Desiderio Alberto (Arnaz y de Acha) Arnaz III (1917 - 1986)

Born 2 Mar 1917 in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba

Husband of Lucille Desiree Ball — married 1940 (to 1960) in Greenwich, Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States of America

Husband of Edith Eyre (Skimming) Arnaz — married 2 Mar 1963 (to 23 Mar 1985) in Miami, Florida, United States

Died 2 Dec 1986 at age 69 in Del Mar, San Diego, California, United States

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Biography

Desi (Arnaz y de Acha) Arnaz III is Notable.

Synopsis

Born Desiderio Alberto Arnaz III on March 2, 1917, in Santiago, Cuba, Desi Arnaz fled Cuba to the United States with his family in 1933. Early success led to him being offered a role in the 1939 Broadway musical Too Many Girls, and he later starred in the film version, where he met his future wife, Lucille Ball. In 1949, Arnaz developed the hit television series I Love Lucy, which ran for six years.

Early Life

Actor and musician Desiderio Alberto Arnaz III was born on March 2, 1917, in Santiago, Cuba. Born to a wealthy family, the Arnazes fled Cuba for Miami after a revolution in 1933. After working a number of odd jobs to help support the family, Desi got his first musician's gig as a guitarist for the Siboney Septet.

Music & Film Career

After working briefly for Xavier Cugat in New York, Arnaz returned to Miami to lead a combo of his own and introduce the Conga Line to American audiences. It was such a hit, both locally and nationally, that Arnaz returned to New York to start his own band. He was offered a role in the 1939 Broadway musical Too Many Girls and later starred in Hollywood's film version. It was there that he met his future wife, Lucille Ball. They were married in 1940.

Arnaz made three more films before being inducted into the Army during WWII. During his two years in the service, he was responsible for entertaining the troops. He formed a new orchestra after being discharged and recorded several hits during the late 1940s. During this time he served as orchestra leader on Bob Hope's radio show from 1946 to 1947.

'I Love Lucy'

In 1949, Arnaz turned his efforts to developing the hit television series I Love Lucy, also starring William Frawley and Vivian Vance, which ran for six years on CBS and became the most successful television program in history. Arnaz and Ball had a clear goal in mind when the series began development. Not only did they request the the show be shot on film as opposed to the cheaper kinescope, but they also retained full ownership of the program under their production company, Desilu Productions. The show aired in 1951.

The show touched on many personal and taboo issues of the time, including marriage and pregnancy. And as a couple both on and off camera, Arnaz and Ball's show had parallells to their actual marriage, giving birth to their son on the show on the same day that Ball gave birth to their son in real life. The novelty of the series, coupled with Arnaz and Ball's strong chemistry, proved to be a success. I Love Lucy became the number 1 show in the country for four of its six seasons. The series ended in 1957.

Personal Life

Desi's marriage to Lucille Ball ended in 1960. He sold his share of Desilu Productions to Ball in 1963. After that, Arnaz made a few forays into television, working largely behind the scenes. He served as a producer on such shows as The Mothers-In-Law in the late 1960s. With his second wife, Edith, he lived in Del Mar, California. He died of cancer at his home there in 1986 at the age of 69.

IMDb Trivia

• Ironically, the radio show on which I Love Lucy (1951) was based, "My Favorite Husband," was itself based on a book entitled "Mr. and Mrs. Cugat." Arnaz worked for Xavier Cugat during this time.

• For many years during their marriage, Desi and Lucille Ball hid the fact that she was six years older than he by splitting the difference in their ages. She (born in 1911) said she was born in 1914 and he (born in 1917) also said he was born in 1914.

• In the film The Mambo Kings (1992), he was portrayed by his real-life son, Desi Arnaz Jr.

• His grandfather was one of the original partners in the Bacardi Rum company.

• Invented many techniques that are now taken for granted in sitcoms, including the use of several cameras to film the performance, preceding performances with a warm-up act, performing before a live audience, and the rerunning of old episodes.

• Instrumental in the creation of numerous classic TV series, in particular The Untouchables (1959).

• Author of the candid autobiography 'A Book', detailing his alcoholism and infidelities. He had planned to write a sequel, called 'Another Book'.

