I know in my heart that if Lucy hadn't smoked, she'd be with us a lot longer than she was.

How much of a smoker was she?

Anyone ever notice in certain scenes or episodes her voice is very raspy? In the episode where she is trying to help Miss Lewis get together with the grocer, Mr. Ritter, her voice is especially raspy throughout the episode. When she visits Miss Lewis in her apartment to tell her she can't help her give the letter to Mr. Ritter, listen to her voice and it is so clear how her voice differs here than say maybe in the later seasons. I don't know why, but she has more of a raspy voice in the early episodes than she does by the time the Ricardos switch to the bigger apartment.

Yes, Lucy was a chronic chain smoker, as was Desi.....not surprising that they were sponsored by Philip Morris

They were both heavy smokers - on TV, they inhaled and everything. :(

Sad that they didn't know back then what exactly they were doing to themselves.. although since my generation is really bringing back the popularity of smoking I guess even now a days with all the information we have on smoking.. people don't realize or listen.

I often wonder how long Desi would have been around as well. :(

Sad that they didn't know back then what exactly they were doing to themselves.. although since my generation is really bringing back the popularity of smoking I guess even now a days with all the information we have on smoking.. people don't realize or listen.

I often wonder how long Desi would have been around as well. :(
Funny thing is, there were doctors saying that smoking was dangerous as early as 100 years ago ( Although they mostly advised that it wasnt heatly for children ), on the other hand, you had people in the movies and cigarette advertising that made it seem both "glamourous", and "safe"......and that message seems to be the one that gets listened to, even today!

Speaking of a raspy voice, anyone ever notice that during the first few episodes of the first season that Lucy's voice seemed very high pitched. Especially during the pilot and Lucy Thinks Ricky Is Trying To Murder Her.

I think almost everyone in the 50s were heavy smokers, i think desi was a heavier smoker that lucy because when he plays ricky in i love lucy he lights up all the time!!

Speaking of a raspy voice, anyone ever notice that during the first few episodes of the first season that Lucy's voice seemed very high pitched. Especially during the pilot and Lucy Thinks Ricky Is Trying To Murder Her.
Yes I did notice that. That is when I also noticed the raspiness she had. I wonder if after she looked at those episodes, did she try and cut back on the smoking or if she just worked on her voice, because there is a difference in how she sounds in the early episodes as opposed to how she sounds in the later episodes.

I have read on this board and elsewhere that Lucille was asked to speak in a higher-pitched voice than normal for the first season, since she was about 10 years older than the Lucy character. I think this was quite a strain on her voice, and that, instead of higher-pitched, it came out in a high rasp instead.

In the middle years, she used her own voice, now deeper-sounding due to the cigarettes.

In the later years, most notably the Connecticut epidodes, her voice is both considerably deeper AND raspy due to excessive smoking throughout the series run.

If you hear her voice in the Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour and her voice in her own Lucy shows after that, it is very raspy. I couldn't help but notice that back then when watching the shows in the 70's.

I have read on this board and elsewhere that Lucille was asked to speak in a higher-pitched voice than normal for the first season, since she was about 10 years older than the Lucy character. I think this was quite a strain on her voice, and that, instead of higher-pitched, it came out in a high rasp instead.

In the middle years, she used her own voice, now deeper-sounding due to the cigarettes.

In the later years, most notably the Connecticut epidodes, her voice is both considerably deeper AND raspy due to excessive smoking throughout the series run.
That makes a LOT of sense, especially the part where she was trying to sound younger, to match the character she played

That makes a LOT of sense, especially the part where she was trying to sound younger, to match the character she played
Or, maybe she was trying to sound "comedic" to match the zaniness of her character who would behave as a child at times, she would be spanked by Ricky, she would talk back to Ricky, she got in to predicaments that seemed juvenile. The sound of her voice, in my eyes, didn't matter, it was the whole persona she projected that made Lucy so damn funny and the rest of the cast.

As for the raspiness in her voice, I could hear it whether she was speaking in a high-pitched or low-pitched voice. It just happened.

