Laughs, Luck . . . and Lucy: How I Came to Create the Most Popular Sitcom of All Time (Includes CD) [With Audio Excerpts from I Love Lucy and Radio Sh

by Jess Oppenheimer and Gregg Oppenheimer

Book Overview

Jess Oppenheimer, the man Lucille Ball called the "brains" of I Love Lucy, gives us a rare first-hand look at television history as it was being made. A rich entertainment resource, Laughs, Luck . . . and Lucy features a hilarious memoir, more than fifty rare photos, three never-before-published scripts (including the only I Love Lucy script that Lucy or Desi ever refused to perform), and CD of Lucy's classic radio comedy performances,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0815605846
• ISBN13: 9780815605843
• Release Date: April 1999
• Publisher: Syracuse University Press
• Length: 312 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Behind the Scenes of the Best TV Show Ever

I'd like to start with a clarification: this book is not a biography of Lucy, it is the creator's (Jess Oppenheimer) memoir. As such, there are many parts of the book that have nothing to do with Lucy, including episodes from Oppenheimer's childhood and young adult life.However, this is still a GREAT book! It is well-written and full of entertaining annecdotes. "Laughs, Luck, and Lucy" follows Oppenheimer's slow rise to the top in the Hollywood radio industry. He describes Lucille Ball's program, "My Favorite Husband," which became the basis for "I Love Lucy." The book also includes some behind the scenes information about the making of "I Love Lucy." The included audio cd is fun because it has clips from both "I Love Lucy" and "My Favorite Husband."If you are only interested in information specifically about Lucille Ball, this might not be the book for you (try her autobiography, "Love, Lucy"). However, if you (like me) are fascinated with everything surrounding "I Love Lucy" and the Hollywood entertainment industry of the 1940s and 1950s, this is a great read!

A gripping read

The best "Lucy" book yet. Aside from providing amazing insight into the "I Love Lucy" show and behind the scenes, this book also makes the reader feel as if he has been right along side Jess Oppenheimer throughout all of his fascinating experiences in San Francisco and early Hollywood. By the time I finished the book, I felt like I was saying good-bye to an old friend. Laugh out loud funny and impossible to put down, the book is brilliantly written and feels like a hilarious conversation with a genious.

Laughs, Luck,...and Lucy

This book is full of insight on the show I Love Lucy; also on the radio show My Favorite Husband which inspired I Love Lucy. Lucille Ball stared in both shows. The book was written by Jess Oppenheimer and his son Gregg Oppenheimer. Jess Oppenheimer was the creator, writter, and producer of I Love Lucy. Sixteen chapters full of information for any Lucy Lover, would like to read about. The book has exclusive photos of the stars and other people behind the show. Each photo has a description about it. The book also comes with a Lucy's Lost Scenes CD. On the CD there are some episodes of I Love Lucy's lost scenes, also some episodes of other I Love Lucy episodes such as "Lucy Does a TV Commercial" There is also some episodes from My Favorite Husband. The book also has scripts from I Love Lucy and My Favorite Husband inside the book. The scripts are original scripts that as you can see when looking at it had lots of changes to make it better. Inside the book talks about the authors. Full of information that you probably wouldn't be able to get anywhere else. This is probably the best book to read it all from the beginning. How and why did I Love Lucy ever existed. Who better to explain it than the man who created it!!

the best book on the best television show

I've read many books about Lucille Ball, I Love Lucy, and other members of the cast. I have to say, they've all bored me except for this one, and I'm a diehard "I Love Lucy" fan. It starts off as an autobiography of Jess Openheimer, but ends up explaining in great detail the wonderful show he produced. You'll learn a lot about Lucille Ball, other cast members, and the making of the series. It's a great book for real I Love Lucy fans.

Oppenheimer is a genius!

This is one of the best books I have ever read, definitely worth your money. Not only does Oppenheimer talk about working on I Love Lucy, but he talks about his truly interesting life before Lucy. It's an endless line of funny stories while taking the reader through a history of the early radio and television days. I never wanted this book to end!!