VIA PBS’ FACEBOOK PAGE:
Today would have been Lucille Ball’s 100th birthday. In this never-before-seen backstage photo Lucille Ball (center) is in the Desilu offices, with Desi Arnaz (upper left), William Frawley (lower left) and Vivian Vance (right of Lucy). Lucy was not a spontaneous actor—instead she liked to rehearse her comic bits repeatedly, each time refining her movements precisely to maximize the comedy potential. In this photo from the “I Love Lucy” era, Ball demonstrates more energy than her co-stars and the series’ writers. It was her uncompromising drive for perfection that made her the funniest woman on television—beloved 100 years after she came into the world as Lucille Désirée Ball. (Photo from the archives of PBS Pioneers of Television)