If you hear her voice in the Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour and her voice in her own Lucy shows after that, it is very raspy. I couldn't help but notice that back then when watching the shows in the 70's.
Her voice really got worse by the time she did Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy.

Her voice really got worse by the time she did Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy.
Most definitely. Even hearing her on talk shows like Dick Cavett, it just seemed so "haggard". That is a terrible word to describe her voice, but it really is the only way for me to say it to get across how I felt it sounded.

I have read on this board and elsewhere that Lucille was asked to speak in a higher-pitched voice than normal for the first season, since she was about 10 years older than the Lucy character. I think this was quite a strain on her voice, and that, instead of higher-pitched, it came out in a high rasp instead.

In the middle years, she used her own voice, now deeper-sounding due to the cigarettes.

In the later years, most notably the Connecticut epidodes, her voice is both considerably deeper AND raspy due to excessive smoking throughout the series run.

It is true that she spoke on camera with a higher-pitched voice, trying to give Lucy Ricardo a girlish quality. Even in the middle years of the series, she was still doing this. She may not have been able to get her voice to reach as high as she did early on, but the voice you hear in the later seasons is still higher than her regular speaking voice at that time. This, I'm sure, was one of the factors that damaged her voice. She was not only speaking in this high voice, but having to project it to the studio audience. And probably did the same thing all week during rehearsals. That practice week after week, year after year, had to have taken a toll. Compound this with her smoking habit, and also her afternoon scotch. (No, contrary to what has been written in some places, she was not an alcoholic, but she did like to unwind with scotch.) A couple other benchmarks in the deepening of her voice occur at the time she did Wildcat, and then when she did Mame. If you listen to her in, say, The Facts of Life, which she did in 1960, and compare to the early episodes of The Lucy Show in 1962, there is a major difference in her voice. Of course, she was in Wildcat in between, in 1961. Keith Andes, who worked with her in Wildcat, said she was untrained in singing before an audience and did not know the proper techniques for projecting while singing, and thus caused great damage to her voice. I guess those around her were afraid to confront her and tell her what she was doing was wrong. And I suspect she used the same improper projection techniques for her singing again when she did Mame because there is a another notable drop in her voice between the 5th and 6th seasons of Here's Lucy, and of course she filmed Mame in between those seasons, in the spring/summer of 1973.

And not only was she causing damage when projecting her singing voice, but she did voice projection on her TV shows as well, trying to reach the back rows of her studio audience as actors do in plays. You might notice watching episodes of [IThe Lucy Show[/I] that her voice tends to get raspier towards the end of each season -- probably worn out from months of speaking this way -- then improves a little by the beginning of the following season. But still a toll was being taken all along. So all these things combined -- smoking, scotch, improper singing techniques, trying to perform with a high-pitched voice, practicing loud projection techniques with her speaking voice, and also having to yell all over the studio during The Lucy Show and Here's Lucy since she was running every aspect of her shows at that point and was in charge of everything -- was a toxic combination for the vocal chords.

It is true that she spoke on camera with a higher-pitched voice, trying to give Lucy Ricardo a girlish quality. Even in the middle years of the series, she was still doing this. She may not have been able to get her voice to reach as high as she did early on, but the voice you hear in the later seasons is still higher than her regular speaking voice at that time. This, I'm sure, was one of the factors that damaged her voice. She was not only speaking in this high voice, but having to project it to the studio audience. And probably did the same thing all week during rehearsals. That practice week after week, year after year, had to have taken a toll. Compound this with her smoking habit, and also her afternoon scotch. (No, contrary to what has been written in some places, she was not an alcoholic, but she did like to unwind with scotch.) A couple other benchmarks in the deepening of her voice occur at the time she did Wildcat, and then when she did Mame. If you listen to her in, say, The Facts of Life, which she did in 1960, and compare to the early episodes of The Lucy Show in 1962, there is a major difference in her voice. Of course, she was in Wildcat in between, in 1961. Keith Andes, who worked with her in Wildcat, said she was untrained in singing before an audience and did not know the proper techniques for projecting while singing, and thus caused great damage to her voice. I guess those around her were afraid to confront her and tell her what she was doing was wrong. And I suspect she used the same improper projection techniques for her singing again when she did Mame because there is a another notable drop in her voice between the 5th and 6th seasons of Here's Lucy, and of course she filmed Mame in between those seasons, in the spring/summer of 1973.

