"no matter how busy my parents were, they always made it a point to celebrate special occasions together." —Lucie Arnaz
"Dear Ed, Our favorite Christmas is probably no different from those of millions of other people -- it was our first Christmas together as a family. That was in 1953. Little Lucie was two and little Desi was almost a year old.
We celebrated it quietly in our old home in the San Fernando Valley. The two of us were alone with the children that morning and as we sat around our tree and watched the kids laugh and play with their gifts, we suddenly realized the full meaning of Christmas. To try and describe the experience in mere words is impossible for us, but we both agree that it was the best Christmas either of us had ever spent -- together or apart."- Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz
On September 4th 1953, Lucille Ball (Lucy) cut into her Labor Day weekend, leaving her family at their vacation home in Del Mar and drove into Hollywood. She arrived, sailed through the lobby, and went to room 215, to meet with the House Un-American Activities Committee. They requested her presence for a “secret, closed-door” testimony as to why Lucille Ball, America’s Sweetheart, was a registered communist.
When Lucy met with the committee, she told them exactly what she had when they questioned her a year prior about her registration as a communist in 1936. She told them that she, along with other members of her family, had officially registered as an appeasement to her ailing grandfather, who had been a staunch advocate for the working man his whole life. Lucy explained:
“It was our grandfather, Fred Hunt. He just wanted us to, and we just did something to please him. I didn't intend to vote that way. As I recall, I didn't. My grandfather started years ago — he was a Socialist as long as I can remember. He is the only father we ever knew, my grand- father. My father died when I was tiny, before my brother was born. He was my brother's only father. All through his life he had been a Socialist, as far back as Eugene V. Debs, and he was in sympathy with the workingman as long as I have known, and he took the Daily Worker. It never meant much to us, because he was so radical on the subject that he pressed his point a little too much, actually, probably, during our childhood, because he finally got over our heads and we didn't do anything but consider it a nuisance, but as a dad, and he got into his seventies, and it became so vital to him that the world must be right 24 hours a day, all over it, and he was trying his damnedest to do the best he could for everybody and especially the workingman ; that is, for the garbageman, the maid in the kitchen, the studio worker, the factory worker. He never lost a chance to do what he considered bettering their positions.”
“That was fine, and we went along with it wherever we could. Sometimes it got a little ridiculous because my position in the so-called” capitalist world was pretty good and it was a little hard to reconcile the two. We didn't argue with him very much because he had had a couple of strokes and if he got overly excited, why, he would have another one. So finally there came a point where my brother was 21, and he was going to see that Freddie registered to help the workingman, which was, in his idea then, the Communist Party. At that time it wasn't a thing to hide behind doors, to be a member of that party. As I recall, because of this he influenced us. We thought we wanted to do him a favor. We thought we could make him happy. I at no time intended to vote that way. And I remember discussing it with my mother, how I could register and make him happy. When I go behind a curtain to vote, nobody knows whom I vote for. He also considered it a personal victory at the time — that he had the entire family to register. He didn't influence us enough at any time to vote ; at least, he didn't influence me. He influenced us to give a great deal of thought to whether he was right or wrong, and we always decided he was wrong, because the things he was shouting about didn't seem to be practical for this country. He admired the workingman and the peasants all over the world, the 5-year plan and anything that was great for the working- man…..”
“I am aware of only one thing I did that was wrong, and that at the time wasn't wrong, but apparently now it is, and that was registering because my grandfather wanted us to. I at no time thought it was the thing to do, nor did I ever intend to vote in the Presidential election. I guess it was at that time. I don't know. To my knowledge
I didn't vote, but I did register. Since then I have never done anything knowingly against the United States.”
“I have never done anything for Communists, to my knowledge, at any time. I have never contributed money or attended a meeting or ever had anything to do with people connected with it, if to my knowledge they were.
I am not a Communist now. I never have been. I never wanted to be. Nothing in the world could ever change my mind. At no time in my life have I ever been in sympathy with anything that even faintly resembled it.”
“I was always opposed [indicating] to how my grandfather felt about any other way this country should be run. I thought things were just fine the way they were.”
“It sounds a little weak and silly and corny now, but at the time it was very important because we knew we weren't going to have daddy with us very long. If it made him happy, it was important at the time. But I was always conscious of the fact I could go just so far to make him happy. I tried not to go any farther.”
