In between her career as one of the most iconic figures on TV and as the owner of a production company, Lucille Ball also had her own radio show.
In the early 1960s, Ball hosted her own radio series where she went around and interviewed influential Hollywood figures. She would jump over to the other set near her in between filming, and, in the process, was able to get interesting conversations from some of the most notable people in the industry. The show was called “Let’s Talk to Lucy” and it includes talks with people like Carol Burnett, Dick Van Dyke, Vivian Vance, Gale Gordon, Gene Kelly, and Julie Andrews.
Now, these old recordings are being repurposed into a new Sirius XM channel and podcast series.
NPR reports that Lucie Arnaz had found these recordings, which haven’t been heard since the 1960s, in a collection of her mother’s archives. Now, she decided it was time for the world to hear once again. It’s perfect timing given the number of Lucy-related projects that are ongoing. Amy Poehler is working on a documentary. There is also a drama film with Nicole Kidman called “Being the Ricardos” coming soon.
Lucille Ball and a Look into Classic Hollwood A-Listers
The show offered a really interesting look at key Hollywood figures in a natural, organic way. It’s also a look into the friendships of Lucille Ball herself. All in all, it’s a look into these iconic Hollywood A-listers in an all-new way.
“The most incredible thing about it is that it’s a conversation. People aren’t there to plug their book or their movie. She’s asking them what their backyards look like, and how they raised their children, and what they like to eat, and where they like to vacation. And you get a really incredible sense of the time. You know, some of it kind of makes you cringe and think, ‘Oh my god, the way we talked about women back then, or gays or whatever.’ But all in a friendly, wonderful, joyful, sensitive approach. [It was] human. Very human,” Arnaz said, according to KCRW.
Now, the new project will feature similar conversations with modern-day celebrities as well. This includes people like Amy Poehler, Tiffany Haddish, and Ron Howard.
In addition to learning about these stars, Arnaz said that it was a way to learn about Lucille Ball too.
“I think I enjoy hearing her talk about her loves and likes and desires as much as I enjoy finding out about everybody else’s. And she … shares an awful lot about herself. … Generally, I was quite impressed with mom. She’s so eloquent and literate. She didn’t really even finish high school. But she loved words. … And she had an incredible vocabulary that she used very well. And she did a lot of writing. She wrote all the intros,” Arnaz said.
In several of the past interviews, children and parenting are a major topic and area of concern. For example, she’d sit and talk to people like Debbie Reynolds and Jeanne Martin about the pressures, expectations, and realities of motherhood.