And not only was she causing damage when projecting her singing voice, but she did voice projection on her TV shows as well, trying to reach the back rows of her studio audience as actors do in plays. You might notice watching episodes of [IThe Lucy Show[/I] that her voice tends to get raspier towards the end of each season -- probably worn out from months of speaking this way -- then improves a little by the beginning of the following season. But still a toll was being taken all along. So all these things combined -- smoking, scotch, improper singing techniques, trying to perform with a high-pitched voice, practicing loud projection techniques with her speaking voice, and also having to yell all over the studio during The Lucy Show and Here's Lucy since she was running every aspect of her shows at that point and was in charge of everything -- was a toxic combination for the vocal chords.

Adding on to this comment, here's something else I had forgotten about. If you've seen any of Lucy's really early movies from the '30s, you will know she had a really high voice, higher even than her Lucy Ricardo voice. Apparently she didn't like having such a high voice and here, according to Desi from his autobiography, is how she dealt with it:

Lucy and I used to take my car, the Roadmaster that I had bought in Detroit, put the top down and drive to Palm Springs over the weekends. In those, days you could find some very nice and lonely roads which went on for miles that way. I was very proud of that Roadmaster, it drove beautifully, and I would go over one hundred miles an hour on the straightaway, which scared the hell out of Lucy. She thought I was nuts. When she got enough connfidence in my driving and knew that I wouldn't take stupid chances, she would relax and then start screaming at the top of her lungs, which in turn scared the hell out of me.

“What's wrong?" I'd shout over her screaming.
"Nothing, go ahead," she'd shout back, "Katharine Hepburn told me I should lower my voice."
"So?" I'd shout back.
"The best way to lower your voice is to scream at the top of your lungs when you are driving in an open car."
"Okay. You scream and I'll drive."
If a cop had seen us and heard us, he would have locked us up.


This should fall under the category of "Don't try this at home." Just thinking about this gives me a sore throat. So all those years before I Love Lucy, she was doing this particular exercise to lower her voice. Then on I Love Lucy she was speaking in that high pitch trying to raise her voice back again! (As they say, be careful what you ask for!) Both of these activities are very bad for the vocal chords and may have put her on a path to the further damage her voice endured in the years ahead.

Here's a link to an article that discusses ways the vocal chords can become damaged, leading to a deep and raspy voice. Interestingly, Lucy did pretty much everything listed here: smoking and drinking (which dries the vocal chords), screaming, speaking in a high pitch, singing with bad technique (Wildcat and Mame), speaking loudly (which she did on her shows), and speaking constantly (you can't star in, produce and direct a TV show, AND run a major studio without talking an awful lot): http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/voice/vocalabuse.asp

Thank you for providing us with those two posts filled with such information that can at last let me know why her voice was the way it was from ILL til her last days. I do know that her earlier works, prior to ever meeting Desi, she did in fact, have such a high-pitched speaking voice. It all makes sense now.

Thank you for providing us with those two posts filled with such information that can at last let me know why her voice was the way it was from ILL til her last days. I do know that her earlier works, prior to ever meeting Desi, she did in fact, have such a high-pitched speaking voice. It all makes sense now.

Would you agree she almost sounded like a young girl in those early movies? As deep as her voice was later on, I'm amazed at how high it was earlier. I can think of very few women with such a high voice as she had.

Would you agree she almost sounded like a young girl in those early movies? As deep as her voice was later on, I'm amazed at how high it was earlier. I can think of very few women with such a high voice as she had.
The first time I had seen one of her early works (movie) I was really amazed at how her voice sounded so different. Not so much in sound, but how high it was. She surely could have done voice-over work had she been born much later. She sounded like a very young girl. Which is why when I heard her voice in the early episodes of ILL, I could hear how different it was when you compare it to the later seasons of ILL and especially in Here's Lucy and any work after that.

