Desi Arnaz: The "Prince" of Cuba, The King of Television

Chances are you know of a show called I Love Lucy. It was a show that changed TV forever and followed the Ricardo family’s hilarious antics for over a decade. From that show, a star was born, Lucille Ball.
While she might be the name you remember most, you’d be forgetting one of TV's most essential players both in front of and behind the scenes: Desi Arnaz.
Desi’s life is a fascinating one. It’s a story of riches to rags to riches. The boy who had everything taken away from him due to a revolution rebuilt his life in a foreign land, married a fiery red head, became a father, ran a media empire, and wound up as one of the wealthiest men in Hollywood. This is the story of the “Prince” of Cuba and the King of Television.
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www.closerweekly.com/posts/i-...
www.britannica.com/event/Cuba...
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archive.org/details/book00arn...
archive.org/details/book00arn...
A Book by Desi Arnaz
Desilu: The Story of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz
by Coyne Stevan Sanders and Thomas W. Gilbert
Lucy & Desi: The Legendary Love Story of Television’s Most Famous Couple
by Warren G. Harris
Lucy and Desi (2022) - Documentary

Пікірлер: 94

  • @Biographics
    @Biographics3 ай бұрын

    Karl's Socials: Fact Fiend: www.youtube.com/@FactFiend Wiki Weekends: www.youtube.com/@wikiweekends Untitled Side Channel: www.youtube.com/@untitledsidechannel Twitter: twitter.com/KarlSmallwood Follow James CJ: instagram.com/jameswritessometimes/?hl=en Facebook: facebook.com/jameswritessometimes/

  • @danielsantiagourtado3430

    @danielsantiagourtado3430

    3 ай бұрын

    Karl is awesome 🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤. Please do Charles XIV of sweden

  • @erraticonteuse

    @erraticonteuse

    3 ай бұрын

    For half a second, my brain parsed James's insta handle as "james somerton" 😱

  • @hightierplayers2454
    @hightierplayers24543 ай бұрын

    Controversial or not, the man became one of Hollywood's legends.

  • @udowannun7780
    @udowannun77803 ай бұрын

    My mom was a server at a restaurant that was, at the time, one of two renown restaurants in our city. She spilled wine right in Desi Arnaz’s lap. He was incredibly gracious, laughed it off, tipped her well.

  • @ethanramos4441
    @ethanramos44413 ай бұрын

    “One of the biggest problems with comedy was that I did not understand some of the jokes” Desi Arnaz

  • @Scott-vr3kf
    @Scott-vr3kf3 ай бұрын

    "I Love Lucy was never just the title"... got damn't, who's cutting onions in here?

  • @danielsantiagourtado3430
    @danielsantiagourtado34303 ай бұрын

    0:10 these smallwood jokes are just getting better! Keep them coming karl😂😂😂😂😂😂

  • @marksusskind1260

    @marksusskind1260

    3 ай бұрын

    my faves are mathematical: double L, double U, double O

  • @julieours4135
    @julieours41353 ай бұрын

    So glad you did Desi quickly after Lucy.

  • @patriciaposthumus6684
    @patriciaposthumus66843 ай бұрын

    I would love to see a video on George Burns and Gracie Allen in the same way you just did Lucy and Desi.

  • @RHCole
    @RHCole3 ай бұрын

    Desi and Lucy were always hilarious on the old roasts. RIP to two legends of comedy.

  • @sonnycook5346
    @sonnycook53463 ай бұрын

    I worked on his ranch in 85, he was always kind to me.

  • @HereBeDragonsYT
    @HereBeDragonsYT3 ай бұрын

    The name is Smallwood, but the Energy is BD...

  • @-RONNIE
    @-RONNIE3 ай бұрын

    Thank you for doing his own biography episode as well. It really was a good show and like I said they did change television at that time.

  • @thehomeschoolinglibrarian
    @thehomeschoolinglibrarian3 ай бұрын

    Amazing video as always and a very interesting if troubled man. It must have be traumatized to go from very wealthy to dirt poor so quickly and then having to struggle for so much of his youth. It probably contributed to his issues and him and Lucy both with a lot of emotional baggage made an amazing if volatile pair. Oh and the last time they talked was on what would have been their wedding anniversary.

