Lucie Arnaz Explained

Lucie Arnaz
Birth Name:	Lucie Désirée Arnaz
Birth Date:	17 July 1951
Birth Place:	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Years Active:	1962–present
Spouse:
Children:	3
Parents:	Desi Arnaz Lucille Ball
Relatives:	Desi Arnaz Jr. (brother) Fred Ball (maternal uncle) Desiderio Alberto Arnaz II (paternal grandfather)
Module:	Embed: yes Background: solo_singer

Lucie Désirée Arnaz (born July 17, 1951) is an American actress and singer.^[1] She is the daughter of actors Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.

Early life

Arnaz was born at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Los Angeles, California,^[2] the daughter of actors Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, and is the sister of actor Desi Arnaz Jr.^{[3] [4] [5] [6]} She lived for a few years in New York City from the age of 10, and attended St. Vincent Ferrer School, along with her brother, and later attended the Roman Catholic Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles.^[7]

Career

Television

Having had walk-on roles on her mother's previous television series The Lucy Show, Arnaz made her acting debut in a major role in the series Here's Lucy from 1968 to 1974. She played Kim Carter, the daughter of the eponymous Lucy, her mother.^[8]

Arnaz branched out into television roles independent of her family from the mid-1970s. In 1975, she played murder victim Elizabeth Short in an NBC telefilm of Who Is the Black Dahlia?,^{[9] [10]} and she starred with Lyle Waggoner and Tommy Tune in Welcome to the "World", The Wonderful World of Disney special commemorating the grand opening of Space Mountain at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.^[11] In 1978, she appeared in an episode of Fantasy Island^[12] as a woman desperately trying to save her marriage. She has continued to make appearances in a number of popular television series over the years, including Murder, She Wrote, Marcus Welby, M.D., Sons and Daughters (CBS, 1991),^[13] and Law & Order.

Arnaz also had a short-lived series of her own, The Lucie Arnaz Show, on CBS in 1985. The reviewer for The New York Times described the show as "the always ingratiating Miss Arnaz as a psychologist who not only writes an advice column, but also takes calls from listeners on her own radio program."^{[14] [15] [16]}

Another eponymous series, this one a late-night-style talk show, aired for one season from 1995 to 1996. It was unsuccessful, but The Rosie O'Donnell Show would use the same format a year later to much greater success, prompting Arnaz's agent to pitch a revival that would not be picked up.^[17]

Arnaz won an Emmy Award in 1993 for Outstanding Informational Special for her documentary about her parents, Lucy and Desi: A Home Movie.^{[18] [19] [20] [21]}

Theatre

Arnaz has had a lengthy career in musical theatre. In June 1978 she played the title role in Annie Get Your Gun at the Jones Beach Theatre on Long Island, New York.^[22] This was the first production at Jones Beach Theatre after the death of longtime producer Guy Lombardo.^[23] In 1981, she played the lead female role in Educating Rita at The Cape Playhouse in Dennis, Massachusetts.^{[24] [25]}

She made her Broadway debut in February 1979 in the musical They're Playing Our Song. Arnaz won the Theatre World Award^{[26] [27]} and the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Sonia Walsk. In 1986, she won the Sarah Siddons Award for her tour with Tommy Tune in the international company of the musical My One and Only.^{[28] [29]}

She has numerous other theater credits, both in the United States and abroad: Seesaw (first national company, 1974^[30]), Whose Life Is It Anyway?, The Guardsman (Paper Mill Playhouse, Millburn, New Jersey, January 1984^[31]), (Concert at Lincoln Center, 1995, televised^{[32] [33]}), Sonia Flew (Coconut Grove Playhouse, Florida, April 2006^[34]), The Witches of Eastwick (London, Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, June 2000^{[35] [36]}), Vanities (Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, 1976 as "Kathy"^[37]), Neil Simon's Lost in Yonkers (Broadway), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Broadway, May 23, 2006, to September 3, 2006^[38]), and Terence McNally's Master Class (Seacoast Repertory Theatre, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, April to May 1999^[39]).

