy show when i was 10. i love seeing lucy and ricky. they were the perfect tv couple. when i found out that the actors who played them are actually married in real life, i thought that was even more awesome!!!! i decided to get this book to learn more about them. when i started reading this book, i was amazed.............i never knew that desi was actually a womanizing, man whore and that their marriage was in trouble. it's a shame...they made such a cute couple. it was really sad to read all the terrible things that lucy went through. she lost her father at a young age, suffered miscarriages, and had to deal with desi's playboy and drinking ways. the books also uncovers what goes on behind the scenes of the show. i recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of "i love lucy" and would like to know more information about the show itself and the actors. i promised you...it's one book that is filled with surprises!!! this book will make you sad, laugh, cry, smile, and everything else!!

2009-11-02 (Florida) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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"WONDERFUL"
I've been a Lucy and Dezi fan from as far as I can remember.
I ordered this book and now I can't put it down. The pictures are like
so realizom.
I recommend for those who are "REAL" Lucy and Dezi fans, they should get
their book!!!!

2009-10-22 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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I love lucy
If you love Lucy, you should read this and know the real her. This book is about how the I Love Lucy show came to be and the adventures the Arnaz's went through to accomplish their goals. Highly recommended

2009-08-23 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Desilu is what is was about.....Less Lucy and Desi
I was unpleasantly surprised about this book. I love biographies , but this biography was mostly about the business and less about the people.... hence the name. The beginning of the book is sad because you do not get a good feel about how Desi and Lucy meet or their life before Desilu, it was more like a list of every job they had and every person that helped produce whatever they were doing. After the book was over, I didn't feel well informed. They continuously repeat themselves throughout the book. I was pretty disappointed considering how much information is out there about this couple.

2009-07-22 | taraandturf (PA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 2

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Lucy A to Z: The Lucille Ball Encyclopedia

Description

If you think you know everything about Lucille Ball, think again! Lucy A to Z is a unique encyclopedic tribute to the life and career of Lucy, the most beloved comedian of our time.

This Fourth Edition of Lucy A to Z is filled with newly discovered archival research and updated information, plus 50 pictures, many of them exclusives! Author Michael Karol obtained exclusive interviews with such I love Lucy insiders as Dann Cahn, the show's film editor, and William Asher, who director most of the episodes... plus details of the stage careers of the four I Love Lucy principals. biographies of all the stars and coworkers who touched Lucy and her career, and so much more!

The magazine Classic Images reviewed Lucy A to Z and called it, "The most detailed -- and most enjoyable -- book available on Lucille Ball. A must-have."

Of the new Fourth Edition, Lucille Ball's personal secretary, Wanda Clark, has noted, "This new Fourth Edition of Lucy A to Z is a wonderful read and I'm very pleased to recommend it to everyone."

The public has loved Lucille Ball for more than 50 years. Lucy A to Z was created especially for these millions of fans.

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Customer Reviews

Wonderful book
I thought I knew just about everything there was about Lucy. This books goes over all of Lucy's life and everybody she worked with and then some. It is enjoyable to just read it thru but an excellent resource to just look up things about her life. Want to get some information about Fred Mertz....you can find it easily. I even discovered that Lucy and Desi were not the first couple to have a baby on their tv show. To find out who , well you'll just have to find the book and read it for yourself.

2008-10-10 (alabama) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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Love this book!
"Lucy A to Z" is well researched and fact filled. It is one of the few books about Lucille Ball that I can recommend without reservation and I have read most of them. It is an easy read and well worth the time invested in reading about Lucy's career. Wanda Clark

2008-04-08 | Helpful Votes: 3 | Rating: 5

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I Loved This Encyclopedia About Lucy!
I was a fairly big Lucy fan but hadn't bought many books about her, mostly those about her show, I Love Lucy. But when I found this book, the idea of an encyclopedia intrigued me, and I figured there'd be lots of stuff about I Love Lucy, in any case. There sure is, and there's a lot more, on every aspect of Lucy's career, arranged alphabetically. The pictures are great and everything is super easy to find. The writing is both breezy and insightful; the author's obviously a big fan, but he knows his stuff. A lot of research must have gone into this. As someone else on the page says, if you need any `splainin' about anything in Lucy's life or career, it's here.

2008-02-27 (NY) | Helpful Votes: 4 | Rating: 5

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For my money, the best book on Lucille Ball Out There!
Everything you could ever want to know about Lucy...in one place! I bought a copy of the second edition a few years ago and liked it very much, but I was disappointed that there were no pictures inside. Well, the author has taken care of that in this new fourth edition, and then some! There are lots of pictures, many of which I haven't seen before. The cover photo alone is a real knockout! Not only that, but the book size is bigger and there are many more new entries. It looks like it has been totally redesigned. And if you ever needed to find out anything about Lucy, it's an encyclopedia format, so just look alphabetically (there's also a huge index). I love Lucy, and I love this book! Highly recommended.

2008-02-27 (New York) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 5

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Value of Laughter: The Story of Lucille Ball (Value Tales)

Description

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Customer Reviews

Lucy Loves to Make People Laugh
In this installment of the ValueTales series, Ann Donegan Johnson helps us appreciate the comedic talents of Lucille Ball (1911-1989).

The book tells us about a little girl named Lucy who loved to watch plays, movies and vaudeville acts. As she watched she learned about how entertainers make people laugh. She began telling and acting out stories to make her family laugh. As she grew up, Lucy took acting lessons and prepared for a career as a comedienne. She even dyed her hair bright red to be noticed at auditions. Lucy succeeded as an actress and then became the first woman to head a movie studio. Lucy has taught millions of people how to chase sadness away with laughter.

Like other books in the ValueTales series, this book uses a real-life person to exemplify an important value. It is suitable for reading by children in the later elementary school grades. A "Historical Facts" section at the book's end summarizes Lucy Ball's life in a single-page bio form suitable for adults.

Closing quote: "Lucy had a joke for any situation, no matter how grim. Like the vaudevillians she had watched at Celeron Park years before, Lucy turned tears into laughter by looking at the world funny-side up." (p. 61)

2009-12-14 | johnDC (near DC, MD USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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