Rare Photos of Hollywood’s Longest-Running Actress
LIFE magazine recently published rare photos of Hollywood’s B-movie queen Lucille Ball during her years of persistently pursuing her career.
Everyone knows Lucille Ball as a famous American comedian. She was a shining star in the series I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here’s Lucy and Life with Lucy. Through many ups and downs in her career and life, Lucille has always been full of determination. 
With more than 20 years of being in Hollywood’s B-movies, she has become the actress with the longest-running acting career in the film capital. In 1962, Lucille and her husband Desi Arnaz founded the extremely successful film production company Desilu Productions. However, the stress of work and Desi’s drinking habits ruined their relationship. The couple divorced in 1960, and Ball removed her ex-husband from the business in 1963.
To mark the anniversary of the CBS premiere of “I Love Lucy” (October 15, 1951), LIFE magazine presented never-before-seen photos of Lucille Ball, including at least one sultry 1942 photo of her. By then, she was known as the “Queen of B-Movies.” Years of hard work without pay were evident in her eyes. But there was also a gleam of determination and hope for the future
