Ball Of Fire

       Ball Of Fire, written by Stefan Kanfer is a biography of Lucille Ball.   She was best known as the female, comedian /lead actress of the famous, I Love Lucy, television show.   Many know of her skills for comedy.  Some know of her  movie actress career before her entrance into millions of american homes through television.  Few know of her successful, modeling career that came even before her film career.

           As a star in television, she had an intense effect on the American families.  She was accused of being communist and almost ended her career in Hollywood because of the accusations.  She and Desi Arnaz were not a conventional married couple during the 1940′s.  He was from Cuba and she was definately not from Cuba.  She had a career when most women did not.  They didn’t have children for many years.   Their backgrounds were completely at odds; and, so it seemed were their versions of what a marriage should be.

        Still, the combination of their skills,talents, and desires were to mix in such a successful way that their need to be together in life and in business could not be denied.   Lucy trail-blaized the way for future, female comics.  She was a wonder of entertainment with her innate sense of timing setting up gags in such a way to make the audience return week after week.  She was able to use her mind, and her body to elicite laughs like no other female person during this time. 

         The book covers all of the difficulties and challenges such a clash of cultures, and expectations could produce.  It also shows us, the behind the scenes of achievement and the cost that comes from being driven to be successful.

         The personal side of their family is both intriguing and bittersweet.  The many miscarriages;  Desi’s  love of family and yet his need to see women on the side, jealousies, professional/financial limitations, chance meetings with people who could and would influence their destinies, the birth of their children, the neglect of their children’s need for more time with their parents and the success of their television show and the Desilu Studio create so much drama it is amazing that even though they divorce and marry others…their love continues to endure their difficulties until death.

          It was a little eye- opening to discover that the woman that we welcomed into our lives growing up wasn’t always zany and laughing. She could be moody and difficult.   She was a complex woman dealing with many layers of success and dissapointments.  She was a perfectionist who demanded total and complete obedience and yet was submissive in many ways to Desi and his controlling ways.  In other aspects, she was unbending.  It was often forgiven, as she was usually on the money with what she asked for regarding her show.  She hated aging and was very unhappy professionally during her remaining years after the end of her show biz career.

           The book is fascinating and definately worth the time it takes to read it from cover to cover.  It was copyrighted in 2003 and was published by Alfred A. Knopf