Lucille Ball

(8/6/1911 - 4/26/1989)

 In 1975, my husband, Norman Gray had been employed at Paramount Studios for five years and was making his mark as an Assistant Director. Occasionally, when it came to assignments, he was gathering a few ˜plums."

One wonderful day he came home and told me that our friend, Director Jack Donohue had requested of Paramount Production Manager, Sam Strangis to use Norm as his First Assistant Director on an upcoming Lucille Ball TV Special to be called "Lucy Gets Lucky." Mr. Strangis had agreed to the assignment. So immediately, Norm and I checked with Jack and he said that I might tag along.

When our departure date arrived we met Jack, Lucille Ball and her husband, Producer Gary Morton in the VIP lounge at LA International Airport. It was the first time I'd ever been in a VIP airport waiting room. It was to be my first impressive new site.

After introductions, while waiting for departure there was no small talk. Details of the upcoming assignment were still being worked out; changes were being discussed; and notes being taken.

Several hours later, immediately after landing in Las Vegas and before we even reached the MGM Grand Hotel, Director Donohue began calling for "beauty shots" and cameras rolled picking up local color along the route we traveled. This was to be an excellent indication of just how speedily events were going to be occurring from then on. Time was money and money was not be wasted.

As a matter of fact, one of Norm's favorite stories to be brought away from the Vegas "shoot" had to do with money: It was the first shooting day's last call to the set for Miss Ball. When working, the director always called his star "Lucille" while Norm always addressed her as "Miss Lucy." Well as it happened, Jack Donohue had asked Norm to find the star and inform her that he (the Director) was ready for the last "shot" of the day.

Norm found Miss Lucy in the wardrobe room playing Backgammon with her wardrobe mistress. Quickly, he delivered her Director's message, "Miss Lucy, Mister Donohue says he is ready for the next shot."

Jack having been her favorite director for ages, Lucy grinned and said, "Well, you go back and tell Mister Donohue that I'll be there when I'm good and ready."

"Yes, ma'am, but you should know, we're about to go into "double gold" on the entire crew in which case, I'm going to have to "wrap" the company, now."

"Well, then," she said, quickly, "I guess I'd better go right away!"

Money talks.

The gist of the storyline of "Lucy Gets Lucky" concerns Lucy's character's vain attempt to buy tickets for the Dean Martin stage show at the MGM Grand Hotel but finding it "sold out." Not to be outdone, she applies for work at the hotel and is hired. That's where Lucy begins her charade. Before the hour is over there are crooks, comics, and innocents involved as Lucy spins her comedic magic.

Special guest star, Dean Martin agreed to work only two full days. He would be working on Lucy's show while performing on his own in the hotel's Celebrity Room. However once Lucy's show was edited together it would appear almost as if Dean were in every scene.

Old time child star Jackie Coogan portrayed a "comedy sketch" actor in the production. Coogan was famous for his film portrayal of "The Kid" and years later he was known to younger generations as Uncle Fester on TV's "The Addams Family."

On the second day's shooting during a lull, Lucy invited me to sit and talk for a while. Everyone knew that between ˜set-ups" she played Backgammon with her favorite opponents, either her hairdresser or her wardrobe lady. However as soon as we began talking, she asked, "Do you play Backgammon?" When I replied that I'd never learned, she said, "Never mind, I'll teach you. I need new competition." But, of course, that never happened.

I spent very little time in the casino. It was so much more interesting being on the set while filming was going on. Still, I tried to blend into the background as much as possible and did so quite successfully until one day when Lucy came to where I was standing off to one side and said, "You should wear something with color! I notice you're always in such neutral colors." It was true . Out of respect for her, I never wanted in any way to distract from her presence, extending even to what I wore.

One special evening in the MGM Grand Hotel lounge, Norm and I basked in the reflected fame of our companions, Lucy and Gary, simply by sitting across the table from the famous pair as we chatted amiably and sipped cocktails while waiting for Jack to join us for one of MGM Grand's fabulous show girl extravaganzas. Lucy had insisted I wear an evening gown that night, too, so I felt very elegant in the svelte black gown I had purchased at the hotel's handy dress shop.

At the engaging stage show's conclusion, following the others out of the theater, suddenly I was in tears. Perhaps, the show's closing patriotic musical number had touched my emotions but certainly something associated with this fabulous evening had awakened in me a deep feeling of fulfillment - of sincere appreciation. Truthfully, I was comparing from whence I had come to where I was in that moment; appreciating in whose delightfully pleasant company I was included -- in that moment; and possibly for the first time, recognizing how I came to be right there -- in that moment.

Quite frankly, when I married Norman Gray in 1947, our families lived in the outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia and were anything but wealthy. We began our marriage "on a shoestring" as the saying goes. Neither of us had the vaguest idea what the future would hold. Certainly, neither of us ever anticipated an experience as delightful as this one had turned out to be.

In that precious moment, I knew that it had been my husband who had made this perfectly ideal evening possible by deciding early in our marriage that it would be advantageous to his career if we moved to Los Angeles. It was. By the time he retired, he had given thirty-five years of his life to the entertainment industry.

The next day on that Las Vegas ˜shoot" like most days the set was so noisy Norm had to use a loudspeaker to be heard as he shouted instructions. On many days, he shouted himself hoarse, but he wouldn't have changed it; he was doing his job.

On that last Wednesday night, Norm's voice was so raspy he could barely call the show's "wrap." Afterwards, without any final "goodbyes" we caught the first available plane back to Los Angeles -- and home.

Two days later, Friday, Lucy's regular driver rang our doorbell. He was delivering a gift, an initial engraved "Man's Toiletry Kit" of fine Italian leather, together with a personal note. A caring message from Lucy, which Norm treasures to this very day.

Jackie Coogan, Norm Gray, and Lucille Ball