I Loved Lucy: My Friendship with Lucille Ball

by Lee Tannen

Few people knew Lucille Ball the way Lee Tannen did. Lee first met Lucy as a child, but their close and enduring relationship began almost twenty-five years later. Now, Tannen gives us an intimate portrait of the "lost" Lucy years: from what life was like in her Beverly Hills and Palm Springs hideaways to how she traveled, what she ate, and how she entertained. I Loved Lucy reveals for the first time the private face of a beloved star whose public persona is the most famous in television history.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Biography Memoir, Memoir

320 pages, Hardcover

First published October 12, 2001

Reviews

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars to Lee Tannen's I Loved Lucy: My Friendship with Lucille Ball. After reading mostly fiction for the last few months, I took a right turn towards memoirville and settled on reading about a star whose many TV series are among my favorites. Who hasn't watched an episode that's nearly 65 years old and not fallen in comedic love? It was power of Lucy that healed me when I stayed home sick from school as a child. Tannen helps give readers and fans alike insight into a woman who was known by all but perhaps really known by little.

Summary
Tannen's memoir explains his interactions with Lucille Ball over a 30 year period. As a child, he met her a few times when post-Desi Arnaz, she married into Tannen's extended family; however, it was when he was older, and Lucy was in her 60s, that they rekindled their relationship. Tannen describes how they spent time in LA, NY and Palm Springs over holidays and vacations. He provides good examples of how a star held her private life close while still staying popular in the headlines. And he reveals why Lucy stopped talking to him for a few years over what he thought was just a small little tiff.

Strengths
Tannen digs deep and talks about many of the people (stars and regular folk!) who passed through his time with Lucy. Some of it makes you laugh, some of it makes you cry. I never realized how many other stars Lucy socialized with or acted with in her later years -- ranging from Shirley Maclaine to Roseanne Barr to Sigourney Weaver! And when Lee talks about Lucy's friendship with Tommy Tune, I couldn't help but smile. Tommy Tune lives on my block in NYC and I often see him walking about!

Weaknesses
While I wouldn't call it a weakness (perhaps just a suggestion), I think the book could use a better timeline. From the start, you know Lee met Lucy when he was a young child where he became fascinated with her life and career. And you know he grew up while Lucy became a big star; however, the years when they weren't friends are left too blank. It may have been helpful to add in a little background -- even though it wouldn't actually be a memoir during that chapter -- as it would round out the experiences they each had throughout the 50 years of life they shared the planet together, especially while they were apart. It isn't necessary but might give the reader a little more sense of Lucille Ball's full life as opposed to just the later years.

Final Thoughts
For anyone who wants to see a different side of a star, discover a few bizarre habits or read about someone they admired on TV for years, this is a definite read. You'll hear names of stars you never knew or hadn't realized lived so closely to Lucy. It'll make you smile and reach for the TV remote control to find an all-day I Love Lucy marathon.

About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.

[Cortney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adored it. I reread it whenever I don't have anything else to read. It's fabulous insight to Lucy in her later life. She was so hard on herself; never gave herself the credit she deserved. She was a hard-worker and felt ashamed and/or unwanted if she wasn't out there making great shows or movies. Maybe she was a bit of a perfectionist. And a control-freak. But she was still amazing, beautiful, brilliant, loving, thankful, humble, and very sentimental and nostalgic. After reading it, I adore her even more.

[Tony · Rating 5 out of 5]

He shares stories that I've never read in any other Lucy book

[Ratso George · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mr. Tannen may not have known it at the time but his book, a good late-life oral history of an American icon, has provided future historians a great starting off point when researching Ball. At the least Tannen provides them with a good bit of data on her last days, what she did during them and her lifestyle up to the end. As one I can see many areas to expand on.

As a book about Ball, well, not a lot there. Tannen's comments along the way provide us with some infusion of reality in her life but we get very little insight. Tannen comes to no conclusions on her, no collecting of his tidbits into a coherent statement on Ball in those late years or, more important, what she meant to him. Just saying he loved 'Lucy' isn't enough.

Reading more like a high speed travel guide than a real book about Ball, 'Lucy' let's you down. It reads fast, even the most slack jawed redneck can breeze through the double spaced text in no time. It took me a matter of hours to read. When that happens my BS alarm goes off. That same feeling one gets when eating cotton candy. You know, 'something just happened here but I don't know what'. Hope you get the point.

But, and I'm sure this kept Mr. Tannen in furs for awhile, the topic is hard to resist and ensures a lot of sales. As long as you don't knock their hero too much devoted Ball fans will buy anything filmed or written about her. The remains of her once loyal Army of tv fans. With Tannen's knack for self promotion I'm sure it was promoted to the hit when it came out. Safeguarded against cries of 'fake' or 'bad stuff' by his intro comments from Ball's kids Lucie and Desi IV, Tannen found his niche on Lucy Easy Street here.

