A CLOSE-UP ‘LOOK’

June 3, 1952

Lucille Ball was on the cover of Look Magazine on June 3, 1952, volume 16, no. 12.  She was joined by Marilyn Monroe, Governor Adlai Stevenson, boxer Harry Matthews, and an unnamed baby.  The issue reviews Monroe’s film Clash By Night, although the photo was from Don’t Bother To Knock. 

“How
Lucy Bounces Back From Real-life Tragedies – Quiet dinners at home:
nourishing dish of hamburgers, onions, and tomatoes … called
Desilu Goulash…”

The cover photo was by Larry Fink. The inside article was “Laughing Lucille” by Leonore Silvian. 

This was the first of Lucille Ball’s nine covers of Look. [Unfortunately, the article was not available for preview.]

When Look turned up on “Lucy Gets Ricky on the Radio” (ILL S1;E32), the June 3, 1952, issue actually had Lucille Ball on the cover!  Lucy and Desi often featured magazines on screen to thank them for their continued coverage.  

One weird thing to note. That magazine has a cover date of June 3, 1952. “Lucy Gets Ricky on the Radio” originally aired on April 11, 1952, and filmed weeks prior to that.  

Although magazines were often post-dated for publication, this is probably an advance mock-up of the cover.  Notice that the blue square about West Point photographs white on black and white film.  

Also notice that the back cover, advertising Camels cigarettes, is not visible on “I Love Lucy.”  If this had been an actual issue, it would have been replaced due to conflict with “Lucy” sponsor Philip-Morris, but since it was an advance mock-up, no such doctoring of the prop was necessary.  

Coincidentally, the Marilyn Monroe film being reviewed in this issue (Clash By Night) starred Paul Douglas, who would later guest star on 

“Lucy Wants a Career,” a 1959 episode of “The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour”

and Keith Andes, who would later play Lucy’s male lead on Broadway in Wildcat, and her boyfriend on “The Lucy Show.”  Barbara Stanwyk was also in Clash By Night. Her brother Bert Stevens was a background performer in the film, something he also did often on “I Love Lucy.” It was filmed at RKO, before it was purchased by Desilu. 

For more about Look on Lucy, click here!