QUICK: 8 MILLION DOLLAR BABY!

April 13, 1953

Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz Jr. appeared on the cover of Quick Magazine on April 13, 1953. The inside article was titled “Eight Million Dollar Baby: Lucy & Desi IV”. 

Quick Magazine was published by Cowles Magazines, Inc., from 1949 to 1953. They also published Life. Readers were encouraged to “Get Quick on your newsstand an carry it in your pocket or your purse… and read it wherever you are”. A new version of Quick Magazine was first published in November 2010.

When this magazine hit the newsstands, America hadn’t seen a new “I Love Lucy” episode on television since March 30, 1953, with the first airing of “Lucy Changes Her Mind” (ILL S2;E21) and were anxiously awaiting the next new episode, “No Children Allowed” (ILL S2;E22) on April 20, 1953.  In real life, the “I Love Lucy” cast had just finished filming “Lucy’s Last Birthday” (ILL S2;E25) and was preparing to rehearse “The Ricardos Change Apartments” (ILL S2;E26).

The issue appeared ten days after the very first national edition of TV Guide, also featuring Lucille Ball and Desi Jr. The photos of the baby were from the same shoot.  Desi Jr. is dressed in the same yellow ruffled outfit in both photos, and they both feature pale blue backgrounds. The major difference is in the baby’s estimated value!  TV Guide says he’s worth $42 million more than Quick!  

Lucille Ball previously appeared on the cover of Quick on November 27, 1950, and with Desi Sr. on October 13, 1952.