The Spirit of Lucy Lives On

If you follow my FB page it is not a shocker to find out that I LOVE Lucille Ball. I have since childhood. When a young woman she not only made me laugh just as much as she did in all her shows and movies that I had watched as a child, but she inspired my love of 1950's fashion and even my hair; spent a great deal of my life as a red head and a boss even once used to call me "Lucy" as a pet name. Currently she is once again my hair muse, but more so for her wild curls than for the color. I have read countless biographies and auto-biographies about her and her life. She was not only a force to be reckoned with on screen, but off as well, so it is of no surprise that even after her death she is one, and I am not speaking about her memory and her legions of fans that learn of her and learn to love her to this very day. No, I am speaking of her GHOST! 

Lucille died at the age of 77, on April 26, 1989. I can recall holding my middle daughter and rocking her to sleep when I heard the news, and being so very sad that she was now gone, but was she? It is said that she perhaps still haunts the location of where her house once stood, the house having been torn down by new owners and a new one built. The former home of Lucille was located at 1000 North Roxbury in Beverly Hills, California; it was the home she shared many happy years with her first husband Desi Arnez and then her second husband Gary Morton, who would sell it a few years after her death. 

As the stories go, there was a friend of Lucille's who decided to drive past the home one last time. The walls had already been torn down, and he could see Lucille's old bedroom. As he gazed at the now shell of  home, he noticed a tall, slim redhead looking through the fence at the what was left of the home. She look familiar on some level and as he sat there wondering who she was, the woman turned around toward him and he realized it was Lucille herself !! As this happened, he noticed that Lucille looked upset and confused. But the encounter did not last long, Lucille turned and walked around the south corner of the house and disappeared. Regardless of  the fact Lucille's home was torn down, there still have been quite a few reports of strange occurrences. It is believed to all be due to the ghost of Lucille. 

Many of the reports state that most of the activity occurs in the attic. She is said to be more playful that scary, and does not truly intrude on the living. Much like her character in her Tv show " I Love Lucy"as well as her other shows that followed, Lucille's ghost is sometimes impulsive. One owner of the Roxbury home shared that her ghost spends a lot of time rearranging furniture and boxes that are stored in the attic. There is never any damage caused by Lucille, but she apparently makes quite a few noises by her activities. At times it is said it sounds as if she is hostessing a party up in the attic. Another story tells of a family member of one of the new owners, who says they heard the theme song from "I Love Lucy" playing very softly, but distinctly, on more than one occasion up in Lucille's new domain. Lucille's "being there" has just always been accepted as being a part of the home. When at one time it was suggested to an owner to have an exorcism, the owner stated that was not an option, how could they do that to "Lucy", she belonged there, she was a friend. No one knows the real reason Lucille hangs around, perhaps it is because she has so many fond memories of living at 1000 N. Roxbury Dr. or perhaps she just likes the neighborhood...that being said, she apparently also likes to visit other former "haunts"! 

Lucille apparently was not quite ready to give up her job as the founder and head of Desilu Studios, even in death. Though the studio was sold in 1967 and became part of Paramount TV, now under the CBS Studios wing. Lucille is said to haunt what is specifically known as the Hart building. It is one of the oldest and was once part of the above mentioned Desilu Studios. It is said that the spirit of a woman haunts the upper floors and one of the stories that pops up most often among those that have had encounters is that there is a strong scent of flowery perfume. It seems to happen to mostly men, and it is said that she tends to take things from desks and private places and throws them on the floor...perhaps leftovers from a time when Lucille felt the need to prove herself in an industry mostly ruled by men? Maybe it is not Lucille at all, there are quite a few ghost stories attached to the Hart building, some of them quite bone chilling, so perhaps it is one of the other rumored specters that have not quite given up on interacting and toying with the living. Either way, the spirit of Lucille Ball will live on in the hearts of new and old fans alike for a long time to come, if not forever... all you have to do is type in her name on the internet to see that or turn on any number of TV channels... there is even going to be a new movie about her life coming out in the near future, furthering on the legend that is Lucille Ball. 

** photos via google search under various search key words

*** information gathered from watching t.v. shows on the subject as well as reading quite a few stories on the internet and taking notes...one such was a show you can watch HERE and this blog HERE