JessiLu Posted November 29, 2017 Report Share Posted November 29, 2017 I’ve been amazed at how I’ve continued to learn so much about Lucy and friends over the years, so I thought it would be fun to hear from you: what are some of the most interesting tidbits that you’ve heard? Here are some of mine: -Desilu had a policy of not employing married couples -People claimed Desi had a thicker accent than he portrayed on ‘I Love Lucy’ -Desi was outlived by his mother and arranged to have her taken care of after he passed through a $250,000 trust fund. Yet, Lucie claimed there wasn’t much left in terms of an inheritance -According to her cousin Cleo, Lucy couldn’t watch Desi on reruns of ‘I Love Lucy’ after their divorce because it was too painful -From the beginning of their marriage, Lucy and Desi had separate accounts so that they didn’t have to fight over money -Lucy turned her spare garage into a little stage so that the kids could put on plays -Lucy was the victim of theft at least twice: once in the late ‘40s when she and Desi were staying in a hotel, and once at the Roxbury house where the robber went in through an upstairs window while she and Gary were watching TV downstairs in the lanai -A mobster once claimed that Desi was almost the victim of a mob hit. Someone hid in the bushes at his house but he didn’t come home that night, and it was called off the next day when cooler heads prevailed -Desi unsuccessfully tried to woo his future wife Edie when he first got to Hollywood in 1940 -Lucy congratulated Desi and Edie on their wedding with a Horshoe flower arrangement with the message ‘you both picked a winner’ -Lucy started wearing wigs on TV in the 60s because her fine hair would wilt under the hot lights -Desi started going gray early and eventually had to dye his hair for ‘I Love Lucy.’ Lucy was quoted in an article sometime in the 50s saying that she looked forward to him going completely gray -Both of Lucy’s husbands died of lung cancer -Lucy and Desi stopped playing The Ricardos in 1960, but on at least one occasion they went into their Lucy and Ricky schtick in a fun, joking manner, as witnessed by #1 fan Michael Stern in 1980 -Lucy and Desi’s nickname for Desi Jr. in the womb was Thumper, as the Bambi movie was released that year -Desi won a $25,000 bet with MGM that ‘The Long Long Trailer’ would make more money than ‘Father of the Bride,’ the #1 movie at the time -Lucy and Gary decided to get married on the night the first man successfully went into space Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mot Morenzi Posted November 30, 2017 Report Share Posted November 30, 2017 Interesting stuff. I'd heard a number of these but not all - the policy about married couples was a new one to me. I was also unaware of Lucy's fine hair being a contributing factor to her wig use. The only explanation I'd seen was Irma suggesting it in 1958, in order to conceal the face-lifting contraption. Thanks for sharing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvsbway Posted November 30, 2017 Report Share Posted November 30, 2017 The wig thing is because of the face contraption. Lucy used her real hair in front of the camera for years and it was fine. Some more. Lucy, Desi and Gary all played on their high school basketball team. Lucy hired her business manager Andrew Hickcock in the late 30s on the advice of William Holden. Lucy held the record for most female comedy Emmy nominations until Julia Louise Dryfuss broke her record. Lucy was on the cover of 26 national TV Guides in her lifetime. Lucy, Desi, Bill and Vivian have birthdays with only the numbers 2 and or 6 in. Lucy claimed she was allergic to cigarettes in 1984 and gave them up. Rumor was she took up the habit again after that. Lucy's lucky number was 19. Lucy's imaginary friend's name as a child was Sasafrassa. Cleo and Lucy shared a bed growing up. Lucy had a dog named Whoopee after the Eddie Cantor movie. All of Lucy's grandkids from Lucie are named after a person or place ( first and middle names). Lucy's favorite color was yellow, and liked the combo yellow and gray. Desi built many buildings on the Chatsworth ranch including 2 additions to the main house. Desi became a US citizen when he joined the Army. Lucy once threw a typewriter at her typing teacher. Lucy got her first mink coat from Desi on her 9th anniversary. It was a Door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JessiLu Posted December 1, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2017 20 hours ago, Luvsbway said: The wig thing is because of the face contraption. Lucy used her real hair in front of the camera for years and it was fine. I’ve heard Wanda Clark claim that Lucy used a wig because her hair drooped under the lights but I was wondering what changed from the early years as well. Who knows, maybe her chemistry changed as she got older and it was a combination of both. Interesting facts. Hadn’t heard the one about basketball. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Posted December 2, 2017 Report Share Posted December 2, 2017 Lucy and Desi stopped playing The Ricardos in 1960, but on at least one occasion they went into their Lucy and Ricky schtick in a fun, joking manner, as witnessed by #1 fan Michael Stern in 1980 Tell me more please Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JessiLu Posted December 2, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2017 4 hours ago, Will said: Lucy and Desi stopped playing The Ricardos in 1960, but on at least one occasion they went into their Lucy and Ricky schtick in a fun, joking manner, as witnessed by #1 fan Michael Stern in 1980 Tell me more please Excerpt from Michael’s book, “I Had a Ball”: “Opening night was very exciting for me. It was the first and last time I would see Lucy and Desi together. There were other celebrities that night. People like Mike Farrell (M*A*S*H), Tony Geary (General Hospital), and Neil Diamond, who Lucie had just finished shooting The Jazz Singer with. But that night, I only had eyes for that classic pair. After watching them through countless episodes in I Love Lucy, it was amazing to actually see them standing side by side in real life. Desi was with his wife, Edie, while Lucy was with Gary. At the end of the play, we all went backstage, where Desi turned to Lucy and, in a pitch-perfect Ricky Ricardo impersonation, said, “Luucccy, what are you doin’ here?” Without missing a single beat, Lucy quickly responded Lucy Ricardo style, doing her infamous “Lucy” cry. I got a picture taken of myself with Desi that night. Once again he graced me with his immeasurable kindness. Although I am not one to carry around regrets, I do look back on that night and regret not asking Lucy and Desi to pose with me in a picture. As they were no longer husband and wife, I assumed that they would be unwilling to appear in a picture together. In other words, I was too chicken to ask them. Years later I would ask Lucie, Wanda, and Frank if Lucy and Desi would have posed together, and all three responded with a resounding yes.“ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Posted December 2, 2017 Report Share Posted December 2, 2017 Thanks I wish he had them pose together. Love the pics from Lucie weddings and 1971 and Seesaw where they are together and home movie with Simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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