LUCY DAY at the WORLD’S FAIR!

August 31, 1964

Monday, August 31, 1964, was declared Lucille Ball Day at the 1964 World’s Fair in Queens, New York. The event featured a live appearance by Ball, who spent from 10am to 6pm visiting various pavilions at the fair.  

At the time, Ball was about to premiere the third season of “The Lucy Show” on CBS. Coincidentally, the show also aired on Mondays and took place in New York State. Although the new season had not yet premiered, CBS New York City re-ran “I Love Lucy” at 10:30am – the very same time Lucy Day kicked off at the Hollywood USA Pavilion. Air transportation for Lucille Ball, Gary Morton, and Lucille’s mother Dede was provided by American Airlines by support from General Foods, sponsor of “The Lucy Show.” 

ABOUT THE FAIR

The 1964 / 1965 New York World’s Fair featured over 140 pavilions, 110 restaurants, represented 80 nations, 24 US states, and over 45 corporations sponsoring exhibits or attractions, all at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City. The immense fair covered 646 acres on half the park, with numerous pools or fountains, and an amusement park with rides near the lake. Hailing itself as a “universal and international” exposition, the fair’s theme was “Peace Through Understanding”. The theme was symbolized by a 12-story-high stainless-steel model of the earth called the Unisphere, built on the foundation of the Perisphere from the 1939 World’s Fair. The fair ran for two six-month seasons: April 22 to October 18, 1964, and April 21 to October 17, 1965. 

Macy’s and CBS were involved and about 100 press from all over the country were flown in for the day-long event.  

A press photo from Lucy Day at the World’s Fair. 

Lucille Ball rode in the Fair’s official white Cadillac convertible visiting pre-arranged destinations throughout the grounds. She was accompanied by her mother Dede (above, lower right) and (at times) her husband, Gary Morton.  

The parade included the St. Lucy Band from St. Lucy High School in Newark, New Jersey. Every band member wore a red wig!  Lucille repeatedly commented that her hair didn’t really look like that!  

At some point Lucille was accompanied in the car by her former co-star, gossip columnist Hedda Hopper. 

According to Albert Fisher, Director of Television for the New York World’s Fair Corporation:   

“Somehow, the notorious newspaper columnist Hedda Hopper, who was at one time one of the most powerful columnists in the world, managed to get into the convertible with Lucy. Hopper was known for wearing large outlandish wide-brimmed hats. Her hat not only kept poking Lucy in the eye, more important, Hedda Hopper was upstaging the star attraction. Lucy became angrier by the minute at Hopper’s antics. After about a half-hour of this, the beloved TV star turned to me and startled me with a string of four-letter words that would truly make a sailor blush. She made it clear to me that if Hedda Hopper were not out of the car at the next stop, Lucy was prepared to call it quits and leave the Fair!”  

Fisher diplomatically solved the problem by offering Hopper a special (but separate) VIP tour while Lucy made her appearances. Hopper’s vanity was suitably appeased and Ball continued her parade stops with Hopper occasionally joining her at specific press locations.  

Fittingly, Lucille’s first stop is the Hollywood USA Pavilion. 

The Pavilion’s front was a replica of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, where Lucy and Hopper put their hand prints in wet cement. Ironically, Lucille Ball is one of the few stars who has never had an actual slab at the real Grauman’s in Hollywood. In 1956, “I Love Lucy” did an entire episode centered around the Chinese Theatre and its historic forecourt. 

In the International area, the People’s Republic of China rolled out the red carpet for Lucy (literally) and she was adorned with a traditional pearl headdress. 

In Africa she posed with a tribal doll and an African drummer. In Morocco Lucy, Dede and Hedda ate traditional dates and drank tea. 

In Indonesia, Lucy was showered with chrysanthemum petals. It was here that she was feted with an honorary luncheon. It was attended by James Aubrey, head of CBS and former New York Governor Charles Poletti (seated above). After lunch, Lucy had time to rest and do a complete wardrobe change in the VIP suite before her tour continued. She claimed the new clothes were due to being caught in the rain.  

