Early Desi information

Young Desi Arnaz first started his 'rhumba band' when he came to America at a very young age. He became very attracted to the musical rhythms of his own nationality and decided he wanted to work in the nightclub business. Even though it eventually became a long running joke, Desi began a partial partnership with fellow bandleader Xavier Cugat and Cugat promised Desi that he would send him a few band members.

Instead of experienced Spanish musicians, Cugat sent band members alright,but each man came from a completely different background. Not one of them even knew any Latin songs, so Desi had to start from scratch and teach them. The men didn't get along very well at first, however, with some hard work their personalities melded and Desi would soon developed his own actual rhumba band.

NEW FALL CONTEST!!! I Love Lucy - The Complete Second Season from 1951

To wish my wonderful "Lucy" readers a Happy Fall season, I've decided to have another contest! Yes, that's right! This time, we'll be giving away the boxed set of I Love Lucy - The Complete Second Season (1951 on DVD.

All you have to do to enter is follow these two simple steps:

1. either subscribe to this blog OR become a follower of it. Either way, you'll receive automatic notifications of updates.

2. Leave a comment on this post telling us which one of the "supporting" cast of characters on the show was your favorite. For example; Mrs. Trumble, Freddie Filmore, Ernie Ford, Teensie or Weensie, Marion Strong, Caroline Appleby...or any of the many others.

That's it! That's all there is to it! The contest will run through Midnight of Friday November 27, 2009. After all of that Christmas shopping, some lucky reader will be getting a nice gift for themselves! The winner will be chosen at random. There will be only ONE winner and the contest is only for those in the Unites States.

So, tell your friends and REMEMBER....there's still time to enter our PAPER DOLLS contest. That one runs until Halloween so happy entering!

Lucy, Hollywood's Technicolor Tessie

Back in the day, according to LIFE magazine, Cameramen and technicians both referred to our lovely Lucy as "Technicolor Tessie" because she was so colorful and looked so beautiful on film. With her gorgeous hair that was described as every color from strawberry blond to apricot, her beautiful deep cornflower blue eyes and her famous red lips, Lucy was made for the camera.

Lucy's skin was so fair, she always looked natural in front of the camera, no matter what look the make-up artist was going for. For technicolor films, three times more light was needed than for black and white films. Makeup needed to be thinner and lighter in order for it not to look mask-like on camera. Lucy carried it off because of her beautiful, flawless skin.

These photographs are proof that Lucy deserves the title bestowed on her by the studios. They were taken by photographer Walt Sanders. She is wearing nothing more than everyday street makeup, and they were done with everyday lighting and not special effects.

These beautiful pics were originally shown in LIFE magazine, the August 9, 1943 issue

Old Suspense Radio Shows Starring Lucy and others!

PERFECT LUCY TIME FOR HALLOWEEN!

I've come across this wonderful website that I think you will love. It features wonderful stars from the "good old days" of Hollywood doing thriller/horror shows on radio in the 1940's. There are some from Lucy and other big names like Olivia DeHavilland, Orsen Wells, Susan Haywood,Vincent Price and tons more. Check!k it out. It's perfect for Halloween. Just click on the link, go down the list and open the file you want to listen to. Many thanks to the owner of this site for putting together such a gem!


obscurehorror.com

More I Love Lucy Trivia

From the comments I receive, I know you guys like trivia, so here you go. Comments are always welcome!

This tidbit makes me sad but it is interesting. Desi Arnaz had wanted Episode #153, Return Home From Europe to be the last episode of the series, but he was persuaded to stay on for another season. It's sad because even though the series went on, this episode has many lines that give a sense of closure and fans could sense the end was coming. Also of note, it was the last I Love Lucy episode that involved Jess Oppenheimer(Producer). Oppenheimer later went on to sue Desilu after the The Lucy Show came on the air saying that "Lucy Carmicheal" was really "Lucy Ricardo" with a different last name.

Episode #172, Lucy Does The Tango, has the longest laugh ever recorded in I Love Lucy history - sixty-five seconds long!

In Episode #4, The Diet, we have the first on-screen appearance by Marco Rizo, the accomplished pianist who was also Desi's long-time friend. We also hear the song "Cubn Pete/Sally Sweet" which was part of Lucy and Desi's 1950 vaudeville tour, which was, in part what helped convince CBS honchos to invest in I Love Lucy.

Jack Benny's Favorite Lucy Episode

Here's a little I love Lucy movie star trivia for you:

Did you know that Episode #114, L.A. At Last!, where Lucy sets her nose on fire in front of Bill Holden was Jack Benny's favorite episode?

In Episode #125, The Dancing Star,Ray Bolger (best known for playing the Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz) was originally to have been "The Dancing Star," but couldn't make it due to other obligations, so Lucy's long time friend and fellow red head Van Johnson filled in for him.