“In those days that was not a big, terrible thing to do. It was almost as terrible to be a Republican in those days. I have never been too civic-minded and certainly never political-minded in my life.”
Lucille’s testimony on September 4th went smoothly, and she was told upon leaving that all suspicion had been eradicated. She expressed concern about this information becoming public, but they assured her that the testimony would remain sealed, and she was free to go. She returned to the ranch in Chatsworth, CA, which she and Desi named Desilu, as an homage to Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford’s estate “Pickfair.”
On Sunday evening, two nights after her testimony, she sat down to read the latest Lucy script while listening to Walter Winchell’s popular weekly radio program. Her ears perked up at the mention of a “blind” item, stating that “the top television comedienne has been confronted with her membership in the Communist party.”
Kenny Morgan, Desliu studio’s press man, was also listening to Winchell and immediately called Desi, who was at a poker game in Del Mar at Irving Briskin’s home. Kenny told him to go straight home to Chatsworth; he would meet him there.
Kenny met Desi and Howard Strickland, MGM’s head of publicity, at the Desilu ranch. They thought they would find Lucille distraught, but she had only questions. She thought Winchell must have meant either Imogene Coca or Eve Arden. However, when Strickland brought up the possibility of Imogene Coca, Lucille said, “I resent that, Howard. Everyone knows that I’m the top comedienne!”
Monday morning, Winchill’s newspaper column reiterated the news. It was upsetting to everyone, but especially Desi. He had known Walter since he was 17 years old. The fact that Winchell hadn’t contacted the Arnazes for a statement was a low blow that Desi took personally.
Friday, September 11 was the first day of shooting the third season of I Love Lucy. The first page of the Herald Express that morning featured a photo of Lucille’s 1936 Communist registration card, with the headline “Lucille Ball Named Red.” While Lucy and the cast spent the day rehearsing and avoiding reporters, Desi was in meetings with CBS and MGM executives. They all assured Desi that they were behind him and Lucy 100 percent, but that wasn’t what mattered for the show. What mattered for the show was what Phillip Morris, the advertiser and sole sponsor, thought. If the plug was pulled on I Love Lucy not only would Lucille’s career would be ruined, but hundreds of Desilu employees would be out of a job.
Al Lyons of Phillip Morris called at 10:00 am. Lyons asked if there was anything to the rumors. Desi said no. Lyons said that Lucille could have half an hour the following Monday to tell her side of the story if it came to that, but it never did.
Desi hung up the phone and ran to the soundstage, where Lucy was rehearsing “The Girls Go Into Business.” Desi wept as he told her that Al Lyons was on their side. Lucille’s eyes remained dry. She said, “Well, that’s fine. I’ll get back to work.”. She didn’t want to show her emotions.
Two hours before the show was to begin filming that night, Representative Donald L. Jackson, the Chairman of the House Un-American Activities Committee, was at the Statler Hotel to hold a press conference to publicly deny Lucille’s involvement with the Communist party. Despite this open display of support, Desi could not relax. (In this you see how sweet and what a good husband Desi was, a hard worker. Who loved Lucy very much)
He stepped out into the lights a little after 8:00 p.m. and stared at the three hundred-plus audience members before him. He wanted to address the crowd, to explain, to clear the air. There were so many things he wanted to say. He told them that his wife was not a Communist, that they both hated Communism and everything it stood for. He said that Lucille’s testimony would be released the following day, and everyone would see the truth. The crowd went wild with approval, shouting and clapping. Vivian Vance and Bill Frawley, who played Ethel and Fred Mertz respectively, came onstage for their introduction. “And now,” Desi said, “I want you to meet my favorite wife – my favorite redhead – in fact, that’s the only thing red about her, and even that’s not legitimate – Lucille Ball!”
Lucy had been alone most of the afternoon, steeling herself for any number of reactions she might encounter. Though she had people in her corner, she had also dealt with friends in the past week backing away as if she were contagious, cancelling plans with flimsy excuses. She was smiling when she came out for her introduction. The audience was far enough away that they couldn’t see the worry in her eyes. She was unsure how they would react, but she didn’t need to wait long. The moment her heels hit the stage, every audience member rose to their feet in a standing ovation. She smiled, fist pumped with both hands, bowed, and walked right back out the door. After they wrapped the show that evening and she received another standing ovation for her performance, she went to her dressing room and cried.
