GAIL DRAKE: Lucille Ball’s legacy includes space adventures, spy series

If it weren’t for Lucy, Captain Kirk, Spock and their comrades would not have boldly gone “where no man has gone before.” And Tom Cruise would not have saved the free world from evil villains.

Some people’s work and influence finish when they leave this life. Other individuals fashion such a legacy by their lifestyle, artistic or business choices that their influence lingers long. Remembering America’s favorite wacky redhead, Lucille Ball, and her long-reaching career choices is a fitting tribute for National Women’s Month.

In 1948, Lucille Ball was performing a comedic series with CBS radio, and they encouraged her to transfer that success to the new medium of television. Ball insisted on working with her husband, Cuban band leader Desi Arnaz, whom she married in 1940. Studio executives questioned how the public would receive the unlikely duo. So Ball and Arnaz formed their own production company and named it “Desilu.”

“If no one will give us a job together, we’ll give ourselves one,” Ball said.

Together with writer/producer Jess Oppenheimer, they created the groundbreaking show, “I Love Lucy,” which debuted on Oct. 15, 1951. At that time, television shows were broadcast live and not preserved. “I Love Lucy” was the first show to be filmed, an expensive proposition that studio executives resisted. Desi Arnaz agreed to cover all additional costs of filming — under the stipulation that Desilu owned all the film prints and negatives. This shrewd business deal provided generous profits to Desilu from subsequent reruns with high-quality images.

In addition, Arnaz and colleagues developed an innovative three-camera technique, filmed on adjacent sets. “Lucy” was also the first show filmed before a live studio audience, techniques that set the standards for comedy television. The show about a zany wife and her band-leader husband was the top-rated TV show for four years.

“[People] could identify with my problems, my zaniness, my wanting to do everything, my scheming and plotting, the way I cajoled Ricky,” Ball said.

In 1957, Ball and Arnaz purchased two RKO Studios from Ball’s former employer. During the 1930s and ’40s, Lucille Ball had starred in dozens of movies and was known as “Queen of the B’s” (lower-cost movies). These acquisitions gave Desilu a total of 33 sound stages and 457 furnished offices, making Desilu the second-largest television production company in the U.S. The next year Desilu generated $32 million in production revenue.

In 1960, Ball and Arnaz divorced. In 1962, Lucille bought Arnaz’s share, becoming the first woman president of a television studio and one of Hollywood’s most powerful women. She successfully managed the complex while also starring in her own series, “The Lucy Show.”

“I never wanted to be an executive, but when my marriage to Desi broke up after 19 years, I couldn’t just walk away from my obligations and say forget it,” she said. “We were an institution. So I took on all the responsibilities.”

Lesser known is Lucille’s artistic contributions. During her tenure as president, Desilu developed and produced many popular TV series, including sitcom “The Ann Sothern Show,” police drama “The Untouchables,” and detective series “Mannix.” And Ball was the one to greenlight TV series “Star Trek” and “Mission: Impossible.”

Ball was presented with the spy show concept and supported the producer’s pilot. When studio executives balked at the production cost, Ball persisted: “But I like it!” She personally called CBS executives to save the IMF for another round of secret missions.

Producer Edwin Holly published this story about “Star Trek: “I told Lucy, ‘If we do these [pilots] and are not fortunate enough to sell them to series, we’re going to have to sell the company or go bankrupt.’ Lucy deliberated for a bit and then made the decision. She wanted to do them. If it were not for Lucy, there would be no ‘Star Trek’ today.’”

A world without “Star Trek?” Unfathomable. No Starship Enterprise with its interracial crew? No pointy-eared Spock to offer logical advice or perform the Vulcan mind meld? No phasers or flip communicators to say, “Beam me up, Scotty. I see no intelligent life on this planet.”

And no prologue where the mission instructions are delivered, followed by a pulse-pounding theme song. No rubber masks created or pulled off. No grip gloves or contact lenses with cameras. And no Tom Cruise flying off with his motorcycle. What fun we would have missed with this MI franchise that has grossed $400 to $800 million per movie.

We owe a debt of gratitude to Lucy.