Latest news with #DesiArnaz:TheManWhoInventedTelevision
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Desi Arnaz found life in Miami before he hit the big time. Here are 5 takeaways
Desi Arnaz's connection to Miami is celebrated in a new book by Todd S. Purdum, including the city's role in shaping his early career. The book, 'Desi Arnaz: The Man Who Invented Television,' explores how Arnaz's Miami roots influenced his rise to stardom and his lasting impact on television. FULL STORY: It all began in Miami for TV genius Desi Arnaz. Then he made it big with Lucy Here are the highlights: Miami's influence: Desi Arnaz honed his musical talents in Miami, where he became a sensation with the conga, a pivotal step in his journey to stardom. Television innovations: Arnaz's vision for television, particularly through 'I Love Lucy,' revolutionized the industry by introducing techniques like multi-camera filming and live audience recordings, paving the way for reruns and impact: Arnaz's introduction of the conga line to the U.S. from Miami Beach in 1937 left a lasting cultural mark, celebrated decades later with a permanent marker in Miami Beach honoring his journey: Arriving in Miami from Cuba as a teenager, Arnaz initially worked odd jobs before reinventing himself as a musician, leading to a successful career that included collaborations with notable band leaders and performances in New York and Miami event: Todd S. Purdum will discuss his book, 'Desi Arnaz: The Man Who Invented Television,' at Books & Books in Coral Gables at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 21. The event is free, with the option to purchase the book. The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in the Miami Herald newsroom. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by Miami Herald journalists.
Perth Now
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
I Love Lucy star Lucille Ball found out she was pregnant from a radio broadcast
Lucille Ball found out she was pregnant from a radio broadcast. The late comedienne - who was mother to Lucie, 73, and Desi Jr, 72, with husband Desi Arnaz - had some tests done shortly before learning she was expecting her eldest, but a new biography has alleged that a broadcaster learned of the news first after being "tipped off" by the medical lab. In Desi Arnaz: The Man Who Invented Television, Todd S. Purdum writes: "In June 1950, during the New York run of their vaudeville show, Lucy was relaxing in her dressing room between shows listening to Walter Winchell's radio broadcast when she heard him announce she was 'infanticipating,' the columnist's lingo for 'pregnant.' He'd been tipped off by a medical lab informant before the Arnazes themselves had learned the news." The tome also features interviews with the I Love Lucy star's children, and Lucie recalled just how different her parents were from one another. She said: "He would get really angry and blow his stack, and be loud, but then he'd be done and it would be like it never happened. "[My mom] would get personally offended by childhood behavior or what you said, because you should have known not to say that somehow, even though no one's taught you what to say. "And she would emotionally separate from you for however long she wanted to. And it would be sometimes days, sometimes weeks." Lucille and Desi - who divorced in 1960 after 20 years of marriage - were known to audiences as a a Hollywood power couple in their heyday but Desi Jr insisted that their fame "wasn't good for anyone" in the family. He said: "It wasn't good for anyone. "And we'll always remember when they sat us down and said, 'Look, you know, things aren't working.' I mean, I remember word for word."
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Lucille Ball Found Out She Was Pregnant When Her Medical Records Were Leaked During Radio Broadcast
Lucille Ball once learned she was pregnant while listening to a radio broadcast In his new book Desi Arnaz: The Man Who Invented Television, biographer Todd S. Purdum writes that Ball was on tour with her husband Desi Arnaz in June 1950 when she was listening to the radio in between shows The broadcaster then announced her pregnancy, after being tipped off by a medical lab stafferLucille Ball once found out she was pregnant not from her doctor — but from a radio broadcaster who had been tipped off by a medical lab staffer. In his new book Desi Arnaz: The Man Who Invented Television, biographer Todd S. Purdum writes that Ball was on tour with her husband Desi Arnaz in June 1950 when she learned about her pregnancy in between shows. At the time, Ball and Arnaz were starring in a vaudeville act that required an "exhausting schedule" and "vigorous physical stunts" from Ball. Off stage, they were trying for a baby. Writes Purdum: "In June 1950, during the New York run of their vaudeville show, Lucy was relaxing in her dressing room between shows listening to Walter Winchell's radio broadcast when she heard him announce she was 'infanticipating,' the columnist's lingo for 'pregnant.' He'd been tipped off by a medical lab informant before the Arnazes themselves had learned the news." The author writes that the couple, upon learning the news, then "trimmed the planned length of the tour," though it was in vain — just weeks later, Ball, suffered a miscarriage. Purdum writes in his book that Ball had more than one miscarriage during her marriage to Arnaz, with physicians ultimately discovering they had inadvertently closed a fallopian tube while treating her for one of the miscarriages. After reversing that procedure, Ball ultimately became pregnant again in 1950, at age 39. On July 17, 1951, Ball gave birth via caesarean section, to a baby girl: Lucie. Ball would later give birth a second time, in January 1953, to what was then arguably the most famous baby in America: Desi Jr. Desi Jr.'s birth came as the couple was starring in the now-iconic sitcom I Love Lucy, which premiered in 1951 and even incorporated their second child's birth. In interviews with the author, the now-adult children explained how different their parents were. Lucie recalled how her mother "took it personally" when one of the children would disappoint her. Desi, by contrast, "was not like that," she described. "He would get really angry and blow his stack, and be loud, but then he'd be done and it would be like it never happened," Lucie said, adding that Ball, by contrast, "would get personally offended by childhood behavior or what you said, because you should have known not to say that somehow, even though no one's taught you what to say." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "And she would emotionally separate from you for however long she wanted to. And it would be sometimes days, sometimes weeks," she added. While audiences were delighted by his parents' relationship, Desi Jr. told Purdum that behind the scenes, Lucy and Desi were incredibly argumentative 'It wasn't good for anyone,' Desi Jr. told the author in the book. 'And we'll always remember when they sat us down and said, 'Look, you know, things aren't working.' I mean, I remember word for word.' Desi Arnaz: The Man Who Invented Television (Simon & Schuster) is now available. Read the original article on People
