Acting
Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy. One of the most popular and influential stars in America during her lifetime, with one of Hollywood's longest careers, especially on television, Ball began acting in the 1930s, becoming both a radio actress and B-movie star in the 1940s, and then a television star during the 1950s. She was still making films in the 1960s and 1970s. Ball received thirteen Emmy Award nominations and four wins. In 1977 Ball was among the first recipients of the Women in Film Crystal Award. She was the recipient of the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1979, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Kennedy Center Honors in 1986 and the Governors Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in 1989. In 1929, Ball landed work as a model and later began her performing career on Broadway using the stage name Dianne Belmont. She appeared in many small movie roles in the 1930s as a contract player for RKO Radio Pictures. Ball was labeled as the "Queen of the Bs" (referring to her many roles in B-films). In 1951, Ball was pivotal in the creation of the television series I Love Lucy. The show co-starred her then husband, Desi Arnaz as Ricky Ricardo and Vivian Vance and William Frawley as Ethel and Fred Mertz, the Ricardos' landlords and friends. The show ended in 1957 after 180 episodes. They then changed the format a little - lengthening the time of the show from 30 minutes to 60 minutes (the first one went 75 mins), adding some characters, altering the storyline somewhat, and renaming the show from "I Love Lucy" to "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour", which ran for three seasons (1957–1960) and 13 episodes. Ball went on to star in two more successful television series: The Lucy Show, which ran on CBS from 1962 to 1968 (156 Episodes), and Here's Lucy from 1968 to 1974 (144 episodes). Her last attempt at a television series was a 1986 show called Life with Lucy - which failed miserably after 8 episodes aired although 13 were produced. Ball met and eloped with Cuban bandleader Desi Arnaz in 1940. On July 17, 1951, almost 40 years old, Ball gave birth to their first child, Lucie Désirée Arnaz. A year and a half later, Ball gave birth to their second child, Desiderio Alberto Arnaz IV, known as Desi Arnaz, Jr. Ball and Arnaz divorced on May 4, 1960. On April 26, 1989, Ball died of a dissecting aortic aneurysm at age 77. At the time of her death she had been married to her second husband, standup comedian and business partner Gary Morton, for twenty-eight years.
Filmography
A Grammy Celebration of Latin Music
Film · 2025
Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution
Film · 2024
Mad About the Boy: The Noël Coward Story
Film · 2023
Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed
Film · 2023
Lucy and Desi
Film · 2022
My Darling Vivian
Film · 2020
This Is Bob Hope...
Film · 2017
The Fabulous Allan Carr
Film · 2017
I Love Lucy Christmas Special
Film · 2016
Mary Tyler Moore: A Celebration
Film · 2015
Classic TV Bloopers Uncensored
Film · 2011
Pioneers of Primetime
Film · 2005
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
Film · 2004
Judy Garland: By Myself
Film · 2004
Biography: Bob Hope: America's Entertainer
Film · 2003
Cher: The Farewell Tour
Film · 2003
The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 1
Film · 2001
The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 2
Film · 2001
Lucille Ball: Finding Lucy
Film · 2000
Television: The First Fifty Years
Film · 1999
The Best of the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
Film · 1998
The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender
Film · 1997
The Funny World of Lucy, Volume 1
Film · 1997
E! True Hollywood Story
Series · 1996
That's Entertainment! III
Film · 1994
Lucy and Desi: A Home Movie
Film · 1993
The Best Of Danny Kaye - The Television Years
Film · 1993
Intimate Portrait
Series · 1993
Bob Hope's Love Affair with Lucy
Film · 1989
A Tribute to Lucy
Film · 1989
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
Film · 1988
A Beverly Hills Christmas
Film · 1987
Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood
Film · 1987
The RKO Story: Tales From Hollywood
Series · 1987
All Star Party for Clint Eastwood
Film · 1986
Life with Lucy
Series · 1986
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
Film · 1985
Stone Pillow
Film · 1985
Night of 100 Stars II
Film · 1985
That's Dancing!
Film · 1985
All Star Party for Lucille Ball
Film · 1984
Body Language
Series · 1984
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
Film · 1983
Showbiz Goes to War
Film · 1982
Women I Love: Beautiful But Funny
Film · 1982
A Love Letter to Jack Benny
Film · 1981
Entertainment Tonight
Series · 1981
Lucy Moves to NBC
Film · 1980
Cher... and Other Fantasies
Film · 1979
The Kennedy Center Honors
Series · 1978
Lucy Calls the President
Film · 1977
CBS Salutes Lucy: The First 25 Years
Film · 1976
What Now, Catherine Curtis?
Film · 1976
Shirley MacLaine: Gypsy in My Soul
Film · 1976
NBC: The First Fifty Years
Film · 1976
Bob Hope's World of Comedy
Film · 1976
The Practice
Series · 1976
Donny & Marie
Series · 1976
Three for Two
Film · 1975
Lucy Gets Lucky
Film · 1975
Texaco Presents: A Quarter Century of Bob Hope on Television
Film · 1975
Mame
Film · 1974
Happy Anniversary and Goodbye
Film · 1974
Dinah!
