New York, Dec. 21
By Bob Marich
Variety mugg Tom Gilbert penned a byliner in the New York Times today (Dec.21) about new films centered on the late comedienne Lucille Ball. Gilbert co-wrote the definitive Lucy book “Desilu” with Steve Sanders.The title refers to her famed TV production company. Tom praises the new Lucy flick Being the Ricardos as boffo! The title comes from characters in the Lucy sitcom.
In the New York Times article, Gilbert recalls being a big big fan of Lucy’s sitcom I Love Lucy since age 13. But “after I graduated from college, I moved from Florida to Manhattan to pursue a career in journalism and decided to put the Lucy obsession behind me,” he writes—which includes his years at Variety in New York and Los Angeles. The obsession was rekindled when his journalism work led to personally meeting Lucy, including at a small birthday party with a dozen people.
When a group photo at the birthday party was to be taken, Tom stood discreetly on the far edge of the group. But he warmly recalled that “Lucille reached back and grabbed me by my shirt, pulling me directly behind her. ‘Is he in the picture?’ she asked the photographer, knowing how important the resulting photo would be to me. It was then that I loved Lucille.”
New York Times: Lucille Ball on the Big Screen, the Small Screen and Offscreen
—