Desi Arnaz

Lore & Background

Arnaz was born in Santiago de Cuba to a prominent family; his father was a doctor, mayor, and legislator. The Cuban Revolution of 1933 forced the family to flee to Miami after their property was destroyed and his father jailed. Arnaz lived with his father in a rat-infested garage and worked at Woolworth's and cleaning canary cages before entering show business. He joined the Siboney Septet, then Xavier Cugat's orchestra, and later formed his own Desi Arnaz Orchestra, introducing the conga line to U.S. audiences. He was cast in the Broadway musical Too Many Girls in 1939 and its 1940 film version, where he met and eloped with Lucille Ball. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army, directing USO programs at a hospital in the San Fernando Valley, and was discharged as a staff sergeant. After the war, he led his orchestra on Bob Hope's radio show and hosted the game show Your Tropical Trip on CBS Radio in 1951.

Reader's Guide

Desi Arnaz's significance lies in his role as a pioneering television producer and performer. With Lucille Ball, he co-founded Desilu Productions to market I Love Lucy, and the couple is credited with inventing the syndicated rerun, which transformed television economics. Arnaz's portrayal of Ricky Ricardo on I Love Lucy broke ground by featuring a mixed-ethnicity marriage on American television at a time when such portrayals faced resistance. His Cuban accent and Latin style became iconic, and he popularized the conga line in the United States through his orchestra. After I Love Lucy ended, Arnaz produced other series, including The Ann Sothern Show and The Untouchables, through Desilu and independently. His legacy includes not only his on-screen work but also his behind-the-scenes innovations that shaped the television industry.

Did You Know?

• Arnaz and Lucille Ball are credited as the innovators of the syndicated rerun, which they pioneered with the I Love Lucy series.
• Arnaz narrowly escaped the Cuban Revolution of 1933 by hopping into a car driving away as a mob attacked his family's property.
• He was a great-great-great-grandson of José Joaquín, a mayor of Santiago de Cuba, and was of Spanish, Irish, and French descent.
• During World War II, Arnaz served in the U.S. Army and arranged for movie starlets to pour milk for wounded soldiers at a hospital.