In 2010, Arnaz performed (along with Raúl Esparza and Valarie Pettiford) in and directed Babalu: A Celebration of the Music of Desi Arnaz and his Orchestra. A Miami, Florida performance was given in July 2010.^[40]

She toured in Pippin in 2014, playing the role of Berthe, the title character's grandmother.^[41] She appeared on Broadway in Pippin, from October 9, 2014, to November 9, 2014.^{[42] [43]}

Film

Arnaz made feature-film appearances, including The Jazz Singer (1980) in which she co-starred with Neil Diamond and Laurence Olivier. She earned a nomination for the 1981 Golden Globe Award, Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture.^[44] She also appeared in the 1982 comedy drama One More Try opposite her future husband, Lawrence Luckinbill.

Other works

• Arnaz was a Trustee on the Board of The American Theatre Wing for 15 years (1999–2014).
• In October 2008, Arnaz and longtime family friend, Hollywood columnist and Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborne participated in a tribute to Arnaz's mother, Lucille Ball, at the Paley Center For Media in New York City.^[45] The program, "Lucie and Lucy: Lucie Arnaz Shares Treasures From The Family Video Collection", included a discussion between Osborne and Arnaz about Ball, and also focused on Ball's last long-running series, Here's Lucy (which was celebrating its 40th anniversary), as well as several of Ball's television specials and guest appearances during the 1970s, which Arnaz had recently donated to the Paley Center for Media.

Preserving Lucille Ball's legacy

• From about 2002 to 2007, Arnaz was the president of the board of directors of the Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center in Jamestown, New York. She resigned over a dispute with the executive director over the future direction of the Center.^{[46] [47]}
• Arnaz appeared live on stage in Jamestown at the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts on August 3, 2012, to promote the Lucille Ball Festival of New Comedy in which new comedians are invited to perform. She gave tribute to both her parents and expressed a desire to further expand the Festival of New Comedy and expand the Jamestown, New York, Lucy Fest. Comedians who performed at the 2012 Festival of New Comedy included Billy Gardell, Paula Poundstone and Tammy Pescatelli.^{[48] [49] [50]} She gave the history behind the Lucy-Desi Museum and Lucy-Desi Playhouse, and the 2011 birthday centenary for Lucille Ball (which was recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records for the highest number of people dressed like Lucille Ball in one place at one time).
• At that time, Arnaz announced intent to start using the recently renovated Jamestown Train Station to further the mission and vision of the Lucille Ball Festival of New Comedy. Lucie Arnaz praised and appeared on stage with the new executive director of the Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center and applauded her work and dedication to the festival. This work culminated in the opening of the National Comedy Center in Jamestown on August 1, 2018.^[51]
• In 2021, Arnaz, along with her brother, served as an executive producer of the biopic Being the Ricardos, a film written and directed by Aaron Sorkin focusing on her parents' professional and personal relationship during the time of I Love Lucy.^[52]

Personal life

Arnaz was married to Philip Vandervort Menegaux from July 17, 1971, to April 1976. On June 22, 1980, she married actor-writer Laurence Luckinbill.^[53] Luckinbill and Arnaz live in Palm Springs, California.^[54]

Arnaz and Luckinbill have three children: Simon, Joseph and Katharine Luckinbill.^[55] Luckinbill also has two sons from his previous marriage: Nicholas and Benjamin Luckinbill.

Arnaz attended an all-girls Catholic high school, mainly because of its drama program. She is a member of Unity.^[56]

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1977	Billy Jack Goes to Washington	Saunders	^[57]
1980	The Jazz Singer	Molly Bell	Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture
1983	Second Thoughts	Amy	^[58]
2000	Down to You	Judy Connelly	^[59]
2006	Wild Seven	Sylvia
2009	The Pack	Eleanor Jordan	Also titled Smoking/Non-Smoking
2012	The Thought Exchange	Herself
2014	Henry & Me	Jack's Mom	Voice role
2021	Being the Ricardos		Executive producer

Television

Source: Archive of American Television:^[60]

