Frequently Asked Lucy-Desi Questions

Lucy-Desi Center	Lucy's Hometown & Vacinity	Personally Lucy	Personally Desi	Lucy & Desi Together	Their Careers

Miscellaneous

What are the hours of The Lucy-Desi Center attractions?
The Lucy-Desi Museum, Lucy-Desi Center Gift Shop and Desilu Playhouse are open Monday – Saturday, 10 am – 5:30 pm and Sunday 1-5 pm. Closed on Easter, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day.

Are the Lucy-Desi Museum, Lucy-Desi Center Gift Shop, and Desilu Playhouse handicapped accessible?
Yes, the Lucy-Desi Museum (10 W. Third Street), the Lucy-Desi Center Gift Shop (300 N. Main Street), and the Desilu Playhouse (2 West 3rd St.) are all handicapped accessible.

What is the admission price for the Lucy-Desi Museum?
Rates:
$10 Adults
$9 Seniors (60+)
$7 Youth (6-18)
$8 Museum Members

What is the admission price for the Desilu Playhouse?
Rates:
$10 Adults
$9 Seniors (60+)
$7 Youth (6-18)
$8 Museum Members

Are dogs allowed in the museums?

Only seeing eye guide dogs when accompanying their owners are allowed inside Lucy-Desi facilities.

Why is it called the Desilu Playhouse? Are plays performed there?
No, plays aren’t held in the Desilu Playhouse. It is named after the studio in Hollywood where the “I Love Lucy” show was filmed. The Desilu Playhouse is home to the sets from the “I Love Lucy” 50th Anniversary Tour that traveled the country in 2001-2002. The sets include the kitchen and living room of the Ricardos’ New York City apartment, as well as the suite of The Beverly Palms Hotel in Hollywood. The Desilu Playhouse was made possible by the generosity of Bill and Mary Rapaport of Buffalo, New York.

Does the Lucy-Desi Museum offer admission discounts?
AAA members receive $1 off the admission price when presenting their AAA membership card when purchasing admission. Also, all Museum members get free admission to the Museum and reduced admission to the Desilu Playhouse.

Does the Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center offer a newsletter?
The Lucy-Desi Museum distributes a printed newsletter as an exclusive benefit to Lucy-Desi Museum Members. For Museum membership information, visit www.lucy-desi.com or call the Museum’s membership coordinator at 716-484-0800 ext. 201. Newsletter back issues are available (to members only) for $6 each.

For individuals with an email address, The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center offers periodic news and updates via email. Whenever we have anything we think you might want to know about right away, we'll send you an email. (We don't share your email address with others.)

Where can I find "I Love Lucy" merchandise?
The Lucy-Desi Center offers three gift shops in Lucy's hometown and each features products you won't find in the other two locations -- one in the Lucy-Desi Museum, one in the Desilu Playhouse one block away, and a larger Gift Shop across the street from the Playhouse. All three are stocked with the latest and greatest licensed "I Love Lucy" collectibles -- everything from "I Love Lucy" travel bags to cookie jars! The shopping experience is a Lucy adventure all its own!

For Lucy-Desi fans unable to visit Jamestown, orders can be placed through the Center's online gift shop at www.lucy-desi.com. Full color gift shop catalogs can also be requested online. All sales from the on-site shops and through www.lucy-desi.com benefit the Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center.

The Museum hosts two Lucy-Desi festivals each year. When are they?
Lucy-Desi Days is every May during Memorial Day weekend. Lucy’s Birthday Celebration is in early August.

Are contributions to the organization tax deductible?
Yes; even the IRS loves Lucy!

Where in Jamestown was Lucy born?
In a home at 69 Stewart Avenue.

Where did Lucy live in Celoron?
Lucy lived with her mother and her mother’s family on 8th Street, now 59 Lucy Lane, for much of her childhood. The home has transferred ownership only three times since Lucy lived there.

Did Lucy ever return to Jamestown after she became a celebrity?
Lucy returned to Jamestown in 1934. She also came back in 1937 and visited with Grandma Peterson. She returned in 1944 for Grandpa Hunt’s funeral. In 1946 she came back to promote the sale of war bonds. In 1956, Lucy and Desi visited for the world premiere of Forever Darling. She was planning to return in May of 1989 to receive an honorary degree from Jamestown Community College, but she died in April.

How many outdoor “I Love Lucy” wall murals are there in downtown Jamestown?
Four. All are located in downtown Jamestown and are within four blocks of the museums.

What other famous people come from the Jamestown area?
Roger Tory Peterson, the premier naturalist of the 20th Century, who wrote the authoritative field guides to birds; Robert H. Jackson, Supreme Court Justice and America’s chief prosecutor at the post-World War II war crimes trials in Nuremberg, Germany; and Reuben Fenton, governor of New York State from 1865-1869 and U.S. Congressman and Senator from 1869-1875, were also from Jamestown. The Fenton History Center is housed in his Italian Villa style brick mansion on the south side of Jamestown. It also contains a Lucy exhibit!

