Here's a collection of 10 rare black and white portraits from the 1940s of
Lucille Ball (1911 – 1989), one of America's most beloved comedians, particularly known for her iconic television show
I Love Lucy.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqzjAGAE2ClqgW1hMBAGzVyEx4I5nWRLheBciRCR0b35xB8y2H1QsadLReSOr9dGVgafAvwmmMBP58WlqcJzyQ1_z9CkUbLsR-1i-AlDDr586Muk2g49oemZPraYJNKfRvUJSfcUmKva8/s1600-rw/Lucille+Ball,+1940s+(1).jpg) |
Lucille Ball, 1942. An outtake from John Florea's 1942 photo essay on Ball, which touted her as being on the brink of fame after a decade of kicking around Hollywood. (John Florea—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images) |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigZOBhtXI7zvmVbQixGxUTOfx2ZMITVNR4tBvRjRCUfuuQLie40fREdw8vgn4_p3PKnxvRYl236OZgR1yoVlxoc-ZRlremZgoEwckzoaoCg3U7OBbp4uGij0kR10QQ1bv4_WM-pGWVcGQ/s1600-rw/Lucille+Ball,+1940s+(2).jpg) |
Lucille Ball, 1942. (John Florea—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images) |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdEau5g8rOllIEW_Ue25TUnwnVdZukVqNqpcblpIr9UHg4GnJEJi47kixUObPfz1kJbBXUCjMn-MyFPWfqzQTJBV2gavg7qcL4O8BvXOrqflzArQv9xM_Ryq1F-E-WYsxu95wXZy4od8Y/s1600-rw/Lucille+Ball,+1940s+(3).jpg) |
Lucille Ball in costume for the extravagant dream sequence set in 18th-century France at the center of DuBarry Was a Lady, 1943. (Walter Sanders—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images) |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-WuQmOBtjDFJQH9beboSkw5gPxvY4PuzJyaWepu1fnREZQ2ltahKmOsWDTtoNPxoDe5jlGhP7lsvReJ39ZWCFGwkIjD28rymky25Q_i_kxNTxJkikwo1lKHiWSoBpe-XUcIvCp6iMMg/s1600-rw/Lucille+Ball,+1940s+(4).jpg) |
Lucille Ball plays upon her modeling past for Lured, a comic thriller in which she starred as a woman who agrees to pose as bait for a serial killer, 1946. (Bob Landry—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images) |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJEJqWmMxHKU4iq35Yv3oz0dwbAOVcpPv-TBhJT1vRzb2re2P0nDSOUvsqKQFSYTLTBHS7Wg01D_ZhunWx5rz7on6HNC6j_2oyuEdEnQAgWdnFE-OXGv7VhONq6GC1AXX3AEcCzkH1W8g/s1600-rw/Lucille+Ball,+1940s+(5).jpg) |
Lucille Ball signs autographs for admiring seamen at one of the January 1944 galas celebrating President Franklin D. Roosevelt's 62nd birthday. (Thomas D. McAvoy—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images) |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrkEdSVI82-jCNQntaR9NNH7cvxUnhOwHIKk96AuYFEd9a4vKk6EQJTGiB_V1K0mZpE6V1ThO74kka4UbHDRYNoPywWH1ebf2NY-1Kfr8v_TFnZFW31xie8LmAPE1cFGo4bPmRQMINZsM/s1600-rw/Lucille+Ball,+1940s+(6).jpg) |
Lucille Ball performs at one of the gala balls in Washington marking President Franklin D. Roosevelt's birthday in January 1944. (Thomas D. McAvoy—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images) |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEAMn9ObYtgq5x268lqnN5UliEmAObN5kwckIx4ZX2ltNhHu1QTyqLETQDJfG9GehBpjnKMXFP7qI6H2jOgC6CTGLjAbBjEnRPOLbASjVRQhOc0eMbW90Eai8XkRIuErrNsBhaPm0ymE4/s1600-rw/Lucille+Ball,+1940s+(7).jpg) |
Lucille Ball, 1944. (Thomas D. McAvoy—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images) |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVDhFacSspNiA51tLRfKp5nOIrX5-oVdim4fnhThUqr26jQOUs2hDNbJDiGP1yEC0YJ8EePfXMJMp4s-OJ2bz-26cP5nlA-TG7RdVDMq9rRoJ4tvO4CNB0OCsObbyFVecMy_b2IPzVrRA/s1600-rw/Lucille+Ball,+1940s+(8).jpg) |
Lucille Ball has her hair done, 1944. (Thomas D. McAvoy—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images) |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxgepoeV56ynrgNYCUMloYekMz-PXjYXmyOlmAlqvkUDOOQCU3f65yFYysl8ZfTr9b5RhdqP0lH3hr8b7hkVyiCUdOgg2NznQf63GuNMZS3OYNu6fOZ75QHJUWsiD27Ie8fWrhud7HRcY/s1600-rw/Lucille+Ball,+1940s+(9).jpg) |
Lucille Ball has her hair done, 1944. (Thomas D. McAvoy—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images) |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOLbawl-C_n8wwOb4P7SbiIIvb9fTZi4920GrWi1kIKR07UXXdDnkGf50zoDm7ZBPeReZHVdQuaNctKyW94CmjDV_DccMMRYCQpOrbwBpqBV_qeMqAmRjy5LcAAyWs74q3hJdi6wDKfuo/s1600-rw/Lucille+Ball,+1940s+(10).jpg) |
Lucille Ball, 1944. (Thomas D. McAvoy—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images) |
Oh, I'm going to miss Mad Men.
ReplyDeleteI knew the 60's were the best decade!
ReplyDeleteTCM recently played Leslie Caron's The Glass Slipper. I would only consider the movie okay, but I kept hanging on to see the few ballet styled dance scenes - amazing. Except the male lead couldn't dance, weird. It was like watching Dancing with the Stars where one of the professional dancers will spin around a wooden legged participant.
ReplyDeleteGreat collection of images.
I'm surprised how many of these names I'm not familiar with.
ReplyDeleteMe as well, I think Hottest Hollywood Actresses might not really have to do with their popularity. I recognized about 3/4 by face and 1/2 by name. I even subscribe to the TCM monthly magazine.
ReplyDeleteLove em all. especially Cugot's first wife Abbe Lane! Va va voom
ReplyDelete