''Lucy'' is a 2003

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

directed Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

by Glenn Jordan. It is based on the life and career of actress and comedian

Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedienne and producer. She was nominated for 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning five times, and was the recipient of several other accolades, such as the Golde ...

Plot

In 1960, moments before filming the final episode of '' The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour'',

and

Desi Arnaz Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III (March 2, 1917 – December 2, 1986) was a Cuban-born American actor, bandleader, and film and television producer. He played Ricky Ricardo on the American television sitcom '' I Love Lucy'', in which he c ...

send scathing messages to each other through a pageboy. Co-stars

Vivian Vance Vivian Vance (born Vivian Roberta Jones; July 26, 1909 – August 17, 1979) was an American actress and singer best known for playing Ethel Mertz on the sitcom '' I Love Lucy'' (1951–1957), for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Out ...

and

William Frawley William Clement Frawley (February 26, 1887 – March 3, 1966) was an American vaudevillian and actor best remembered for playing landlord Fred Mertz in the American television sitcom '' I Love Lucy'', "Bub" O'Casey in the television comedy ser ...

comment on the tense situation, but everyone puts on their best front as Desi introduces them for the final time and Lucy emerges to a warm welcome from the studio audience. The scene then changes to 1925, when a young Lucille is living with her family in

Celoron, New York Celoron ( ) is a village in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. It is part of the town of Ellicott and sits on the west boundary of the city of Jamestown. The population of Celoron was 1,082 at the 2020 census. History Celoron Park ...

. Her desire to be a performer prompts her to enroll in an acting school, where encounters with a condescending

Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her pe ...

and an unreceptive acting coach result in her quitting. Shortly after, Lucy's grandfather is sued by the family of a neighborhood boy who was accidentally shot and paralyzed by someone target shooting under his supervision. Left penniless by the family's lawsuit, Lucy and her family move into an apartment in Jamestown. She finds work as a model and a cigarette girl in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

before landing a job as a Goldwyn Girl and eventually moving to Hollywood to pursue a film career. After earning several minor roles as a contract player for

RKO Radio Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orph ...

, she befriends Carole Lombard, convinces the rest of her family to move to California, hires an African-American maid named Harriet and develops a romantic relationship with fellow contract player Desi Arnaz before eloping with him in November 1940. Lucy later signs with

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 ...

and stars alongside comedian

Red Skelton Richard Red Skelton (July 18, 1913September 17, 1997) was an American entertainer best known for his national radio and television shows between 1937 and 1971, especially as host of the television program '' The Red Skelton Show''. He has stars ...

in ''

DuBarry Was a Lady ''Du Barry Was a Lady'' is a Broadway musical, with music and lyrics by Cole Porter, and the book by Herbert Fields and Buddy DeSylva.

''. Meanwhile, rumors of Desi being unfaithful puts a strain on their marriage, which is further strained following a devastating miscarriage. After being released from MGM, Lucy meets silent movie legend Buster Keaton, who is convinced of her talent as a clown and takes her under his wing. Her comedic skills further gestate on the radio program ''

My Favorite Husband ''My Favorite Husband'' is the name of an American radio program and network television series. The original radio show, starring Lucille Ball, evolved into the groundbreaking television sitcom '' I Love Lucy''. The series was based on the novels ...

'', which leaves her more convinced of her comedic abilities. Gathering the radio team together, the idea for ''

I Love Lucy ''I Love Lucy'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning six seasons. The show starred Lucille Ball, her husband, Desi Arnaz, along wit ...

'' is formed and pitched to

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

. When studio executives prove to be skeptical of the public's readiness, Lucy sets out to prove them wrong by performing several comedy routines. The network gives in but remains convinced that the show will flop. It proves to be a huge success, remaining a fan favorite for six years and forever changing the shape of television. The couple build their studio,

Desilu Productions Desilu Productions () was an American television production company founded and co-owned by husband and wife Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball. The company is best known for shows such as ''I Love Lucy'', ''The Lucy Show'', ''Mannix'', ''The Untouchabl ...

, from the ground up, and are hailed as pioneers in television. However, as their empire grows, Lucy and Desi's marriage quickly deteriorates due to his

alcoholism Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomi ...

and womanizing, and her commitment to her craft. The two decide it would be best if they end their marriage. In the present day, moments after the filming ends, Lucy and Desi hold hands as they leave the studio, content with remaining friends and proud of what they have accomplished.

