Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #314741 in Books
• Published on: 1994-03-11
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Forty-two years after I Love Lucy premiered on TV, this first dual biography of Lucille Ball (1911-1989) and Desi Arnaz (1917-1986) painstakingly details their business and personal dealings. The famed redhead and her Cuban husband, who met as young Hollywood contract players, pioneered TV situation comedy by starring in their own series and founding Desilu Productions, which was responsible for such other hit shows as Star Trek and Mission Impossible . Colleagues, friends and relatives--particularly daughter Lucie Arnaz--contribute to this telling of the team's successes and failures. Lucille's obsessive involvements with her co-stars and children and Desi's alcoholism and womanizing come to stand out in sharp contrast to the zany TV antics of Lucy and Desi, who remain beloved by the viewing public worldwide. The book will disappoint fans, however, due to excessive attention paid to the finances of Desilu Productions. Sanders is the author of Rainbow's End: The Judy Garland Show ; Gilbert is an editor for Daily Variety. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Claiming to be the first dual biography "supported by family members and close friends," Desilu is actually something more. Here are the familiar stories of the stormy Ball-Arnaz marriage, their phenomenal success with I Love Lucy , and their inevitable parting. The real value of this book lies in its detailed charting of the fortunes of the couple's TV studio, which launched The Untouchables , Mission Impossible , and Star Trek , as well as a host of forgettable programs. The authors' something-for-everyone approach--interweaving dishy tales of Lucy's insecurity-fed tantrums and Desi's drinking with yearly accounting of the studio's profits--doesn't always work, but this is still a valuable book about the inner workings of television. Recommended for most public libraries. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 10/1/92.
- Thomas Wiener, formerly with "American Film"
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

-- San Francisco Chronicle
"Provide[s] fresh insights into the performers' personalities . . . Fans of the Lucy show will find Desilu fascinating."

Customer Reviews

THIS IS IT--'FILMED IN HOLLYWOOD BY DESILU'!
This is the ultimate book for those who love not only Lucy but the fabled studio that did so much interesting TV. It's all here--I Love Lucy, the Specials, the Lucy Show, Star Trek, Mission Impossible, Mannix... full and never dull rundowns on the lives of Lucy and Desi and how their lives impacted television and the hundreds that worked for them. Not a love letter to either of them but not a Desilu Dearest either. This is the one you must have--this and "The Lucy Book" are essential.

This Is Really How It Was!
I was transfixed by reading the comprehensive and well documented non fiction book DESILU written by acclaimed entertainment journalist Tom Gilbert and Coyne Sanders. These authors did their extensive research and transposed their factual material into an engrossing, extremely well written and fascinating account of how one of the entertainment industry's most famous acting, creative and producing teams- Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz- created the most beloved sitcom in history I LOVE LUCY as well as a television mega-empire in the early days of the industry (long before AMERICAN IDOL and SURVIVOR became the current rage!). The book gives a detailed inside look into the dynamics of their personalities, joys and conflicts. I would recommend DESILU without hesitation to anyone interested in a) the life and career of Lucille Ball b)the life and career of Desi Arnaz c)the early days of television d)the company that created some of the most beloved televsion shows in its time and of all times. An engrossing read!

Lucy, I'm home...
This is a really nice book on the real inside story about America's favorite sitcom couple, Lucy and Desi Arnez. The authors have taken great care to present these two television icons with dignity and respect. In doing so, much of the glitz of these stars is torn away, showing two determined and driven people grasping to hold on to their marriage while making millions laugh every week on their tv show. This book takes you through the careers of Lucy and Desi and explains the complex relationship they had. Both were highly motivated to be successful and this strain on the their personal lives proved to be fatal. A great deal of background material is covered as to the "I Love Lucy" show's inception, the chemistry between all the characters such as Vivian Vance and William Frawley, plus the various directors and producers who prepared the show. Unknown to many, it was Desi who served as the show's guiding creative talent and business executive in managing the show and other spinoffs. At the end of the book, you feel that you have gotten to know these two people a lot better. As the book ends, there is a certain sadness that overtakes the reader. It leaves you thinking how ironic that they brought so much happiness to so many while they themselves found it so elusive.