When it came to naming characters on the series, Lucille Ball seemed to prefer the personal touch. Over the course of I Love Lucy’s run, characters were named after her grandfather (Fred), a roommate (Marion Strong), a teacher (Lillian Appleby), and close friend (Pauline Lopus).
When they weren’t filming or running the production studio, Ball often led a very normal life as she enjoyed gardening, painting, and taking a dip in the pool. Seems like their “every-guy” persona from the show translated to real life.
Lucille Ball’s iconic red hair didn’t exist until 1942. She dyed her hair for the movie DuBarry was a Lady. Her original hair color was brown. She only dyed it blonde when she first came to Hollywood. She would become known for her bright red hair, but that wasn’t what she looked like naturally.
In order to keep up the illusion for young watchers of the show, in the episode titled “Superman,” famous actor George Reeves appeared as the titular character, but instead of giving the actor credit, Ball wanted his guest star name to be displayed only as “Superman” in the credits. Reeves agreed.
When President Eisenhower was sworn in, millions of Americans tuned in. But when Lucy gave birth to Little Ricky in the “Lucy Goes to the Hospital” episode, more people tuned into that than the inauguration. Lucille Ball, America’s favorite TV personality.
