Early Portrait of Lucille Ball

(Original Caption) Lucille Ball, Hollywood's glamorous redheaded star of three triumphant pictures in less than a year, Du Barry Was a Lady, Best Foot Forward, and Meet the People, gave evidence of her promising future during her earliest years. In that year, Lucille received her first Hollywood opportunity. She played a showgirl part in Eddie Cantor's Roman Sandals, then went on to appear in dozens more, always in minor parts. She called herself "Queen of the B's" until 1942, when she joined Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to star in Du Barry Was A Lady. Her position was secure from that moment. She next starred in Best Foot Forward, following in the recent Meet the People with Dick Powell. Immediately on completion of the latter, Miss Ball joined the Hollywood Cavalcade for a national tour on behalf of the Third War Loan. On returning to Hollywood, she found a new long-term cont (Photo by George Rinhart/Corbis via Getty Images)