I think they went about that plot the wrong way. What they should have done is take have Lucy play herself. And have her react the way she would in situations, like If Lucille Ball babysat her gradchildren and she took them to the grocery store and she disguised herself so no one would now she was Lucille Ball. Her grandchildren run amuck and get on the PA and tell the store Lucy was there. All the fans swamp her and tug on her clothes like her movie Best Foot Forward. She has enought "character" to build around. The way she cooks, drives, and behaves in her Hollywood Life.

Lucy should have played a woman her age, not a 70 year old playing 30. It might have been better that way.

I never saw Life With Lucy, and I was wondering if someone could explain what the show was about, and how she was a 70 year old playing 30. I'm really curious, because I'm a big fan of all of Lucy's other shows. Thanks.

Originally posted by MaryMarloLaurenandJack
I never saw Life With Lucy, and I was wondering if someone could explain what the show was about, and how she was a 70 year old playing 30. I'm really curious, because I'm a big fan of all of Lucy's other shows. Thanks.

She wasn't literally playing a 30 year old, but she was certainly trying to come off as much younger than her age. Ann Dusenberry was not believable as her daughter. She was much too young. And Lucy just didn't look right. The way she was painting her eyebrows to try to look younger actually made her look like a racoon. And after years of cigarettes and scotch, she sounded like an elephant when she talked. But they had her going on dates on this show with attractive younger men like Peter Graves as if she were some cool young chick. Lucy and Peter Graves did not look right together at all. She had that masculine voice. It looked more like he was dating his mother. And Gale Gordon was also way too old to be playing Larry Anderson's father. He was getting really feeble at this point. What would have made more sense would be to have Lucy playing Gale Gordon's wife. They looked like they were the same age. Put them in a retirement home together where they get on one another's nerves. With her voice the way it was, Lucy would have done better playing a cranky old wife or a Bea Arthur type character instead of a hip young grandmother version of her ingenue Lucy character. By the way, has anybody ever heard a story that back in the 50's Bea Arhur was a man named Arthur Bean who got a sex change? I don't think it's true.

I don't think so .... about the Bea Arhur thing:lol:

JaneTVFan,

I agree with what you wrote about "Life With Lucy". It's such a shame that the show just did not work. I think if they had done kind of a "Golden Girls" type show and star other co-stars that were Lucy's age, including Gale Gordon, it would have been more successful.

Let's see, the writers though they had created the best scripts in the business back in the 50's hadn't worked in years, the director had not been involved in a show this big since he left Lucy back in 1952, the producer was Gary, enough said and the time slot was leading the pack on Saturday nights, i always say it should have followed a hit like Who's the Boss, but they wanted her to be their Golden Girl. As for her playing 30, nonsense, she was a grandmother, but it's true the audience was afraid she would get her doing stunts at her age, but when you hear the audience, they still loved her so much,, the people there were very happy with the show! The executive producer Aaron Spelling wasn't eactly known for comedy, and Lucy was so tired, she couldn't fight like she used to, the writers hated Gary and would take the scripts to her, and well, what a mess, if only she had gotten a role on Golden Girls or something of that nature!

I could not picture Lucy a Golden Girl as bad as that sounds and as much as I love her...remmber the Golden Girls were in their Golden years, 50's 60's Sophia was Golden Girl Dorothy's Italian mom and I cannot see her playing an Italian Grammaw. I could see her playing Rose's mom....Actually and interesting piece of Trivia for those of you who are as big a fan of Golden Girls/Lucy as I am..... Lucy was asked to guest in Golden Girls as Rose's Blind sister. She had gotten sick though and was unable to go ahead with it though....second Lucy was weary about playing such a serious role/character, she already done Stone Pillow and felt she had let her public down. But I am sure she was happy she was asked.

Now you see Jen, another perfect example of you telling a story i had NEVER heard before, when you mentionned this the first time, i freaked, could not believe it, playing Rose's sister would have been terrific as they both played dummies for years, i dunno about the blind part though, which is probably why she turned it down. As for her being one of the three Golden Girls,i assumed Betty and Bea vetoed the idea as then it would have been considered a Lucille Ball show, but that's just my wild Lucy Ricardo type imagination at work here! Jen, do you think Jane will EVER start something with me, can't wait, she seems as knowing as us, in some cases she really makes great points, i just reread all the posts that are on here, this is a great board!

Originally posted by LUCILLE BALL
I could not picture Lucy a Golden Girl as bad as that sounds and as much as I love her...remmber the Golden Girls were in their Golden years, 50's 60's Sophia was Golden Girl Dorothy's Italian mom and I cannot see her playing an Italian Grammaw. I could see her playing Rose's mom....Actually and interesting piece of Trivia for those of you who are as big a fan of Golden Girls/Lucy as I am..... Lucy was asked to guest in Golden Girls as Rose's Blind sister. She had gotten sick though and was unable to go ahead with it though....second Lucy was weary about playing such a serious role/character, she already done Stone Pillow and felt she had let her public down. But I am sure she was happy she was asked.

