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In the newly released biography “Desi Arnaz: The Man Who Invented Television” (Simon & Schuster), Todd S. Purdum investigates how the Cuban-born star, alongside his wife and business partner Lucille Ball, revolutionized American television.
Check out an excerpt below, and don’t forget to watch Mo Rocca’s interview with Purdum on “CBS Sunday Morning” June 15!
“Desi Arnaz: The Man Who Invented Television”
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Prologue
He was beloved as the man who adored Lucy, the passionate Cuban bandleader whose quirky Spanish and exasperated reactions to his wife’s wild antics gave way to tender moments by the end of each episode. Yet Desi Arnaz was far more than just Ricky Ricardo. While Ball’s comedic brilliance—her expressive talent, beauty, and fearless approach to comedy—brought I Love Lucy to life, it was Arnaz’s innovative business savvy that truly propelled the show forward. As noted by NPR’s Planet Money, he was essentially “the man who invented television.”
“There’s a misunderstanding that Desi wasn’t pivotal to the show,” recalled Madelyn Pugh Davis, a co-writer for I Love Lucy, years later. “Desi was the engine that made the show successful. He recognized Lucille’s immense talent, but he drove the project and kept everything intact. Many overlook that.”
Nearly forty years posthumously, Arnaz remains a familiar figure—”one of history’s great personalities,” according to his friend and dancer Ann Miller. However, his crucial contributions to the early stage of television remain less recognized. He, alongside Jess Oppenheimer, the show’s head writer and producer, assembled an exceptional team of technicians who developed the revolutionary technique of multi-camera filming before live audiences. This innovation became a standard practice in sitcom production.
Arnaz also pioneered the use of high-quality black-and-white 35mm film, leading to the development of reruns and the syndication model that dominated TV for decades, ultimately enabling the relocation of network production from New York to Los Angeles and setting a business precedent that lasted until the rise of streaming.
“I Love Lucy has been a vital part of American entertainment,” stated Norman Lear, creator of the iconic sitcom All in the Family. “Lucy and Desi effectively opened Hollywood’s doors to America and the sitcom format. There was only one Lucy and one Desi, and they understood what was necessary. He was not just a charismatic performer but also a savvy businessman.”
Excerpted from “Desi Arnaz” by Todd S. Purdum. Copyright © 2025 by Todd S. Purdum. Reprinted by permission of Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.
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