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.
163 movies · 42 shows
A Grammy Celebration of Latin Music
2025·5.0
Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution
2024·6.2
Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed
2023·5.7
Mad About the Boy: The Noël Coward Story
2023·6.4
Lucy and Desi
2022·7.1
My Darling Vivian
2020·7.1
This Is Bob Hope...
2017·8.0
The Fabulous Allan Carr
2017·4.5
I Love Lucy Christmas Special
2016·10.0
Mary Tyler Moore: A Celebration
2015·10.0
Classic TV Bloopers Uncensored
2011·2.0
Pioneers of Primetime
2005·0.0
Judy Garland: By Myself
2004·8.3
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
2004·5.3
Biography: Bob Hope: America's Entertainer
2003·0.0
The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 1
2001·0.0
The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 2
2001·0.0
Lucille Ball: Finding Lucy
2000·7.0
Television: The First Fifty Years
1999·0.0
The Best of the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
1998·6.5
The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender
1997·5.1
The Funny World of Lucy, Volume 1
1997·8.5
That's Entertainment! III
1994·7.0
The Best Of Danny Kaye - The Television Years
1993·0.0
Lucy and Desi: A Home Movie
1993·8.2
Bob Hope's Love Affair with Lucy
1989·9.0
A Tribute to Lucy
1989·0.0
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
1988·6.0
A Beverly Hills Christmas
1987·3.5
Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood
1987·6.0
All Star Party for Clint Eastwood
1986·6.0
Stone Pillow
1985·6.9
Night of 100 Stars II
1985·6.8
That's Dancing!
1985·6.9
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
1985·2.0
All Star Party for Lucille Ball
1984·6.0
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
1983·7.0
Showbiz Goes to War
1982·10.0
Women I Love: Beautiful But Funny
1982·10.0
A Love Letter to Jack Benny
1981·0.0
Lucy Moves to NBC
1980·3.3
Cher... and Other Fantasies
1979·10.0
Lucy Calls the President
1977·7.5
CBS Salutes Lucy: The First 25 Years
1976·7.3
NBC: The First Fifty Years
1976·0.0
Bob Hope's World of Comedy
1976·0.0
What Now, Catherine Curtis?
1976·8.5
Shirley MacLaine: Gypsy in My Soul
1976·0.0
Three for Two
1975·4.3
Texaco Presents: A Quarter Century of Bob Hope on Television
1975·0.0
Lucy Gets Lucky
1975·4.5
Happy Anniversary and Goodbye
1974·5.2
Mame
1974·5.9
Jack Benny's 20th Anniversary TV Special
1970·7.0
Swing Out, Sweet Land
1970·5.7
Ann-Margret: From Hollywood with Love
1969·0.0
The Jack Benny Birthday Special
1969·9.0
The Dean Martin Christmas Show
1968·7.6
Yours, Mine and Ours
1968·6.9
Carnival Nights
1968·7.0
A Guide for the Married Man
1967·5.9
Lucy in London
1966·6.5
Carol + 2
1966·10.0
Salute to Stan Laurel
1965·8.0
The Big Parade of Comedy
1964·7.2
The Lucille Ball Comedy Hour
1964·7.3
General Foods Opening Night
1963·0.0
Critic's Choice
1963·5.6
The Facts of Life
1960·5.3
Hedda Hopper's Hollywood
1960·6.0
The Bob Hope Chevy Show
1956·0.0
Forever, Darling
1956·6.9
Lucy's Really Lost Moments
1956·6.5
A Star Is Born World Premiere
1954·8.0
The Long, Long Trailer
1954·7.0
I Love Lucy: The Movie
1953·7.7
Ellis in Freedomland
1952·0.0
The Magic Carpet
1951·6.0
The Fuller Brush Girl
1950·6.1
Fancy Pants
1950·5.8
A Woman of Distinction
1950·7.0
Miss Grant Takes Richmond
1949·5.3
Easy Living
1949·5.7
Sorrowful Jones
1949·6.6
Her Husband's Affairs
1947·5.6
Lured
1947·6.3
Easy to Wed
1946·6.4
Lover Come Back
1946·7.1
Two Smart People
1946·6.6
The Dark Corner
1946·6.6
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood
1945·5.8
Ziegfeld Follies
1945·6.0
Without Love
1945·7.0
G.I. Journal
1944·0.0
Meet the People
1944·5.8
Best Foot Forward
1943·6.8
Thousands Cheer
1943·6.4
Du Barry Was a Lady
1943·6.5
Seven Days' Leave
1942·7.3
The Big Street
1942·5.8
Valley of the Sun
1942·6.3
Look Who's Laughing
1941·6.7
A Girl, a Guy, and a Gob
1941·5.5
Too Many Girls
1940·5.9
Dance, Girl, Dance
1940·6.4
You Can't Fool Your Wife
1940·5.5
The Marines Fly High
1940·5.3
That's Right – You're Wrong
1939·6.3
Five Came Back
1939·6.3
Panama Lady
1939·6.3
Beauty for the Asking
1939·5.7
Twelve Crowded Hours
1939·5.7
Next Time I Marry
1938·7.2
Annabel Takes a Tour
1938·5.7
Room Service
1938·6.5
The Affairs of Annabel
1938·5.4
Having Wonderful Time
1938·4.9
Joy of Living
1938·5.9
Go Chase Yourself
1938·5.7
Stage Door
1937·7.1
Don't Tell the Wife
1937·6.0
That Girl from Paris
1936·6.9
Winterset
1936·6.0
One Live Ghost
1936·6.7
So and Sew
1936·8.0
Dummy Ache
1936·5.5
Swing It
1936·4.7
Bunker Bean
1936·5.3
The Farmer in the Dell
1936·7.0
Follow the Fleet
1936·6.9
Muss 'em Up
1936·6.2
Chatterbox
1936·7.0
Foolish Hearts
1935·0.0
I Dream Too Much
1935·5.4
The Three Musketeers
1935·6.9
Top Hat
1935·7.3
Old Man Rhythm
1935·7.0
A Night at the Biltmore Bowl
1935·8.0
Hooray for Love
1935·5.8
I'll Love You Always
1935·5.0
Roberta
1935·7.1
The Whole Town's Talking
1935·6.9
Carnival
1935·8.0
His Old Flame
1935·7.0
Behind the Evidence
1935·5.5
Fugitive Lady
1934·8.0
Three Little Pigskins
1934·7.1
Broadway Bill
1934·6.0
Jealousy
1934·5.8
Men of the Night
1934·4.5
Perfectly Mismated
1934·7.0
Kid Millions
1934·6.7
The Affairs of Cellini
1934·5.2
Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back
1934·5.6
Murder at the Vanities
1934·5.6
Bottoms Up
1934·5.2
Hold That Girl
1934·9.0
Nana
1934·6.0
Moulin Rouge
1934·7.0
Roman Scandals
1933·5.9
Blood Money
1933·7.1
Broadway Thru a Keyhole
1933·6.3
The Bowery
1933·5.4