Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz’s fierce, real-life chemistry fueled their roles as the bickering but loving couple on their trailblazing sitcom “I Love Lucy.” No matter how aggravating Lucy’s goofy schemes became, at the end of the day Ricky always forgave her and couldn’t help but be charmed by her wild antics. But behind the scenes, Lucy and Desi’s actual marriage was far from the cookie-cutter image they presented in their beloved television series.
There was a tension between Lucy and Desi that would impact the “I Love Lucy” production even from the very start. Amy Poehler’s fantastic documentary “Lucy and Desi,” assembles private audio tapes recorded by the couple with home movies and photographs, giving a unique insight into their own personal thoughts and feelings — especially regarding the fractured state of their marriage and how working on “I Love Lucy” exacerbated many of their pre-existing conflicts. “It’s too bad Lucille and Desi weren’t Lucy and Ricky,” Desi Arnaz muses on one of the tapes, indicating that there was a gulf between their on-screen personas as a married couple and authentic relationship.
Although Lucy and Desi’s relationship began as a whirlwind romance, eloping shortly after meeting on the set of “Too Many Girls” in 1940, they nearly divorced in 1944 but ended up reconciling and renewing their vows in 1949 — only a few short years before “I Love Lucy” would be premiere in 1951. Yet despite being married for over a decade and expecting a child that same year, their relationship was already on rocky ground when production on the television sensation began.
They spent lots of time apart
In “Lucy and Desi,” Lucille Ball reveals that during the first eight and a half years of their nine-year marriage, she and Desi Arnaz were rarely together. While Desi joined the Army and toured with his band, loneliness and detachment defined their relationship until the creation of “I Love Lucy.” But despite spending lots of time together while pouring themselves into every aspect of the production, it brought a new set of challenges.
Lucy and Desi formed Desilu, which quickly became one of the top independent television production companies in the world. As the pressures of being President mounted, Desi Arnaz turned to alcohol and infidelity. E! News calls him a chronic cheater who constantly appeared in the tabloids questioning the veracity of his love for Lucy.
In “Lucy and Desi,” Lucy observes that as Desi took on more Desliu responsibilities, the more he escaped through activities like sailing, golf, or going to the racetrack — thereby leading to their past routine of constant separation. Even when they were together, there were always conflicts. “They were fighting all the time when we were growing up. There was a lot of anger and screaming,” their daughter Lucie Arnaz recalls in Closer Weekly.
Aaron Sorkin’s “Being the Ricardos” offers insight into how Lucy and Desi’s marriage was a tangled web of egos and artistic passion. The film explores how these marital tensions spilled onto the set of “I Love Lucy.” Their relationship oscillated between the extremes of barely spending time together to becoming incredibly close when collaborating on artistic and business endeavors.
Their marriage began at the start of “I Love Lucy” and concluded in 1960 with the final episodes of “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour.” Despite how turbulent it was, they remained friends and professional partners.