So, if you're a Lucy fan you should read it. If not, I'd pass. Unless you get a kick reading books on seniors playing backgammon who dress strange and hang around with young gay guys.

[Seth · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got the opinion while reading this book that the author was a "name dropper". He had this little period in his life where he got to be the Belle of the Ball (so to speak). It seems to me there was not real friendship, just a mutual using of each other. I also had the opinion that he was saying to the reader "look who I knew, look who I got to hang around nyaaahhh (sticking tongue out at reader).

[cpr · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing is fair, but the insights are very interesting. However, I find that I am disapointed in Lucy and Desi whenever I watch her I Love Lucy show. I think that it was better I didn't know too much about them. Kind of burst my bubble that they are real people with big problems.

[Brian Rodriguez]

I Loved it! If you're a Lucy fan this book provides great insight on the last decade of her life. Good and bad.

[Edmond Hadda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really not very good. If you think this is a book about Lucille Ball you will be sorely disappointed. This is more the tale of a man who she welcomed into her new quiet life only for him to leech off of her name and success for years to come. What started off as a lovely friendship between the older and younger generations actually descends into this weird biography of a man no one has ever heard of.

[Michelle Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was looking forward to reading this book so was excited to get it. I was disappointed by what he wrote about Lucy. He made her out to be a mean, nasty, vindictive and manipulative woman. Not to mention very insecure. I think Mr Tannen just spent a lot of time playing backgammon and sniping.
I wouldn’t recommend this book.

[Kary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved learning about Lucy. She had some interesting quirks. I think she must have been a perfectionist and wanted things the way she wanted them. Her favorite foods were quite simple and nothing I would want to eat lol…interesting perspective on her life from an outside “family member” who knew her better than a stranger writing a biography

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming account of Lucille Ball's last decade of life as told through the eyes of her companion (and distant in-law), Lee Tannen. He accompanied her to various events in LA, Palm Springs, Colorado, and New York. He describes her various homes and her interactions with stars and normal citizens. His love and admiration of her shines through every page.

[Sel Mushroom · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a big try hard Lee is. How dare he expose Lucy and her private vulnerabilities. Only a money hungry cry for 15 minutes of fame Lee would do it. And scum of the earth. Her "daughter" should have stopped its publication. But I have never heard her say a pleasant word about her Iconic Legendary Mother. Lee did not deserve Lucille Ball.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say? I LOVED reading about Lee and his amazing friendship with Lucy. It was almost like he had a real Auntie Mame. So many juicy stories of Hollywood royalty. I enjoyed every page! A MUST read for any Lucy fan!

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice book. Made me cry at the end.

[Sara Goldenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting! Definitely a different look at her life

[Roberta Wall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Someone who knew and understood her quite well. Kind of sad like some of her life. Hope she is laughing in heaven.

[Donna Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun facts

[M. Lomeli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily one my new favorite books, I definitely will be rereading this again. A fantastic peek at Lucille Ball’s life in her twilight years told through a very close friend that clearly adored her. No sugar coating here from the author, but told with lots of love and respect.

[Kenneth Flusche · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everybody loved Lucy but who is Lee Tanner? Why is $100,000 the same as 1 million? This book is one of a kind

[Frederick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in one night. I rarely do that. In fact, I usually take about three weeks to read a book, with interruptions for THE DAILY SHOW, work and a social life. But this story interested me on several levels. First, without being a fan of hers, I grew up watching Lucille Ball on TV. She is in my DNA the way THE WIZARD OF OZ is in my DNA. It is virtually impossible for an American of my generation to have ignored I LOVE LUCY, which was shown daily on one of the nine or so available TV channels (three in most parts of the country.) So, curiosity about the workings of the show has often led me to reading an article or a book about it. I've watched many documentaries about the home life of Lucy and Desi. I can't watch an original STAR TREK without having a strange feeling when, at the closing credits, the word "Desilu" flashes on the screen. I start thinking how strange it is that the stars of a little situation comedy came to own a huge Hollywood studio, divorce each other and then simply dominate television production for ten years. (Kill me if I exaggerate, but don't say producing and starring in I LOVE LUCY and then being the landlords to just about every studio used in network filming wasn't a big deal for a couple who, in 1949, were considered washed up.)
When I noticed Lee Tannen's I LOVED LUCY in the book store I flipped it over and was surprised to see it was written by a man younger than myself. If he'd merely been a fan writing a biography his age wouldn't have surprised me, but, reading the jacket, I saw he had known Lucille Ball quite well. In the last decade of her life, Lucille Ball played board games several times a week with the author. She'd call him up and ask him to drop by. A friendship developed.
The writing is good in several respects. The anecdotes ring true, the history of the friendship, with its ups and downs, is completely believable and the voice is consistent. I do not get the sense this was ghost-written.
The chief reason I recommend this is that it chronicles a friendship of a sort that is all too often ignored; the friendship between a young, gay man and a straight, older woman. This is not the sort of boundary-crashing gay-straight friendship as is chronicled in biographies of other starlets. The friendship between Lucille Ball and Lee Tannen is respectful and affectionate. Occasionally there is a falling out and the pain Tannen feels is genuine, but he is not describing a tragic situation.
Tannen describes a woman whose best days are long behind her, but he reveals her as a star almost immune to stardom. She really does want to play Parchesi and swap wisecracks.
Finally, Tannen describes his and Lucille's final parting. I have stressed this is not a tragic story but the scene he describes, in unembellished prose, could be the centerpiece of a tragic play. The actress, fully realizing she will never see her friend again, calls on her store of theatricality in a gut-wrenching moment. Again, it is very believable.
I wish more people were aware of this book.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

