What product that Lucille Ball hawked throughout her life
likely contributed to her death? Her autopsy tells the tale.
Lucille Ball made her mark in Hollywood as an accomplished comedian,
finding international fame in the groundbreaking TV series "I Love Lucy." The show kicked off in
1951 and catapulted Ball and her husband, Desi Arnaz, into the living rooms of millions of
Americans every Monday night for the next six years, until the show ended in 1957. It was the
first program aired by Desilu Productions, Inc., a studio founded and co-owned by Arnaz and Ball.
Desilu Productions went on to produce many other classic series,
including "Star Trek" and "Mission: Impossible." The company's success made Ball one of the few
female studio executives of her time, a savvy businesswoman in a male-dominated field.
It was a truly extraordinary achievement for a woman in 1950s America.
Ball was, of course, married to her business partner and co-star, Arnaz, from 1940 until 1960.
Following their divorce, Ball wed comedian Gary Morton in 1961, and they remained married until
her death. The Queen of Comedy passed away on April 26, 1989, at the age of 77, eight days after
undergoing emergency heart surgery. The cause of death at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los
Angeles was determined to be a ruptured abdominal aorta, in a different location from her surgery.
But questions remain about what caused so much damage to such a critical blood vessel.
For several years before her death, Ball was using amyl nitrite, also a popular street drug known at
the time as poppers, according to People. During an interview on "Autopsy" on the Reelz Channel,
forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Hunter explained that amyl nitrite was originally used as a
prescription drug to treat chest pain. Having reviewed Ball's autopsy report, Hunter said,
"As early as 1984, four years before her death,
Lucille Ball was using this inhalant to ease pains in her chest and heart."
"And that could be a warning sign of already established cardiovascular disease."
Ball's autopsy also revealed that a condition called cystic medial necrosis,
a breakdown of muscle, collagen and elastin in the large blood vessels, reportedly contributed
to the star's death. According to the New York Post, Ball smoked for much of her life, too,
and even booked a job as the Chesterfield Cigarette Girl in 1933. She also advertised
cigarettes on "I Love Lucy." The habit may have also been a contributing factor in her death.
"I stopped smoking for six or seven weeks, and put on nine pounds again."
Before making it big with "I Love Lucy," Ball spent time working at a drugstore on
Broadway as a waitress and soda jerk, while auditioning for shows without much success,
per The New York Times. Eventually, she found work modeling hats and posing for advertisements,
and it wasn't long before Tinseltown came calling.
To start with, Ball secured small, often uncredited parts in films.
She frequently appeared in more dramatic fare, though she also performed in some comedies,
even working alongside the Three Stooges in 1934's "Three Little Pigskins."
In the 1940s, Ball dyed her hair red, something she had been advised to do by
MGM to rejuvenate her career. Her red locks went on to become one of her calling cards,
and after a spell on radio, she landed her signature TV series, "I Love Lucy."
"I Love Lucy" ended its run in 1957, but Desilu Productions continued to be extremely active
for the next few years. Following their 1960 divorce, Ball bought out her ex-husband's share
of the studio, according to Biography. Once she was completely in control of Desilu, she earned
her place in history as the first woman to run a major studio, selling it in 1967 for $17 million.
The icon didn't rest on her laurels after the success of "I Love Lucy" and Desilu Productions,
either. Instead, she continued working, starring in the sitcoms "The Lucy Show" and "Here's Lucy."
In the 1980s, Ball appeared in a dramatic role in the TV movie "Stone Pillow," and in 1986,
she debuted her fourth sitcom, "Life with Lucy." While she was paid handsomely to do the show,
it was easily the biggest failure of all of her sitcoms, lasting only eight episodes. Regardless,
Ball's legacy as a one of the greatest comedy actors of all time lives on.