Desi Arnaz: The Man Who Invented Television

Purdum (Something Wonderful: Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Broadway Revolution) successfully celebrates the vision and talent of Cuban-born actor Desi Arnaz, most famous for playing the straight man opposite Lucille Ball on I Love Lucy from 1951 to 1957. Purdum makes the case that Arnaz’s remarkable foresight single-handedly transformed television in numerous ways. Arnaz spent his childhood in the lap of luxury until the 1933 Cuban revolution forced him to flee to Miami, where he formed his band and helped to popularize the conga in the United States. When filming the 1940 movie Too Many Girls, he met Ball, who would later become his wife and muse, sparking a tumultuous relationship. A decade later, in an effort to save both their relationship and their stalling film careers, Arnaz and Ball moved to the new medium of television and created the iconic sitcom I Love Lucy. Purdum gives Arnaz his due credit for setting the gold standard for television comedy by utilizing three cameras and filming live in front of an audience. Purdum does not shy away from Arnaz’s tragic and destructive inner demons, his developing alcohol-use disorder, and his lifelong penchant for marital infidelity.