Funny Lady

A nod to Madelyn Pugh Davis, the trailblazing "girl writer" of "I Love Lucy" and many other wonderful comedies.  I had the pleasure of knowing her.  She was the mother of my dear friend Ned Davis.  Ned and I go way, way back to Warner Avenue.  During the "Alice" years, Madelyn threw a lavish party every Christmas, filled with celebrities like Lucille Ball.  Thanks to Ned, we were part of a select few who got to hang out in the corner, eat delicious food and gawk.  It was always the highlight of the year, an event that made me feel very sophisticated, very grown up.  Madelyn was soft-spoken and low-key, the opposite of most comedy writers.  I'll always treasure the time I interviewed Madelyn and her long-time collaborator, Bob Carroll, in Madelyn's living room.  I was doing a piece on ageism for EMMY magazine, and Madelyn and Bob had been relatively unscathed, still working well beyond the standard expiration date for Hollywood writers.  It was an honor to know Madelyn.  A class act, a gifted lady.  RIP.

Madelyn and Lucy at work