A good ole fashioned hoedown was theme one year for Lucie Arnaz’s birthday party based on this original invitation. Held at the house on Roxbury Drive in Beverly Hills, guests were asked to “wear yer Levi’s ‘n ginghams” and RSVP for the July 17th celebration. Reading this flyer sounds like script from the I Love Lucy episodes where Cousin Ernie visited the Ricardos.
Desilu Productions was a well respected and successful corporation, one that other studios looked at for their inspiring “Desilu Method” of filming shows using three cameras in front of an audience. In 1962, Lucille Ball became the first woman in history to own a television studio and under her reign some very important productions were made – The Untouchables, Mission Impossible and of course Star Trek.
Desi and Lucy were president and vice president of Desilu Productions when it became a publicly traded company in 1958. Investors and everyday people could own a piece of the Desilu empire. This is an original stock certificate for 100 common shares retained by Desilu Productions Inc. that was redeemed on January 19, 1966.
Desilu was a powerhouse in the television industry by the late 1950’s. Thus, a department called Desilu Sales Inc. was created to handle the sales, marketing and distribution of its shows and productions to markets across the country. Promotional items were created as gifts that were not available to the general public, such as this rare pencil cup.
Measuring 4 1/4 inches high and just over 3 inches in diameter, the ceramic cup with cork bottom features a gold rim and the Desilu Sales logo underneath a large Lucy Ricardo stick figure saying “Hi!” along with Lucille Ball’s signature. A rare addition is the small plate or catch-all that the holder sits on. Other promotional gifts included coffee mugs, ashtrays, letter openers and more.
On April 24, 1949 Lucille Ball’s brother Fred married his second wife Phyllis Brier. For their first anniversary in 1950, Lucy wrote this letter to the couple playfully addressing them as ‘Philly and Freddy.’
“With our love and appreciation of a wonderful sister and great brother! This is to make the coffee-pot-on-the-stove-all-day routine a bit easier – Affectionately Lucy & Desi”
The original blue envelope with “Happy Anniversary” in Lucille’s hand on the front accompanies the letter. It is believed the Arnaz’s gave the Ball’s a new coffee percolator. Coincidentally, Phyllis was also born in Jamestown, NY like Lucy and Fred.
If Lucille Ball liked something whether it be a garment or household item she held onto it as long as possible. This very ornate crystal table lighter is one such thing. Standing 8 inches tall it features three sections of crystal in a diamond cut or etched pattern. The solid square base anchors the piece while a brass rod holds it all together. The refillable lighter is in working condition with a push knob flint.
This lighter is (to our knowledge) first seen on the coffee table inside Lucy’s dressing room at Desilu Studios in the late 1950’s/early 60’s. When she moved to New York City and was doing Wildcat on Broadway, it appeared on the side table of the living room. Fast forward to 1974 when The Sunday Times Magazine interviewed Lucille Ball and did a spread at home for their coverstory entitled, “The eternal Lucy show” it is visible in her Beverly Hills sitting room.
One of the original creative members of the I Love Lucy team was editor, Dann Cahn. He pioneered the editing of television shows shot with the three-camera system. In 1954 Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz gave him this small token of their apprecaiton for all the hard work he had done.
Made by CYMA, this 10 karat gold wristwatch is engraved – “To Danny Love Lucy and Desi.” A letter on Desilu stationary signed by the Arnaz’s accompanies the watch and was kept by Dann for nearly sixty years until his death in 2012.
Desilu was a powerhouse in the television industry by the late 1950’s. Thus, a department called Desilu Sales Inc. was created to handle the sales, marketing and distribution of its shows and productions to markets across the country. Promotional items were created as gifts that were not available to the general public, such as this rare ashtray.
Measuring 6 3/4 inches across, the ceramic ashtray features a gold rim and the Desilu Sales logo underneath a large Lucy Ricardo stick figure saying “Hi!” along with Lucille Ball’s signature. Other promotional gifts included coffee mugs, lighters, letter openers and more.
Desilu was a powerhouse in the television industry by the late 1950’s. Thus, a department called Desilu Sales Inc. was created to handle the sales, marketing and distribution of its shows and productions to markets across the country. Promotional items were created as gifts that were not available to the general public, such as this rare lighter.
Measuring 3 1/2 inches tall, the ceramic table lighter with gold trim, brass flint and cork bottom features the Desilu Sales logo underneath a Lucy Ricardo stick figure saying “Hi!” and Lucille Ball’s signature. Other promotional gifts included coffee mugs, ashtrays, coasters and more.
Gary Morton received the handwritten love letter from Lucille Ball affectionately signed “The Mrs.” Using pink stationary Lucy writes on a Sunday in part, “how much I love and need you,” expressing her appreciation and that he is “really special and adored.” The letter is complete with a matching envelope which reads My Gary.
Many personal letters between Lucy and Gary such as this were first made available to the public through an entertainment auction held in Beverly Hills in 2010. Gary’s former wife after Lucy, Susie Morton (McAllister) consigned many effects retained by Gary in the Palms Springs home he once shared with Lucille. This is the same home she built in the 1950’s with Desi Arnaz.
Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were married (eloped) on November 30, 1940. However in the years that followed, unsuccessful attempts to conceive lead to speculation by Desi’s mother Lolita that the reason was they were not married “in the eyes of God.” So on June 19, 1949 the couple were married for a second time at Our Lady of the Valley Church in Canoga Park, CA.
This is the original wedding place card used at their reception. Presumably placed where Lucy sat at the sweethearts table, it has her name written in black ink. In 2004’s “Lucy & Desi: The Real Life Scrapbook of America’s Favorite TV Couple” a copy of this place card was included.
Desilu was a powerhouse in the television industry by the late 1950’s. Thus, a department called Desilu Sales Inc. was created to handle the sales, marketing and distribution of its shows and productions to markets across the country. Promotional items were created as gifts that were not available to the general public, such as this very rare letter opener.
Measuring 8 inches long, the brass plated letter opener has a ceramic inlay plate with the Desilu Sales logo alongside a Lucy Ricardo stick figure and Lucille Ball’s signature. Other promotional gifts included coffee mugs, ashtrays, lighters and more.
On October 12, 1951, three days before the official television premiere of I Love Lucy, an audience packed the Desilu Playhouse to watch the filming of an episode called “The Audition.” This was the sixth I Love Lucy show of season one where Lucy Ricardo replaces a clown named Buffo for an act at Ricky’s club. Lucy is referred to as “the professor” and is dressed in an oversized blue suit who plays the cello. Shown here is an original ticket to that show. Tickets were complementary and given out in excess to fill the roughly 300 member audience each week. Accounting for all the episodes of I Love Lucy and number of people in each audience, over 50,000 tickets would have been made during the series run. However so few still exist today making them a rarity and highly collectible among fans.