Lucy and Desi held another press conference the next day at the Desilu ranch. It was informal – sandwiches and beer for the press while Lucille held court dressed in pink toreador pants, a highball in one hand and a cigarette in the other. She thanked her fans for their support, and then stated, “I asked Congressman Jackson if I should make a public statement, and he said he saw no reason, that since I had never been a Communist, there was nothing to tell, and if someone had not broken the story on the radio, it probably would never have been printed.”
12, 1953: Television Stars Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were joined by Miss. Ball’s dog, Pinto, when they met reporters at their home Saturday in regard to the actress’ testimony on Communism. (Original caption published Sept. 13, 1953.) Credit: Los Angeles Times.
Desi repeated what was in her transcript, that she had been young and was trying to please her sick grandfather. “After thirteen years of happy marriage, I think I know her better than anyone else, and I know she hates everything Communistic as much as I do – and I have reason to hate them for what they did to my family. I was kicked out of Cuba by the Communists when the revolution hit there.”
Some of the reporters asked some nasty questions, but Lucy, cool as water, repeated her story. All of a sudden, writer Dan Jenkins stood up and said “Well, I think we all owe Lucy a vote of thanks, and I think a lot of us owe her an apology.” After a surprised silence, everyone in the room applauded. Desi cried. He walked over to where Dan was standing and gave him a huge hug. Lucy followed, and also hugged Dan. She didn’t say anything. Dan later said, “From that time on, we were very good friends.”
Lucy with dark hair, it doesn't matter what color her hair is, she is alway beatiful! Lucy (Lucille Ball) said about herself: "You were taken in charge and trained. They have none of that today any place. I regret the passing of the studio system. I was very appreciative of it because I had no talent. Believe me. What could I do? I couldn't dance. I couldn't sing. I could talk. I could barely walk. I had no flair. I wasn't a beauty, that's for sure." She can dance, can do everything and if she isn't a beauty no one is.
Desi and Lucy were too often separated from each other because of movies and performances. They were both jealous and clashes of tempers. But their passion and love was very strong. Desi sent often telegrams and Lucy kept every one of his notes safely till the day she died.
Almost 6 months after they met, they were thinking to get married. After long discussions they come to the decision not to getting married, they were too different, marriage wouldn't work. But what Desi and Lucy didn’t knew was, that they both weren’t agree with the decision they had made, Desi and Lucy pick up their life’s and didn’t show how depressed they were.
After a while Desi could stand it anymore, he missed her very much, he phoned her constantly. He sent her a telegram that broke her hart, it was so touching: "Just wanted to say I love you, goodnight and be good. I think I'll say I love you again, in fact I will say it. I love you love you love you love you". Lucy missed Desi also terrible and promise Desi to come to New York immediately after her Milwaukee engagement. It was November and the weather changed quickly, it began to snow. The benefit that would take one night stretched in five nights. Desi became suspicions and angry, he thought she was having an affair with Joseph Cotton.
Desi phoned Lucy one midnight, they had a big quarrel on the telephone because Desi thought Lucy having affair with Joseph (a handsome actor that played in a scene with Lucy) and Lucy did not take the accusations lightly and said that he was involved with every woman in every town. But Lucy was forgotten that she was standing in the Hotel lobby, every one was listening to the telephone call. After the telephone call Lucy went to New York.
The next day when Lucy wake up, she was still mad on Desi. She wanted to keep Desi waiting so she gave an interview on the article "Why I Will Always Remain a Bachelor Girl". In the interview she cited all the reasons Desi and her were never going to get married. But she forgot her anger right the way when she saw Desi. They apologize for all the nasty accusations they had made about each other and how the behavior and made love.
The real reason of they quarrel was, that they hadn’t seen each other for a long time, and Desi had postponed the elopement 5 times. That was the reason Desi wanted Lucy to come New York as soon as possible. But Lucy didn’t knew that of course.
Desi had to do a show, however, when Desi was dressing to leaving, he said "This girl is going to have a hell of a time with that story."
"Why?" asked Lucy excited.
Desi: "Because I have everything arranged to marry you tomorrow morning, if you would like to marry me."
