Classic Couple

We Love Lucy!

In our November TCM Club meeting, we proclaimed our love of Lucille Ball through a discussion of four films that aired on TCM in October, when she was star of the month on the channel. Club member Caroline led us through a chat about these four films, spanning Lucy’s movie career:

1.  The Affairs of Annabel, 1938

2. The Big Street, 1942

3. The Long, Long Trailer, 1954

4.  Yours, Mine and Ours, 1968

Club members noted the early hints of the comedienne to come evidenced in The Affairs of Annabel. But most noted that while her performance was solid, she was upstaged by co-star Jack Oakie, a known funny man and “second banana” of the era. The Big Street, the film performance Lucy claimed she was the most proud of, showed Lucy in a powerful dramatic role, although club members were divided on whether they thought Lucy could have achieved A-level actress status. The Long, Long Trailer gave us our beloved Lucy and Desi combination with high marks for hijinks and physical comedy. Yours, Mine and Ours stood out as a charming picture from Lucy’s later film career where her pairing with co-star Henry Fonda was spot on.

Caroline facilitated a lively discussion and shared many highlights from Lucille Ball’s life and career gained though research and reading her autobiography, Love, Lucy. All came away with a much better understanding of her film career and why it offered what it did. Thank you, Caroline!

Next month, we meet for our holiday gathering. Looking forward to celebrating film and friendship with members of this amazing club!