When the Australian actress was announced for the role, the news prompted an internet backlash among fans and insiders.
Lucille has long been touted as a hard-nosed, shrewd businesswoman, the first to run a TV studio.
Lucille Ball has been a figure of importance to me since I was 13, when I began watching reruns of the classic 1950s “I Love Lucy” shows, then nearly two decades old, and discovered her extraordinarily natural line delivery, exquisite timing, gift for deft physical comedy and astonishing ability to communicate her thoughts through facial expressions.
Soon I was in libraries on a pre-Google quest, compelled to track down biographies and articles from which I could glean more about her.
I was a guest at a birthday party for a gentleman named Kieth Dodge, whom I had befriended by happenstance and later came to find was assistant to Lucille’s daughter, Lucie Arnaz, who was starring on Broadway in “They’re Playing Our Song.” We all dined together one evening, and the conversation got around to Lucie’s appearances on her mother’s later series.
I chose a seat next to an empty chair, with my back to the entrance to the dining room.
Suddenly there was a hush, followed by the sound of silverware dropping to plates, then a wave of murmurs: “Lucille Ball, Lucille Ball, Lucille Ball.” A red, white and blue pack of Philip Morris Commander cigarettes was abruptly plopped down on the place setting to my left, and there she stood.
After introductions, I noticed that when Lucille spoke, she made general pronouncements for the benefit of all the guests.
That seemed like an icebreaker, so I boldly asked if she ever visited her hometown, Jamestown, N.Y., just to let her know I was one of the “cognoscenti.” She said she hadn’t been there in years.
Shortly, a beautifully manicured hand holding a crystal water goblet came into my range of view, with Lucille saying, “Take your glass.” Befuddled, I thought my glass was in her way and she wanted me to place it elsewhere, so I reached out to take the glass from her.
She grabbed my arm and used me as a prop in a story she was telling the other guests.
But when my sad little desk tool made it across the room to Lucille, she exclaimed loudly, “Wow! This is the greatest tape dispenser I’ve ever seen! I love, love, love it! All of mine are so clunky.
The host of the dessert event was a professional photographer, and as things wound down, we all gathered for a group photo surrounding the birthday celebrant, who was seated on a hassock near Lucille and Lucie, the rest of us spread around behind them.