Discover the Rhythm: Top 13 Entertaining and Lesser-Known Fun Facts about Desi Arnaz
1. Conga King of New York
Before starting a conga line was just a click away on Spotify: Desi Arnaz, the iconic actor and producer, brought the rhythmic beats of his conga drums to the forefront of American culture in the 1940s, when he formed his own Desi Arnaz Orchestra and serenaded New York City's club scene. He even played and sang for Xavier Cugat's touring orchestra, ensuring his legacy as a true ambassador of Latin music in television and film for years to come.
Source => en.wikipedia.org
2. Mafia Murder Plot Survivor
All gangster movies lied: they didn't want to make you an offer you can't refuse, but Desi Arnaz did manage to stay alive after allegedly angering the mob: During his time producing The Untouchables, Desi Arnaz was supposedly the target of a mafia murder plot, as mentioned by Jimmy Fratianno in the book, The Last Mafioso. However, Arnaz denied these allegations, and no evidence has been found to support the claims.
Source => en.wikipedia.org
Did you know that Lucille Ball cleverly concealed her favorite Chesterfield cigarettes inside Philip Morris packages while filming "I Love Lucy"? Discover how she maintained the appearance of brand loyalty despite an $8 million contract! 🚬🎬
=> Fun Facts about Lucille-Ball
3. Three-Camera System Innovator
Desi Arnaz, the man who took the concept of "lights, camera, action" more seriously than an overzealous stage dad: He didn't invent the three-camera system but contributed significantly to its improvement during the filming of "I Love Lucy," working with Al Simon and Karl Freund to perfect lighting and mechanics. In a move that revolutionized TV production, Arnaz also decided to film the show directly on 35mm, ensuring top-notch reruns and launching the syndication biz.
Source => latimes.com
4. Striking a Deal with Cugat
Before "I Love Lucy" came a feisty percussionist and a cunning businessman who knew how to strike a deal, even if it meant shelling out some dollars and shaking a few maracas: Desi Arnaz secured the right to use Xavier Cugat's name for his band in 1937, paying the bandleader a weekly royalty of $25, and eventually skyrocketed to fame, which led to his meeting with Lucille Ball, his future better (and funnier) half.
Source => biography.jrank.org
5. The Almost-Unrecognizable I Love Lucy Cast
Hold on to your hats, "I Love Lucy" fans: Desi Arnaz almost didn't play Lucille Ball's on-screen hubby! The truth of the matter is that he had to persuade the network to cast him instead of the original choice. The icing on the cake? None other than Gale Gordon and Bea Benaderet - the Atterburys from "My Favorite Husband" radio show – were the initial actors that could have been our lovable Fred and Ethel Mertz in disguise, but tight contract binds left their hands tied. P.S.: We have the "My Favorite Husband" writers to thank for recycling their episodes into Ball's iconic "I Love Lucy" script!
Source => en.wikipedia.org
6. Pioneers in Television: Desilu Studios
Move over, Bonnie and Clyde: Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball not only stole America's hearts with their iconic sitcom "I Love Lucy," but also revolutionized television by founding Desilu Studios, producing iconic shows like "Mission: Impossible" and "Star Trek," and fearlessly breaking societal norms by incorporating Ball's real-life pregnancy into their show – a first in TV history.
Source => history.com
7. "Babalú" & the SanterÃa Connection
Before "Babalú" was the bop that made your hips sway like a seductive palm tree in a Cuban breeze, it was actually a spiritual shoutout to a SanterÃa deity: Desi Arnaz's hit song is a popular Cuban afro tune written by Margarita Lecuona, referencing the deity Babalú Ayé. First published in the US in 1939, the song became a classic Latin American music standard that Arnaz popularized in the States with his infectious conga solo and chorus-refrain.
Source => en.wikipedia.org
8. Desi Arnaz Stakes: A Race to Honor
"Desi Arnaz may have been famous for his iconic "Lucy, I'm home" catchphrase, but little did we know, there's a race where fillies often find themselves saying, "Desi, I'm galloping!": The Desi Arnaz Stakes is an annual horse race named in honor of the legendary actor, held at Del Mar Racetrack. Offering a $100,000 purse, this ungraded stakes race features two-year-old fillies competing on dirt and initially held at the Hollywood Park Racetrack as the Moccasin Stakes until Del Mar acquired it in 2014.
Source => en.wikipedia.org
9. Desi's "Golden Vision" for TV Production
Who knew the man behind Lucy's love had such a "golden vision"? Desi Arnaz proved that his wit extended far beyond the television screen and onto the production sets: As a pioneer of using film for TV production, Arnaz's ingenuity not only created high-quality images and reruns, but also led to Desilu Productions owning all rights to film prints and negatives, ultimately solidifying itself as one of the largest independent television production companies in the United States.
Source => en.wikipedia.org
10. Desi's Age-Defying Locks
While Desi Arnaz's follicular fortitude seemingly had the same immortal staying power as Cher's career, his lovable locks took a different trajectory with age: Arnaz managed to avoid the fate of chrome-domed co-star William Frawley, as his hair stayed intact but gracefully transitioned to a silver sheen.
Source => papermoonloveslucy.tumblr.com
11. Medal-Winning WWII Veteran
Before he was busy 'conga-ering' America and making waves with his dashing good looks, Desi Arnaz had a knack for accumulating more medals than a chocolate coin factory: Desi not only popularized the conga line with his Desi Arnaz Orchestra, but he also served in World War II, earning the Army Good Conduct Medal, the American Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. Surprisingly, despite his success as a television executive and producer, he never co-owned or presided over a major American production company.
Source => en.wikipedia.org
12. The "Fun" in Fund Accounting
Who knew Ricky Ricardo was a business visionary and technological whiz in the world of television production? He truly knew how to put the "fun" in fund accounting: Desi Arnaz innovated in the production process by including all costs in the first episode of a season, and pioneered the multicamera setup for high-quality image broadcasting. While Desilu Productions is famous for "I Love Lucy" and "The Lucy Show," Desi himself didn't create shows such as "The Untouchables," "Mission: Impossible," or "Star Trek"—those were Ball's court and she slam-dunked them!
Source => en.wikipedia.org
13. Miami's Conga Line Maestro
Before cha-cha-ing into American hearts as Ricky Ricardo, Desi Arnaz was making hips shake in Miami, thanks to a dance so contagious, it had to come with a warning: Don't try this at home, unless you're ready for a conga-line conga-lomerate: The Cuban-born actor and musician single-handedly popularized the conga line in the United States whilst performing with his rumba band, earning him the moniker "the Desi chain" by the renowned gossip columnist Walter Winchell.
Source => theawl.com
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