When was Lucille Ball born?
August 6, 1911.

Where was Lucy born?
In a home at 69 Stewart Avenue in Jamestown, New York.

Was Lucille Ball her real name?
Yes.

What was Lucy's middle name?
Desiree, named after her mother.

Did she ever use other names?
Yes, when she went to New York City as a young woman, she used Diane Belmont (inspired by the Belmont Race Track on Long Island).

What happened to Lucy’s father?
Henry Durrell Ball (September 25, 1887 – February 28, 1915) died of typhoid fever when Lucy was three.

What happened to Lucy’s mother?
Desiree “DeDe” Eveline Hunt Ball (September 21, 1892 – July 20, 1977) moved from Jamestown to Los Angeles shortly after Lucy starting working in Hollywood. DeDe attended the filming of almost every episode of “I Love Lucy”, The Lucy Show, and Here’s Lucy. When Lucy retired from weekly television in 1974, her mother asked, “Now what am I going to do on Thursday nights?!” Lucy and her mother were very close.

What religion was Lucy?
Lucy’s parents were married by Rev. Charles D. Reed of Calvary Baptist Church on August 31, 1910, in Jamestown, and Lucy attended Sunday School at the local Baptist and Methodist churches. When Lucy and Desi were married in 1940, it was in a civil ceremony in Connecticut. Unsuccessful in having children and believing that the marriage was not sanctioned by God because they weren’t married by a priest, they decided to have a second marriage ceremony in the Catholic Church. This ceremony took place on June 19, 1949 at Our Lady of the Valley Church near their home in Chatsworth, California. Lucy took classes for non-Catholics marrying into the church. Although she did not convert, she agreed to raise their children in the Catholic Church. Later in life, Lucy was influenced by Norman Vincent Peale and his book The Power of Positive Thinking. She attended his Marble Collegiate Church in New York City, and it was there that the Rev. Peale performed the marriage ceremony between her and Gary Morton on November 19, 1961.

How tall was Lucy?
Lucy was 5' 7.5".

What was Lucy’s real hair color?
In Episode #72 of “I Love Lucy” (“Lucy Tells the Truth” ) Lucy describes her real hair color as “mousy brown.”

Did Lucy remarry?
Yes, Lucy married Gary Morton, a stand-up comic and avid golfer, on November 19, 1961. Mr. Morton passed away on March 30, 1999.

Did Lucy ever write her memoirs?
Yes, they were found after her death and published by her children. The book, entitled Love, Lucy, describes her life up to the year 1964, and is now available in paperback.

When did Lucy die and what did she die from?
Lucy died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after undergoing 8 hours of emergency heart surgery on April 19. She passed away 7 days later. In the early morning of April 26 her aorta (a major blood vessel) ruptured.

How old was Lucy when she passed away?
Lucy was 77.

Where is Lucy buried?
Lucy's ashes are buried at Lake View Cemetery in her hometown, Jamestown, New York, with several other family members including her parents.

When was Desi Arnaz born?
March 2, 1917

Where was Desi born?
Santiago, Cuba

What did his parents do?
Desi’s father was mayor of Santiago, and his mother, Dolores Acha y de Socias, was one of the most prominent and beautiful women in Latin America. Her father was one of the three original founders of the Bacardi Rum Company.

Why did Desi leave Cuba?
Desi’s father was elected to the Cuban Congress in 1932. On August 12, 1933, during the Batista revolution, the Congress was dissolved and most of its members, including Desi’s father, were imprisoned. The Arnaz properties were confiscated, and their homes were burned to the ground. Desi escaped to Havana with his mother. In 1934, Desi successfully arranged his father’s release from prison, and then together they emigrated to Florida.

How did Desi meet Lucy?

Desi's Broadway performance in Too Many Girls brought him to Hollywood to continue his role in the film adaptation of the play. Lucille Ball was cast as the female lead of the film. It was on this set that the future first couple of comedy met.

How tall was Desi?
According to his passport, Desi was 5 feet 11.5" tall.

Did Desi ever write his memoirs?
Yes, Desi wrote his autobiography, A Book, which was published in 1976.

Did Desi remarry?
Yes, Desi married Edith Mack Hirsch on March 2, 1963. She died in 1985.

When did Desi die?
December 2, 1986, in Del Mar, California

How old was Desi when he passed away?
Desi was 69.

What was the cause of his death?
Lung cancer

Where is Desi buried?
His ashes were scattered at sea.

In which film did Lucy and Desi first meet?
The RKO film, Too Many Girls. in 1940. Desi was doing the play on Broadway. Lucy was cast to be the star in the film version in Hollywood. Desi was flown to Hollywood to continue his role for the film.

What other films did Lucy and Desi co-star in?
The Long, Long Trailer in 1954 and Forever, Darling in 1956.