Series · 1974
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
Series · 1973
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
Series · 1973
The Pearl Bailey Show
Series · 1971
Jack Benny's 20th Anniversary TV Special
Film · 1970
Swing Out, Sweet Land
Film · 1970
The Flip Wilson Show
Series · 1970
Ann-Margret: From Hollywood with Love
Film · 1969
The Jack Benny Birthday Special
Film · 1969
The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour
Series · 1969
Yours, Mine and Ours
Film · 1968
The Dean Martin Christmas Show
Film · 1968
Carnival Nights
Film · 1968
Here's Lucy
Series · 1968
The Dick Cavett Show
Series · 1968
A Guide for the Married Man
Film · 1967
The Carol Burnett Show
Series · 1967
Omnibus
Series · 1967
Lucy in London
Film · 1966
Carol + 2
Film · 1966
Salute to Stan Laurel
Film · 1965
The Big Parade of Comedy
Film · 1964
The Lucille Ball Comedy Hour
Film · 1964
Critic's Choice
Film · 1963
General Foods Opening Night
Film · 1963
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
Series · 1963
The Danny Kaye Show
Series · 1963
The Greatest Show on Earth
Series · 1963
The Lucy Show
Series · 1962
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Series · 1962
The Merv Griffin Show
Series · 1962
Treffpunkt New York
Series · 1961
Password
Series · 1961
The Mike Douglas Show
Series · 1961
The Mike Douglas Show
Series · 1961
The Facts of Life
Film · 1960
Hedda Hopper's Hollywood
Film · 1960
NBC Sunday Showcase
Series · 1959
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
Series · 1958
The Ann Sothern Show
Series · 1958
The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour
Series · 1957
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
Series · 1957
Forever, Darling
Film · 1956
Lucy's Really Lost Moments
Film · 1956
The Bob Hope Chevy Show
Film · 1956
MGM Parade
Series · 1955
The Long, Long Trailer
Film · 1954
A Star Is Born World Premiere
Film · 1954
I Love Lucy: The Movie
Film · 1953
Ellis in Freedomland
Film · 1952
This Is Your Life
Series · 1952
The Magic Carpet
Film · 1951
I Love Lucy
Series · 1951
Fancy Pants
Film · 1950
The Fuller Brush Girl
Film · 1950
A Woman of Distinction
Film · 1950
The Bob Hope Show
Series · 1950
The Jack Benny Program
Series · 1950
What's My Line?
Series · 1950
Miss Grant Takes Richmond
Film · 1949
Sorrowful Jones
Film · 1949
Easy Living
Film · 1949
The Emmy Awards
Series · 1949
The Ed Wynn Show
Series · 1949
The Ed Sullivan Show
Series · 1948
Lured
Film · 1947
Her Husband's Affairs
Film · 1947
The Dark Corner
Film · 1946
Easy to Wed
Film · 1946
Two Smart People
Film · 1946
Lover Come Back
Film · 1946
Without Love
Film · 1945
Ziegfeld Follies
Film · 1945
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood
Film · 1945
Meet the People
Film · 1944
G.I. Journal
Film · 1944
Best Foot Forward
Film · 1943
Du Barry Was a Lady
Film · 1943
Thousands Cheer
Film · 1943
The Big Street
Film · 1942
Seven Days' Leave
Film · 1942
Valley of the Sun
Film · 1942
A Girl, a Guy, and a Gob
Film · 1941
Look Who's Laughing
Film · 1941
Dance, Girl, Dance
Film · 1940
Too Many Girls
Film · 1940
You Can't Fool Your Wife
Film · 1940
The Marines Fly High
Film · 1940
Five Came Back
Film · 1939
Twelve Crowded Hours
Film · 1939
Panama Lady
Film · 1939
Beauty for the Asking
Film · 1939
That's Right – You're Wrong
Film · 1939
Room Service
Film · 1938
Joy of Living
Film · 1938
Having Wonderful Time
Film · 1938
The Affairs of Annabel
Film · 1938
Go Chase Yourself
Film · 1938
Next Time I Marry
Film · 1938
Annabel Takes a Tour
Film · 1938
Stage Door
Film · 1937
Don't Tell the Wife
Film · 1937
Follow the Fleet
Film · 1936
Swing It
Film · 1936
Bunker Bean
Film · 1936
That Girl from Paris
Film · 1936
One Live Ghost
Film · 1936
The Farmer in the Dell
Film · 1936
Chatterbox
Film · 1936
Winterset
Film · 1936
Muss 'em Up
Film · 1936
So and Sew
Film · 1936
Dummy Ache
Film · 1936
Roberta
Film · 1935
Foolish Hearts
Film · 1935
I Dream Too Much
Film · 1935
Behind the Evidence
Film · 1935
Top Hat
Film · 1935
Old Man Rhythm
Film · 1935
The Three Musketeers
Film · 1935
Carnival
Film · 1935
The Whole Town's Talking
Film · 1935
Hooray for Love
Film · 1935
His Old Flame
Film · 1935
A Night at the Biltmore Bowl
Film · 1935
I'll Love You Always
Film · 1935
Broadway Bill
Film · 1934
Three Little Pigskins
Film · 1934
Kid Millions
Film · 1934
Nana
Film · 1934
Moulin Rouge
Film · 1934
Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back
Film · 1934
The Affairs of Cellini
Film · 1934
Bottoms Up
Film · 1934
Murder at the Vanities
Film · 1934
Fugitive Lady
Film · 1934
Hold That Girl
Film · 1934
Men of the Night
Film · 1934
Perfectly Mismated
Film · 1934
Jealousy
Film · 1934
Blood Money
Film · 1933
Broadway Thru a Keyhole
Film · 1933
Roman Scandals
Film · 1933
The Bowery
Film · 1933
The Lucy-Desi Milton Berle Special
Film
The Time Element
Film