Fred Ball
Encyclopedia
Frederick Henry Ball was an American
movie studio
executive, actor
, brother of comedienne Lucille Ball
.
, U.S.A
. He was named after his grandfather. He grew up in a Baptist
family; his father was of Scottish
descent and related to the first President of the United States
, George Washington
(whose mother was Mary Ball
). His mother was of French
, Irish
and English
descent. His genealogy can be traced back to the earliest settlers in the colonies. One direct ancestor, William Sprague
, left England on the ship Lyon's Whelp
for Plymouth/Salem, Massachusetts
. He helped found the city of Charlestown, Massachusetts
.
His father was a telephone lineman for the Bell Telephone Company
, and his mother was a concert pianist
. His father contracted typhoid fever
while DeDe Ball was pregnant with him, and died in February 1915. When Fred was a few years old, his mother met a Swedish
Lutheran
salesman named Edward (Ed) Peterson, and married him in 1918. His stepfather was a drinker
with no real zeal for children, and wouldn't allow Fred or Lucy to call him "Daddy". The children were never close to their stepfather. Soon after the wedding, DeDe took off with Ed to Detroit, leaving Fred and Lucy with their grandparents, Flora Belle Orcutt and Frederick Charles Hunt, and didn't return until 1922 to help with her mother, who had been diagnosed with cancer
. Their mother was hardly present, always following work to support the family, and eventually divorce
d her second husband.
-
- Fred and his sister were raised by their grandparents. Her grandfather was an eccentric socialist who enjoyed the theater and frequently took the family to vaudeville
shows. He worked in the furniture industry. He often whittled toys and made doll furniture for his grandchildren. His grandfather was actually thought of as his father, since his father died before he was born, and it was his grandfather that like a father to him all the years of his childhood. Fred, Lucille, and their mother all lived together with the Hunts for a long time in Celoron
.
In 1927, a neighborhood child, Warner Erikson, was paralyzed by an accidental shot from a gun his grandfather had given Fred for his birthday. Erikson died five years later. The resultant publicity and lawsuit forced his grandfather to sell his house and enter bankruptcy. He was even jailed for a time. After this incident (which was referred to in the family as "the break-up"), the family had to split and never lived together in one place again. His grandfather died in 1944.
. He was Desi Arnaz
's band road manager in the 1940s and 1950s and was on the Board of Directors
of Desilu Productions
(the studio that Desi and Lucy purchased in 1951 and that produced I Love Lucy
, as well as Star Trek
, Mission: Impossible
, and The Untouchables
) until Arnaz fired him in a fit of anger after Fred expressed concern about Desi being able to run the company (this was after the Arnaz marriage had soured).
Fred did not have an acting career after managing administration at Desilu Productions but instead continued to manage restaurants and hotels such as the Palm Desert Hotel, as well as self-manage and maintain his own holdings in motels, and mobile home parks. He was a real estate agent and broker in Arizona. It should be noted that he, much like his sister Lucy, was a very astute business person who maintained his mental faculties and participated in life until his last days.
in Cottonwood, Arizona
, on February 5, 2007, at the age of 91. He was cremated and buried in the Hunt family plot at Lake View Cemetery in Jamestown, New York
, where his parents, Henry and Desirée (Hunt) Ball, his sister, Lucille Ball, and his grandparents are buried. He is survived by his wife Zo, his four children, Pamela Ball Von Pinnon, Melissa LeBritton, April Jackson, and Geoffrey Ball as well as seven grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
movie studio
Movie studio
A movie studio is a term used to describe a major entertainment company or production company that has its own privately owned studio facility or facilities that are used to film movies...
executive, actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, brother of comedienne Lucille Ball
Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy...
.
Early life
Fred Ball was born on July 17, 1915, to Henry Durrell Ball (September 25, 1887 – February 28, 1915) and Desirée "DeDe" Evelyn Hunt (September 21, 1892 – July 20, 1977) in Jamestown, New YorkJamestown, New York
Jamestown is a city in Chautauqua County, New York in the United States. The population was 31,146 at the 2010 census.The City of Jamestown is adjacent to Town of Ellicott and is at the southern tip of Chautauqua Lake...
, U.S.A
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He was named after his grandfather. He grew up in a Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
family; his father was of Scottish
Scottish American
Scottish Americans or Scots Americans are citizens of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in Scotland. Scottish Americans are closely related to Scots-Irish Americans, descendants of Ulster Scots, and communities emphasize and celebrate a common heritage...
descent and related to the first President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
(whose mother was Mary Ball
Mary Ball Washington
Mary Ball Washington was the second wife to Augustine Washington, and was the mother of George Washington.-Life:...
). His mother was of French
French American
French Americans or Franco-Americans are Americans of French or French Canadian descent. About 11.8 million U.S. residents are of this descent, and about 1.6 million speak French at home.An additional 450,000 U.S...
, Irish
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
and English
English American
English Americans are citizens or residents of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in England....
descent. His genealogy can be traced back to the earliest settlers in the colonies. One direct ancestor, William Sprague
William Sprague (1609–1675)
William Sprague left England on the ship Lyon's Whelp for Plymouth/Salem Massachusetts. He was originally from Upwey, near Weymouth, Dorset, England....
, left England on the ship Lyon's Whelp
Lyon's Whelp
In 1628, the very wealthy Duke of Buckingham built a private fleet of 10 three masted, armed pinnaces each of which carried the name Lion's Whelp. At least one Lion's Whelp participated in the English attempt to relieve the Huguenot citadel of La Rochelle during the Anglo-French War...
for Plymouth/Salem, Massachusetts
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...
