"Knowing how much Mom liked Michael Stern, I knew his book would be honest-and it is. I HAD A BALL is full of stories no one but Michael would know. His friendship with Mom is evident on every page. A good read. Thank you Michael." -DESI ARNAZ J R . "Michael's memories are my memories, only clearer. What a talent for details! It was very moving for me to relive so much of our lives through Michael's eyes. Very entertaining. Charming. And, more importantly, true. As Mom wrote on one of her photos to him, 'Happy Thoughts.'" -LUCIE ARNAZ In 1971, ten-year-old Michael Stern thought he had died and gone to heaven as he watched a filming of Here's Lucy. He was enthralled with a redhead gifted with beauty, stage presence, and the ability to make others laugh. Over the next few years, he would attend several more filmings, meet Lucy, and eventually become (in Lucy's own words) her "number-one fan." In his memoir, Michael Stern offers a refreshing glimpse into the life of a natural comedienne and actress as he provides a fascinating narrative on what it was like to become first a fan and then a friend with one of the biggest television personalities of all time. Known to fans simply as Lucy, she entertained millions of people across the world with shows like I Love Lucy, The Lucy Show, and Here's Lucy. But to Michael, who was eventually allowed access into her private world, she was a fascinating woman with whom he would share many unforgettable adventures. I Had a Ball is a unique tribute to Lucy's legacy, her spirit, her talent, and her enthusiasm for life-sure to entertain Lucy fans, television aficionados, and comedy lovers around the world.

I Had a Ball

My Friendship with Lucille BallBy Michael Z. Stern

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2011 Michael Z. Stern
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4502-8731-9

Chapter One

This is the hardest part of the book to write.

How do I even begin to tell the story of a young boy who grew up in Canada and moved to Hollywood, California, where he would later become friends with one of the biggest and brightest television personalities of all time, Lucille Ball?

Oh, wait. I just did.

Although Lucy is no longer here, the memory of her warm and free-spirited presence still lingers in my mind. Not a day goes by that I don't think or talk about Lucy. Her impact on my life is undeniable. I used to eat, drink, sleep, and watch Lucy. If Lucy said on TV to do something, I'd rush to do it, without a moment of hesitation. If my parents told me to do the same thing, I'd argue until I was blue in the face. In my eyes, Lucy could do no wrong. With her wit and enthusiasm, she lived life without limitation, embracing the capricious nature of it with all of herself.

I lived in Winnipeg for the first six years of my life. From what I can remember, it was an enjoyable and carefree time, a time in which I was free to explore and create and imagine.

At one point of my young life in Canada, we moved to a small city sixty miles west of Winnipeg called Portage La Prairie. Full of nature and open spaces, the area offered the perfect environment in which my two older siblings and I could play. There was a nearby lake that we spent a great deal of time at. In the winter, I would go out into the snow with my brother, Jeffrey (seven years older than me), and my sister, Maxine (five years older). During the summers, we spent all our time at the local Dairy Queen.

Back in Canada, there was no shortage of family gatherings. I had a slew of aunts, uncles, and cousins whom I saw on a regular basis. Whether it was having meals together or hanging around my grandfather's grocery store and lunch counter, we were a tightknit bunch.

On August 1, 1967, my parents, siblings, and I gathered up our belongings and headed to Hollywood! Well, more like the San Fernando Valley part of the Los Angeles suburbs. My Aunt Anne and Uncle Bernard, from my mother's side of the family, were already living in Southern California, and my parents thought it would be a good idea to move close to them.

Since I had never been to Los Angeles, I didn't know what to expect. We arrived in the palm-tree-laced town on August 6, which just so happened to be Lucy's birthday. Although I wasn't aware of it at the time, my path toward Lucy had just begun.

