Laughing with Lucy: My Life with America's Leading Lady of Comedy Review

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Laughing with Lucy: My Life with America's Leading Lady of Comedy ReviewWhile the name Madelyn Pugh Davis might not be super familiar, almost everyone is familiar with her work. As one of the first women writing in TV, she co-wrote nearly every episode of the classic sit-com "I Love Lucy." This fascinating memoir is a behind the scenes look at her life and work.
Madelyn started out wanting to be a foreign correspondent. But, since this was the 30's, women didn't get those kinds of jobs, and she had to settle for anything she could get. Moving to California, she started working at CBS, first in news, then in entertainment when she started working on a weekly radio comedy program called "My Favorite Husband" starring a comedian named Lucille Ball. It was also during this time that she hooked up with Bob Carroll, Jr., her long time writing partner.
The book spends lots of time talking about "I Love Lucy," starting with the birth of the show. There are many familiar stories here, the network's reluctance to make a show about an interracial couple, Desi's desire to film the show in front of a live audience, the making of the pilot, Lucy's pregnancy in season two, etc. Madelyn also debunks a few myths that have sprung up over the years, such as Vivian Vance's weight being in her contract and Lucy's fake nose catching fire in a season four episode.
The book does talk about other things. Being a memoir, we also get some talk about Madelyn's life. She doesn't spend too long at it, but it continues to entertain. It also gives an interesting view of Los Angeles in the 1940's. It's certainly changed over the years.
Madelyn also talks about her post "I Love Lucy" work, including all of Lucy's other TV shows and the classic "Alice." These were just as fascinating to me, even though I have never seen them, and make me very interested fixing that.
There are times the book begins to feel like an episode guide for whatever series she's currently discussing, but it never lasts too long. She will start telling a story about something that happened behind the scenes at that time. These include some of the extra things she had to do as the only female staff member of the shows such as watching for any wardrobe malfunctions Lucy might have performing the stunts or dealing with the sometimes temperamental star.
The one thing you won't find here is dishing on the behind the scenes rumors. As Madelyn states in the first chapter, it's poor form to do that when someone can't defend themselves. While she does discuss character flaws that Lucy and Desi had, she doesn't dwell on them. Instead, a very complimentary view of the two comes to the forefront. She praises them equally for the success of the show. The picture she paints shows Desi willing to pay for anything they dreamed up and Lucy willing to do it. If it brought laughs, it would happen.
The book feels like a conversation with a good friend over a cup of coffee. This makes it an easy, fun read. I actually read it in two days, staying up way too late at night to read just a little more.
This book provides a fascinating look at life behind the scenes of a just emerging medium as well as a classic show. Fans of early Hollywood history or "I Love Lucy" will eat it up.Laughing with Lucy: My Life with America's Leading Lady of Comedy Overview

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