. He helped found the city of Charlestown, Massachusetts
Charlestown, Massachusetts
Charlestown is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and is located on a peninsula north of downtown Boston. Charlestown was originally a separate town and the first capital of the Massachusetts Bay Colony; it became a city in 1847 and was annexed by Boston on January 5, 1874...
.
His father was a telephone lineman for the Bell Telephone Company
Bell Telephone Company
The Bell Telephone Company, a common law joint stock company, was organized in Boston, Massachusetts on July 9, 1877 by Alexander Graham Bell's father-in-law Gardiner Greene Hubbard, who also helped organize a sister company — the New England Telephone and Telegraph Company...
, and his mother was a concert pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
. His father contracted typhoid fever
Typhoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known as Typhoid, is a common worldwide bacterial disease, transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, which contain the bacterium Salmonella enterica, serovar Typhi...
while DeDe Ball was pregnant with him, and died in February 1915. When Fred was a few years old, his mother met a Swedish
Swedish American
Swedish Americans are Americans of Swedish descent, especially the descendants of about 1.2 million immigrants from Sweden during 1885-1915. Most were Lutherans who affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ; some were Methodists...
Lutheran
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
salesman named Edward (Ed) Peterson, and married him in 1918. His stepfather was a drinker
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
with no real zeal for children, and wouldn't allow Fred or Lucy to call him "Daddy". The children were never close to their stepfather. Soon after the wedding, DeDe took off with Ed to Detroit, leaving Fred and Lucy with their grandparents, Flora Belle Orcutt and Frederick Charles Hunt, and didn't return until 1922 to help with her mother, who had been diagnosed with cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. Their mother was hardly present, always following work to support the family, and eventually divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
d her second husband.
-
- Fred and his sister were raised by their grandparents. Her grandfather was an eccentric socialist who enjoyed the theater and frequently took the family to vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
shows. He worked in the furniture industry. He often whittled toys and made doll furniture for his grandchildren. His grandfather was actually thought of as his father, since his father died before he was born, and it was his grandfather that like a father to him all the years of his childhood. Fred, Lucille, and their mother all lived together with the Hunts for a long time in Celoron
Celoron, New York
Celoron is a village in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. It sits on the west boundary of the City of Jamestown, New York and is surrounded by the Town of Ellicott. The population was 1,295 at the 2000 census.- History :...
.
In 1927, a neighborhood child, Warner Erikson, was paralyzed by an accidental shot from a gun his grandfather had given Fred for his birthday. Erikson died five years later. The resultant publicity and lawsuit forced his grandfather to sell his house and enter bankruptcy. He was even jailed for a time. After this incident (which was referred to in the family as "the break-up"), the family had to split and never lived together in one place again. His grandfather died in 1944.
Career
He left Jamestown to join his sister in California in the 1930s, working as a page boy at Cafe TrocaderoTrocadero (Los Angeles)
In West Hollywood, California, the Cafe Trocadero was the center of jitterbug in the 1930s. Today, a " new" Trocadero stands as a nightclub at 8610 Sunset Boulevard on the Sunset Strip...
. He was Desi Arnaz
Desi Arnaz
Desi Arnaz was a Cuban-born American musician, actor and television producer. While he gained international renown for leading a Latin music band, the Desi Arnaz Orchestra, he is probably best known for his role as Ricky Ricardo on the American TV series I Love Lucy, starring with Lucille Ball, to...
's band road manager in the 1940s and 1950s and was on the Board of Directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
of Desilu Productions
Desilu Productions
Desilu Productions was a Los Angeles, California-based company jointly owned by actors Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball, who were married to each other from 1940 to 1960....
(the studio that Desi and Lucy purchased in 1951 and that produced I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy is an American television sitcom starring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, and William Frawley. The black-and-white series originally ran from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, on the Columbia Broadcasting System...
, as well as Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
, Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible is an American television series which was created and initially produced by Bruce Geller. It chronicled the missions of a team of secret American government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force . The leader of the team was Jim Phelps, played by Peter Graves, except in...
, and The Untouchables
The Untouchables (1959 TV series)
The Untouchables is an American crime drama that ran from 1959 to 1963 on ABC. Based on the memoir of the same name by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley, it fictionalized the experiences of Eliot Ness, a real-life Prohibition agent, as he fought crime in Chicago during the 1930s with the help of a...
) until Arnaz fired him in a fit of anger after Fred expressed concern about Desi being able to run the company (this was after the Arnaz marriage had soured).
Fred did not have an acting career after managing administration at Desilu Productions but instead continued to manage restaurants and hotels such as the Palm Desert Hotel, as well as self-manage and maintain his own holdings in motels, and mobile home parks. He was a real estate agent and broker in Arizona. It should be noted that he, much like his sister Lucy, was a very astute business person who maintained his mental faculties and participated in life until his last days.
Death
Fred Ball died of natural causesDeath by natural causes
A death by natural causes, as recorded by coroners and on death certificates and associated documents, is one that is primarily attributed to natural agents: usually an illness or an internal malfunction of the body. For example, a person dying from complications from influenza or a heart attack ...
in Cottonwood, Arizona
Cottonwood, Arizona
Cottonwood is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 11,171.-Geography:Cottonwood is located at ....
, on February 5, 2007, at the age of 91. He was cremated and buried in the Hunt family plot at Lake View Cemetery in Jamestown, New York
Jamestown, New York
Jamestown is a city in Chautauqua County, New York in the United States. The population was 31,146 at the 2010 census.The City of Jamestown is adjacent to Town of Ellicott and is at the southern tip of Chautauqua Lake...
, where his parents, Henry and Desirée (Hunt) Ball, his sister, Lucille Ball, and his grandparents are buried. He is survived by his wife Zo, his four children, Pamela Ball Von Pinnon, Melissa LeBritton, April Jackson, and Geoffrey Ball as well as seven grandchildren and great-grandchildren.