  • @zaco-km3su
    @zaco-km3su3 ай бұрын

    Lucille Ball was....the star. She continued to have a great career even after Desi quit. It's clear that the guy made enough money to live the life he wanted without working anymore. He became financially independent to say the least.

  • @melissadwiggins
    @melissadwiggins3 ай бұрын

    13:19 You mean fiery? Like fire-ree? I mean is that how British people say it? Lol

  • @SSRT_JubyDuby8742

    @SSRT_JubyDuby8742

    3 ай бұрын

    I have duplicated this comment, without knowledge of your's, apologies, 😔.

  • @bunyipdragon9499

    @bunyipdragon9499

    3 ай бұрын

    I pointed this out in the Lucille Ball bio but I'm sure she'd be ok with feary instead of firey (fiery) 😂

  • @davidorellana6278
    @davidorellana62783 ай бұрын

    Together the brought us Star Trek and mission impossible .. True Giants

  • @murrayscott9546
    @murrayscott95463 ай бұрын

    RIP.

  • @kathyparkhurst7005
    @kathyparkhurst70053 күн бұрын

    i have the whole series, i love lucy and rickey

  • @banditligroin
    @banditligroin3 ай бұрын

    Fun video

  • @ignitionfrn2223
    @ignitionfrn22233 ай бұрын

    1:50 - Chapter 1 - The prince of cuba 3:00 - Chapter 2 - Losing everything; the cuban revolution of 1933 4:45 - Chapter 3 - From riches to rags 7:05 - Chapter 4 - From rags to rumba 8:50 - Chapter 5 - Conga ; desi's dance of desperation 10:45 - Chapter 6 - Too many girls 11:55 - Chapter 7 - Desi meets his match ; lucille ball 13:50 - Chapter 8 - A cuban goes to war ; WW2 15:10 - Chapter 9 - I love lucy & the rise of desilu 20:50 - Chapter 10 - A marriage on the rocks 22:00 - Chapter 11 - Half of desilu calls it a day 24:05 - Chapter 12 - Desi's final days 24:55 - Chapter 13 - The legacy of the prince of cuba & the king of television 25:45 - Conclusion

  • @EliseIsabella-cb1zo
    @EliseIsabella-cb1zo3 ай бұрын

    Could you do one about voice actress June Foray.

  • @erraticonteuse

    @erraticonteuse

    3 ай бұрын

    Yes! She was a legend and totally deserves wider recognition. Such a long career too, from Rocket J. Squirrel to Grandma Fa in Mulan, her work is iconic.

  • @sophiev1900
    @sophiev19003 ай бұрын

    Glad you guys did both so close together. There are always two sides to every story. I didn’t know as much about him as I did about Lucy, so thanks for this.

  • @michellecrocker2485
    @michellecrocker24853 ай бұрын

    Man was a true talent. Shame he could never stop sleeping around on Lucy.

  • @okjoe5561

    @okjoe5561

    3 ай бұрын

    Lucy got around too. Welcome to Hollywood.

  • @michellecrocker2485

    @michellecrocker2485

    3 ай бұрын

    @@okjoe5561 Lucy was sleeping around? I never heard about that

  • @okjoe5561

    @okjoe5561

    3 ай бұрын

    @@michellecrocker2485 Sure. She had a boyfriend in NYC, that's why she did that play on Broadway. Orson Welles told a story that he and Lucy got together and he couldn't, shall we say, rise to the occasion for her so she spread it around that he was a colorful word for homosexual. In Desi's autobiography (a very good book, by the way) when Lucy said she wanted a divorce and was going to take him for everything he had, he showed her a piece of paper with the name of someone she was seeing and she quieted down real quick. To be fair, no one is faithful in Hollywood.

  • @lordoftheflies7024

    @lordoftheflies7024

    3 ай бұрын

    ​@@okjoe5561what? Lucy wanted orson wells? He had a nice voice and all that but ladies man he most certainly didn't look the part.

  • @okjoe5561

    @okjoe5561

    3 ай бұрын

    @@lordoftheflies7024 Orson Welles was quite the ladies man. Read a biography on him.

  • @Hamzakhan-dt3gv
    @Hamzakhan-dt3gv3 ай бұрын

    interesting video

  • @ShadowGuideD
    @ShadowGuideD3 ай бұрын

    This one and the Lucile Ball video have both been amazing, loving content lately as a whole

  • @brandonkelusky2493
    @brandonkelusky24933 ай бұрын

    You should cover william joyce lord haw-haw

  • @TM-yn4iu
    @TM-yn4iu3 ай бұрын

    Really enjoyed this video - presentation, history and facts....and...informative entertaining.

