Tag: Ann Sothern
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RUDY VALLEE
July 28, 1901 Rudy Vallée was born Hubert Prior Vallée in Vermont and raised in Maine. He started his career as a saxophone player and singer and became a popular bandleader, hosting a hit radio program in the 1930s. His first film was 1929’s The Vagabond Lover. He also wrote a popular song of the same…
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HERB VIGRAN
June 5, 1910 – November 29, 1986 Herbert Vigran was a character actor from the 1930s to the 1980s. Vigran was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, but his family moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana, when he was 16. He married Belle Pasternack in 1952 and they had two sons. Over his 50-year career, he made over 350…
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MADGE BLAKE
May 31, 1899 – February 19, 1969 Madge Blake (née Cummings) was best remembered for her roles as Margaret Mondello on “Leave It to Beaver”, Flora MacMichael on “The Real McCoys,” and Aunt Harriet Cooper on “Batman”. Born in Kansas just before the turn of the last century, her father discouraged her from becoming an actress, so…
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FRANK NELSON
1911-1986 Frank Nelson was born on May 6, 1911 (three months before Lucille Ball) in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He started working as a radio announcer at the age of 15. He later appeared on such popular radio shows as “The Great Gildersleeve,” “Burns and Allen,” and “Fibber McGee & Molly”. Aside from Lucille Ball, Nelson is…
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BENCH WARMERS
In Springtime, there’s nothing better than sharing a bench in a park – or just getting off your feet wherever you are. Here’s a tribute to the mighty benches that gave comfort to Lucy and her friends!
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THE WONDER SHOW
1938-1939 “The Wonder Show” radio program was so named because it was sponsored by Wonder Bread, which at the time was made by Continental Baking Company, who also made Hostess Cakes. Wonder Bread is a brand of bread which originated in the United States in 1921 and was one of the first to be sold pre-sliced…
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RIP CAROL CHANNING
1921 – 2019 Carol Channing and Lucille Ball were both known for playing leading roles in Jerry Herman musicals: Channing in Hello Dolly and Lucy in Mame (1974). Lucille came backstage to meet Carol Channing during her run as Dolly. There was probably a time that Lucy flirted with the idea of playing Dolly…
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LIGHTS! CAMERA! LUCY!
A glimpse behind the camera during Lucille Ball’s 40 years on television. The Studio The Audience Welcome & Warm-Up “The Lucy Show” The Scenery “First Stop” (ILL S4;E14) 1955 Design for “Here’s Lucy” Hair, Make-Up & Wardrobe! Hal King designing frozen Lucy for “The Freezer” (ILL S1;E29), 1952 “Hollywood at Last!” (ILL S4;E16), 1955 Lucille Ball’s hairstylist…
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LUCY: 40 YEARS OF TELEVISION
1965 Part Two ~ AUGUST to DECEMBER Finally in color, “The Lucy Show” launches its fourth season! “Password” ~ August 26, 1965 Lucille and Gary play with and against Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr. Lucy’s mother, Dede Ball, is sitting in the front row. “The Steve Lawrence Show” (S1;E1) ~ September 13, 1965 Singer Steve…
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LUCY: 40 YEARS OF TELEVISION
1965 Part One ~ JANUARY to JULY Season Three of “The Lucy Show” concludes, the last one aired in black and white and the last season to take place in Danfield, New York. “Password” ~ January 7, 1965 Lucille Ball is introduced as “the brilliant comedienne and fabulous star of motion pictures and television.” Lucy says…