A.K.A. LUCY

A substantial tribute to one of the most beloved entertainers of the 20th century.

Pop-culture historian Royal’s picturesque book about Lucille Ball (1911-1989) begins with a reverential foreword by Amy Poehler, who writes that Ball never rested on her laurels; she “was always pushing and learning.” Ball grew up poor in Jamestown, New York. Her father died when she was 3, and her mother remarried a few years later. At age 15, she traveled to New York City’s John Murray Anderson-Robert Milton School of the Theatre, but she failed and ended up back in Jamestown. In 1930, she performed in the Jamestown Players Club production of Within the Law; she earned rave reviews and regained the desire to act again. Working as a Chesterfield cigarette model, she caught the attention of Sylvia Hahlo, a talent agent looking for Goldwyn Girls for Eddie Cantor’s film Roman Sandals. What made her stand out was her ability to be goofy and perform slapstick, which got her more roles in a variety of films until she and Desi Arnaz started producing I Love Lucy in 1951. Throughout the book, Royal commemorates Ball’s immense talent and personal successes and struggles during her tumultuous marriage to Arnaz, but she also shows her business acumen and perfectionism, which stemmed from her severe insecurities. After I Love Lucy and her divorce, Ball never stopped entertaining where and when she could. “I can’t imagine doing nothing,” she said. “If you don’t keep moving, you’re buried.” By the end, Ball had performed in 80 movies, more than 120 radio episodes, and more than 500 TV episodes, and she owned her own production company. Making effective use of such visual elements as photos, timelines, pull quotes, and lists, Royal shows how Ball was not just a Hollywood star, but also a modest, hardworking, kind individual.

A satisfying, brightly colored biography about a comedy legend.