The first time I ever saw Lucille Ball, it was on the big screen in the 1968 film Yours, Mine and Ours. The film starred Lucy, Henry Fonda, Van Johnson, and Tom Bosley and was written by Lucy's TV writers, Bob Carroll Jr. and Madelyn Pugh Davis. I was only seven years old when the movie came out. At the time, I was back in Winnipeg for a family gathering. My parents basically forced my sister, Maxine, to take me to the movie theater for the afternoon.

My sister was always the one who ended up taking me to the movies. I still recall the first movie she took me to when I was five years old. It was the 1966 Herman's Hermits (a Beatles-type singing group) film, Hold On!

Since I was a very hyper child, it was quite a challenge for my sister to keep me calm and in my seat during any movie. With my boundless energy and short attention span, I would often get up and run around the theater.

However, with Yours, Mine and Ours, it was different. There was something about this one that stood out from the others I had seen. The forty-foot-tall, red-haired lady on the screen had my complete focus. Her radiance and charisma had me hooked. Once the movie finished, I had already made up my mind to go see it again. I begged my parents to take me back a few days later. This request from a kid who could not keep still for the life of him.

A few months later, I was watching TV in our Los Angeles apartment and a show called I Love Lucy came on. From exhilarating start to climactic finish, I simply could not stop laughing.

"You know, that's Lucille Ball," my aunt Anne told me after the show was over. "She's that same lady who was in Yours, Mine and Ours." I was completely puzzled for a moment. Lucy Ricardo and Helen North had two completely different personalities. It never struck me that it was the same woman playing both roles! Perhaps it was the fact that the movie was in color and the television show was in black and white that threw me completely off. I wasn't quite sure. But what I was sure about was that at that moment, a new Lucy fan came to be.

* * *

For the next few years, I made it my mission to watch Lucy every night at 7:00 p.m. At the time, there was nothing I looked forward to more. I Love Lucy was one of my favorite shows. Every time I sat down to watch it, the walls of the apartment living room seemed to expand with the promise of newness. Television transported me to another place, one that was rich with humor, intrigue, and character.

During that time, I watched a lot of other shows. Shows like The Patty Duke Show, Please Don't Eat the Daisies, The Mothers-in-Law, Family Affair, Green Acres, The Brady Bunch, and The Partridge Family. My parents even let me stay up late on Monday nights to watch Lucy's third sitcom, Here's Lucy, which started in 1968 and ran until 1974. Although it was a bit challenging for me to wrap my mind around Lucy Ricardo and Lucy Carter being the same person, nevertheless, I enjoyed watching Lucy immensely. Here's Lucy was just another opportunity to witness her limitless genius.

* * *

I had a childhood friend named Holly who lived right across the street from me. We shared a closeness that was unparalleled in any of the other friendships I had. We spent hours playing and getting into all kinds of trouble with one another, inside and outside of school.

Then one day Holly and her family moved away, leaving me absolutely heartbroken. I needed a new friend.

But who could replace Holly?

I looked around and found no answers.

However, it just so happened that the new people who moved into Holly's house filled that void for me completely.

My new neighbors were Marcia and John Brenner, a warm and welcoming couple who had just recently gotten married. When they bought the house, little did they know that I was included in the sale!

I spent countless hours at their home. Marcia and John had a love of television as well, and they often invited me to watch all kinds of shows with them. Marcia even gave me all of her celebrity magazines in which Lucy graced the pages. And thus began my Lucy collection. I would immediately cut Lucy's images out of the magazines, careful not to make any crooked edges. Once I was finished, I would staple the pictures to the walls of my bedroom. Pretty soon, my bedroom walls were completely plastered with Lucy pictures.

After some time, I made an incredible discovery: Marcia had a connection to Lucy. Marcia's mother, Peggy, worked for a man named Ben Kanter, who was the saxophonist for the Here's Lucy band on Thursdays, the day the show filmed in front of a live studio audience. Upon learning of this connection, pure adrenaline pumped through my insides. This was my way in.

Marcia reached out to Peggy, who reached out...