Biographie

When they were married in 1940, Desi Arnaz had to give her a cheap ring from a drugstore because all the jewelry stores were closed. She wore it for the rest of their marriage.

She signed her first promotional agreement with Max Factor in 1935 and again in 1942. Of all the stars, she had the longest association with the Max Factor company.

Died the morning of April 26, 1989, the 56th birthday of her friend Carol Burnett. That afternoon Burnett received the flowers that Ball had ordered for her birthday.

The day she first met Desi Arnaz, she had a black eye and a torn dress from filming a fight scene for Chantez, dansez, mes belles! (1940) and he didn't find her at all attractive until they met again later in the day when she had changed into her own clothes and makeup. His oft-quoted first impression of her extraordinary beauty was "That's a hunk o' woman".

Spent her last day ordering flowers for Carol Burnett. Lucy, for years, would have flowers sent over to Carol's house on her birthday. Lucy passed away the next day, on April 26, 1989, and Carol received the flowers hours after she learned of Lucy's death.

I think knowing what you cannot do is more important than knowing what you can do. In fact, that's good taste.

One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn't pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore faith in yourself.

I don't know anything about luck. I've never banked on it, and I'm afraid of people who do. Luck to me is something else: hard work and realizing what is opportunity and what isn't.

The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.

I'm not funny. What I am is brave.

Life with Lucy (1986) - $150,000 /episode

Mame (1974) - $250,000 +10% net profits

Les tiens, les miens, le nôtre (1972) - 50% of the net profits (co-producer)

Petit Guide pour mari volage (1968) - $10,000 for two days work.

The Danny Kaye Show with Lucille Ball (1962) - $100,000