During its day, I Love Lucy was the most-watched television show in America for four of its six seasons. However, the show wasn’t just popular, it was a groundbreaking piece of work. From its multi-camera filming set up to its studio audience and use of an ensemble cast, I Love Lucy influenced television for generations to come.
Although it’s unlikely that anyone will ever be able to replicate the magic that Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball had on-screen, Aaron Sorkin’s Being the Ricardos will try and do just that. Starring Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, Nina Arianda and J.K. Simmons, the film will show a critical week in the production of I Love Lucy as crises threaten Desi and Lucy’s careers and marriage. So, in anticipation of Sorkin’s film, here are some lesser-known facts about I Love Lucy.
Desi Arnaz Almost Wasn't in the Show
Originally, Lucille Ball starred on a radio program called My Favorite Husband alongside Richard Denning. Two years into the program, CBS decided to adapt it into the I Love Lucy television show, but the studio wanted Denning to continue as Lucy’s husband. Lucy, however, insisted that Desi Arnaz, her real-life husband, take the role of Ricky. At first, there was controversy over portraying a mixed-marriage on television, but after Ricky and Lucy performed well at some of Ricky’s band’s shows, the studio went for the idea.
The Network Was Very Conservative
In the 1950s, television producers were very conservative, and that showed up in two major ways. First, Ricky and Lucy always slept in separate beds, but throughout the series, the beds slowly moved further and further apart to appease advertisers. On a similar note, at first, writers wanted to hide Lucy’s pregnancy with high chairs, but when that wasn’t possible, they banned the word “pregnant.” So, the show said that Lucy was expecting, or as Ricky said, “‘spectin.”
Lucille’s Mother Was in Nearly Every Episode
Lucille’s mother, DeDe Ball, attended the taping of every episode, and according to Desi, she made her encouraging presence felt. Fans will remember that, whenever Lucy was ready to start trouble, someone behind the camera exclaimed “uh-oh.” That was usually DeDe. In fact, Arnaz told Letterman that he had heard DeDe’s laugh in other CBS productions, confirming that the studio had made a laugh track out of I Love Lucy’s laughter.
Lucille Ball Nearly Drowned in the Grapes
In a classic scene on the show, Lucy stomped grapes to make Italian wine. However, filming that scene almost ended in a tragedy. At one point, the non-English speaking grape crusher, named Teresa Tirelli, misunderstood a cue and started holding Ball headfirst in the vat of grapes, nearly causing her to drown.
Fred and Ethel Couldn’t Stand Each Other Offscreen
Along the way, there were multiple episodes where Fred and Ethel bickered back and forth, and apparently, that wasn’t just acting. In actuality, Vivian Vance and William Frawley couldn’t stand each other offscreen. It all started when Vance called Frawley an “old coot” and was put out by being cast as the wife of someone that looked so much older than her. All Frawley had to do was hold a grudge from there. At one point, Arnaz offered them the opportunity to do a Fred and Ethel spinoff, but Vance refused the offer.
William Frawley Skipped Two Episodes for His Yankees
Multiple episodes depicted Fred as a baseball fan, and that was true in real life too. Frawley even had a clause in his contract that allowed him to skip work whenever the New York Yankees were playing in the World Series. As a result, the writers had to write him out of two episodes so he could attend the games.
I Love Lucy Made Reruns Possible
When filming, Ball and Arnaz insisted that their show use 35mm stock film to record. It was more expensive than normal film, but the higher quality allowed the film to be played over and over. As a result, the concept of reruns was born, and many shows followed in Ball and Arnaz’s footsteps.
To see Javier Bardem and Nicole Kidman as Ricky and Lucy, watch Being the Ricardos, in select theaters on Dec. 10 and streaming globally on Prime Video on Dec. 21.