I couldn't picture Lucy as a Golden Girl either. Besides the show ran from 1985-1992, right near the end of Lucy's life. I think that would have been really cool if she had guest starred on the show..maybe not as Rose's blind sister but as LUCILLE BALL said, Rose's mother. I think there was only two appreances max by Rose's mother and I could really see Lucy in that role.

Ok, i have this time machine, so you go back in time and you tell Lucille Ball you want her to play Rose's mother, Betty White, her friend's MOTHER, well it was nice knowing you! LOL, lots of bruises too, i bet!

Originally posted by SPLAIN
Jen, do you think Jane will EVER start something with me,

Why do you keep posting these comments about me? It makes it look like you're trying to start something with me, but sorry, I'm not going to take the bait.

Originally posted by SPLAIN
As for her being one of the three Golden Girls,i assumed Betty and Bea vetoed the idea as then it would have been considered a Lucille Ball show,

Couldn't Betty and Rue have vetoed the idea of having Bea Arthur on the show for the same reason? After all, Bea had been a BIG TV star in the 70s with her own successful show. It seems to me if they could have accepted Bea as a co-star, they could have accepted Lucy as well. The problem as I see it, though, is the producers would probably have wanted to cast Lucy in a role similar to the role of Dorothy, and two Dorothys wouldn't work.

Because i love the fact that you are in the know about Lucy's life and i can't wait to get into a big discussion with you, any discussion. Don't get paranoid, as i'm VERY STRANGE, i probably said it in a bad way, as i was impatient to start one, you and i won't fight, we will discuss, the reason you had trouble with that one thread that everybody pounced on you for was the fact that someone like me didn't get into it and calm things down and in some cases commend you for having the courage to tackle touchy subjects. I have only been on these boards since March, i have encountered cliques, and that annoying thing where you can't discuss anything without fear of people getting all upset. I did not come on here to fight, i want to be able to discuss any subject without fear or reprisals. I think that going on and on about stupid things like the latest Lucy hat somebody bought is not as interesting as discussing every aspect of her life, and especially discovering things i did not know. I just love talking to people who know stuff i NEVER heard before, and people who aren't afraid to say certain things, and you are one of those people that can accomplish both those things. Maybe the force you used was a little harsh, the terms used were a little inappropriate for a Lucy site, but the fact that you want to discuss a different topic is not wrong, and i wish i had been around then, it made me want to join this site because things can get pretty boring on these sites sometimes and things should be shaken up now and then, trust me, i'm being honest and sincere here, i want it to be interesting for everybody and i think Lucy herself would appreciate the honesty and the frankness!

As for the Lucy role on the Golden Girls, that could have been solved by Betty playing the trampy Blanche role she played to perfection on Mary Tyler Moore's show. Remember Sue Ann Nivens? And Lucy had a reputation for taking over the show and being difficult to work with, i don't know if Bea's rep was as bad! So even though Betty and Bea were friends of hers, they might have not wanted to lose that friendship by working with her. Gossip time, do any of you know why Bea and Betty hate each other to this day, ever read anything about it?

Originally posted by SPLAIN
As for the Lucy role on the Golden Girls, that could have been solved by Betty playing the trampy Blanche role she played to perfection on Mary Tyler Moore's show. Remember Sue Ann Nivens? And Lucy had a reputation for taking over the show and being difficult to work with, i don't know if Bea's rep was as bad! So even though Betty and Bea were friends of hers, they might have not wanted to lose that friendship by working with her. Gossip time, do any of you know why Bea and Betty hate each other to this day, ever read anything about it?

Of course I remember Sue Ann! I love that character, and I love the Mary Tyler Moore Show. What I recall about the GG is that Rue and Betty didn't want to be typecast in their former roles (Rue played kind of a dimwit on Maude, though not quite as dim as Rose), so they switched roles and Rue got to play the slut and Betty the dim bulb. As for Lucy and her takeover reputation being a possible reason she didn't get signed on to do the GG, that's a very plausible explanation. I'm sure there would have been plenty trouble on that set if Lucy had been cast as a regular. But then on the other hand, by that time, Lucy seemed to have lost her feistiness. On Life with Lucy, she didn't rehearse things to death like she did in earlier years or badger people. Like many people that age, she got tired easily and just wanted to get a days work over with and go home. About the Bea/Betty thing, I've never heard that they hate eachother. I always thought all the four women on that set got along beautifully. Where did you hear that about them?

Well even so for the fact As the height of the popularity grew for the GG especially the fact that most of the women had past endeavors, but Golden Girls gave them that "nitch" as Lucy would call it. If anyone has ever seen a Gameshow with Betty White as Guest she gets pretty good applause, when she was with Lucy The applause would echo throughout the studio,.,, Lucy was more popular than any of them,,, do u see where I am getting at? Lucy was really good friends with Betty, and she liked Bea Arthur a lot and the feeling mutual, I think if they had eventually started working together everyday, I believe there would be friction at some point. Lucy could be blunt and Bea could be blunbt to people and no Betty White isn't totally like Rose, she can be blunt to the point as well. I think the combination of Bea, Betty, Rue and Estelle is Heaven Sent. They are a perfect team just like Lucy Bil Desi Gale, and Viv all were... and I think lucy had her own thing and they like I said had a good thing going, and need not be touched. I don't think there will be another show like Golden Girls and Nobody of course can touch Lucy. So there is my thoughts on that one. If it ain't broke don't fix it. I do agree maybe it would have been nice to maybe have had Lucille as a guest star on GG, I kno that when Bob Hope was on the show it was totally awesome, That was one of my favorite shows. I think they could have used a similar plot with Lucy on that show.

