Lucille ball communist party
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But this isn’t a story about a Hollywood star remaining a radical her whole life. (Naturally, that wasn't a great look for Ball.)
Ball’s potential Communist ties we front page news by the fall of 1953. That didn't stop the Los Angeles Herald-Express from publishing the headline "Lucille Ball Was Red in 1936." In bold red letters, the headline had the power to potentially ruin her career.
As I Love Lucy was shot before a live studio audience, Arnaz (who routinely warmed up the crowd before shows) thought it best to continue as planned and address the situation head on.
Before shooting episode 68, "The Girls Go Into Business," Arnaz addressed the crowd, allegedly saying, "The only thing red about Lucy is her hair, and even that's not legitimate." Later that year, President Dwight D. Eisenhower invited Ball and the rest of the principal I Love Lucy cast to celebrate his birthday in Washington.
What The Movie Changed
The movie takes a few liberties with what happened.
Presidents like Truman and Eisenhower showed that responsible capitalism, just by adding a few reasonable protections for working people—along with things like the infrastructure projects that Ike championed—proved to many Americas that capitalism could bring them prosperity undreamed in communist dictatorships (not to mention freedoms).
She denied ever hosting any membership meetings, though she conceded that a family member may have held one at her home. Both waves included a fear of the rise of communism in America. The surefire way to make that happen... (ABC via Getty Images)
In 1954, the company she ran with her husband, Desilu, bought its own studio, and by 1957 they own more sound stages than Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer or Twentieth Century-Fox; by the time they divorced in 1960, she bought out her husband and ran the studio herself.
The film's final presentation on Prime Video allowed for high-definition viewing while still honoring the original look of "I Love Lucy."
The Ricardos: Relationship Dynamics
Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz's relationship was a complex blend of personal and professional ties.
(The NY Daily News headline, for example, was “Registered Red in '36: Lucille.").
Though the film doesn't show Ball's testimony in front of the House of Representatives, it does allude to the fact that there's a discrepancy between what Ball told the members of the government and what Arnaz wanted to tell the public.
The film condenses multiple real-life events into a single week, creating a compelling narrative structure.
"Being the Ricardos" sheds light on the challenges faced by Ball and Arnaz as pioneering figures in television. The blacklist created an atmosphere of suspicion and fear in Hollywood.
Lucille Ball's Communist Accusations
In 1953, Lucille Ball faced allegations of Communist affiliations.
And then, radio personality Walter Winchell broke the story of the accusations. Desi Arnaz's portrayal of Ricky Ricardo challenged stereotypes about Cuban-Americans.
The couple's interracial marriage on prime-time television was revolutionary for its time. The film showcases the three-camera system pioneered by Desi Arnaz for "I Love Lucy."
Cinematographers used period-appropriate lenses and lighting setups to mimic the look of early television.
But what turned her from Communist to capitalist?
It helped normalize mixed relationships in American society. The news traveled.