Just listen to it in that "Tilly" episode when she has to pretend to be the voice of Tilly. I am sure that was so easy for her to do that since she already had a high-pitched tone when speaking.

That is very informative, at least I know I wasn't imagining things. Those first few episodes of the first season of the show kinda hurt my ears it was hard to watch.

That is very informative, at least I know I wasn't imagining things. Those first few episodes of the first season of the show kinda hurt my ears it was hard to watch.
:lol: I agree. You know when it is hard on my ears? Right after I watch the last episode (the statue dedication) and then the station airs the first episode right after that, you can really hear the difference. I realize too the film quality/sound quality must be different as well. Ever notice how the quality of the episodes, how they look from the first season to the second/third season is just a tad different?

:lol: I agree. You know when it is hard on my ears? Right after I watch the last episode (the statue dedication) and then the station airs the first episode right after that, you can really hear the difference. I realize too the film quality/sound quality must be different as well. Ever notice how the quality of the episodes, how they look from the first season to the second/third season is just a tad different?

You know what's hard on my ears is Lucie Arnaz on Here's Lucy. I know she was probably only doing what her mother told her to do -- the voice projection thing I talked about above that helped wreck Lucy's voice -- but somehow Lucie's voice, maybe because it's not only loud, but higher, hurts my ears. I usually have to turn down the volume when I watch HL, but especially when Lucie's on.

Theres another angle that hasnt been mentioned, older soundfilm ran at a slightly lower speed than modern film, and often films from the 30s and early 40s played on modern machines, speed up the soundtrack just enough to make the voices seem unaturally high. (Old "Newsreel" film is especially bad for this)

I know in my heart that if Lucy hadn't smoked, she'd be with us a lot longer than she was.

How much of a smoker was she?

Anyone ever notice in certain scenes or episodes her voice is very raspy? In the episode where she is trying to help Miss Lewis get together with the grocer, Mr. Ritter, her voice is especially raspy throughout the episode. When she visits Miss Lewis in her apartment to tell her she can't help her give the letter to Mr. Ritter, listen to her voice and it is so clear how her voice differs here than say maybe in the later seasons. I don't know why, but she has more of a raspy voice in the early episodes than she does by the time the Ricardos switch to the bigger apartment.

In that one episode it sounds like she lost her voice or she was about to lose it. I don't think it had to do with her smoking at all. It prob came from rehearsing that one scene with Desi when he had her over his knee and she was doing all of that screaming.

Theres another angle that hasnt been mentioned, older soundfilm ran at a slightly lower speed than modern film, and often films from the 30s and early 40s played on modern machines, speed up the soundtrack just enough to make the voices seem unaturally high. (Old "Newsreel" film is especially bad for this)

That may be true, but still her voice was high enough for her to decide to do that screaming exercise in the car to lower it. And don't argue with Katharine Hepburn.:nonono: :lol:

In that one episode it sounds like she lost her voice or she was about to lose it. I don't think it had to do with her smoking at all. It prob came from rehearsing that one scene with Desi when he had her over his knee and she was doing all of that screaming.
Hey, could be. That is another angle I didn't think of. Her voice did sound like she was on the verge of laryngitis.

That may be true, but still her voice was high enough for her to decide to do that screaming exercise in the car to lower it. And don't argue with Katharine Hepburn.:nonono: :lol:
Wasnt arguing, just saying that may be one MORE reason her voice sounds so high in old films

Wasnt arguing, just saying that may be one MORE reason her voice sounds so high in old films

I know, I was just teasing. ;)

I just loved that remark about Lucie's voice on Here's Lucy. That was the problem, they always screamed their lines, made it look so weird, i know it was great for the audience there but not so much for us viewers. I'll never forget when i listened to an old Lily Tomlin album where she paid tribute to Lucy and the gang and she even played part of an episode, at that point, i was not seeing I Love Lucy anywhere and the shows had yet to debut on home video so i actually did not recognize her voice, as it was so obviously different from what i was hearing on Here's Lucy every week. I think a good voice coach like she had during Wildcat would have helped her later on to save her voice and sound more normal. But those ciggies really screwed up her vocal chords.

