NYWIFT Blog

Women in Film & Television History: Meet Lucille Ball, Actor, Comedian, Producer

By Kathryn O’Kane

Most people are familiar with the extensive body of work that made Lucille Ball (1911 – 1989) famous. I Love Lucy is one of the most popular television shows of the 1950s, and she co-starred with her husband, Desi Arnaz, for 10 years. But did you know that Ball was also a savvy business woman?

After her marriage broke up, Ball eventually bought Arnaz’s shares in their company, Desilu Productions, making her the first woman to run a major television production company. Desilu developed and launched the beloved series franchises Star Trek and Mission Impossible before being bought by Gulf+Western for $14 million. It was rebranded as the television arm of Paramount Pictures.

lucille-ball-9196958-3-402
(via biography.com)

Learn more about Lucille Ball as the original TV Boss Lady at The Heroine Collective.

PUBLISHED BY

busyk

busyk Kathryn O’Kane is a director and producer with over 20 years of experience in television and advertising. She directed season 2 of the Emmy nominated series The World According to Jeff Goldblum for Disney+. She was the showrunner of the James Beard award-winning Netflix series Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, and she produced six seasons of the Emmy award-winning series Friday Night Tykes. Her episodes of Iconoclasts for Sundance and Oprah Presents Masterclass for OWN have won NAACP Imagine awards. Kathryn has crafted short form narratives as diverse as Mission Juno for NASA, segments of AMC’s Talking Dead, and commercial assignments for Apple, Meta, United Airlines, and SAP. Kathryn served two terms on the board of New York Women in Film and Television, championing equal pay, diversity and inclusion, and safety in the workplace. She is a member of the Directors Guild of America and Television Academy. Learn more at www.busyk.com.

View all posts by busyk

3 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

*

*

Related Posts

NYWIFT Member and Founder of Carolines on Broadway Caroline Hirsch Gears Up For The New York Comedy Festival 19th Year

Longtime NYWIFT member and 2019 NYWIFT Made in NY Muse Honoree Caroline Hirsch, the founder and owner of Carolines on Broadway and the New York Comedy Festival, is a visionary in the comedy industry. Her keen eye for talent has led her to discover some of the biggest names in comedy, including Jerry Seinfeld and Paul Reubens. Now, as the New York Comedy Festival enters its 19th year, Hirsch is once again making waves by expanding the festival from 7 to 10 days. From November 3rd to November 12th, comedy enthusiasts can expect an even bigger and better lineup of shows, performances, and events.

READ MORE

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Kilara Sen

Welcome to NYWIFT, Kilara Sen! Kilara is a Japanese female stand-up comedian and actor, moving to New York this summer. Kilara currently is hosting "Japanese Whisky Lockdown" and "Japanese Whisky World" on Dekanta TV. She also appeared on international TV such as Asia's Got Talent, Paul Hollywood Eats Japan, and Welcome to the Railworld. Kilara is gender non-conforming (she/they), a "hikikomori" survivor (a form of severe social withdrawal), and had a wonderful year at Historically Black Colleges. Based on her experiences, she shares her strong and funny voice on mental health, feminism, and diversity. She believes that everyone should be as special and unique as a unicorn. Also, she is the voice breaking stereotypes of Japanese women: the New Pink. Kilara thinks of herself as a  Pink Unicorn. Kilara spoke to us about breaking down stereotypes, community support, and finding liberation through comedy.  

READ MORE

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Kelly Reagan

Welcome, new NYWIFT member Kelly Reagan! We are so happy to introduce Kelly, who has so much to offer our community. She is a four-time Emmy-nominated producer and writer who has a deep history with major networks like Nickelodeon and Oprah's OWN. She has worked on many projects as a senior writer and producer, including one featuring great names like Michelle Obama (and she even received a letter from the First Family after filming together). We’re thrilled to have her join New York Women in Film & Television and can't wait to see what she does next.

READ MORE

Creativity and Angst through the Ages

In early August, NYWIFT made Kris Rey’s new feature I Used to Go Here available for streaming and presented a conversation with the writer/director and lead actress Gillian Jacobs. I Used to Go Here is the story of a young woman in her mid-thirties, Kate Conklin, whose first novel has been released and the consequences of a lack-luster response to the book.

READ MORE
JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER
css.php