"Where?" Lucy didn’t know what to say.
Desi: "In Greenwich, Connecticut." (He explained her why he wanted her to come back to New York as soon as possible.)
Lucy: "But I thought we decided that we couldn't get married."
Desi: "That's right, but we are."
Lucy: "You're kidding, right?"
Desi: "No, I'm not kidding. I want to marry you and I want to marry you tomorrow."
Lucy: "Why couldn't we just live together?"
Desi: "No, I don't want to just live together. I want to marry you and I want to have some children with you and I want to have a home. I'm not like the image you have of me. Now, do you want to marry me or not?"
Lucy: "Of course I want to marry you, you idiot!” “But Aren't we supposed to wait for three days for a permit or something?"
Desi: "I got the whole thing straightened out. I've already gotten a permit, and the judge to give us an exemption. You love me, don't you?"
Lucy: "I love you very much."
Desi: "I love you very much too. So what the hell else is there? I have to go now. I'll be back after the next show."
It was a happy and beautiful day, a day they will never forget.
First wedding dress
This is what Desi and Lucy said about their (first) wedding day:
Desi: "Probate Judge Harold L. Nape waived the five-day wait required by connecticut law, and Justice of the Peace John P. O'Brien performed the ceremony at the Byram River Beagle Club at noon on Saturday, November 30, 1940."
Lucy: "Although Desi later gave me a platinum ring, that little discolored brass ring rested among the diamonds and emeralds in my jewel case for years ... After the short ceremony, we ate our wedding breakfast in front of a bright fire in the club's lounge. Outside, a fresh mantle of snow hung on the pine trees. After all the indecision we'd been through, Desi and I were dazed with happiness."
Desi: "It really was the most lovely setting. a rambling river going by, beautiful flowers and trees, the mountains in the background. There was a glass-enclosed area in back where the ceremony took place. The judge had called ahead and had them cool some champagne and put flowers all over the place. The view Lucy and I looked at during the wedding was a Christmas card.".
Source: their own biographies, Love, Lucy and A Book.
This is a video from youtube- the last part of the episode.
“Lucy is enceinte"is my favorite episode. Because the emotions are so real, it’s so touching.
The episode is about that when Lucy learns that she's going to have a baby, she tries to find the right way to tell this to Ricky. Lucy was five months pregnant at the time this episode was filmed. The CBS broadcast standards refused to allow the word "pregnant" to be uttered by any of the characters, so they said that Lucy was "expecting" instead. While this episode title uses "enceinte", the French word for "pregnant", the following episode uses the forbidden word in its title.
They were so happy with their first baby, they had to wait so long. Because Lucy had 3 miscarriages before Lucie was born. But now 1,5 years later they blest with a second child, they thought that would never happened.
You can see the emotions when it came time for Desi to sing "We're Having a Baby, My Baby and Me" to Lucy. He is overcome with emotion long before he and Lucy shed tears of bliss together. First, while he's singing "Rockabye, Baby" when trying to find out which woman in the audience is pregnant, he messes up the lyrics and sings the "cradle will fall" part twice. Then, when it came time for him to sing "We're Having a Baby, My Baby and Me" to Lucy, he forgot what he was supposed to do next. The orchestra had to shout, "Sing the baby song!" for him to remember his next move.
The script said for both Ricky and Lucy to be overjoyed and extremely happy. Ricky had to jump of joy when Lucy said the news. But when the cameras rolled, however, Lucy and Desi both were overcome with the intense emotion they felt when they found out they were finally pregnant with first child Lucie.
The husband and wife cried tears of happiness during the scene instead of acting cheerful. Lucy and Desi were embarrassed afterwards about having cried on camera. They reshot the scene the way it was written. When the happy version was compared with the personal, real-life version, there was no question- the take where they cried was so much more poignant and memorable.
When we did this scene before an audience, Desi was suddenly struck by all the emotion he’d felt when we discovered we were finally going to have Lucie. His eyes filled up and he couldn’t finish the song; I started to cry, too. Vivian started to sniffle; even the hardened stagehands wiped their eyes with the backs of their hands. The director wanted retakes at the end of the show, but the audience stood up and shouted, “No, no!”- Lucille Ball
‘I Love Lucy’ is so special, no series, show or anything what come on TV can surpass ‘I Love Lucy’. I Love Lucy is a global treasure. ‘I love Lucy’ is a great, unique kind of comedy and romance in one.
