I Love Lucy: 10 Shocking Facts About The Classic ’50s Sitcom

I Love Lucy lasted for six seasons in the ’50s and is still talked about today. Starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, the classic sitcom focused on their relationship, Desi’s career as a nightclub owner and bandleader, and the shenanigans Lucy would get herself into with her best friend Ethel.

What made I Love Lucy so memorable is that Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were married in real life. The intimate sitcom broke records, boundaries, and was unlike anything on TV at the time. While it may not look the part today, I Love Lucy was instrumental for the sitcoms and comedies of today, paving the way for future shows to come.

Executives Didn’t Know If An Onscreen Mixed-Marriage Would Work

Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz got married in 1940 after meeting at a Broadway musical. The two fell for each other instantly and were married shortly after. It wouldn’t be another 11 years before the two started I Love Lucy, which only made their bond on TV stronger. Given the show’s lasting impact and legacy, it’s hard to imagine the doubts and concerns that the producers had before the pilot even aired, but I Love Lucy did in fact spark concerns from the top brass.

Although CBS loved the idea for the show, executives weren’t sure if they should hire another actor to play Lucy’s husband. With Desi being from Cuba, executives weren’t sure if Americans would believe that Lucy married someone from another country. Seeing mixed marriages wasn’t common on TV at that time, which made their relationship even more special.

They Actually Smoked On Camera

Smoking in the ’50s was what everyone did. It was a way to unwind and mingle, which is what was shown on I Love Lucy. However, Lucy and Desi made it a point to showcase the brand of cigarettes they were smoking (i.e. Philip Morris) because they were a major sponsor of the show.

They dropped Phillip Morris into the dialogue when they could and the cast even smoked real cigarettes on camera! Funny enough, Lucy didn’t love Philip Morris cigarettes so she had Chesterfields shoved in the Philip Morris packaging instead.

The Show Broke New Ground With Lucy’s Real-Life Pregnancy

Not only did I Love Lucy show a mixed-race couple on camera but it was also the first show to have a pregnant woman visibly shown on camera. Back in the puritan ’50s, pregnancy was seen as too scandalous for TV. In fact, even the word “pregnant” was seen as jaw-dropping. But with Lucy being pregnant in real life, she couldn’t hide it in public, let alone onscreen.

CBS eventually agreed to write the pregnancy into the script but Desi made sure they were in safe hands. As a solution, Desi had a minister, rabbi, and a priest sit in during the writing process to make sure that the writers didn’t accidentally offend anyone.

Fred & Ethel Weren’t So Loving Off-Screen

Fred and Ethel weren’t just Lucy and Ricky’s neighbors, they were each other’s best friends. While Desi and Fred were at work, Lucy and Ethel always got into trouble. The foursome made incredible television as Fred and Ethel were the perfect pair to join Lucy and Ricky. Sadly, it’s been said that William Frawley (Fred) and Vivian Vance (Ethel) didn’t get along in real life.

Vivan didn’t think Frawley was the right choice as her onscreen husband and said “No one will believe I’m married to that old coot.” Unfortunately, Frawley heard her and things became tense ever since.

Fred & Ethel Were Inspired By Lucy & Desi’s Real-Life Friends

With I Love Lucy detailing Lucy and Desi’s relationship in an exaggerated fashion, the same was said for their on-screen besties, Fred and Ethel.

As it turns out, Fred and Ethel were based on real-life friends that Lucy and Desi had: Fred Arnaz and Ethel Merman! The fabulous foursome was always finding themselves in funny situations, which made for perfect television.

The Show Made Lucy & Desi Richer Beyond Belief

No one was doing what I Love Lucy was doing at the time. They were at the forefront of change, which ended up paying off big time. The show made Lucy and Desi instant celebrities who even ended up owning their own production company that produced I Love Lucy and The Lucy Show.

From the production process to the show itself, they earned over $256 million (in today’s economy) while working on the show. What’s even more shocking is that the show still brings in millions every year to CBS through reruns and specials!

It Took The Show A Long Time To Get The Names Right

Every show has its mistakes and I Love Lucy was no exception. If viewers take a look at the opening and ending credits over the years, they may notice slight changes in spelling.

For starters, Ethel’s full name has changed over time. TV Over Mind noted that Ethel’s full name changed many times, going from Ethel Roberta, Ethel Louise, to Ethel Mae. The same thing happened to her on-screen husband, Fred who went from Freddy to Freddie. It seems like the show couldn’t make up its mind but it’s a small blunder for an award-winning hit.

Ad-libbing Was Not Allowed

To prove how amazing I Love Lucy was for its time, there was no ad-libbing or improvising allowed. All of the jokes and actions performed on the show were done in the writer’s room, and the actors performed them word for word.

This may sound like a restrictive way of making comedy but one actor who didn’t have a problem with this was Desi Arnaz, who was said to have a photogenic memory. Reportedly, Desi would only read his lines once and nail them perfectly on stage when it was time for filming.

Lucy Almost Drowned In One Of The Funnier Scenes

Originally airing in the fifth season, “Lucy’s Italian Movie” quickly became the series’ most beloved episodes. Here, Lucy had her dreams answered when an Italian filmmaker wanted her to be in his next Italian film.

In one of the scenes, the actress opposite Lucille was instructed to dunk Lucille’s head in the grape juice. However, she held Lucy’s head in the juice for far too long, resulting in Lucy almost drowning!

Lucille’s Mom Was At Every Filming

Like many sitcoms before and after it, I Love Lucy was filmed in front of a live audience at CBS’s studios in Los Angeles. Most of the laughs heard on the show are from real audience members, not a recorded laugh track. What’s worth noting is that diehard fans may recognize one fan’s voice more than the others.

As it turns out, Lucille’s mom, Dede, came to most episodes as they were filmed live. The reactions heard from her mom were authentic and can be heard often in most episodes — especially when she says “Uh Oh!”