While Kathleen Brady's outstanding "Lucille: The Life of Lucille Ball" (1994) is still the benchmark for biographies on the red-headed comedienne who ruled the TV airwaves from 1951 through 1974, this slighter memoir, focusing on the last decade of her life, is still a treat for fans who continue to love Lucy.

Lee Tannen, a distant relative through marriage, befriended Ball (1911-1989) during the last decade of her life. By this time, Ball was spending most days playing backgammon and confining professional appearances mostly to yearly Bob Hope specials.

Whereas Jim Brochu's "Lucy in the Afternoon" (1990) covered the same ground, Brochu pulled memories from Ball as they toiled over the backgammon table, creating an oral history of her professional and private life. Tannen's portrait of Ball is less reflective on the past, instead concentrating on her frustration at being denied one of the great joys of her life her work because of bad health and poor decisions.

Gary Morton is presented as an absentee husband (when not golfing, he's in his study on the phone with friends). His bad career advice leads Ball into two late-in-life disasters: a TV movie (1985's "Stone Pillow"), which ruined her health, and the poorly conceived TV series "Life with Lucy" (1986), which, when canceled, convinced her that she no longer had a career or fans who wanted to see her. Tannen believes that this led Lucy to lose enthusiasm for life.

This affectionate and intimate but by no means rose-colored portrait presents Ball as a demanding taskmaster at a loss during her twilight years. Fans won't learn much new here, but it's still a worthwhile visit.

[Beth Newman · Rating 3 out of 5]

'I Loved Lucy: My Friendship with Lucille Ball', is a nicely written tribute to the queen of comedy.

The author, Lee Tannen, lovingly writes of his close friendship with Ms. Ball. He shares insights into Lucy's last years: her never-ending sense of humor, her nerves when she occasionally performed, and her love of backgammon.

My only complaint, if you want to call it that, is the question: didn't Mr. Tannen work? (He did, in advertising) I ask because he spent a great amount of time visiting Ms. Ball, traveling with her, and seemingly devoting his life to her (although his partner is mentioned several times, he speaks very little of his own family). I respect his devotion, but it left me a bit baffled, nonetheless.

Anyway, if you love Lucy (and who doesn't?), this is a great read!

[L · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been captivated by Lucille Ball since I was young child in the 60's. To this day i watch I Love Lucy and anything starring or about Lucy and Desi. This is by far the Best of all the stories I've found. It is a truly intimate look at a brilliant, complex and fascinating woman. In some strange way it completes the circle for me by filling in so many blanks left by other pieces. I have always dreamed of knowing her. Lee has brought me as close as I can come. I was fortunate to meet him recently and would love to talk Lucy over a game of backgammon, grilled cheese and iced water sometime :) I re-read the book every couple of years. The writing is honest and witty and unapologetic. Fabulous Read!! Thanks Lee!!

[Heather Lowe · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was so excited to read this book, because I am in love with the show. I was sorely disappointed. The author is guy who was friends with Lucille Ball during the last 10 years of his life. It turns out that he's gay and uses the book to talk about his choice of lifestyle. Not something I really wanted to read about, so I stopped reading.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book delves into the personal life of the famous Lucille Ball and gives you details of her most close relationships and how she lived when not in the spot light.

Insightful and witty as well as emotional, this takes you through the later years of her life up and including the time of her death.

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

An account of the author's friendship with Lucille Ball. Late in the star's life, the author grew very close to her, and this book talked about what she was really like: raucous, funny, and at times, pretty rude. I don't know. It was interesting to read, but I didn't care much for the author or the way Lucy was portrayed :( It made me kind of sad.

[Aly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't really like to think of Lucy the way she was described in her later year

[Sarah Demaise-miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this Book!!!!

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book about Lucy's last years is rather sad. The author was probably trying to paint a fair picture of Lucy, flaws and all. But I think he went too far, making her look rather pathetic.

[Sarah M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book, it felt so cozy