Lucille - Kathleen Brady

A biography of Lucille Ball, one of the most revered actresses in television history. Moving beyond the typical celebrity biography, Kathleen Brady seeks to separate the actress from Lucy Ricardo, the antic, enduring character she created on "I Love Lucy". She reveals that Lucille's life was a roller coaster, going from disaster to victory and triumph to tragedy. As a star, she felt she had to work hard to maintain her popularity, and was also conscious that what her fans wanted from her was not herself, but Lucy Ricardo.;New to this edition is an introductory essay focusing on the place of the character of Lucy Ricardo in the history of comedy, going back to the traditions of the Italian commedia dell'arte and forward to the end of the 20th century. In this essay, Lucille Ball is compared to other key female figures in comedy like Mabel Normand, Mae West, Frannie Brice, Gilda Radner and Fran Drescher. The new edition also includes some photographs from various sources.