And speaking of Van Johnson, in episode #122, The Star Upstairs, Van Johnson was originally going to play that part instead of Cornell Wilde but due to a sponsor conflict (I Love Lucy was sponsored by Philip Morris, Johnson was sponsoring Lucky Strike)was unable to do so. Only 28 days later, when his contract for Lucky Strike was completed he filmed the episode #125, "The Dancing Star."

I hope you enjoyed that little bit of trivia. Stay tuned for more, and don't forget it's not too late to enter our Paper Doll contest so tell your friends and spread the word.

Trivia Game

If you like trivia, and I know you do, I just found an actual I Love Lucy trivia game on Amazon. Check it out and see if you can pick one up for yourselves. Here's what it looks like.

Lucy and Gary Morton

In 1960, she starred in the Broadway musical, Wildcat, with actress Paula Stewart, who introduced her to Gary Morton, a stand-up comic whom she married in 1961. Wildcat ended its run after only 171 performances when Lucy, suffering from a virus and chronic fatigue, became too ill to

Lucy met second husband Gary Morton in 1960 while starring in the Broadway musical Wildcat with Paula Stewart. Gary was a stand-up comedian then. The two married in 1961 and remained married until Lucy's death in 1989.

"Be A Pal" Season 1, Episode 2

Did any of you think this on is as funny as I do? Be A Pal. I even love the Ethel reads the book as she sits at Lucy's kitchen table. that Lucy looks so funny in those big old baggy pajamas and her hair up in curlers. I have an aunt that dresses just like that!

Anyway, here's some interesting trivia about that episode. Do you remember when Lucy's last resort was thinking that Ricky just missed Cuba and missed his mother and maybe wanted Lucy to be more like her? So she dressed up like Carmen Miranda and lip syncs "Mama Eu Quero" which is a Brazilian song, not a Cuban song. The other funny part about this episode is this, do you remember when Lucy is having all of the little kids running out of the bedroom area (acting like they are Ricky's younger siblings) and she's telling them about all the delicious food they'll be eating such as tacos etc... Well, in that whole string of food she mentions, none of the food is Cuban!

Since it was only the second episode of the show and the audience was live, certain celebrity friends of Lucy and Desi showed up to show their support. Among them was Jack Benny and his wife, Van Johnson, her close friend Ginger Rogers, Eve Arden Carmen Miranda herself and Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Macrae. The real studio audience had a real treat that night!

NEW GIVE-AWAY!! HIGHLY COLLECTIBLE I LOVE LUCY PAPERDOLLS!!! RARE AND MUCH SOUGHT AFTER!!!

OK, I am excited bout this! I was lucky enough to get my hands on a copy of the I Love Lucy paper dolls set. These came out in 2004 and now they are SOOOOOO hard to get. Check it out for yourself on Amazon....they are going for over $120 - $140 dollars a pop....and sometimes that's for used ones.

For this give-away, You can win a new set of the same I Love Lucy Paper dolls I am talking about. You get two Lucy paper dolls and 25 of her MOST FAMOUS I Love Lucy outfits! There is also LOTS of information about the show and Lucille herself.

I was so excited when this book of paper dolls arrived, I was tempted to keep it myself!

***So, here's the scoop. This contest will run until Halloween night, 12 midnight Eastern Standard Time.

***To enter:

1) Become a follower or a subscriber
2)Leave a comment telling us about your favorite Lucy Outfit! Serious or funny, just tell us one you loved:-)
3)Leave your First name and e-mail address in the comment.

That's it!!!

I hope you'll spread the word about the contest. It's a great chance for someone to get their hands on a great collectible that's worth a substantial amount of money. Contest begins now, so start your engines and let's go!




Here's some photo's from the book so you have an idea of what your shooting for:

Lucy's birthday celebration if Jamestown, NY

This is the "must-go-to" festival for every Lucy fan. Every year Jamestown pulls out all the stops and celebrates Lucy's birthday better than the year before and EVERYONE is invited. And I mean everyone from around the country and around the world. This year will be no exception. I hope I can get a hotel room!

This year the festivities are scheduled from August 7 through August 9. Let me give you a run-down. Ever year there is the "Komedy Kollege" where participants can get a quick class in how to perform from wacky comedy such as Lucy did, then later that same day they perform a scene from one of the better known I Love Lucy episodes. There are outdoor evening screenings of I Love Lucy episodes, A picnic in the back yard of what was Lucy's childhood home, extended narrated tours of Jamestown outlining where Lucy spent her formative years. There's tons of impersonators, Collectors from all over showing their amazing collections, There's even auctions of some real Lucy-Desi memorabilia. In addition, you can take a cruise on Chautauqua Lake, win hundreds of dollars in valuable prizes and see many surprise guests.

Consider this the best "heads-up" a Lucy Lover could get. If you are taking a summer vacation, this could be it. Make your plans now and get a little closer to seeing the real Lucy.