I think a good voice coach like she had during Wildcat would have helped her later on to save her voice and sound more normal. But those ciggies really screwed up her vocal chords.

According to Keith Andes, Wildcat is part of what screwed up her voice. He said she was not performing her songs with the proper techniques that singers in that kind of venue are supposed to use to protect their voices. And there is a very noticeable difference in her voice before and after Wildcat.

According to Keith Andes, Wildcat is part of what screwed up her voice. He said she was not performing her songs with the proper techniques that singers in that kind of venue are supposed to use to protect their voices. And there is a very noticeable difference in her voice before and after Wildcat.
Well then, we're back to that, she should have hired a voice coach who would have told her what the right thing to do was. Ever hear that great soundtrack, she sounds great doing those songs, i especially love What Takes My Fancy, to me, it even tops Hey Look Me Over.

Well then, we're back to that, she should have hired a voice coach who would have told her what the right thing to do was. Ever hear that great soundtrack, she sounds great doing those songs, i especially love What Takes My Fancy, to me, it even tops Hey Look Me Over.

I have heard some of that soundtrack and she does sound good. It's too bad that, in the process of sounding good there that she was actually damaging her voice so that it wouldn't sound so good in the future. I suspect those around her were too in awe and afraid to tell her what she was doing wrong. It's like that "My son Jimmy" thing from The Lucy Show. The story I've heard is people around her who knew better were afraid to stand up to her and insist the character's name was Jerry. She disagreed when she was told that and that was the end of the story.

I have heard some of that soundtrack and she does sound good. It's too bad that, in the process of sounding good there that she was actually damaging her voice so that it wouldn't sound so good in the future. I suspect those around her were too in awe and afraid to tell her what she was doing wrong. It's like that "My son Jimmy" thing from The Lucy Show. The story I've heard is people around her who knew better were afraid to stand up to her and insist the character's name was Jerry. She disagreed when she was told that and that was the end of the story. I'm sure she would have appreciated being told she made a mistake, the surprising thing with these superstars is they LIKE it sometimes when people stand up to them, LOL! But they are intimidated by them and say nothing. Ever hear the story that it was Hepburn who told her her voice was too high, she told her to lower it by screaming at the top of her lungs while driving in an open car, and she did that often, to the stares of people around her who probably thought she was nuts, LOL! If only she had known how she did not have to lower her voice at all, ciggies would do that for her decades later, LOL! I just watched the Night of 100 stars from '82, the one Lucy was not on thanks to gary's advice, but her daughter was on with other Lucy co stars and they show Alfred Drake, who had this huge bombastic voice, years later we'd hear Robin Williams joke that Lucy sounded like Drake on her last series, LOL!

I'm sure she would have appreciated being told she made a mistake, the surprising thing with these superstars is they LIKE it sometimes when people stand up to them, LOL! But they are intimidated by them and say nothing. Ever hear the story that it was Hepburn who told her her voice was too high, she told her to lower it by screaming at the top of her lungs while driving in an open car, and she did that often, to the stares of people around her who probably thought she was nuts, LOL! If only she had known how she did not have to lower her voice at all, ciggies would do that for her decades later, LOL! I just watched the Night of 100 stars from '82, the one Lucy was not on thanks to gary's advice, but her daughter was on with other Lucy co stars and they show Alfred Drake, who had this huge bombastic voice, years later we'd hear Robin Williams joke that Lucy sounded like Drake on her last series, LOL!

Yes, I was talking about the Hepburn story in this very thread. Look back at the earlier posts.

Yes, I was talking about the Hepburn story in this very thread. Look back at the earlier posts.
I'm so sorry, i'm new here now and didn't have enough time to read everything, but i will, lately i've just been reading the last few posts before i add anything. Didn't she have something scraped off her vocal chords also a while before she died?

I'm so sorry, i'm new here now and didn't have enough time to read everything, but i will, lately i've just been reading the last few posts before i add anything. Didn't she have something scraped off her vocal chords also a while before she died?

