Desi Arnaz

Desi Arnaz

producer, actor, production manager

Desi Arnaz was born on Mar 02, 1917 in Cuba. Desi Arnaz's big-screen debut came with Too Many Girls directed by George Abbott in 1940, strarring Manuelito. Desi Arnaz is known for Yours, Mine and Ours directed by Melville Shavelson, Lucille Ball stars as Helen North Beardsley and Henry Fonda as Frank Beardsley. Desi Arnaz has got 6 awards and 2 nominations so far. The most recent award Desi Arnaz achieved is Online Film & Television Association. The upcoming new movie Desi Arnaz plays is The Escape Artist which will be released on May 28, 1982.

Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III was born in Santiago, Cuba on March 2, 1917. His father was the mayor of Santiago. The 1933 revolution led by Fulgencio Batista had landed his father in jail and stripped the family of its wealth, property and power. His father was released because of the intercession of U.S. officials who believed him to be neutral during the revolt. The family fled to Miami, Florida. One of Desi's first jobs in America consisted of cleaning canary cages. However, after forming his own small band of musicians, he was hired by Xavier Cugat, the "king" of Latin music.Desi soon left Cugat, formed his own Latin band, and literally launched the conga craze in America. He was cast in the Broadway play "Too Many Girls" and then brought to Hollywood to make the film version of the play. It was on the set of Too Many Girls (1940) that he and Lucille Ball met. They soon married and approximately 10 years later formed Desilu Productions and began the I Love Lucy (1951) shows. Desi and Lucille had two children, Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr.. At the end of the I Love Lucy (1951) run, which included The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour (1957), the two divorced. Desi later wrote an autobiography entitled "A Book." In 1986 he was diagnosed with lung cancer. He died on December 2, 1986 at age 69.

  • Birthday

    Mar 02, 1917
  • Place of Birth

    Santiago, Cuba

Known For

Awards

6 wins & 2 nominations

Online Film & Television Association
2004
Behind the Scenes
Winner - OFTA TV Hall of Fame
Walk of Fame
1960
Motion Picture
Winner - Star on the Walk of Fame
1960
Television
Winner - Star on the Walk of Fame
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Movies & TV Shows

All
Movies
TV Shows