This is from "AvengerGuy" and it's the last time I will answer or maybe even read an e-mail without something that resembles a real name attached…
I liked and generally agreed with your review of Being the Ricardos but you didn't answer either of two questions that came to mind. Are or were you a fan of I Love Lucy? And did you ever meet Lucille Ball and if so, did she strike you as being like the person depicted in the movie? I guess that's three questions.
I saw every episode (I think) of I Love Lucy and I liked but did not love the show. Truth to tell, I think the onscreen contributions of Desi Arnaz are frequently underpraised. As I got older and rewatched episodes for the umpteenth time, I found myself getting more annoyed than amused when Lucy Ricardo would come up with some nutty scheme to get rich or get on TV or get Ricky a raise and it would screw up everyone's life.
I thought the show was quite well-written and well-acted but it isn't among My Top Ten Favorite Sitcoms of all time…a list that would include The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Larry Sanders Show, The Honeymooners, The Phil Silvers Show (aka Bilko), The Bob Newhart Show, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Car 54, Where Are You?
And I found Lucy's three subsequent shows — The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy, all mostly unwatchable and unworthy of someone hailed as TV's greatest comedienne. I absolutely respect her career and contributions, and she did do some wonderful things now and then. I'm just not the biggest Lucy fan, which is sometimes awkward because I have several good friends who are.
I met Lucy once briefly, a story I told here. I would not venture an opinion about what she was like based on that brief encounter, especially since I was meeting the 1983 (or so) Lucy in public and you're asking about the 1952 Lucy in private.
It's dangerous and wrong to judge people based on short contacts. I once heard Paul McCartney tell a story about some guy who delivered a pizza (or something) to a place where he and John Lennon were arguing. He said something like, "That delivery guy was in our presence for twenty seconds and the argument was over a minute after he left. But for the rest of his life, he's going to be telling people about how he knows the real Lennon and McCartney and they're constantly yelling at each other."
Lucy was fine and nice during our quick exchanges. During the entire time she was sitting two seats away from me in the theater, I never saw her slap anyone or mistreat a helpless puppy. As I said, some friends of mine adored her, both personally and professionally. That counts for something.