I understand. The posts here have been too fast and furious lately to keep up. But you're not new! :lol: I remember seeing you here about five years ago!

I understand. The posts here have been too fast and furious lately to keep up. But you're not new! :lol: I remember seeing you here about five years ago!
Yeah, i remember your name also, and i LOVE your posts, you seem to be IN THE KNOW.:wave: Does Jane still come here? I remember her notorious WAS LUCY A $*** THREAD YEARS AGO, THAT ONE REALLY MADE THE NEWS ON ALL BOARDS, lol!

Yeah, i remember your name also, and i LOVE your posts, you seem to be IN THE KNOW.:wave: Does Jane still come here? I remember her notorious WAS LUCY A $*** THREAD YEARS AGO, THAT ONE REALLY MADE THE NEWS ON ALL BOARDS, lol!

Lucy was a what??? I haven't been a constant here myself. I have dropped in and out over the years, but I guess I go back six or seven years. The person I wonder about is Dawsongirl, who used to be a moderator. I saw her somewhere else recently but wonder why she's not on this board anymore.

Lucy was a what??? I haven't been a constant here myself. I have dropped in and out over the years, but I guess I go back six or seven years. The person I wonder about is Dawsongirl, who used to be a moderator. I saw her somewhere else recently but wonder why she's not on this board anymore. Well, the reason i'm back at all is BECAUSE Dawsongirl no longer moderates here, she was a doll and i LOVED her but she seemed to be tired of Lucy, so i suggested she take a break from her for a while, i've done that over the years, she used to get angry at everything we posted, edited posts, was really tired of the subject matter so that did not make her the best moderator due to those circumstances, but i sure as heck MISS HER, i liked her a lot. Hope she eventually comes back home, LOL! As for Jane, she suggested that Lucy had slept around a lot, well, so did every other Hollywood star, LOL! Back then, EVERYBODY did that, some still do today, LOL! It's just the title she used for her thread that aws too provocative, but it did get people talking and i LOVED Jane's telling it like it is. I love Lucy warts and all, she was after all HUMAN like all of us but managed to do lots more with her life than the average person ever does that's for sure.

Dawsongirl still posts a lot. Check out the Chit Chat forum. I haven't seen Jane in awhile though.

Dawsongirl still posts a lot. Check out the Chit Chat forum. I haven't seen Jane in awhile though.
She does? She must be up to a million posts by now, LOL! Even back then, her post count was astounding.:lol: Jane here reminds me of Putty Nose at The Lucy Lounge, just like Lucy, tell it like it is and dun't worry about the consequences, LOL! Which makes for lots more entertaining posts.

Yeah, but Dawsongirl is nice. :) She doesn't attack people over their grammar and stuff like that.

Yeah, but Dawsongirl is nice. :) She doesn't attack people over their grammar and stuff like that.
Like i said, i always LOVED Dawsongirl, she was just tired of ILL at the end so it's nice she's getting a break.

Like i said, i always LOVED Dawsongirl, she was just tired of ILL at the end so it's nice she's getting a break.
Yeah, that's the difference. You can't love or even like the other one! :lol:

Yeah well, let's not go THERE! LOL! Some people, like me LIKE controversy, it's less boring, but others get offended easily and like it when she takes a break, LOL! Did Liz ever post here?

Yeah, that's the difference. You can't love or even like the other one! :lol:
That's what i keep hearing from people, LOL! Speaking of unboring know it alls, does Liz ever post here?

I don't think so. Unless she's using a different name and no *'s.

I don't think so. Unless she's using a different name and no *'s.
Well, that IS her modus opperandi, LOL!

And an odd one too. :lol: Although it did make her posts stand out.

Yeah well, let's not go THERE! LOL! Some people, like me LIKE controversy, it's less boring, but others get offended easily and like it when she takes a break, LOL! Did Liz ever post here?
Less boring is one thing, but bullying and psycho behavior is another! :eek:

Hiya Claude and Lodee! It is good to see you posting here again...Long time no see :wave:

Hiya Claude and Lodee! It is good to see you posting here again...Long time no see :wave:
Hey Karen, great to see you here also, is that a pic of you and hubby i see in your avatar?:wave:

Hi! :wave: Nice to see you too!

