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How Lucille Ball Became One of Hollywood’s Most Powerful Women
She’s the reason we have Star Trek
As a kid, I loved Lucille Ball. My parents and I watched re-runs of her popular TV show, I Love Lucy when I was a kid, and my grandfather, when he came to visit from India, raved about her. The first time I got cancer, I watched re-runs as a type of therapy, because the show could always make me laugh.
But Lucille Ball was more than a gifted actress.
In 1962, as head of a major studio, Lucille Ball was one of the most powerful women in Hollywood.
While she played a ditzy character in her hit show, she had a brain underneath the dyed red hair. She and her husband, Desi Arnaz, formed Desilu Productions in 1950.
Her motivation might have been to keep her husband at home. As a musician, he was often on the road, which hurt the marriage.
It started when she took a radio role in CBS’ My Favorite Husband, which co-starred Richard Denning as the husband. The show was a hit and Ball discovered her great comedic ability.
CBS wanted to turn the show into a TV series, but Ball wouldn’t do it unless her Arnaz played her husband onscreen. CBS turned down the offer. They didn’t think Americans would go for a Cuban-American man married to…