Oh, so you're only an expert on Lucy then as this feud between the two golden girls is VERY common knowledge, i've heard many stories and it's not gossip, yes, reporters LOVE to start something when big FEMALE stars work together, but they're not working together anymore and the feud is on now! I'll get you details on the weekend! My last thought on all this is i would have killed to see Lucy on the Golden Girls, and if she had starred, i think she would have lived longer too, but that's just my opinion!

I remember watching Life with Lucy and thinking it was bad and feeling sorry for Lucy. And upset with Gary Morton and Lucy's handlers (if she had any) for letting her do it. I think I read somewhere that he was encouraging it.

Anyway, I did save somewhere the Life with Lucy with John Ritter and it was hilarious. It was about the only episode that was good however.

There was a scene in the hardware store with Lucy, Gale Gordon, and John that was classic. The timing of those three together was like music. As I recall John Ritter did most of the slapstick part of the scene but Lucy was right there with him. Does anyone remember the scene I'm talking about. John was on a ladder and fell off and Lucy tried to help him but kept hurting him more and more...

Yep, i have it remember it and watch it regularly, it was the best episode of the bunch. They loved working together and it shows. She looked horrible though in that white nurse's uniform, made her look older and her movements were so labored. But yet in the one where she's in a chair run amok, she did great, so as Einstien used to say Go Figure! Yes Gary encouraged her to do the show so he could pocket 100 thousand a show, while she got 125 thousand as the star, so he didn't care if it got cancelled, and she certainly could not livve down those newspaper headlines saying the Queen is Dead! It hastened her death there is no doubt about that!

When anyone is in severe depression as she had, it takes ten yrs off your life AT LEAST! Lucy had always bee a very mobile person, one of those who kept on going relentlessly, and didn't want to slow down...always moving, Those are traits taht got her where she was the desire to want to work and make things work, and when she got Those notices if you excuse the word Notices, it made her feel liuke, I can't do anything anymore, I am useless. The one said she was too old to be doing that and to leave it to the younger actors and actresses, adn she felt like how can I compete. Lucy wasn't in the best of health first of all, and EVERYONE knew it especially Gary. The doctors warned her after she did Stone Pillow to slow down, and she did take somewhat of a Hiatus, she toured the counrty giving lectures, Gary saw dollar signs and suddenly Lucy's health didn't matter anymore. Gary had this thing about him that he could be really persuasive with Lucy.....before that deal ever came about Lucy had said in numerous interviews I couldn't top what I have done. But once Gary got load that there would be a big cash advance for him like I said, he pushed Lucy "off a cliff" made her do something she shouldn't have done. Now I am not saying she shouldn't have worked at all, maybe narrowed down to appearances and stuff, As much as we al Love Lucy and Love to see her perform, I think in retrospect of what ended up to be, It wasn't good for her. I think if they would have given her a better story it would have and perhaps that would have been the key of hope for Lucy to hang on and perhaps she would have still been here. But unfortunately it wasn't to be and all I can see on Lucy's behalf is Mitakes were made,,Others are to blame.

He should have let her do the Broadway show Lee had planned for her but he couldn't go without his beloved golf game in New York City, the stinker!

The real reason that the show did not appeal to some is because of the stories for it were written as though it was written in the 1950's or 60's. The show was released in the 1980's, but the situations were written for the 1950's.

After bellybusters like The Jeffersons and All in the Family, Sanford and Son, etc. I think that people were ready for Lucy to go forward in television, not backwards.

I personally liked some of the episodes because it was like "Lucy Joins the 80's". Also, you don't see too many Lucy photos and video that has her in her final years.

Most of us always say the show stank, but i wonder, if they had given it time to take off instead of expecting it to save the network, if it would have lasted, people tuned in to see Lucy, that's obvious, and you are so right, even Lucy is quoted as saying she should have tried different things with different people. Every time i watched a show after she retired, i thought, why couldn't Lucy play Mary Tyler Moore's aunt Flo, or why wasn't she a Golden Girl, but if you'll recall she had all these obstacles to durmount, her rep as being diffficult to work with, her not wanting to be involved in anything risquee, her being typecast as the lovable goof, and her incompetent manager husband!

The show needed a better cast and better scripts. Plus I don't think Lucy had it in her to do Lucy anymore. Afterall, she was 75.

Didn't matter how old she was, when you truly LOVE something like she did, and she LIVED to WORK, you can do it forever. She used to say, i'll retire when i drop dead in my tracks. And like Irene Ryan (Granny on the Hillbillies) she should have starred in a Broadway show instead, Irene died during a show one night, or right after a performance, and i think Lucy would have loved going out that way, instead of bored depressed and alone in that mansion in Beverly Hills!