Yes Splain, that's her new hubby. :heart: :eyes: :heart: Aren't they cute?

Hey Karen, great to see you here also, is that a pic of you and hubby i see in your avatar?:wave:


Yup, that's the W duo:D
The other half of the W's were taking pictures.:)

Good to see you too, Laura!

Yup, that's the W duo:D
The other half of the W's were taking pictures.:)

Good to see you too, Laura! Oh yeah, they're a regular Romeo and Juliette, well, not a regular one but they'll do, LOL! :lol:

Oh yeah, they're a regular Romeo and Juliette, well, not a regular one but they'll do, LOL! :lol:

:lol:
Seems like this is the most active Lucy board at the moment; doesn't it?:eek:

:lol:
Seems like this is the most active Lucy board at the moment; doesn't it?:eek:
Well, Long Live Lucy is dying because Josh is busy taking care of his dad who is ill, The Lucy Lounge is going along fine, not that quiet at all, and this place is so different from the way it was last time i posted here, the whole LOOK and most of the people are different too. Hey i wanted to ask you Kare, what happened to that guy MICKEY who used to LOVE Desi the way YOU do?:confused:

Well, Long Live Lucy is dying because Josh is busy taking care of his dad who is ill, The Lucy Lounge is going along fine, not that quiet at all, and this place is so different from the way it was last time i posted here, the whole LOOK and most of the people are different too. Hey i wanted to ask you Kare, what happened to that guy MICKEY who used to LOVE Desi the way YOU do?:confused:


I have no idea whoa' happun to him.

Why is there so much smoking in "I Love Lucy"? (https://www.quora.com/Why-is-there-so-much-smoking-in-I-Love-Lucy/answer/David-Holliday-27)

I Love Lucy (https://share.google/aimode/6XRlo613mCC1oWzHl), was sponsored by (https://www.google.com/search?q=Why+is+there+so+much+smoking+in+%22I+Love+Lucy%22%3F&oq=Why+is+there+so+much+smoking+in+%22I+Love+Lucy%22%3F&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRigATIHCAIQIRigATIHCAMQIRigATIHCAQQIRigATIHCAUQIRiPAjIHCAYQIRiPAtIBCDY1NGowajE1qAIIsAIB8QVUMqzhR9DY-g&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8) Phillip Morris, a major cigarette maker.

Today, when we see the show again it opens with a heart:
https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-e09ce3f8849108123713cc433decf7bc-lq

However originally, the opening credits featured their sponsor:
https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-c3a67af9524ab6c93f67c664a3187a29-lq

The heart was added for syndication.

The sponsorship contract also obligated the stars to do print ads as well:
https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-f61347682a01e466bc07162d640fe1b9-lq

Both Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball (https://web.archive.org/web/20230714202412/http://smokingsides.com/asfs/B/Ball.html) were lifelong smokers, and Arnaz (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nANLNZL7k04) died at aged 69 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqE1xnnXEj0) of lung cancer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDcfYZYNoaU).

Ball, lived to be 77. Today, most people know her as the young Lucy on I Love Lucy. But people of a certain age remember well for as a prolific talk show guest and the star of several specials in the late 1970s and '80s. She was still terrific, but had developed a gravelly, hoarse voice from years of smoking. Sadly, this was parodied (https://simpsonswiki.com/wiki/Lucille_Ball) on an episode (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iR2zUrIHzD8) of the The Simpsons.

https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-385e18b7c7a4248982dd22c92389c737-lq

But what may astound us now is that at one time smoking was normal and nearly every TV star smoked on the show and for publicity photos and print ads.

At one time, instead of having commercials for several products, each TV show had a single sponsor, in character the actors on the show did a promotional for the sponsor then the product was worked into the show as part of the story line. Even when television moved to the more modern format of many sponsors, there was still product placement.

Being a huge LUCY fan, if you notice that as she ages her voice will get lower and lower. Probably partly because of cigs and menopause?!