Lucille Ball

Date of Birth

6 August 1911, Jamestown, New York, USA 

Date of Death

26 April 1989, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA (acute aortic aneurysm) 

Birth Name

Lucille Désirée Ball 

Nickname

Technicolor Tessie 

Queen of the B movies (during the 1940s)

The First Lady of Television 

Lucy 

The Queen of Comedy 

Height

5.7.5 

Spouse

Gary Morton (19 November 1961 - 26 April 1989) (her death)

Desi Arnaz (30 November 1940 - 4 May 1960) (divorced) 2 children

Trade Mark

Red hair and blue eyes

Trivia

Mother of Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr..

During a Barbara Walters interview, Jane Fonda claimed that her father, Henry Fonda, was deeply in love with Lucille Ball and that the two were "very close" during the filming of Yours, Mine and Ours (1968).

Was the first woman to own her own film studio as the head of Desilu Productions.

Was awarded 2 Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Pictures at 6436 Hollywood Boulevard; and for Television at 6100 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.

She signed her first promotional agreement with Max Factor in 1935 and again in 1942. Of all the stars, she had the longest association with the Max Factor company.

Lucy and her son, Desi Arnaz Jr., appeared together on the very first cover of "TV Guide" magazine in 1953.

Died the morning of April 26, 1989, the fifty-sixth birthday of her friend Carol Burnett. That afternoon Burnett received the flowers that Ball had ordered for her birthday.

During the 1933 filming of Roman Scandals (1933), young Lucille Ball, portraying a slave girl, needed to have her eyebrows entirely shaved off. They never grew back.

Before her movie career, Lucille was a model at Hattie Carnegie's in New York. She mainly modeled heavy fur coats, because she was startlingly thin as a young lady.

Lucy and Desi Arnaz began "I Love Lucy" (1951) in the hopes of saving their crumbling marriage.

She was fired from working at an ice cream store because she kept forgetting to put bananas in banana splits.

She put her Chesterfield cigarettes in a Philip Morris package to please her sponsor (of the "I Love Lucy" (1951) show).

TV Guide picked her as the greatest TV star of all time.

Was one of the 20 original "Goldwyn Girls", along with Virginia Bruce; Ann Dvorak; Paulette Goddard and Betty Grable.

Was known for a while as Dianne Belmont back when she was a model.

Pictured on a 34¢ USA commemorative postage stamp in the Legends of Hollywood series, issued 6 August 2001.

Felt that she did not deserve the title of "Queen of Comedy" and felt that it belonged to her idol, Carole Lombard.

While still contemplating whether to do the "I Love Lucy" (1951) shows, she claimed that in her dream, Carole Lombard came to her and told her to "Give it a whirl".

Was of Irish, Scottish, French, and English descent.

Suffered three miscarriages with husband Desi Arnaz. First miscarriage was in 1942. Second miscarriage was in 1949. Third and last miscarriage was in 1950.

Comedian John Belushi was a fan of her and knew every detail of her life and career.

Lucille suffered from ornithophobia, the fear of birds.