BREAKFAST WITH VENORA

April 30, 1936

Lucille Ball with Lela Rogers, head of talent development at RKO, at the RKO Little Theater, later known as Desilu Playhouse. 

The RKO RADIO DRAMA SCHOOL presents presents

BREAKFAST WITH VANORA by Fred Ballard

at the RKO LITTLE THEATRE 

Directed and Produced by Leila E. Rogers

• Lucille Ball (Vanora) at the time, Lucille Ball was filming her 31st film, Bunker Bean, to be released in June 1936. 
• Barbara Pepper (Chorus Girl) had done four films with Lucille Ball since 1933, and the two were about to also be cast in Winterset, which would be their last film together until 1950. Pepper and Ball had become friends, and Lucille often employed her in character roles on “I Love Lucy.” 
• Cleo Mandicos was the first cousin of Lucille Ball, but raised as her sister. Later, she became known as Cleo Morgan and Cleo Smith.  She worked for Lucille Ball as producer of “Here’s Lucy.”
• Edward Price (Husband) newspapers reported that Lela Rogers cast Price as a favor to him and that the next day he was cast in Swing Time, starring Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. However, no cast lists confirm that Price was in the picture, or any other RKO releases. 
• Walter Armitage (Prosecuting Attorney) was a South African actor who only appeared in one film for RKO in 1934: Where Sinners Meet. 
• Earl Eby (Trial Judge) acted in eleven films in 1936 alone, although none with Lucille Ball, before he turned to producing and directing for television. 
• Allan Curtis (Broadway Publicity Man) was also about to do Winterset with Lucille Ball and Barbara Pepper. In 1936, he also did the RKO comedy short One Live Ghost with Lucy, as well as RKO’s Don’t Tell The Wife (1937). 
• Vangie Beilby (Maiden Aunt) was a British character actress who did 50 Hollywood films (all in uncredited roles) between 1932 and 1950. 
• Anita Colby is sometimes credited as “America’s first supermodel” – the first model to make more than $100 an hour.  In 1936 she did three films for RKO, including Mary of Scotland, starring Katharine Hepburn. 
• Tommy Graham appeared in RKO’s 1936 film Don’t Turn ‘Em Loose. His only other credit was in RKO’s Too Many Girls, starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. 
• Marie Osborne was a child star in silent movies, but returned to acting in 1934. Her second talking film was RKO’s Roberta starring Ginger Rogers and Lucile Ball. With Lucy, she was also in Stage Door, and Having Wonderful Time. 
• Walter Murray was seen in RKO’s The Toast of New York (1937) and only did three more films. 
• Rollo Dix did only six films between 1930 and 1938. 
• Russ Dudley has only one credit: Painted Faces (1929).
• Roy Brent made his screen debut in 1933 with RKO’s hit King Kong. He was also seen with Lucille Ball and Ginger Rogers in RKO’s Top Hat (1935).
• With Thomas Quinn, Joe Stansill, and Fred Parrish

“It was such a busy, happy time for me. Lela took the dungarees off us and put us into becoming dresses; she ripped off our hair bands and made us do our hair right. If we went to see a big producer in his office, she cautioned us to put on full makeup and look like somebody. She made us read good literature to improve our English and expand our understanding of character. She drummed into us how to treat agents and the bosses upstairs… ” ~ Lucille Ball

Lela Rogers shows John Shelton how to hold the gun in one of her Little Theatre productions while Lucy Ball looks on.

“Breakfast with Vanora” was not Lucille Ball’s first appearance at the RKO Little Theatre, she also appeared in Fly Away Home in January 1936. The Theater was open to the public. Tickets cost 25 cents each.Lela Rogers was reportedly related to Ball on her mother’s side, which made Lucy and Ginger distant cousins.