At one point, Lucy stopped to conduct the fair’s City Service Band as they played “Hey Look Me Over” from her 1960 Broadway show, Wildcat. 

The parade continued past the SC Johnson’s Wax Pavilion, one of the most iconic structures at the fair. 

It housed the Golden Rondelle Theatre, where the immensely popular film To Be Alive was shown. The golden orb, minus the arches, was later moved to the company’s headquarters in Racine, Wisconsin, where the short film is still shown today. 

At the New York State Pavilion, Lucy pauses to be interviewed by CBS local news reporter Jim Jensen. She talks about the hot and rainy weather while supporting herself leaning on Gary’s back. They joke about Lucy’s hair color, compared to that of the band’s inexpensive and garish red wigs. Gary takes it in stride. 

At the New York State Pavilion, Lucy is presented with an award and entertains the crowd by dancing The Twist, something she also did on “The Lucy Show.” 

Newsreel cameras capture a rare candid moment in her jam-packed day, as she travels in a crowded elevator to see the view from the towers of the New York State Pavilion. The poster for Lucy Day is just behind her. 

At the Hawaiian Pavilion, another hat for Lucy! 

The busy day concludes at the Spanish Pavilion, where Lucy is entertained by Flamenco dancers before being called onstage for a special presentation. 

TRIVIA 

At some point during her special day at the Fair, Lucy was reunited with Johnny Roventini, the living mascot of “I Love Lucy’s” first sponsor, Philip Morris cigarettes. 

Five days after Lucy Day, Lucille Ball was back on the cover of TV Guide. The cover illustration was by Al Parker and the article by Richard Gehman.

Lucille Ball attended the New York World’s Fair in 1939 as well, although as a young film star, she could never have dreamed that 25 years later she would be celebrated with a special day on the very same location. 

Six years earlier, in 1933, Lucille Ball (then Diane Belmont from Butte, Montana) stopped at the Chicago World’s Fair (aka The Century of Progress Exposition) with the Goldwyn Girls headed west on to make the film Roman Scandals. They performed on bandleader Ben Bernie’s popular radio show from the Pabst Blue Ribbon Casino. 

In “Lucy and the Scout Trip” (first aired March 30, 1964) Lucy and Viv’s cub scout troop is trying to win tickets to the World’s Fair, which opened three weeks after the episode aired. The Boy Scouts of America presented “The Wonderful World of Scouting” at the Fair.  

In “Lucy and the Great Bank Robbery” (TLS S3;E5) two distinguished gentlemen (John Williams and Lloyd Corrigan) claim that they have come to New York to visit the Fair and found no lodgings, so Lucy rents them a room. As the title reveals, the men have more than the Fair on their minds. Due to the great influx of tourists to Queens during the Fair, it was not uncommon for residents to rent rooms to visitors. The episode was filmed in early June 1964, but not aired until October 19, 1964, one day after the Fair closed for the winter. It re-opened in April 1965 for one final season. 

The “Lucy Show” Season 3 DVD features bonus content about Lucy Day. It is produced by Thomas J. Watson and hosted by Tony Maietta with special guest Albert Fisher, who narrates the mostly silent newsreel footage of the day. 

On September 24, 1964, Lucille Ball and Gary Morton played “Password”. Lucy’s first partner is James Horn from Hubbard City, Texas, who says he spent the summer working at the Texas Pavilion at the New York World’s Fair. Host Allen Ludden says that the most popular day at the fair was ‘Lucille Ball Day.’ 

Although the Unisphere is the only structural element of the fair still standing in Flushing Meadow Park, historical markers have been installed around the grounds, including one about Lucy Day. 

Construction workers erecting the markers remembered Lucille Ball Day: Lucy Stood Here!