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Kampen was a newspaperwoman who wrote 10 books about the issues she faced in her life. The first, Life Without George, dealt with her divorce. That book was the basis for The Lucy Show, starring Lucy Ball, which ran from 1962 to 1974. The TV series followed Lucy as she dealt with life after her divorce, an issue she was also experiencing in real life after her split from Desi Arnaz. Kampen died February 1 of breast cancer. She was 75. From This is True for 8 February 1998 Suggestions for further reading:
 By: Lucille Ball List Price: $7.99 Amazon Price: $7.99 Editorial Review: Although Lucille Ball died in 1989, this autobiography written prior to 1964 has only recently been discovered among her papers. She describes a childhood deeply affected by her father's death and her mother's withdrawal from her life. Raised by her grandparents, Ball craved attention and developed a tempestuous, vivacious, fiery, and yet insecure personality that would later lead her to comic stardom. It took years of working from the bottom of show business before she became a television hit, with the help of her husband, co-star, and business partner, former Cuban bandleader Desi Arnaz. Ball abandoned the book for fear of hurting Arnaz, although she gives him credit for the tremendous success she enjoyed with "I Love Lucy."The one and only New York Times bestselling autobiography by Lucille Ball... "Filled with light and laughter." (New York Times Book Review) "Lucy fans will find this book fascinating." (Detroit News) "A winner." (New York Newsday) "Intensely moving."(San Francisco Chronicle)  By: Coyne S. SandersTom Gilbert List Price: $14.95 Amazon Price: $10.17 Editorial Review: The true, behind-the-scenes story of television's happiest couple, andHollywood's most tumultuous marriage. Fifty years ago the magical union of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz enthralled American audiences who couldn't got enough of the fiery redhead or her sexy Cuban husband. But off camera the situation couldn't have been less comic, with backstage battles, oversized egos, drinking, philandering, and the demands of phenomenal success undermining what was once a storybook romance. With exclusive access to family members (including daughter Lucie Arnaz) and rare photographs, Desilu is the first candid, inside account of a celebrated, complex, passionate, but ultimately tragic relationship -- as well as a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at Desilu Studios, the Golden Age of Television's most powerful production empire.  By: Rob EdelmanAudrey Kupferberg List Price: $17.95 Amazon Price: $12.21 Editorial Review: Meet the Mertzes is an expansive dual biography chronicling the lives of two of America's most popular situation-comedy actors, William Frawley and Vivian Vance, who portrayed Fred and Ethel Mertz on I Love Lucy. This meticulously researched book contains interviews with Frawley's and Vance's colleagues, friends, and relatives, and explores their personal and professional lives before, during, and after I Love Lucy. With a complete filmography and videography of each, Meet the Mertzes finally sets the record straight on the lives and legacies of these compelling stars who detested one another. You'll learn about: -Vance's successful Broadway career prior to I Love Lucy -Frawley's vaudevillian roots and his passion for baseball -Vance's nervous breakdown after the collapse of her first marriage -Frawley's drinking and carousing -Lucille Ball's caustic relationship with both of her costars -Vance's hatred of being known to the world as Ethel Mertz  By: Bart Andrews List Price: $23.00 Amazon Price: $23.00 Editorial Review: In answer to countless requests from I Love Lucy fans around the world, Bart Andrews has revised, updated, and expanded his classic book on TV's most beloved series. B & W photographs throughout.  By: Elizabeth Edwards List Price: $35.00 Amazon Price: $23.10 Editorial Review: Chronicling the many special moments of the years the sitcom was in production, this amazing collection of unusual mementos creates a truly unique interactive history. Each of the 193 episodes is covered, with hundreds of photos, fun facts, and authentic, personal notes. Featuring reproductions of such never-before-seen rarities as Little Ricky’s birth certificate from “Lucy Goes to the Hospital,” a candy wrapper from “Job Switching,” and Lucy and Ethel’s sightseeing tour bus tickets from “The Tour,” you can revisit your favorite moments. Read the label on Lucy’s favorite energy drink, Vitameatavegamin, or laugh at Ricky’s frantic telegram to the Marriage License Bureau in “Hollywood Anniversary.” Historic materials and the detailed narrative of Elisabeth Edwards-longtime author and friend of the families-combine in a unique experience for the true fan. |
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