Rating: 
Summary: "Laughs, Luck...and Lucy" is enjoyable from cover to cover!
Review: "Laughs, Luck...and Lucy" is written by Jess Oppenheimer andhis son, Gregg Oppenheimer. Jess Oppenheimer worked formany of the legends of old time radio, including Fanny Brice, Fred Astaire, and Edgar Bergan and Charlie McCarthy. This book tells of Mr. Oppenheimer's career in writing radio scripts, and specifically deals with his writing for Lucille Ball. He wrote first for her when she performed in "My Favorite Husband," and then he tells about his creation of "I Love Lucy," the television series starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Mr. Oppenheimer not only created the idea for the series, he was also the head writer and producer of the program. Because of his unique inside perspective, Mr. Oppenheimer is able to provide information about Lucy and Desi that no one else could. There are a few things that make this book absolutely unique... Several appendices are included in the book which are very interesting. The first appendix shows an actual script (complete with hand-written changes) that was used during the production of "My Favorite Husband." But, what makes this book fascinating is the fact that a 65-minute audio CD is included, composed of twelve different tracks. The first track is a recording of the presentation of the script for "My Favorite Husband" included in Appendix A of the book. Another real plus for this book is the number of photographs that are included. The photos provide another dimension to this richly-composed book. This book is not only informative, it is very entertaining! Anyone who has ever seen an episode of "I Love Lucy" will want to own this book. It now occupies a prominent place in our family library. "Laughs, Luck...and Lucy" will be read and re-read many times in our home.
Rating:
Summary: Funny!
Review: As an true lover of Lucy, I found this book to be very enjoyable and it was great to learn the history behind the creation of my absolute favorite show. It was interesting to hear about the days of radio, and what led Jess to TV and the history of his family and I felt I was taken back in time, and with him, from his journey from his youth, to the exciting time in Hollywood and on. There was some surprises as to what else he invented-don't want to give it away!! It was also interestingto get another's perspective on Lucy-and the diva that she was-and how he stood up to her. I highly recommend this to any Lucy admirer...
Rating:
Summary: Great nostalgic journey to the golden age of radio and t.v.
Review: I Love Lucy - Behind the Scenes is a fabulous look back at the career and antics of one of t.v. and radios funniest ladies. With all of the demoralizing venues on the "boob-tube" today, it is refreshng to recall a time-gone-by when good clean fun could still be funny. Jess and Gregg Oppenheimer have compiled a wonderful memory book of everyone's favorite comidianne. The reader - Larry Dobkin who as I understand it, was a guest actor on several I Love Lucy episodes, delivers this story with the warmth and humor it so deserves. I give this audiobook 5 stars!
Rating:
Summary: Behind the Scenes of the Best TV Show Ever
Review: 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!
Rating:
Summary: Behind the Scenes of the Best TV Show Ever
Review: 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!
Rating: 
Summary: Behind the Scenes with Lucy
Review: Jess Oppenheimer, who was a producer of I Love Lucy and wrote many classic episodes, has produced a very enjoyable and engaging behind the scenes look at one of the greatest television shows ever. He provides a lot of insider tidbits on the production of the show and working with the cast. This book would be enjoyed by any fan of the series or of television's golden age. Very entertaining.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book
Review: Laughs...Luck..and Lucy is a great book! An excellent edition to the I Love Lucy fan's collection! Delightful to read and to learn about the old days of radio, and the insight on the creation of the best sitcom ever made. Didn't want it to end. The cd is just as enjoyable! The old clips are great to hear! Great book!
Rating:
Summary: Laughs, Luck...and Lucy
Review: Read the reviews written on 1/24/97 and 2/8/00. To that I'd add that the book divides into fourths: (1) The first 1/4 is Mr. Oppenheimer's autobiography (entertainingly written and interspersed with funny anecdotes). (2) The second 1/4 is his career as a comedy writer for radio (also humorous as well as an interesting perspective from an insider). (3) The third 1/4 is what I thought the book would be about from the title and sub-title--the "I Love Lucy" show (combining humor and historical writing style of the first 1/2 of the book). (4) The last 1/4 is the appendix, complete with the CD (each especially memorable for Lucille Ball fans). A purchase well worth the money; an easy, interesting, entertaining, and fun read. Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: A gripping read
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: A gripping read
Review: 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.
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