Cast

Rachel York Rachel York (born August 7, 1971) is an American actress and singer. She is known for stage roles in '' City of Angels'', ''The Scarlet Pimpernel'', ''Les Misérables'', ''Victor/Victoria'', ''Kiss Me, Kate'', ''Sly Fox'', '' Dirty Rotten Scound ...

Madeline Zima Madeline Zima (born September 16, 1985) is an American actress. She portrayed Grace Sheffield on the CBS sitcom ''The Nanny'' (1993–1999), Mia Lewis on the Showtime comedy drama series ''Californication'' (2007–2011), and Gretchen Berg on ...

as Teen Lucy * Danny Pino as

Ann Dowd Ann Dowd (born January 30, 1956) is an American actress. She has played supporting roles in numerous films, including ''Green Card'' (1990), ''Lorenzo's Oil'' (1992), ''Philadelphia'' (1993), '' Garden State'' (2004), '' The Manchurian Candidate' ...

as DeDe Hunt-Ball *

La Chanze Rhonda LaChanze Sapp, known professionally as LaChanze (; born December 16, 1961), is an American actress, singer, and dancer. She won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical in 2006 for her role as Celie Harris Johnson ...

as Harriett * Rebecca Hobbs as

* Merv Smith as Fred Hunt * Russell Newman as

Zoe Carides Zoe Carides (born 19 February 1962) is an Australian actress of film and television, who is best known for her roles in '' Death in Brunswick'' as Sophie, ''G. P.'' as Dr. Sonia Kapek and ''Grass Roots'' as Liz Murray. Family Carides was born ...

as Lolita De Acha * Chris Brougham as Fred Ball * Ray Woolf as

Edward Sedgwick Edward Sedgwick (November 7, 1889 – March 7, 1953) was an American film director, writer, actor and producer. Early life He was born in Galveston, Texas, the son of Edward Sedgwick, Sr. and Josephine Walker, both stage actors. At the age ...

Peter Mochrie Peter Mochrie (born 23 March 1959), is an Australian actor whose career spans over forty years in the industry, primarily featuring in television soap opera's, he has also worked in New Zealand, where he spent six years as Dr. Callum McKay in ...

as Don Sharpe *

Andrew Mitchell Andrew John Bower Mitchell (born 23 March 1956) is a British politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sutton Coldfield since 2001. A member of the Conservative Party, Mitchell was previously the MP for Gedling from 1987 to 1 ...

Bob Carroll Jr. Robert Gordon Carroll Jr. (August 12, 1918 – January 27, 2007) was an American television writer notable for his creative role in the series '' I Love Lucy'', the first four seasons of which he wrote with his professional partner Madelyn Pugh, a ...

* Lachlan MacDonald as

Jess Oppenheimer Jessurun James Oppenheimer (November 11, 1913 – December 27, 1988) was an American radio and television writer, producer, and director. He was the producer and head writer of the CBS sitcom '' I Love Lucy''. Lucille Ball called Oppenheimer ...

* Theresa Healey as

Madelyn Pugh Madelyn Pugh (March 15, 1921 – April 20, 2011), sometimes credited as Madelyn Pugh Davis, Madelyn Davis, or Madelyn Martin, was a television writer who became known in the 1950s for her work on the '' I Love Lucy'' television series. Earl ...

* Mark Clare as

* Vanessa Gray as Carole Lombard *

Ian Mune Ian Barry Mune (born 1941) is a New Zealand character actor, director, and screenwriter. His screen acting career spans four decades and more than 50 roles. His work as a film director includes hit comedy ''Came a Hot Friday'', an adaptation of c ...

as Buster Keaton * Bart John as Hubbell Robinson * Charles Pierard as

Alexander Hall Alexander Hall (January 11, 1894 – July 30, 1968) was an American film director, film editor and theatre actor. Biography Hall acted in the theatre from the age of four through 1914, when he began to work in silent movies. Following his milit ...

(uncredited) * Peter Rowley as

Marc Daniels Marc Daniels (January 27, 1912 – April 23, 1989), born Danny Marcus, was an American television director. He directed on programs such as I Love Lucy, Gunsmoke, Star Trek, Mission: Impossible, Hogan's Heroes, and more. Life and career Da ...

