Screwball comedy queen Carole Lombard died in a plane crash in 1942, but she had an outsize impact on her friend Lucille Ball’s career. Ball later told an interviewer that, as she was deciding whether to make the risky move to television, she had a dream about Lombard: “She was wearing a very smart suit (Carole always dressed very beautifully), and she said, ‘Take a chance, honey. Give it a whirl!’ After that, I knew for certain that we were doing the right thing.” Lombard’s mother had allegedly once told Lucy — who dabbled in numerology — that the letter combination “a-r” would be lucky for her. After changing their character names from the proposed Lucy and Larry Lopez to Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, she kept the ball rolling with the names of her subsequent sitcom characters: Lucille Carmichael on The Lucy Show, Lucy Carter on Here’s Lucy and Lucy Barker on Life With Lucy.
The phrase “You can thank Carole Lombard’s spirit for I Love Lucy” is rooted in an interesting piece of Hollywood folklore. Carole Lombard was a famous actress in the 1930s and early 1940s, known for her roles in screwball comedies. Unfortunately, her life was tragically cut short in a plane crash in 1942.
Lucille Ball, the iconic star of “I Love Lucy,” had a deep admiration for Carole Lombard. According to Lucille Ball’s recounting, she had a vivid dream where the spirit of Carole Lombard appeared to her. In the dream, Lombard encouraged Ball to take a bold step and pursue a new television project that eventually became “I Love Lucy.” This dream reportedly gave Ball the confidence and inspiration she needed to create and star in the groundbreaking sitcom.
“I Love Lucy” debuted in 1951 and went on to become one of the most beloved and influential TV shows of all time. It broke new ground in many ways, including its innovative use of a live studio audience and multiple cameras.
So, the phrase essentially credits Carole Lombard’s spirit with giving Lucille Ball the motivation to embark on this new venture, which led to the creation of a television classic. It’s a fascinating story that highlights the enduring impact of inspiration and admiration across generations.
