Today, August 6, would've been Lucille Ball's 102nd birthday. She passed away in 1989, but was immortalized by a show that still makes us laugh: I Love Lucy, which ran on CBS from 1951 to 1957. Besides the laughs, the show revolutionized TV by its usage of 35-mm film and three simultaneous cameras in front of a studio audience. The show topped the ratings in four of its six seasons, including the last (a feat achieved only by Seinfeld and The Andy Griffith Show).
Ball's comedic timing was perfect, and she could do anything. Just her episode mirroring Harpo Marx is enough proof that she could go toe-to-toe with the best comedians in history.
Here's clips from my personal five favorite episodes of I Love Lucy. Happy Birthday, genius! And thanks for the laughs.
#5 Lucy's Mother-in-law (1954)
# 4 Harpo Marx (1955)
#3 Lucy Goes to the Hospital (1953)
#2 Job Switching (1952)
#1 Lucy Does a TV Commercial (1952)
I know: most lists have "Job Switching" as number one. But I prefer this one because it is all Lucy. Go to the next page to watch a special bonus.
