''Lucy'' is a 2003

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestr ...

directed Direct may refer to: Mathematics * Directed set, in order theory * Direct limit of (pre), sheaves * Direct sum of modules, a construction in abstract algebra which combines several vector spaces Computing * Direct access (disambiguation), a ...

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, comedian, producer, and studio executive. She was recognized by ''Time (magazine), Time'' in 2020 as one of the most influential women of the 20th century for h ...

. The film premiered on May 4, 2003, on

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

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), known as Desi Arnaz, was a Cuban-American actor, musician, producer, and bandleader. He played Ricky Ricardo on the American television sitcom ''I Love Lucy'', in whi ...

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 best known for playing landlady Ethel Mertz on the sitcom ''I Love Lucy'' (1951–1957), for which she won the 1953 Primetime Emmy Award for Outs ...

and

William Frawley William Clement Frawley (February 26, 1887 – March 3, 1966) was an American vaudevillian and actor best known for playing landlord Fred Mertz in the sitcom ''I Love Lucy.'' Frawley also played "Bub" O'Casey during the first five seasons of t ...

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. In 1925, a young Lucille lives with her family in Celoron, New York. Her desire to be a performer prompts her to enroll in acting school, where encounters with a condescending

Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress of film, television, and theater. Regarded as one of the greatest actresses in Hollywood history, she was noted for her willingness to play unsympatheti ...

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 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 (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

before landing a job as a Goldwyn Girl and eventually moving to

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * 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, is an American film production and distribution company, historically one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Kei ...

, she befriends

Carole Lombard Carole Lombard (born Jane Alice Peters; October 6, 1908 – January 16, 1942) was an American actress, particularly noted for her energetic, often off-beat roles in screwball comedies. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked 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, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

and stars alongside comedian

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

in '' Du Barry Was a Lady''. Meanwhile, rumors of Desi being unfaithful put a strain on their marriage, which is further strained following a devastating

miscarriage Miscarriage, also known in medical terms as a spontaneous abortion, is an end to pregnancy resulting in the loss and expulsion of an embryo or fetus from the womb before it can fetal viability, survive independently. Miscarriage before 6 weeks ...

. After being released from MGM, Lucy meets silent movie legend

Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent films during the 1920s, in which he performed physical comedy and inventive stunts. He frequently ...

, who is convinced of her talent as a

clown A clown is a person who performs physical comedy and arts in an Improvisational theatre#Comedy, open-ended fashion, typically while wearing distinct cosmetics, makeup or costume, costuming and reversing social norm, folkway-norms. The art of ...

and takes her under his wing. Her comedic skills further gestate on the radio program ''

My Favorite Husband ''My Favorite Husband'' was an American radio program and network television show. The original radio show, starring Lucille Ball, shaped into the famous sitcom ''I Love Lucy''. The series was based on the novels ''Mr. and Mrs. Cugat, the Recor ...

'', 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 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 series starred Lucille Ball and her husband Desi Arnaz, along with Vivian ...

'' is formed and pitched to

. 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, Inc. () 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 ...

, 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 the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World He ...

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.

Production

The film was shot in and around

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

, New Zealand, and featured many New Zealand actors in supporting roles.

Cast

* Rachel York as

Madeline Zima Madeline Rose 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 B ...

as Teen Lucy * Danny Pino as

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

as DeDe Hunt-Ball * La Chanze 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 ...

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

Edward Sedgwick Edward Sedgwick, Jr. (November 7, 1889 – May 7, 1953) was an American film director, screenwriter, writer, actor and film producer, producer. Early life He was born in Galveston, Texas, the son of Edward Sedgwick, Sr. and Josephine Walker, ...

* Peter Mochrie as Don Sharpe *

Andrew Mitchell Sir Andrew John Bower Mitchell Order of St Michael and St George, KCMG (born 23 March 1956) is a British politician who was Shadow Foreign Secretary from July to November 2024 and served as Foreign Secretary (United Kingdom), Deputy Foreign S ...

as Bob Carroll Jr. * 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 an American television writer who became known in the 1950s for her work on the ''I Love Lucy'' television se ...

* Mark Clare as

* Vanessa Gray as

Ian Mune Sir 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 ...

* 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 4 through 1914, when he began to work in silent movies. Following his military ...

(uncredited) * Peter Rowley as Marc Daniels (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 actor often referred to as the "King of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". He appeared in more than 60 Film, motion pictures across a variety of Film genre, genres dur ...

(uncredited) * Madeline Kofoed as Lucie Arnaz (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 (stylized in all caps) 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 ...

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 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, 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 an American comedian, actor, and writer. Kovacs's visually experimental and often spontaneous comedic style influenced numerous television comedy programs for years after his dea ...

' 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. * 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 films Biographical films about actors I Love Lucy 2000s English-language films 2000s American films Films shot in New Zealand