Everybody knows and loves Lucille Ball. She was a very talented and expressive comedic actress. But a lot of people forget that this beautiful woman with big blue eyes had a career long before the Lucy-themed tv series.
She started as an extra in the 1927 film "Tillie the toiler" and her first credited role was in 1934 in "Man of the night". By 1937 she became an important part of RKO's selection of actresses. In 1943 she moves to MGM and gets the leading role in "DuBarry was a lady". Everybody was charmed by Lucy's beauty and to promote both her (as the newest MGM star) and the film, the marketing team decided to start a promo campaign in the most important magazines (like LIFE). They made a very sensual photoshoot and promoted Lucy as "Technicolor Tessie".
Let's take a look at the photoshoot and see why they gave her that nickname.*
The combination of her blue eyes, strawberry-blonde hair, coral-rouged lips and fair skin has led Hollywood cameramen, make-up artists and other technicians to award her the title of "Technicolor Tessie". They say she is perfect and colorful from any angle. Subject most discussed is the color of Miss Ball's hair. Description range from carrot-topped, apricot-colored, strawberry blonde and just plain orange to the highly polished, brassy interior of Tommy Dorsey's trombone.
Graduating from soda jerking, modelling and posing for billboards, and after 7 years at RKO, now MGM raised her from a featured player to stardom. One reason for this is her suitability for Technicolor movies. Jack Dawn, gead of MGM's make-up department says: "The pigmentation of Lucille Ball's unmade-up skin maker her a natural for color."
Lucy wears a blue evening gown in
"Best foot forward"
For Technicolor three times more light is used than for ordinary black-and-white photography. In general, make-up is thinner and lighter to avoid a masklike look. Proof that Miss Ball deserves the title of "Technicolor Tessie" are those gorgeous pictures which LIFE's photographer Walt Sanders took with regular street make-up, without special lights or equipment.
In "DuBarry was a lady" (image on the right) Lucille Ball sports a bare midriff and peekaboo skirt.
Lucille Balls' eyes are large, talkative and forget-me-not blue, a rare shade even for movie actresses. Unlike some Hollywood stars who wear complete sets of false eyelashes, Miss Ball uses them only on the outer half of her eyelid. This gives a plumed upward tilt to her already large eyes. Note the difference between her apricot-colored hair and dark eyebrows.
Lucile Ball's mouth is large and well shaped. To amtch her hair she uses an orange-toned lipstick. Miss Ball's mouth began its career with 20 baby teeth which she lost after the age of 7. Like most actresses she recieved her full complement of 32 adult teeth, losing only one wisdom tooth. Unlike most actresses she uses no artificial cups in order to beautify them.
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* photos and documentation: LIFE Magazine | Zetu Harrys Collection
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