No podcast on women in television is complete without a long hard look at the life and career of Lucille Ball. Advanced TV Herstory host Cynthia Bemis Abrams found that even with a well-documented life, Lucy left this world as a bit of a mystery.

Ball seemed to have kept wisdom to herself (or at least kept it closely held). Cynthia navigates Ball's public appearances and statements gleaned from available sources, finding points where Ball's humility and pride are profound. Kennedy Center Honors and then-Pres. Ronald Reagan celebrated Ball, but it's important to understand the contexts of Ball's run in with the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) and Communist blacklisting.

There's the marriage and divorce from the Desi Arnaz and how it resulted in a settlement that included the studio. From talk shows to famous quotes, Cynthia walks a detailed history that makes Lucille Ball a solid feminist.

Great resource: Stefan Kanfer's Ball of Fire: The Tumultuous Life & Comic Art of Lucille Ball.

CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA and ADVANCED TV HERSTORY

Monthly Newsletter - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/

Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/advancedtvherstory/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@advancedtvherstory

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthia-bemis-abrams-5046573/

PRODUCTION

Podcast Editing - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/

Video Editing - https://nivialopez.com/

Music by Jahzzar - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/