DU BARRY WAS A LADY

One of the movies that won Lucy the most acclaim was this one. It was a spectacular piece for her for wardrobe and hair as well. She was absolutely lovely in this film and shone as a comedienne as well. Here are some pictures for you to enjoy, and a photo of the real madame Du Barry too. To make a long story short, in this lively musical, a fellow gets slipped a drink and thinks he's in love with the famous courtesan on Louis XV in France. It's pretty funny so if you get a chance to rent it, give it a try.

VITAMEATAVEGAMIN!

We all have our very favorite I Love Lucy episodes, then our "sorta-favorites", then of course our "oh, I LOVE this one" episodes, whatever you want to call this one.....it has to be on your list of top episodes somewhere! So, incase you ever want to recite the whoe Vitameatavegamin commercial at a party or as party of a trivia contest or just to show off all of your Lucy knowledge, here it is, the whole script.

Have fun with it!

"Hello friends. I'm your Vitameatavegamin girl. Are you tired, run-down, listless? Do you poop out at parties? Are you unpopular? The answer to all your problems is in this little bottle. Vitameatavegamin. Yes, Vitameatavegamin contains Vitamins Meat Vegetables and Minerals. Yes, with Vitameatavegamin, you can spoon your way to health. All you do is take a great big tablespoonful after every meal. Mmmmmmm..... It's so tasty, too! Tastes just like candy! So why don't you join all the thousands of happy peppy people and get a great big bottle of Vitameatavegamin tomorrow! That's Vita-meata-vegamin! (wink)"

Time for some Lucy trivia!

According to an older issue of Celebrity Sleuth Magazine, Lucy's measurements were: 33 - 22 1/2 - 34.

While still contemplating whether or not to do the "I Love Lucy shows in" 1951, she claimed that her good friend Carole Lombard came to her in a dream and told her to "Give it a whirl".

Would you believe that the late comedian John Belushi was a huge fan of Lucy's and knew every detail of her life and career.

As a young girl, early in her modeling career in New York, Luchy called herself Diane Belmont after the Belmont racetrack in New York.

Lucy struggled to have her children in the twenty years she and Desi were married. Suffered a miscarriage with her and Desi Arnaz's first child in 1942 a second in 1949 and a third in 1950.

Would you like to dress like Lucy?

I know it sounds crazy, and everyone knows Lucy was beautiful. Call me crazy but I just love Lucy's housewife look. When she is puttering around the arpartment dusting with her feather duster or putting things away, I think she looks so pretty. I realize it's a television show and not reality but her hair and make-up is always just so and the house dresses that ladies wore then in the 1950's were so feminine and pretty. I seemed that whenever anyone stopped by to deliver anything or visited unexpectedly you always looked great. Here are a couple of steps you could take to get the Lucy Ricardo look for yourself

Start from the top. The most distinct thing about Lucille Ball was her hair. She was a bright redhead, a colore called "apricot" when it was originally died that color at the movie studio years before. The hairstyle she was known for was called the poodle cut. There are wigs that come in this style, but you don't need red hair to get the look, or a pood cut, just sweep your own hair into an updo of some sort, making sure it's neat. Use a little spray if you need to.

Pay close attention to your makeup. Lucy was fairly pale, but she didn't try to hide that behind make-up. She actually emphasized her fair skin with powder foundation. She also was known for her signature red lips and thin shaped eyebrows. Don't alter your natural arch but shape your eyebrows with an eyebrow pencil.

Use false eyelashes. Lucy had beautiful big blue eyes and was known for these. You can get her look by applying false eyelashes and a coat of mascara. If you want to use your own lashes, be sure to curl them with an eyelash curler and use a really good thickening and lengthening mascara. Allow the lashes to dry for 20 to 30 seconds between each coat.

Wear a shirtdress. A shirtdress is a dress that buttons like a shirt and is usually belted at the waist. They are as close to those housedress we talked about earlier as we can get today. Below the waistline, it flares outward into what looks similar to a poodle skirt. In the 1950s, the narrow waist and camouflaged hip was considered very flattering.

The most popular shoe that the women of the 1950s wore was the simple pump. The pump is a high-heeled dress shoe, with a heel around 2 or 3 inches high. The toe of the shoe usually formed a point.

Desi's smart business sense does it again!

Another interesting factoid:

I Love Lucy was originally budgeted for aroung $20,000 to $25000 a show, but when Desilu Productions decided to use film rather than Kinescope for production, they naturally exceeded that budget. Because Desi thought that film was a smarter way to go for the long run, He and Lucy agreed to a $1000 a week pay cut for the 1st year and in return they got 100% ownership rights to the show.

Good move Desi!

Lucy Quote

Another quote from Lucy. This sure sounds like her.



"Id rather regret the things I've done than regret the things I haven't done!"



I think Lucy really believed that, and that's why she did so much in her life and did it with gusto! Lucky for us.

Lucy chosen as the new Chesterfield Girl!

As a young girl, Lucy modeled at Hattie Carnegies, at 49th street in New York City. Hattie's was a popular place and catered to movie stars and rich clientelle and Lucy was a popular model. Lucy was accustomed to sending a good portion of her earnings back home to her mother and grandpa Fred (whom she referred to as her father since her own father died so young and her grandpa helped to raise her). So, to earn more money, Lucy found out that posing in the evenings after work at Hatties and on weekends for commercial illustrators brought in some nice extra cash. On Hattie's suggesstion one night, a painter by the name of Ratterman painted an oil of Lucy in a chiffon dress that she borrowed from one of her modeling jobs. He sold the painting to Chesterfield cigarettes. Lucy became an overnight sensation with her face plastered on billboards all over New York and Times Square!

But that was only the beginning. As the new Chesterfield Girl, an amazing break came her way. A theatrical agent by the name of Sylvia Hahlo noticed the billboards and got in touch with her. It just so happened that Sam Goldwyn needed a dozen well-known poster girls for a new Eddie Cantor movie, Roman Scandals. He had already picked out all the girls he needed but one had backed out. Lucy jumped at the chance and within three days Lucy was on her way to Hollywood.

I couldn't find an early photo of Lucy pitching for Chesterfield, but here's on her, going back to her roots.....staying loyal to the company that gave her her start