Welcome to the history tricks where any resemblance to a boring old history lesson is purely coincidental.

Hello and welcome to part two of our coverage of Lucille Ball.

We took you in part one from her birth in New York State in 1911 through her childhood, her modeling career, and her early film and radio careers.

When we last saw Lucille Ball, she had just had a baby daughter and had a pilot picked up for television.

And so we take up her story here with the beginning of that TV show, I love Lucy.

I kind of want to sing the song.

Do it.

I can't.

I don't know the words of Ruttabee.

That isn't even right.

I'll play it at the end.

Oh good.

So before filming, there has to be casting.

And Lucille was a little taken aback by the person cast as Lucy's land lady, Ethel Mertz.

Because Lucille had envisioned her as kind of this elderly former showgirl type, like a naughty old lady, you know, with a scratchy smoker voice.

And here is this hourglass figured blonde woman a year younger than she was, not really so happy with this.

I thought you'd be older said Lucy.

And then of course Vivian Vance is like, oh, I look front beyond camera.

I photograph front.

You don't worry.

And I'm very sorry to say that Lucy was not very friendly to her at first.

She would embarrass her in front of people.

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