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BEMUS POINT – Seventy years ago on a February night, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz brought the glitz and glamor of Hollywood to Jamestown with the premier of their film, Forever Darling.

Local history buffs are commemorating one of the largest celebrations in Jamestown history once again this year with the help of Ashley Senske, collections manager for the National Comedy Center and Lucy Desi Museum. With an estimated 25,000 people having participated at the time, the two day celebration of the movie’s premiere has been remembered in books and, more recently, several discussions including one Wednesday at the Bemus Point Historical Society.

Senske said the reason for the film coming into existence in the first place was to fulfill the two-film contract that Ball and Arnaz were under with MGM studio productions. Senske described the film as a sort-of rom-com. There are two characters that fall in love and get married, though with time the marriage begins to grow tired and stale. In the end the couple is able to work and fortunately repair the marriage. The film would maintain that special touch of Ball and Arnaz’s style even, as the two brought on uncredited writers from I Love Lucy to give the film a bit more spice, according to Senske.

Photo by Charlotte Brooks, courtesy of Look magazine and Library of Congress Desi Arnaz looks on as Lucille Ball speaks during an appearance in the Hotel Jamestown at the Temple Hesed Abraham’s Sports Night. Also pictured, at right of Lucy, is Harry Peck, Temple Hesed Abraham Men’s Club president; Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers; and Jamestown native and University of Pittsburgh football player Jim McCusker.

The homecoming event would be a celebration for the film that brought Ball and Arnaz back to Jamestown for a two-day long movie premiere. The homecoming took place on Feb. 6 and 7, 1956. Senske stated that the celebration had been planned tirelessly in the months leading up to it, as coordination was needed for such a huge event.

“So it was no small thing that happened here. Just to even start, when they first arrived, they were taking a train and the train stopped in Buffalo. So from Buffalo they were flown into Jamestown by helicopter and they landed in the football field behind Jamestown High School,” said Senske. “One of the cool things about that is that there are photos from the sky where you can see people had spelled out on the field ‘Hi Lucy, Desi’ so that when they were landing they could see that.”

Once Ball and Arnaz landed, there was a parade that escorted the two down Third Street, heading toward the Hotel Jamestown where the couple would stay. Senske noted the incredible importance of the event to the area, especially considering that almost half of the Jamestown population at the time is believed to have attended. Senske stated that kids got out of school early, and that adults traveled from all around the county to come see the local celebrities.

After partying until about 2 a.m. in the Hotel Jamestown ballroom, Ball and Arnaz would resume again the next morning at about 6 a.m. Not only would this day see the couple visit Ball’s childhood home in Celoron, but a second parade would also occur. This second parade would escort the two down to the Palace Theater, now known as the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts, where the film would be screened twice for the general public to see.

With this year marking seventy years since the release of the film, Senske wanted to do something special to commemorate such a significant piece of history. Senske has been discussing the history of the film and historical significance of the homecoming to the area.

Ashley Senske

“If you’re a curious person, the curiosity never stops, it only keeps getting bigger. There is always more mystery to unfold and that’s how I look at everything,” said Senske. “So if I can share a little bit about their story, and make it a really deep local connection such as how she chose to come back to Jamestown to premiere her big movie, that’s really cool.”

Lucille Ball is pictured outside her childhood home in Celoron during a visit in February 1956.