RARE I LOVE LUCY SHOW 1956 JESS OPPENHEIMER “OPPY AWARD” LUCILLE BALL
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:596060 | Modified Item: No |
| Country/Region of Manufacture: United States |
SUPER RARE I LOVE LUCY SHOW 1956 JESS OPPENHEIMER “OPPY AWARD” . I purchased this many years ago at an estate sale in La Jolla, California. I guarantee it to be authentic. Have had it stored away and know an advanced collector of Lucille Ball memorabilia will appreciate it in their collection.Jess Oppenheimer (1913-1988) was a legendary television and radio writer, producer and was the producer and head writer for I LOVE LUCY and declared "the brains" behind the beloved sitcom by n...one other than Ms. Ball herself. Writing the pilot and 153 other episodes of the show with other collaborators, Oppenheimer is a very well-known talent to devotees of The Lucy Show and historians of early broadcast television. Oppenheimer is memorialized at the Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center in Jamestown, New YorkIt was a bittersweet farewell when Oppenheimer bid adieu to the show in the April of 1956. Lucy and Desi opened their Beverly Hills home for a gala party in his honor, complete with a musical comedy review performed by the show’s four stars. For his contribution, Oppenheimer created special “Oppy Awards” that he presented to the cast and staff. In Laughs, Luck…and specifically mentioned on page 213 of his book Lucy: How I Came to Create the Most Popular Sitcom of All Time, he described the bronze statuette as looking “a little bit like an Oscar but more like me – a little man with glasses, very little hair, and his hands discreetly positioned in front of his crotch. Offered is this extremely rare and one of few remaining "Oscar" statuettes that Oppenheimer had made to give to his small inner circle on the show. Whoever sculpted these "awards" the likeness is extraordinary. The statuette measures 10 1/2" tall and appears to be made of gold painted plaster like material with a wood base and brass plate. Please see photos for condition.