(uncredited) * Priscilla Bonnet as

* Laurie Dee as Congressman Jackson * Charles Unwin as

Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American film actor, often referred to as "The King of Hollywood". He had roles in more than 60 motion pictures in multiple genres during a career that lasted 37 years, three decades ...

(uncredited) * Madeline Kofoed as

Lucie Arnaz Lucie Désirée Arnaz (born July 17, 1951) is an American actress and singer. She is the daughter of actors Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Early life Arnaz was born at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of act ...

(uncredited)

Historical inaccuracies

* Desi Arnaz tells the audience that the night's episode would be the final episode of '' The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour'', but the show was not given this title until it entered syndication; during its original run, it was known as ''The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show''. In addition, due to tensions on the set, the final season was taped without a studio audience. * Harriett is a composite character based on several maids Lucille had over the years, and also takes the place of her cousin, Cleo Morgan. * Lucille suffers only one miscarriage instead of three. *

is portrayed as being hired specifically to produce ''

'', ignoring his involvement with ''

'' beginning in 1948. * Grape is shown as being a

Jell-O Jell-O is an American brand offering a variety of powdered gelatin dessert (fruit-flavored gels/jellies), pudding, and no-bake cream pie mixes. The original gelatin dessert ( genericized as jello) is the signature of the brand. "Jell-O" is a ...

flavor, when at the time only six flavors - strawberry, raspberry, cherry, orange, lemon, and lime - existed in 1949. * The ''I Love Lucy'' set omits the Ricardo's bedroom and has the first scene from "Lucy Thinks Ricky Is Trying to Murder Her" be the kitchen scene with Ethel. * The second season Tropicana set is shown to be in use during production of the first season. * The Ricardos' wall is painted light blue instead of pale pink. * The "Pioneer Women" "13 cakes" conversation takes place in the living room set instead of the kitchen. * The Ricardos' second apartment is not used; the film shows the first one as lasting the entire series. * The revelation of Lucille's communist ties comes after the filming of season three's "Lucy is Envious", when in reality the news broke prior to the filming of the first episode that season, "The Girls Go Into Business". * Lucy & Desi discuss buying

RKO RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheu ...

in 1953 during the red scare, when it did not hit the market until around 1957. * The film shows Marc Daniels being the sole director, and Bob Carroll, Jr. and Madelyn Davis as the only writers. In reality, Daniels left after the first season, being replaced by

William Asher William Milton Asher (August 8, 1921 – July 16, 2012) was an American television and film producer, film director, and screenwriter. He was one of the most prolific early television directors, producing or directing over two dozen series. Wit ...

, James Kern, and Jerry Thorpe. Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf joined the series in the fifth season, while Carroll, Jr. and Davis left after the first season of ''The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour''. * The Arnaz family is shown moving out of the ranch and onto Roxbury Drive in 1958, when actually they moved in 1954. * "Lucy Meets the Moustache" was not filmed before a live audience in reality. The filming also occurred on March 2, 1960, not in February. * The final scene of "Lucy Meets the Moustache" takes place in the Connecticut living room instead of

Ernie Kovacs Ernest Edward Kovacs (January 23, 1919 – January 13, 1962) was a Hungarian-American comedian, actor, and writer. Kovacs's visually experimental and often spontaneous comedic style influenced numerous television comedy programs for years aft ...

' hotel room. * The Connecticut house is shortened, omitting a portion of the wall between the fireplace and the front door, plus the kitchen door. There is also no door or balcony at the top of the stairs. In addition, the location of the other side door is changed in order to consolidate the set.http://www.lucylounge.com/index.php?/topic/2109-lucy-movie-errors-2003/ * The depiction of Ball and Arnaz holding hands at the end of the film would be unlikely given the animosity between the two at the time. Ball and Arnaz rekindled a friendship in the years following their divorce and remarriages.

References

External links

Official website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lucy (Film) 2003 television films 2003 films American biographical films American television films Films directed by Glenn Jordan Films scored by Bruce Broughton Lucille Ball CBS network films Biographical films about actors I Love Lucy 2000s English-language films 2000s American films