  • @Micccck.
    @Micccck.3 ай бұрын

    Can you do a video on colonel ivan savin alik??

  • @JC-ji1hp
    @JC-ji1hp3 ай бұрын

    Unreal how many times this channel has posted a video on an obscure person in history that I was randomly thinking about

  • @theresalaux5655
    @theresalaux56553 ай бұрын

    Thanks Karl, good video! 😊❤

  • @Justintime619
    @Justintime6193 ай бұрын

    He never got the credit for all he did.

  • @AthanCage
    @AthanCage3 ай бұрын

    KARL, Gonna miss you on fact fiend, it's great to see you here though.

  • @jackmcdonnell8505
    @jackmcdonnell85053 ай бұрын

    LUCY I’M HOME!!!

  • @user-xl9yv3xp1c
    @user-xl9yv3xp1c3 ай бұрын

    What happened too Whistle boy then?

  • @AnnaAnna-uc2ff
    @AnnaAnna-uc2ff3 ай бұрын

    Thanks.

  • @marksusskind1260
    @marksusskind12603 ай бұрын

    Bob-Alu!

  • @HempKnight2112
    @HempKnight21123 ай бұрын

    That title though....

  • @margerykirner5604
    @margerykirner56042 ай бұрын

    Dead Arnaz was a gracious man a really funny man and not ha🎉d on the eyes!

  • @HikazePrincess
    @HikazePrincess3 ай бұрын

    Has anyone requested a video on Amelia Earhart or Clara Barton?

  • @MalloryNewcomb
    @MalloryNewcombАй бұрын

    24:43 well that was beautiful

  • @Kuma_Kares
    @Kuma_Kares3 ай бұрын

    Wait what happened to the other host?

  • @mattyt1961
    @mattyt19613 ай бұрын

    2:35 that's a a lot of stuff in his plethora... but no pinatas???

  • @simonrancourt7834
    @simonrancourt78343 ай бұрын

    The husband of the Empress of Star Trek. Lucille Ball saved Star Trek.

  • @teddzagan5178
    @teddzagan51783 ай бұрын

    I have been asking this since before Simon hit 50k subs. JAMES DOOHAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Btw you're doing a great job.

  • @kasession
    @kasession3 ай бұрын

    He made a statement with Ed Sullivan on the miracle of living in the US. It's one of the most moving statements I've ever heard. 👍🏿

  • @JJJBRICE

    @JJJBRICE

    2 ай бұрын

    It was at a testimonial on the Sullivan show for ILL and Arnaz was accompanied by the other members of the fabulous foursome . He mentioned only in America could go from cleaning bird cages to be being a success on ILL . Arnaz was tearing up saying this and Sullivan was embracing him .

  • @randomtourist6656
    @randomtourist66563 ай бұрын

    Smallwood 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 🫡 you are a brave man 🧍‍♂️

  • @YT_Bran0224
    @YT_Bran02243 ай бұрын

    I always wanted to make these kinds of videos but I have no idea where to start

  • @murrayscott9546
    @murrayscott95463 ай бұрын

    Interim - job ! ? Gotta change yer moniker.

  • @serranastitches2308
    @serranastitches23083 ай бұрын

    Loved the show. Great job everyone. Parenthetically, I’m low key getting angry Karl still has to say interim

  • @pullt
    @pullt3 ай бұрын

    Why is Carl Tinyphallus here?

  • @raycochrane3971
    @raycochrane39713 ай бұрын

    "feary"?

  • @vitorpereira9515
    @vitorpereira95153 ай бұрын

    Make an episode about Dom Pedro II of Brazil. He was the greatest Brazilian of all time.

  • @kathyparkhurst7005
    @kathyparkhurst70053 күн бұрын

    i dont lik to watch the later ones, you can tell they werent in love

  • @murrayscott9546
    @murrayscott95463 ай бұрын

    Wow ! Desi - Lu sure wassa powerhouse !

  • @justjukka
    @justjukka3 ай бұрын

    Ballsy ❌ Audacious ✅

  • @Satanichispanic1985
    @Satanichispanic19852 ай бұрын

    Desi Arnaz deserves better where’s simon

  • @brix7816

    @brix7816

    Ай бұрын

    In case you somehow haven't realized, or seen the news, Simon has quit Biographics and Geographics forever.

