If a hairstyle called for a certain look or something extra, wiglets were used in addition to the regular wig. Simply pinned on the main wig these added height, shape, more curls or possible used to cover something.
This was one of Lucy’s red wiglets. Her longtime hairstylist Imra Kusely dyed it to match her hair color and the piece still retains the original curls and shape with hairspray from when it was used.
Irma Kusely first worked with Lucille Ball in the 1940’s at MGM. Nearly a decade later they would reunite on I Love Lucy. Irma became Lucy’s hair stylist for next four decades. Kusely began her Hollywood career at Max Factor styling wigs where she learned the technique of how they were made by hand using real hair.
In the clip shown above from a 2001 Television Academy Arts & Sciences interview, Irma makes it clear about Lucy’s hair color – “It’s not red at all, it’s a golden apricot color.”
Irma’s career with Lucy spanned hundreds of appearances both on and off screen. In the early 1990’s she was asked to supply some of Lucy’s custom wigs for Universal Studio’s “Lucy: A Tribute” exhibit. This is one of those wigs, still styled and untouched since Irma did it over 30 years ago.
After signing with MGM, Lucille Ball’s first film at the studio was 1943’s Du Barry Was a Lady. At the time Lucy’s hair was close to her natural color, a mousey-brown and since it was going to be shot in Technicolor a change needed to be made so her look would pop more on screen. MGM’s hair stylist, Sydney Guilaroff decided to dye her hair a vibrant red/orange. Along with her porcelain skin, blue eyes and red lips, the new hair color made her look sensational on and off camera. She remained a redhead for the rest of her life.
This was the wig Lucille wore in the movie. Considered a “3/4 fall” it was attached to the crown of her head providing long locks while her real hair was made in an updo. The interior lace has two labels sewn onto it – a Max Factor Studios label and a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer label with 493 written in blue. This number matches that found on the original black wig box. The box has a label affixed detailing the color (tech. red) size and performer who it was created for. Also included is the original wig stock record card with all this information and production number. The wig would be reused in 1967 by actress ‘S. Yarnell’ as written on the card however this may actually be Celeste Yarnall of Star Trek fame.
