Cate Blanchett Perfectly Cast As Lucille Ball In Aaron Sorkin’s ‘Lucy And Desi’ Biopic
By Ethan Anderton/Aug. 7, 2017 1:48 pm EST
Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz had one of the most highly publicized marriages to ever come out of Hollywood, mostly because in addition to being married for 20 years, the couple also had a relationship on screen. After meeting while filming the RKO Studios movie Too Many Girls, Lucy and Desi, at age 28 and 23 respectively, fell in love. But early on there were troubles in their relationship.
Desi Arnaz was not only a heavy drinker but a womanizer. He was always having affairs and creating problems due to his drunken behavior. Lucy and Desi separated for some time in 1944 before reconciling and agreeing to pursue projects together, and that’s where I Love Lucy comes into play. Based on Lucy’s radio program, the show became a hit at CBS after the couple did a vaudeville show tour around the US in 1951 to help drum up excitement.
Around the time the show began, Lucy and Desi had their daughter Lucie, and she turned out to be a good luck charm because the show started pulling in 40 million viewers every week. After a couple of years, they got pregnant with their second child, Desi Arnaz, Jr., giving them the opportunity to make history by showing a pregnant woman on television for the first time.
Their success in showbiz continued, though pressure built on their relationship, especially for Desi Arnaz, who continued to have trouble with alcohol, mostly due to his insecurities about being known as “Mr. Ball.” Even though their marriage ended like the show, the two always had a fondness for each other, neither really getting over their break-up despite marrying other people. Lucy continued to find fame on TV with three more of her own shows, and she remained friends with Desi until he passed away in 1986.
The relationship that Lucy and Desi had is quite the unique showbiz romance, and it should make for a compelling story in the hands of Aaron Sorkin, who will be working from the memoirs written by both Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, thanks to the rights package handed over by their children.
