Top 10 Shocking Facts We Learned from Lucy and Desi
#10: Target Practice Tragedy
Ball’s kindly grandfather sparked her desire to be in showbiz, taking her to vaudeville shows at a young age. As Ball began to pursue work in entertainment, her family life was forever changed when her grandfather got her brother Fred a rifle for his birthday. One day when the kids were target practicing, Fred’s girlfriend Johanna accidentally shot their young neighbor Warner Erickson, who was left paralyzed. Since Ball’s grandfather was supervising, he paid Warner’s medical bills and ultimately lost everything in a lawsuit. This extended to the rest of the family with their house being taken away. Although the trial demonized his grandfather, Fred stated that it was nobody’s fault.
#9: Ball’s Apprenticeship
During her early Hollywood days, Ball was up for any offer that came her way, viewing every opportunity as a potential learning experience. Ball saw it as a paid education, studying under multiple legends. On the RKO lot, Ball attended Lela E. Rogers’ acting school. If her name sounds familiar, that might be because she’s the mother of another iconic actress, Ginger Rogers. While Rogers became the bigger movie star, Ball was elated when she learned that she had raised her profile enough to be considered a type. Ball also honed her comedy skills working with Buster Keaton and passed on what she knew to further greats like Carol Burnett.
#8: Their First Meeting
As we see throughout the documentary, Ball and Arnaz’s relationship wasn’t as lighthearted as their TV counterparts might suggest. However, their first encounter was like something out of a classic meet cute. After appearing in the stage version of “Too Many Girls,” Arnaz went on to appear in the 1940 film adaptation. Ball was cast as ingenue Connie Casey around the same time she was starring as a burlesque queen in “Dance, Girl, Dance.” When Arnaz first saw Ball, she had just come from filming a particularly physical scene. Although Arnaz questioned the casting, Ball transformed for “Too Many Girls.” Arnaz was blown away to learn that this was the same woman that he encountered earlier. It was the beginning of a whirlwind romance.
#7: How Arnaz Revolutionized Television
Although CBS didn’t want Arnaz to play Ball’s husband due to his Cuban background, the real-life couple demonstrated their natural chemistry on tour. Arnaz’s casting not only benefited the show, but the television landscape. Before “I Love Lucy,” shows were broadcast live for the East Coast. The West Coast, meanwhile, got stuck watching an inferior kinescope recording. This essentially involved putting a camera in front of a monitor, recording a program as it played. Arnaz suggested shooting on film using three cameras to give both coasts the highest quality. “The Desilu technique” became standard practice, but who knows how long networks would’ve relied on kinescopes without Arnaz?
#6: Vivian Vance Was Hired Before Ball Approved Her
While it’s hard to imagine “I Love Lucy” without Ricky, the show would’ve felt equally incomplete without Ethel and Fred. Just as CBS had reservations about Arnaz, they were skeptical about actor William Frawley. Arnaz was also responsible for casting Vivian Vance as Ethel, immediately knowing she was right for the role. Vance was cast before Ball had a chance to weigh in. However, according to Ball, when they finally did meet it was love at first sight. The same can’t be said about Vance’s feelings towards Frawley. Vance resented having an onscreen husband more than two decades older than her, leading to friction behind the scenes.
#5: The Red Scare
In 1936, Ball registered as a communist along with her brother and mother. This made Ball a target during the Red Scare. Although her name was cleared by the authorities, Ball faced another hurdle after the press caught wind of the story. With the media painting her as a commuist, Ball feared that the public might not believe the truth. Arnaz stepped up during this difficult period. In front of a live studio audience, he defended his wife, and even got J. Edgar Hoover on the phone to confirm her innocence to everyone. Desi also uttered his iconic line, referencing Lucy's naturally brown locks.
#4: Their Final Family Vacation
Ball and Arnaz had been growing apart for a while with the latter’s alcoholism becoming especially strenuous. In a last-ditch effort to preserve the life they built together, the two tried rekindling their love with a family vacation to Europe. Their daughter, Lucie Arnaz, described the trip as a “nightmare,” overhearing her parents argue. Likewise, Ball remembered the vacation as “miserable,” knowing then and there that the marriage was over. Arnaz was also beyond ready to call it quits. Upon returning to the States, the couple informed their children that they were getting divorced. Once the split was finalized, though, Ball and Arnaz found it much easier to get along. Both would marry other people with their second marriages having longer lifespans.
#3: The Show’s Original Premise
“I Love Lucy” derived from the radio show “My Favorite Husband,” which starred Ball and Richard Denning. When Arnaz replaced Denning for the TV series, several tweaks were made to the husband character. Aside from being Cuban, the husband went from a bank executive to a bandleader. This created a fun dynamic with Ricky being part of the entertainment world and Lucy wanting to break out into showbiz with often chaotic results. According to Laura LaPlaca, though, the show’s original premise would’ve been very different, and closer to the couples’ real life. Given how things worked out, it was likely for the best.
#2: How Ball Learned of Her Pregnancy
Ball and Arnaz struggled to have children for years. Arnaz’s mother even convinced them to have a second Catholic wedding, hoping it would increase their chances of pregnancy. When Ball suspected that she was pregnant and went in for a test, gossip columnist Walter Winchell got word of the lab results before either parent and broadcast the news on his radio show. Although Ball sadly miscarried, she would get pregnant again before “I Love Lucy” recorded its pilot episode. After Ball became pregnant with her second child, Arnaz insisted on working it into the new season, much to the network’s disapproval. As Ball recouped, old episodes were broadcasted again, giving birth to the rerun as we know it.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Ball Briefly Changed Her Name
During Her Modeling Days, She Started Going By Diane Belmont
No Retakes Rule
With 3 Cameras Constantly Running, It Was Too Expensive to Do Multiple Takes
Fanny Brice’s Impact
When Brice Left Her Show, Producer Jess Oppenheimer Was Free to Work With Ball
Why They Switched to Monthly Shows During the Later Years
They Couldn’t Handle Weekly Shows Anymore, But They Didn’t Want to Quit Entirely
Arnaz & His Mother Didn’t Feel at Home
Although They Lost Everything in Cuba, They Couldn’t Help But Miss Their Home Country
#1: Their Final Conversation
The documentary explores how Lucille and Desi’s relationship differed from Lucy and Ricky’s. Behind the scenes and in front of the camera, though, “I Love Lucy” was never just a title. Even after they divorced and moved on, Ball and Arnaz still cared deeply about each other. This is apparent from their final conversation. Lucie Arnaz recounted calling her mother as her father’s health deteriorated. Knowing that this would likely be their final conversation, the pair made it count. Desi passed away shortly after. With exception to his daughter and a nurse, Ball was the last person that Arnaz talked to. Coincidentally, the date of their last exchange would also be significant.