- Awards
- 7
Sorry just realized I pretty much already posted this. Lol.
- Awards
- 11
Yeah, I think you posted on this thread before, or something similar anyway. But it's alright. I love this idea, and it probably would've made me like the post-Moldavia seasons of DYNASTY a little bit better. Had Lucille Ball turned in her comedy crown for melodrama, I think she would've been dynamite. Imagine the spats she and Joan Collins could've had together.
- Awards
- 9
I admit, I can't see Lucy on an 80s soap but I think it would depend on which Lucy we'd get: Lucille Ball the actress or Lucy, the female Bob Hope?
At her prime, even on ILL, Lucille was a great actress but from the 60s onward we rarely saw that talent. She turned into a personality reading from cue cards. STONE PILLOW is shaky evidence of what she was still capable of by the mid-80s. The director said she kept detailed notes on her character, so she was still taking her craft seriously; but Lucie Arnaz said it was a grueling experience for her mom, who had difficulty memorizing the script. (I think Stanwyck had the same issue on THE COLBYS.)
At her prime, even on ILL, Lucille was a great actress but from the 60s onward we rarely saw that talent. She turned into a personality reading from cue cards. STONE PILLOW is shaky evidence of what she was still capable of by the mid-80s. The director said she kept detailed notes on her character, so she was still taking her craft seriously; but Lucie Arnaz said it was a grueling experience for her mom, who had difficulty memorizing the script. (I think Stanwyck had the same issue on THE COLBYS.)
If she was on a soap, she may have found it hard with memorizing dozens of dialogue.
For an example, Samantha Eggar was cast as Pamela Capwell Conrad on Santa Barbara, but bailed out before taping scenes due to the demands of a daytime soap. She was then replaced by Shirley Anne Field, who had the same problem, so Marj Dusay, who the creators wanted anyway, came in.
- Awards
- 21
Lucy didn't approve of the '80s nighttime soaps, and reportedly said, "They ought to be selling mattresses," as opposed to soap.
- Awards
- 11
And probably would've wanted him as her boss, and her as his secretary.
- Awards
- 9
In a "what if ...?" kind of way, I have sometimes pondered what roles would have been suitable for Lucy late in her career. Short of a recurring role as a snide mother-in-law in a subpar sitcom (see: Audrey Meadows), it's hard to envision many roles for an elderly baritone redhead.
She was reportedly a contender for DRIVING MISS DAISY, but withdrew her name from consideration; just as well. She was also rumored to have been offered a couple TV movies (THE SOLID GOLD CADILLAC and SWEET BIRD OF YOUTH) that she declined.
I have sometimes thought Lucy would have been more age-appropriate than Carol for the lead in the comic soap FRESNO, but I don't think she'd have been as funny. Plus, the miniseries wasn't that good anyway.
For a long time, my dream project for Lucy had been POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE. The movie was released after Lucy's death, but Carrie's novel had been published in '87. It could have been made with Lucy. On recent viewing, it finally occurred to me why I thought the project was so well suited to Lucy. I'm increasingly convinced Carrie based the screenplay on Lucy, not Debbie.
Conventional wisdom is that the novel & movie are a roman a clef of Carrie's life with Debbie Reynold. Carrie herself denied this, saying that if she had wanted to write an autobiography that's what she would have done. The movie star mom barely features in the novel, and there's no friction between mother and daughter. That mirrors Carrie's relationship with Debbie, which seemed to be healthy and warm. Lastly, Debbie wanted to play the part in the film. I'm not sure she would have had the chutzpah to play such an unflattering version of herself. (Although she wouldn't be the first. The book "Bad Movies We Love" has an entire chapter called "Trash Yourself Cinema".)
Viewed from the angle of Lucille, the movie POSTCARDS is awfully close to home. The Meryl Streep character seems an amalgam of Lucie (fizzled career) and Desi Jr (drug addiction), and the resentful, hostile relationship between mother and adult child, seems very close to Lucy's relationship with her kids. The role of the loudmouth, hick mom (played by Lucy's real life friend, Mary Wickes) seems similar to Lucy's mom DeeDee. And to underscore the whole point, Gary Morton -- Lucy's second husband, who never had much of an acting career -- inexplicably shows up in the movie as an agent.
So there you have it; probably the best movie about Lucille Ball is POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE.