This are one of the Quotes like in the episode:
vLucy: I've been feeling real dawncey.
ØEthel: "Dawncey"?
vLucy: Yeah, that's a word my grandmother made up for when you aren't really sick but you just feel lousy.
vLucy: A baby?!
ØEthel: Yeah, "baby." That's a word my grandmother made up for "tiny, little people."
vLucy: Ethel, we're going to have a baby!
ØEthel: (excitedly) We are?! Oh, isn't that wonderful? I never had a baby before! I mean, I've never been let in on it so soon!
vLucy: "Let in on it"? Well, you knew iteeven before I did. This whole thing was practically your idea!
ØEthel: Did the doctor say what it's gonna be?
vLucy: It's gonna be a baby!
ØEthel: No, I mean, I wonder if it's going to be a boy or a girl? Oh, I can't wait to find out whether I'm gonna be a godmother or a godfather!
vLucy: I'll sit on his lap and I'll put my arms around his neck, and I'll say, "Ricky, darling, our dream has come true. You and I are going to be blessed with something that means more to us than anything in the whole world."
oRicky: (about Lucy making him swallow his food too quickly) My stomach is gonna think I lost my teeth!
oRicky: Believe me, if you traded places with me, you'd be surprised.
vLucy: Believe me, if I traded places with you, YOU'D be surprised!
oRicky: Now, how can nobody ring the doorbell? Nobody's necktie is caught in the door!
vLucy: But, Ricky, I want to talk to you about something.
oRicky: Now, look, sweetheart, whatever it is, use your own judgment. Now, if you think it's a good idea, go ahead with it.
§Fred: (gives Lucy a baseball for the baby) And wait'll you see the name on this! That's the name of the best ball player the Yankees ever had.
vLucy: Oh, "Spaulding"!
§Fred: No, honey! Turn it around!
vLucy: "Joe DiMaggio"!
§Fred: You betcha! Ol' Joltin' Joe himself!
vLucy: Ricky's gotta know, and if I don't tell him soon, I might as well wait and let the baby tell him!
A few day after the first date Desi saw Lucy on the beach. He was with Freckles, Freckles had arrived in New York, he brought her to a party on the beach. When Desi was walking on the beach alone he spotted Lucy. “Hi! How is my rumba teacher?” she said. “Hello!” said Desi. Desi loved that Lucy remembered his cheesiest excuse for asking her out for a date.
Lucy: "I had a wonderful time at El Zarape the other night," (Desi said later: “She looked right through me with her beautiful big bleu eyes.”)
Desi answered: "Thank you, and so did I."
Lucy: “sit down” Lucy patted the sand next to her. He went to sit beside her.They spent the entire day together. They went to her apartment that night, that would be their first night together. From that time he called her ‘Lucy’ instead of Lucille.
The next thing in the morning, Lucy called Al: "I’m really sorry… I'm moving out, Al. I'll send somebody to pick up my clothes. I'll explain it to you another time." she said.
So did Desi to Freckles, It was the hardest thing Desi ever had done: "I don't know what made me do what I'm going to do, I’d not want to hurt you. You know I was in love with you." Freckles: "Yes, but you're not now, are you?" Desi: "Freckles, I don't know how a thing like this can happen. It's unnatural, it has no reason." Freckles: "Everything that happens in life is natural and has a reason. Good luck, Desi."
Too many girls was their first film together. There was so much happiness en joy on the set.“You could tell the sparks were flying with Lucy,” says Eddie Bracken, a costar in the film.
Friends if Lucy warned her against Desi. They said that he was to young for her and that he was a playboy. But Lucy was so in love that she didn’t care.
“It happened so fast it seemed it wouldn’t last. Everybody on the set made bets about how long it would last.” said Eddie Bracken. “When we got married, nobody gave it more than two weeks.There were bets all over the country, with astronomical odds against us” – Desi Arnaz
“She talked about Desi all the time,” recalls her friend, actress Maureen O’Hara. “I said, ‘Go ahead and marry him if you love him.’”.
“The best thing that happened to me that year was meeting Lucille.” said Desi to a friend.