New York Post
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Desi Arnaz went behind Lucille Ball's back and changed their firstborn child's name
Devious Desi. A new book about the late Desi Arnaz revealed that the actor allegedly went behind wife Lucille Ball's back and changed their firstborn child's name in 1951. In 'Desi Arnaz: The Man Who Invented Television,' biographer Todd S. Purdum wrote that Ball picked out the names Susan and Desi Jr. for the couple's future children many years before they bore kids, per People. 10 Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz with their daughter Lucie in 1954. Getty Images Ball, according to the book, even wrote letters to Arnaz that she signed, 'Susan and Desi Jr.' After suffering multiple miscarriages, Ball gave birth to the couple's first child, a daughter, via C-section in July 1951. 10 Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball hold hands outside their home in 1953. Getty Images 10 Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz with their two children in 1953. Getty Images 'Thrilled to be a mother at last, Lucy asked to see the newborn the moment her anesthesia wore off,' Purdum wrote. 'I want to see Susan!' she told the nurse, using the name she believed that she and Desi had agreed on if the baby was a girl, after Lucy's good friend, the young actress Susan Peters, who had been paralyzed from the waist down in a duck-shooting accident.' But after Ball asked to see her daughter, the nurse allegedly replied: 'You mean Lucie?' 10 Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball at the Emmy Awards in 1955. Getty Images 10 Desi Arnaz, Lucille Ball in the 1950s. Getty Images 'Without consulting her, Desi had already written Lucie Desiree on the birth certificate, naming the little girl for her mother and maternal grandmother,' Purdum claimed. 'Lucy was surprised but didn't make a fuss. The name was, after all, a compliment she could hardly resist.' 10 Lucille Ball with her two children in the 1950s. Getty Images The 'I Love Lucy' star later gave birth to her son, Desi Jr., in Jan. 1953. Unlike his sister, Desi Jr. got the name his mom always intended for him. 10 Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball with their son Desi Jr. at his baptism in 1953. Getty Images 10 Lucille Ball kisses her son Desi Jr. in the backyard of their home in Los Angeles in the late 1950s. Getty Images Lucie, now 73, and Desi Jr., now 72, both spoke to Purdum about their famous parents, including their decision to divorce in 1960 after 20 years of marriage. 'It wasn't good for anyone,' Desi Jr. told the author about Ball and Arnaz's relationship. 'And we'll always remember when they sat us down and said, 'Look, you know, things aren't working.' I mean, I remember word for word.' 10 Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz arrive at London Airport with their children in 1959. Getty Images After the divorce, Ball tied the knot with stand-up comedian Gary Morton in 1961. They were introduced by Paula Stewart, Ball's co-star in the Broadway musical 'Wildcat.' 10 Lucie Arnaz, Lucille Ball, Gary Morton and Desi Arnaz Jr. in January 1961. CBS via Getty Images Ball and Morton were still married when the actress died at age 77 in 1989. Arnaz, for his part, got remarried to Edith Mack Hirsch in 1963. Hirsch later died of cancer in March 1985, while Arnaz passed away the following year at age 69.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Desi Arnaz Jr. Breaks Silence on His Father's Demons and the Fallout From 'I Love Lucy'
Desi Arnaz Jr. has spent most of his life avoiding the spotlight that once lit up every corner of his childhood. But People reported that in a rare interview for the new biography Desi Arnaz: The Man Who Invented Television by Todd S. Purdum, he opens up about growing up in the eye of a cultural storm, and the toll it took. Born into America's most famous television family, Desi Jr. was thrust into the public eye before he could walk. His birth was written into I Love Lucy, and he grew up on the set as his parents, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, redefined entertainment. But while audiences adored their onscreen chemistry, their real-life relationship was crumbling behind closed doors. 'It wasn't good for anyone,' Desi Jr. said of the constant arguing. He and his sister, Lucie, vividly remember the moment their parents told them the marriage was over. Lucie described their mother as deeply sensitive, often emotionally distant when hurt, while Desi Sr. was volatile but quick to move on—an emotional storm with no apology. The children's backstage experiences were just as complex. Lucie recalled hiding under bleachers when introduced to the audience. Desi Jr., by contrast, embraced the attention. Still, the pressure of fame left deep marks. Both siblings struggled to find stability in the shadow of legends. One of the most poignant moments in the book comes when Desi Jr. recounts helping his father seek treatment for alcoholism. After battling his own addictions, he guided his father toward rehab in 1985—a move that may have saved his life. 'He didn't stop drinking,' Desi Jr. said. 'He didn't know what the real poison was.' This biography isn't just about a television pioneer. It's about the fractured reality of fame and the complicated love between parents and children navigating a world built on performance. Desi Arnaz Jr. Breaks Silence on His Father's Demons and the Fallout From 'I Love Lucy' first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 6, 2025
