Lucille Ball: The Iconic Star Who Changed Television Forever

Lucille Ball was a national treasure. Beloved by millions of fans over the decades of her career, she was known for her bright red hair (even when televisions were black and white), her comic delivery, and the seemingly endless ways she could change the expression on her face to make audiences laugh. She was also a savvy businesswoman who knew her worth and wasn't afraid to ask for it even decades before the #MeToo movement. Lucy and her husband Desi Arnaz were a popular vaudeville act. That's when they created their company Desilu – you may remember seeing the icon for it before or after old reruns of "I Love Lucy."

In 1948, Lucy was playing Liz Cooper on a radio comedy for CBS called "My Favorite Husband." CBS wanted her to turn it into a television show. However, Lucy wanted that show to star her real-life husband, Desi Arnaz. The studio was reluctant – they weren't sure American audiences were ready to see an American-Cuban couple on television. Instead, Lucy and Desi decided to take their act on the road as a vaudeville show, which proved to be successful. CBS came calling again, and during this period, Lucy and Desi established their production company, Desilu, in 1950.

"I Love Lucy" was an immediate hit. It made Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz superstars. Desilu produced the show, and back then, television shows were taped on film in L.A. and then broadcast from the east coast studios via a method called kinescope – which was a lower-quality video. Lucille and Desi demanded that they and their show stay in Los Angeles and broadcast nationwide on film. It was critical to her that the quality be absolutely perfect from coast to coast and everywhere in-between. They took a pay cut to convince CBS, and they also paid their own production costs. In return, they retained the syndication rights to the show, leading to a fortune when "I Love Lucy" became the most popular syndicated show in television history. This is still regarded as one of the shrewdest business deals in television.

Desilu also pioneered many of the methods still used in TV production today, such as filming before a live studio audience. In 1957, CBS bought back the syndication rights to "I Love Lucy's" 180 episodes for $4.5 million, equivalent to about $40 million today. That same year, Lucy and Desi paid $6 million to acquire RKO Studios and its movie lot, making Lucy the first female head of a major film studio. Desilu went on to produce several hit shows and rent production space to other memorable series, including "The Dick Van Dyke Show," "The Andy Griffith Show," and "My Three Sons."

Lucy and Desi took Desilu public in 1958 but divorced two years later. In 1962, Lucy bought out Desi's shares of Desilu for $2.5 million – about $20 million today. Lucy delved into the creative and production side of the business, approving "Star Trek" for Gene Roddenberry and providing him with the resources to film the pilot, which was initially rejected by NBC. However, at Lucy's insistence, the network allowed Roddenberry to film another pilot, this time casting William Shatner. Lucy also green-lit "Mission Impossible."

Lucille Ball sold Desilu to Gulf+Western for $17 million in 1967, which would be approximately $130 million today. What happened to Desilu? It was renamed, and today the company once known as Desilu is now Paramount Pictures.

Table of Contents

• Biography
• Impact on Television
• Business Acumen
• Legacy and Influence