• According to Mafia boss turned government informant Jimmy "The Weasel" Fratianno in his book "The Last Mafioso", several top members of the Chicago Mafia family were furious about the portrayal of Italians in general and the Mafia in particular in The Untouchables (1959), of which Arnaz was executive producer, and put out a contract on his life. Several mob hitmen hid in the bushes and behind trees outside his house one night after having been tipped off that he was on his way home and were going to shoot him when he pulled into his driveway, but for some unknown reason Arnaz never came home that night. The killers were supposed to come back again and wait for him the next night, but in the meantime cooler heads prevailed and the murder plot was called off. Arnaz apparently never found out how close he came to being murdered.

• Ashes were scattered at sea.

• In 1957, recognizing the need for the company to expand, he purchased the real estate of the former RKO Studios, home of Lucille Ball's former employer. The industry balked at their decision to plunk down $6,150,000 for the fledgling studio property, but it was a strategic move that ultimately made both he and Lucy millionaires.

• In 1950, along with wife Lucille Ball, in an effort to find a way to work together, formed a production company with $5,000 of their own money, naming it 'Desilu' which is what they had named their ranch in Chatsworth, California. He remained president of the company until selling his interest to his ex-wife in 1962 for $3 million.

• In 1945, after his service in the Army, he found himself $30,000 in debt, mostly due to back taxes. Lucille Ball helped him pay his debt, but due to his pride, he considered it a loan, and kept a strict account of the money he owed her.

• In 1953, Desilu was evaluated as being worth $10 million, did a gross business of $6 million and made the Arnazes a net profit of $600,000 before taxes. This was added to an additional $500,000 in income from I Love Lucy (1951) merchandise.

• In 1953, with I Love Lucy (1951) the #1 show in America, Philip Morris, their primary sponsor, agreed to sponsor the show for an additional 2 and a half years for $8 million, $5 million of which went directly to the Arnazes and their company.

• In December 1958, in order to raise revenue for business and personal expenses, Desilu went public on the NYSE at $10 per share. Lucille Ball and Desi each retained 25% of the stock, with the swing vote going to key executives at Desilu. After paying gambling debts and expenses, he realized $70,000 to $80,000.

• In 1957, he opened the Desi Arnaz West Hills Hotel, with 42 rooms and a restaurant featuring his own personal recipes, in Indian Wells. With all the time he spent with his new real estate ventures, he and Lucille Ball built a home on the 17th fairway at the Thunderbird Golf Club on land he won in a poker game.

• In 1957, in an effort to expand Desilu, he sold CBS his and Lucille Ball's rights to 179 I Love Lucy (1951) 30-minute shows for $4,500,000. They also sold their rights to December Bride (1954) for $500,000 and CBS had exclusive rights to their public appearances for 10 years for an additional $1,000,000. With these profits, Desilu purchased RKO Studios for $6,125,000.

• In his 1985 will, he left a $250,000 trust fund for the benefit of his mother, who survived him.

• Grew up being best friends with Albert Francis "Sonny" Capone, son of Al Capone.

• Once worked as a bird-cage cleaner.

• After their divorce, Desi produced Lucy's hit musical "Wildcat" on Broadway.

• A Republican, he was one of many conservative actors in Hollywood who lent support to the elections of Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, and Ronald Reagan.

• He was awarded 2 Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Pictures at 6325 Hollywood Boulevard; and for Television at 6254 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.

• Was an avid golfer, fisherman and poker player, all of which he was seen doing on I Love Lucy (1951).

Sources

• http://www.biography.com/people/desi-arnaz-9542545

• http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000789/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm#trivia

• Arnaz, Desi. A Book. New York: William Morrow, 1976. (ISBN 0688003427)

• Ronald L. Smith. Who's Who in Comedy (pg. 25-26) New York: Facts on File, 1992. (ISBN 0816023387)

See also:

• http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=37

• Wikipedia : Desi Arnaz
• Wikidata: Item Q472535

• http://www.nytimes.com/1986/12/03/obituaries/desi-arnaz-tv-pioneer-is-dead-at-69.html

Acknowledgements