'I Love Lucy' Star Lucille Ball and Her Celebrity Friends

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Once You Go Marx …

Lucille with the Marx Brothers during the making of their film Room Service, which was released in 1938. Of course Harpo would famously appear on an episode of I Love Lucy years later.

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Lucy & Eve

Lucille Ball and Eve Arden in a still from 1938’s Having Wonderful Time. Eve would go on to start in several TV series, Our Miss Brooks (1952 to 1956), The Eve Arden Show (1957 to 1958) and the Desi Arnaz-produced The Mothers-in-Law (1967 to 1969).

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Lucy and the First Lady

Eleanor Roosevelt hosts an FDR Birthday Ball with various celebrities on January 30, 1944. Guests at the Statler Hotel included Red Skelton, William O. Douglas, Lucy, John Garfield, and Maria Montez.

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Lucy and Desi Together for the First Time

The first time Lucille appeared on screen with Desi Arnaz was in the movie version of Too Many Girls, which was released in 1940. Also starring, and seen on the left, is Ann Miller. Do we need to mention that Lucy and Desi would end up getting married? Didn’t think so.

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‘Dance, Girl, Dance’

In 1940, Lucille got to work with actress Maureen O’Hara in the film Dance, Girl, Dance.

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‘Endora’ and Lucy

In 1942’s The Big Street, Lucille appeared on the big screen with acclaimed radio, stage and screen actress Agnes Moorehead, who would go on to play Endora on the Classic TV sitcom Bewitched.

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Henry Fonda

Taking a more dramatic turn in The Big Street, Lucille plays a cold wife to her husband, played by actor Henry Fonda. They would also star in 1968’s Yours, Mine and Ours.

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All-Star Trio

Here’s a great shot from 1942’s Dubarry Was a Lady, which gave Lucille the opportunity to co-star with Red Skelton and Gene Kelly.

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War Bonds Brought the Stars Together

Attending a 1943 War Bond Rally was Lucille, Fred Astaire, Judy Garland, Greer Garson, Betty Hutton, Kay Kyser, Harpo Marx and Mickey Rooney.

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‘Easy to Wed’

Van Johnson and Lucille worked together for the first time in the 1946 big screen comedy Easy to Wed. Van would make guest appearances on both I Love Lucy and Here’s Lucy.

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Hanging with Bob

Another big screen first: Lucille working with Bob Hope, in this case in the 1949 film Sorrowful Jones. The film was such a success that Paramount teamed them up again for Fancy Pants, to be followed by The Facts of Life and Critic’s Choice. Lucy would appear on many of Bob’s TV specials, while Bob would appear on both I Love Lucy and The Lucy Show.

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Lucy & Ethel

When Vivian Vance was cast as Ethel Mertz on I Love Lucy, she not only gave Lucille the perfect sidekick, but a friend for life. Vivian would also be a regular on The Lucy Show and make guest appearances on Here’s Lucy.

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Green Acres is Where He’d Rather Be

In 1950’s The Fuller Brush Girl, Lucille co-starred with Eddie Albert, who would go on to star in the 1960s sitcom Green Acres as well as the comedy-drama Switch.

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Fred. Fred. Fred, Fred Fred

They may have hated each other in real life, but on I Love Lucy Ethel was married to Fred Mertz, as played by William Frawley. Here he and Lucille are attending the Primetime Emmy Awards, held in 1953 at the Hollywood Palladium.

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James Mason

A 1955 behind-the-scenes shot of Lucy, Desi Arnaz and British actor James Mason.

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Something Lucy and Elizabeth Taylor Had in Common

After I Love Lucy, Lucille moved on to The Lucy Show and then Here’s Lucy. On the later, Liz Taylor’s sometimes husband Richard Burton made an appearance.

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Bing!

Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Juliet Prowse and Lucille were the stars of a Bob Hope TV special in 1962.

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Well!

One of Lucy’s good friends was comedian Jack Benny, who would appear alongside her in three episodes of The Lucy Show and four episodes of Here’s Lucy. Not to mention numerous TV specials.

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He Was So Young!

