Abdominal aortic aneurysm
Actress Lucille Ball died April 26, 1989 from an abdominal aortic aneurysm. At the time of her death, she was in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center recovering from emergency surgery performed just six days earlier because of a dissecting aortic aneurysm near her heart. Ball was at increased risk, as she had been a heavy smoker for decades.
Lucille Ball
Ball later auditioned for the role of Scarlett O'Hara for "Gone with the Wind" (1939), but Vivien Leigh got the part, winning an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role.
Ball signed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in the 1940s, but never achieved major stardom there. She was known in Hollywood circles as "Queen of the B's"—a title previously held by Fay Wray—starring in a number of B-movies, such as "Five Came Back" (1939). Like many budding actresses, Ball picked up radio work to supplement her income and gain exposure. In 1937, she appeared regularly on "The Phil Baker Show".