Judy Garland & Lucille Ball (1949}

Lucy's MGM career looked rosy indeed when she was immediatley cast in a big, splashy Arthur Freed musical, Du Barry Was a Lady, with Red Skelton. The movie went well, and Lucy was quickly cast in another big musical, Thousands Cheer. This movie also went well, but Freed was busy with the studio's biggest comodity, Judy Garland, and Lucy fell by the way side. When she did make films, they were either big, elaborate MGM all-star revues (Thousands Cheer, Ziegfeld Follies), supporting roles in star-based films (Without Love, Abbott and Costello in Hollywood) or bland muscials (Meet the People -- her only film in 1944). So, Lucy got out of her MGM contract, and began free-lancing until 1948, when she got a role in My Favorite Husband -- a CBS radio show about a bank executive (Richard Denning) and his wacky wife (Lucy). In 1950, CBS wanted to move to television as is, but after a long fight, Lucy got them to allow her bongo-playing husband, Desi Arnaz, to co-star. And the rest, as they say, is history (and I Love Lucy).