Before he became the King of Vegas, singer Wayne Newton appeared on an episode of The Lucy Show.

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Oh, Danny Boy

Like seemingly everyone else in Hollywood, singer, actor, dancer and comedian Danny Kaye made an appearance on The Lucy Show.

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The Duke

Following his unforgettable appearance on I Love Lucy (remember the cement block of his footprints being stolen by Lucy and Ethel?), John Wayne made an appearance on The Lucy Show.

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The Dave Clark Five

Lucille, Dave Clark, Denis Payton, Mike Smith, Rick Huxley and Lenny Davidson (collectively known as the Dave Clark Five — without Lucy, of course). Old English chivalry, Sir Walter Raleigh-style without the mud, is demonstrated for Lucy by the band during a break from shooting of her TV show in London, . Lucy is in Elizabethan costume for sequences in the hour-long musical comedy. In background are the Houses of Parliament.

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Would You Believe?

At the 1967 Emmy Awards, among the attendees were Lucy and Don Adams, who at the time was playing secret agent Maxwell Smart on the James Bond spoof, Get Smart.

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Barney Fife No More

By 1968, the film career of Don Knotts was well underway with him having already departed The Andy Griffith Show. Don and Lucille attended the preview of her 1968 film Yours, Mine and Ours.

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Life is a Cabaret, Old Chum

Stand-up comedian (and Lucille’s second husband) Gary Morton, Lucy, Liza Minnelli and Desi Arnaz Jr. attending the opening of Liza’s film, Cabaret.

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Ole Blue Eyes

Lucy attended a 1973 event with singer/actor Frank Sinatra, two legends coming together.

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Whatcha Talkin’ ‘Bout, Lucy?

Lucy and Diff’rent Strokes star Gary Coleman while the two of them took a breaking during shooting of Lucy Moves to NBC.

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Legends of Comedy

How much fun would it have been to eavesdrop on a conversation between these two? Mary Tyler Moore with Lucy at a party in New York, marking the departure of Miss Ball’s daughter, Lucie Arnaz, from the Broadway musical They’re Playing Our Song. At the time Mary was starring on Broadway in the play Whose Life Is It Anyway.

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Sammy

In 1980, Lucy and singer/actor Sammy Davis Jr. attended the Carousel Ball. It was recently announced that Sammy is going to be the subject of a major movie biopic.

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Another Legendary Team-Up!

Lucy and Carol Burnett pose together during the taping of The Fourth Annual TV Guide Special: 1982 – The Year In Television, where Carol presented a “Life Achievement Award” to Lucy. Carol had appeared on four episodes of The Lucy Show and three episodes of Here’s Lucy.

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Mr. Television

Milton Berle was among the many people paying tribute to Lucy at the 1984 All Star Party for Lucille Ball. Uncle Miltie appeared on The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show, two episodes of The Lucy Show and two episodes of Here’s Lucy.

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Captain Kirk

Kirk Douglas, who passed away February 5, 2020 at the age of 103, appeared at a 1985 event with Lucy. Previously he had made a guest appearance on an episode of The Lucy Show.

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Lucy, Lucy, Lucy

Among the speakers at a 1986 All-Star Party for actor/director Clint Eastwood were Lucy and screen legend (there’s that word again) Cary Grant.

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The Kennedy Center Honors

The six 1986 Kennedy Center Honors Awards winners gather at the State Department in Washington D.C. Front row, from left, are Jessica Tandy, Hume Cronyn and Lucille. Back row, from left, are Ray Charles, Antony Tudor and Yehudi Menuhin. The honors are bestowed upon artists for their lifetime achievements in the performing arts.

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It’s a Wonderful Life

Both Lucy and Jimmy Stewart attended many of the same parties for and celebrations of different celebrities and institutions. For instance, in 1988 they were both participants in the NBC Bob Hope special, Happy Birthday, Bob.

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Lucy and the Boston Strangler

Tony Curtis (whose vast number of credits include the movie of the real-life killer known as “The Boston Strangler”) appeared with Lucy at the 75th Anniversary Award Dinner for Frank Sinatra.