She was reportedly a contender for DRIVING MISS DAISY, but withdrew her name from consideration; just as well. She was also rumored to have been offered a couple TV movies (THE SOLID GOLD CADILLAC and SWEET BIRD OF YOUTH) that she declined.
I have sometimes thought Lucy would have been more age-appropriate than Carol for the lead in the comic soap FRESNO, but I don't think she'd have been as funny. Plus, the miniseries wasn't that good anyway.
For a long time, my dream project for Lucy had been POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE. The movie was released after Lucy's death, but Carrie's novel had been published in '87. It could have been made with Lucy. On recent viewing, it finally occurred to me why I thought the project was so well suited to Lucy. I'm increasingly convinced Carrie based the screenplay on Lucy, not Debbie.
Conventional wisdom is that the novel & movie are a roman a clef of Carrie's life with Debbie Reynold. Carrie herself denied this, saying that if she had wanted to write an autobiography that's what she would have done. The movie star mom barely features in the novel, and there's no friction between mother and daughter. That mirrors Carrie's relationship with Debbie, which seemed to be healthy and warm. Lastly, Debbie wanted to play the part in the film. I'm not sure she would have had the chutzpah to play such an unflattering version of herself. (Although she wouldn't be the first. The book "Bad Movies We Love" has an entire chapter called "Trash Yourself Cinema".)
Viewed from the angle of Lucille, the movie POSTCARDS is awfully close to home. The Meryl Streep character seems an amalgam of Lucie (fizzled career) and Desi Jr (drug addiction), and the resentful, hostile relationship between mother and adult child, seems very close to Lucy's relationship with her kids. The role of the loudmouth, hick mom (played by Lucy's real life friend, Mary Wickes) seems similar to Lucy's mom DeeDee. And to underscore the whole point, Gary Morton -- Lucy's second husband, who never had much of an acting career -- inexplicably shows up in the movie as an agent.
So there you have it; probably the best movie about Lucille Ball is POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE.
Last edited:
Some people aren’t meant to be doing the same job that they once excelled at well into their 70s. I believe Lucille Ball was in this category. She lost her timing, she lost her ability memorize lines (she’s always reading off cue cards in Here’s Lucy), and she lost most of the inflection in her voice. The last decent role she had, to me, was in Yours, Mine, and Ours. She’s warm and appealing in that movie, and she looks good. Everything I saw her in after that was kind of sad.
- Awards
- 9
I'll give her credit for "What Now, Catherine Curtis?" and STONE PILLOW. While neither were necessarily good, they at least showed a willingness to be an actress and take a chance on something other than "Lucy".
I'll go a step further and say her entire post-I LOVE LUCY career was, at best, redundant. Her pre-TV film career is fascinating. She didn't necessarily make great films, but as an actress she just didn't give a f***. A-pictures or B-pictures; leading or supporting roles. Thrillers or westerns or slapstick. I'd love to have seen more of that Lucille Ball after 1960.
- Awards
- 7
I wouldn’t think her role would have been to lead a show (like in her last tv series), so in a supporting role, I’m certain she would have been able to pull it off. She certainly had the look down and voice and the personal business experience to carry it off. I also to expect much of some of these “guest” roles. They’re temporary and just good fun to see “so and so” again.
I’ve got to think there’s a lot more to memorize for a daytime soap. Lucy did just fine in her return to tv leading a series. I don’t think it was her ability that killed the last series in which she starred. IMO it was the very concept of the series not necessarily her acting within it.
Last edited:
- Awards
- 11
Had the writing been good on DYNASTY (which we all know it wasn't) I think Lucille Ball's would-be guest role could've worked very well.
As much as I love Lucy, thank goodness this didn't happen. That movie needed the balance of Morgan Freeman and Jessica Tandy to work as well as it did.
- Awards
- 17
I’ve never seen that. What an amazing photo! So much great talent all together.
- Awards
- 11
I love this photo.
- Awards
- 11
I probably know a good 40 or so.
- Awards
- 9
Who is the lady in the front row? I thought it was Michelle Lee, but KNOTS didn't start until '79 and I don't see anything on her filmography to indicate she was a big star for CBS in '78. My second guess was Kate Jackson, but CHARLIE'S ANGELS was on ABC.