BOB CARROLL JR.

August 12, 1918

Born Robert Gordon Carroll in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, his family moved to Florida when he was three years old. The family also moved to California for a time in conjunction with Carroll Sr.’s work, but eventually settled back in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Bob Carroll Jr. attended St. Petersburg College where he studied French. In 1940, he broke his hip in an accident. While recovering, he heard about a script writing contest sponsored by a local radio station and ended up winning first prize.

His brother-in-law helped him get a job as the front desk clerk for CBS Radio in Hollywood, California. He eventually worked his way up to the publicity department and from there to writer.

Carroll was teamed with Madelyn Pugh and the two created a partnership that lasted more than 50 years, writing approximately 400 television and 500 radio scripts. Though they briefly dated, they married other people.

While writing for Steve Allen’s local radio show, the duo became interested in writing for Lucille Ball’s new radio series “My Favorite Husband”. One week they paid Allen to write his own show so that they could focus their energies on creating a submission for “My Favorite Husband”. Successful, the pair wrote for Ball’s popular radio program for its 2½-year duration.  

Carroll and Pugh helped develop and create a vaudeville act for Lucille Ball and her husband, Desi Arnaz, which became the basis for the pilot episode of “I Love Lucy”. Together they tackled 39 episodes per season for the run of the show. 

Pugh and Carroll were nominated for three Emmys for their work on “I Love Lucy”; 

The pair also wrote episodes of Ball’s subsequent series: The first five episodes of “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” (acting as script consultant for the other seven);

As part of the “Westinghouse-Desilu Playhouse” Bob and Madelyn wrote a script for Lucille Ball – her first non-Lucy Ricardo role – “K.O. Kitty”; 

The first two seasons of “The Lucy Show”;

29 episodes of “Here’s Lucy”;

and, in 1986, Ball’s final sitcom, “Life With Lucy.”

Although Carroll was not an actor, he sometimes was in front of the camera, his distinctive facial hair making him instantly identifiable.

As Lucy’s artistic great grandfather in “Lucy the Sculptress” (ILL S2;E15)…

As a passenger on the SS Constitution in “Bon Voyage” (ILL S5;E13)…

As a patron of an outdoor cafe in “Paris at Last” (ILL S5;E18)…

As a roulette player in “Lucy Goes to Monte Carlo” (ILL S5;E25)….

As a spectator in “Lucy and the Little Leauge” (TLS S1;E28).

As the final scene of “Lucy’s Last Birthday” (ILL S2;E25) opens at the Tropicana, Ricky thanks 

“Pugh and Carroll – the two greatest contortionists in America today.”  

This inside joke refers to the fact that the writers tried out all of Lucy’s stunts before they wrote them into the script.

In “Pregnant Women are Unpredictable” (ILL S2;E11), Lucy can’t decide on what to name her unborn baby.  After an episode full of male / female name possibilities (including Unique and Euphonious) the episode ends with Lucy saying,

"You don’t love little Robert or Madelyn!”

In 1955, Carroll and Pugh created a summer sitcom to take the place of “I Love Lucy” titled “Those Whiting Girls” starring singing sisters Barbara and Margaret Whiting as themselves.  It returned for the summer of 1957 as well, sponsored by Max Factor. 

They created and wrote the successful Desi Arnaz-produced series “The Mothers-in-Law” (1967-69) which starred Lucille Ball’s longtime MGM pals Eve Arden and Kaye Ballard.  Producer Desi did two cameos on the show. 

Just prior to that, working with Desi and not Lucy, they created “The Carol Channing Show” (1966), but the pilot was not picked up for production. 

They also wrote the story for the film (a rare non-TV endeavor) Yours, Mine and Ours (1968) based on the book “Who Gets the Drumstick” by Helen Beardsley.

Carroll and Pugh served as executive producers and did some writing for the hit television series “Alice”, starring Linda Lavin, for which the duo won a Golden Globe Award.  Desi Arnaz appeared on the sitcom in 1978. 

In 1979 Lucille Ball recruited Carroll and Davis to pen one last adventure: “Lucy Calls The President” – an hour-long special featuring many of Ball’s former co-stars. 

He co-authored Madelyn Pugh Davis’ memoir, Laughing with Lucy, released September 2005.

Carroll died in 2007 after a brief illness. He was 88 years old. 

He was survived by a daughter, Christina Carroll, of Los Angeles.