In a small hilly town straddling the Midwest and the east coast grew a comedy star still beloved by some today. Born and raised in Celeron which is a sort of suburb of Jamestown Lucy did not have the happiest of childhoods. Her father died when she was about three and her mother had to work away from home often. During her teen hood the only large scale entertainment around her home was an amusement park where she worked as a burger flipper. One of her lures to get customers in was not her good looks but the line "Hey! Don't step there!" and when the potential customer froze in confusion she'd continue "Step over here!". This got her enough tips to continue until she left small Jamestown for New York, New York.
After she got her big break in I Love Lucy, which was actually in her forties, she came back to Jamestown and stared in her very own parade. As the acknowledged home of her childhood the small town has latched onto her legacy. There are five large scale paintings of famous moments on the show scattered on buildings in the tiny downtown. The Lucy-Desi Museum and Comedy Center has received many of her effects from her Estate and proudly displays them in two buildings. Every year they hold the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival staring several big name comedians. The Comedy Center is trying to raise funds to not only continue the legacy of the well known actress but to continue the legacy of laughter she left behind.
There are large plans to open a Center of Comedy that will feature comedians in a half museum half performance setting from across time not just the near timeless brilliance of her own skills. Also to further the skill of laughter for future stars.
Work Cited
Love, Lucy by Lucille Ball
http://www.lucy-desi.com/
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