Barbara Eden Made Her Sitcom Debut In A Dress Decorated By Lucille Ball Herself

Today, the name Barbara Eden is synonymous with her magical reign over the small screen in I Dream of Jeannie. But like all the biggest stars, she too had a beginning, a time before becoming part of the cultural zeitgeist for ages to come. For Eden, her start in the sitcom scene came on another historymaker, I Love Lucy, and she received a helping hand from Lucille Ball herself.

Eden, who just celebrated turning 92 in August, started off coming from a musical background, singing in nightclubs and churches alike. She even went to high school with Vince Guaraldi, who would play piano for Peanuts. Eden’s first time on screen in general was 1956’s dramatic Back from Eternity. Her transition to television was equally serious with the CBS drama West Point. But it was Ball who oversaw Eden enter the world of the sitcom.

Barbara Eden made her sitcom debut on ‘I Love Lucy,’ aided by Lucille Ball

The episode “Country Club Dance” marked the start of Eden’s sitcom career but was right near the end of I Love Lucy’s runtime, premiering in ‘57 not long before the series finale. But as one door began to close, Eden’s was thrown wide open, with her as a central character driving the episode’s plot.

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All of Westport is in a state of mild shock when the radiantly beautiful Diana Jordan swishes into town, leading to Lucy, Ethel, and Betty, played by Ball, Vivian Vance, and Mary Jane Croft respectively, to brainstorm ways to recapture their husbands’ attention. It’s a bit of an uphill battle because Diana sports a dress that sparkles endlessly with dozens upon dozens of glittering embellishments.

Ball was unafraid of drawing the spotlight far away from herself

Some of the most beloved stars have less clean, endearing sides to them, and there is evidence to suggest Ball was no different. But in this instance, she knew the plot called for Diana to capture the attention of everyone who saw her and was ready to embrace whatever techniques would help with that effect.

“[Lucy] was so kind,” Eden gushed in a 2000 interview with The Archive of American Television. “In fact, she asked me to come over to her dressing room. She said, ‘You like that dress?’ I said, Oh, yeah! She said, ‘Take it off.’ So I took it off.” Ball and her hair stylist took the dress to work on some adjustments right then and there.

“They sat in her dressing room and they punched little sparkly things all over that dress, just to make it look prettier,” recalled Eden. “I don’t know many stars that would do that — even if it is their own production.”

Ball went a step further and helped bolster Eden’s career, already seeing the actress’s boundless potential. Eden explained, “As a matter of fact, the last day on the set, Lucy had wanted to put me under contract because she thought I had good comedy timing.” The universe’s timing wasn’t ideal, however, as Eden ended up in How to Marry a Millionaire due to obligations with 20th Century Fox. But just where would her career have gone if Eden stayed partnered with Ball?