  • @MF_UNDERTOW
    @MF_UNDERTOW3 ай бұрын

    Kyle Smoregood

  • @mitchellmanibusan7652
    @mitchellmanibusan76523 ай бұрын

    Where’s Simon? When’s he coming back

  • @joeobrien196

    @joeobrien196

    3 ай бұрын

    He left after disagreement with owner. Comeback unlikely.

  • @EGSBiographies-om1wb
    @EGSBiographies-om1wb3 ай бұрын

    86th

  • @EliseIsabella-cb1zo
    @EliseIsabella-cb1zo3 ай бұрын

    Would you all do one about The Three Stooges or about Casey Kasem?

  • @midwestweirdo666
    @midwestweirdo6663 ай бұрын

    I heard that after Lucy died, their daughter wanted to edit the show to remove all the smoking since heavy smoking killed both of them but it couldn't be done because so much of the show involved smoking in some way. I think it was in their contract with Philip Morris for their sponsorship that if nobody on screen was smoking they would have to go off script and offer everyone a cigarette or cigar.

  • @patdylan
    @patdylan3 ай бұрын

    Do Andrew Johnson 1st us president to get impeached!

  • @TheYoungFrederick
    @TheYoungFrederick3 ай бұрын

    I love how the viewership has completely dropped since Simon left the channel. I used to watch this everyday.

  • @PitboyHarmony1
    @PitboyHarmony13 ай бұрын

    Just look at the numbers. When will people realize that Simon made the channel. Just accept defeat and return it to him ... if he wants it. Just look at the numbers.

  • @jonmartinson6830
    @jonmartinson68303 ай бұрын

    He was a talented musician and made a surprisingly good straight man for lucy. They were very funny together. Just a shame he was a cheating pos.

  • @Vinylvine22
    @Vinylvine223 ай бұрын

    I see the viewership levels dropped significantly since Simon left. She made a huge mistake with this. Went from millions of views to thousands.

  • @Albert-Arthur-Wison225
    @Albert-Arthur-Wison2253 ай бұрын

    I’ve noticed that the 6 counties ( popularly known as’ Northern Ireland ‘ ) seems to contain a more than average proportion of folk with….intriguing surnames. Particular members of loyalist militias such as the UDA. Every other leader of them seemed to have been saddled with surnames such as ‘ Pickles ‘ , ‘ Smalls ‘, ‘ Cheese ‘, ‘ Dicklesbury ‘, & what have you…😂

  • @lindaeasley5606
    @lindaeasley56063 ай бұрын

    Too Many Girls was ironically the story of Lucy's marriage to Desi.

  • @andrewcarson5850
    @andrewcarson58503 ай бұрын

    Learn to pronounce "fiery", please.

  • @factor2634
    @factor26343 ай бұрын

    I like you but your hosting you fidget too much and joke around its a history channel its more Let get down to it...reduce the goofiness and just give it straight i think it would be better. A joke or two here and there ...Its like Tars in interstellar lets get on that valium setting

  • @wxwxsrg
    @wxwxsrg3 ай бұрын

    This man has far too much hair on top of his head and none on his face....

  • @andrewcarson5850
    @andrewcarson58503 ай бұрын

    Also, your catchphrase is rubbish.

  • @andrewcarson5850
    @andrewcarson58503 ай бұрын

    Seriously, you don't need to spell your name, it is written on the screen. Please just get on with the programme, like your predecessor did, no one cares about the narcissistic preamble, and anyone who wants that info can listen to you repeat it all at the end.

  • @zmitch88
    @zmitch883 ай бұрын

    No.

  • @SabbathSOG
    @SabbathSOG3 ай бұрын

    He constantly cheated on Lucy. If it wasn't for Lucy Desi arnaz would have never got anywhere. She insisted to CBS that he had to be on the show. I love Lucy. He was a piece of crap

  • @25Erix

    @25Erix

    3 ай бұрын

    The affairs went both ways, remember?

  • @dewgirl101

    @dewgirl101

    Ай бұрын

    Yeah she advocated for him to be on the show, but I Love Lucy would have never made it off the ground without Desi.

  • @annysons
    @annysons3 ай бұрын

    Worst Biographics EVER ? Pretty boring subject