How many children did Lucy and Desi have?
Two. Lucie Desiree Arnaz Luckinbill (born July 17, 1951) and Desi Arnaz, Jr. (born January 19, 1953). Lucie lives in New York; Desi, in Nevada.

When did Lucy and Desi divorce? Why?
May 4, 1961. The stresses of the television shows as well as owning and running Desilu Studios put a great strain on their marriage.

What famous bandleader heard Desi play and offered him a job in his band?
Xavier Cugat

When did “I Love Lucy” debut on television?
October 15, 1951.

What radio series was it based on?
My Favorite Husband, a CBS radio show that ran from 1948-1951, and starred Lucy as Liz Cugat and Richard Denning as her banker husband, George Cugat.

Was “Little Ricky” on “I Love Lucy” played by Lucy and Desi’s real son?
No. Several little tykes played Little Ricky. James J. Ganzer played Baby Ricky in the January 19, 1953 episode “Lucy Goes to the Hospital”; Richard and Ron Simmons played Baby Ricky in the second season Episode #57, “No Children Allowed” ; twins Joseph and Michael Mayer played him the third through the fifth season. During the show’s sixth season (and through all of the Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour shows) a child actor named Keith Thibodeaux (stage name: Richard Keith) played “Little Ricky.” He was the only “Little Ricky” who had speaking parts.

What other television series did Lucy star in?
The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour ran from 1957-1960 and continued where “I Love Lucy” left off. The show was now an hour long and the 13 episodes were aired sporadically from October 1957 through April 1960. This was the last series that Lucy and Desi appeared in as Lucy and Ricky Ricardo. They were divorced shortly after the show ended. Lucy returned to television as Lucy Carmichael in The Lucy Show from 1962 to 1968. Vivian Vance played her friend, Vivian Bagley. In 1968 Here’s Lucy premiered, starring Lucy as Lucy Carter, Gale Gordon as her brother-in-law, Harry Carter, and Lucy’s children Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz, Jr., as Craig and Kim Carter. This show ran through 1974. The last television series that Lucy appeared in was the 1986 ABC show Life With Lucy, in which Lucy played a grandmother, Lucy Barker, and Gale Gordon returned as her brother-in-law, Curtis McGibbon. Only 8 episodes of this show were aired.

How many movies did Lucy appear in?
82

How many movies did Desi appear in?
11; probably the most famous was the war movie Bataan (1943, RKO) for which Desi received the Photoplay Best Performance of the Month award.

Did Lucy and Desi ever appear on Broadway?
In 1939 Desi starred in Too Many Girls at the Imperial Theatre. Lucy starred in Wildcat, which premiered at the Alvin Theatre in New York City in December 1960.

What were some of the series that Desilu studios produced?
Star Trek, Our Miss Brooks, Mission Impossible, The Untouchables, The Andy Griffith Show, My Favorite Martian, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and Make Room for Daddy.

What game shows did Lucy make appearances on?
What’s My Line, Body Language and Super Password.

Where was Vivian Vance from? When did she die?
Vivian Vance was born July 26, 1909 in Cherryvale, Kansas; she died August 17, 1979 in Belvedere, California. Her remains were cremated.

Where was William Frawley from? When did he die?
William Frawley was born February 26, 1887, in Burlington, Iowa; he died March 3, 1966 in Hollywood, California. His remains were buried at San Fernando Mission Cemetery, Mission Hills, California.

Why aren't all of Lucy and Desi's movies available on home video?
Over the years, many of Lucy’s and Desi's movies have been released on home video. Unfortunately, several are no longer currently available from video distributors.

The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center, Inc. does not own the films Lucy and Desi starred in and, therefore, does not decide which films are released on home video or DVD. The films are owned by various motion picture studios. The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center, Inc. makes every effort to stay informed of all current Lucy-Desi films available on home video. As a result, the web store at www.lucy-desi.com is a complete source for all films currently available on home video. For more information, click here: http://store.yahoo.com/lucille-ball-desi-arnaz-center/videos---dvds.html.

Is Stone Pillow available on home video?
This is an often-asked question. Lucy, as the homeless Flora Belle in the 1985 made-for-TV movie is available on DVD and can be purchased at the Lucy-Desi Center Gift Shop or online at : http://store.yahoo.com/lucille-ball-desi-arnaz-center/videos---dvds.html.

How do I join a Lucy fan club?
Our friend, Tom Watson, is the president of the We Love Lucy Fan Club. For more information, visit www.lucyfan.com.

What is the Lucy-Desi Center's position on Lucy and Desi impressionists?
The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center does not sanction or endorse anyone impersonating either Lucille Ball or Desi Arnaz. This is a topic that is addressed through the estates of Lucy and Desi and CBS Worldwide, the entity that holds the copyright on "I Love Lucy" and the show's characters.

The impressionists that are part of the Center's festivals are individuals who have gone through the proper channels of becoming authorized by the appropriate entities.

Where can I read more about Lucy and Desi?
Many books have been written about Lucy and Desi. CLICK HERE to view books available through the Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center Gift Shop.