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1962–63	The Lucy Show	Cynthia	3 episodes
1964	Password	Herself	Appeared alongside mother, brother, and stepfather
1965–68	The Lucy Show	Various roles	5 episodes
1967	The Mothers-In-Law	Girl in golf cart	Episode: "Everybody Goes on a Honeymoon"; uncredited
1968–74	Here's Lucy	Kim Carter	Main cast
1972	The Sixth Sense	Marguerite Webster	Episode: "With This Ring, I Thee Kill!"
	Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In	Herself	Episode #6.04
1975	Marcus Welby, M.D.	Jo Anne Bosley	Episode: "The Time Bomb"
	The Wonderful World of Disney	Herself	Episode: "Welcome to the "World"
	Who Is the Black Dahlia?	Elizabeth Short	Television film
	Death Scream	Judy	Television film^[61] ^[62]
1978	Fantasy Island	Toni Elgin	Episode: "Reunion/Anniversary"
1980	The Mating Season	Sydney Wyatt	Television film^[63] ^[64]
1982	Washington Mistress	Maggie Parker	Television film^[65]
	One More Try	Dede March	Unsold pilot for CBS^[66]
1985	The Lucie Arnaz Show	Dr. Jane Lucas	Lead role
1988	Who Gets the Friends?	Gloria McClinton	Television film^[67]
	Murder, She Wrote	Det. Bess Stacey	Episode: "Wearing of the Green"^[68]
1991	Sons and Daughters	Tess Hammersmith	Lead role
1993	Lucy and Desi: A Home Movie	Herself	Television special; also executive producer
1996	Abduction of Innocence: A Moment of Truth Movie	Helen Steves	Television film^[69]
1999	Bonne Nuit	Nina	Television film
2003	Law & Order	Jackie Scott	Episode: "Bitch"
2020	Will & Grace	Factory Boss	Episode: "We Love Lucy"

Stage

• Once Upon a Mattress (Kenley Players, 1973)
• Seesaw (tour, 1974)
• Vanities (Los Angeles, 1976)
• Bye Bye Birdie (The Melody Top, 1977)
• Annie Get Your Gun (Jones Beach Theater, NY, 1979)
• They're Playing Our Song (Broadway, 1979)
• My One and Only (tour, 1986)
• Lost in Yonkers (Broadway, 1992)
• Wonderful Town (California, 1997 and 1999)
• Master Class (New Hampshire, 1999)
• The Witches of Eastwick (London, 2000)
• Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Broadway, 2006)
• Pippin (Broadway and tour, 2014)

External links

• Official website
  • • • • Facebook site (official)

Notes and References

1. http://www.playbillvault.com/Person/Detail/92058/Lucie-Arnaz "Lucie Arnaz Broadway"
2. Book: Monush, Barry. Lucille Ball FAQ: Everything Left to Know About America's Favorite Redhead. 2011-06-01. Rowman & Littlefield. 978-1-55783-940-4. en.
3. http://www.filmreference.com/film/92/Lucie-Arnaz.html "Lucie Arnaz Biography (1951–)"
4. http://www.museum.tv/eotv/balllucille.htm "Lucille Ball Biography, Encyclopedia of Television"
5. Wire Services. "Southland : Family Bids Lucy a Private Farewell" Los Angeles Times, May 1, 1989
6. Heckman, Don. "Arnaz the actress – in a show that sings" Los Angeles Times, November 11, 2004
7. Zeigler, Todd. "Lucie Arnaz Brings Musical Legacy To Silks In The Bluegrass" The Voice-Tribune, April 17, 2014
8. http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/5689%7C0/Lucie-Arnaz/ "Lucie Arnaz Overview"
9. http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/483853/Who-Is-the-Black-Dahlia-/ "'Who Is the Black Dahlia?' Overview"
10. https://web.archive.org/web/20160107065334/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/54408/Who-Is-the-Black-Dahlia-/overview "'Who Is the Black Dahlia?' Overview"
11. Web site: Space Mountain Grand Opening Celebration 1975 "Welcome to the World". scottnj1966. March 6, 2014. YouTube.
12. http://www.paleycenter.org/collection/item/?q=lucie+arnaz&f=people&c=all&advanced=1&p=9&item=T:17791 "'Fantasy Island: Anniversary; Reunion' (TV)"
13. Zurawik, David. "'Sons and Daughters' goes from bad to worse" Baltimore Sun, January 4, 1991
14. O'Connor, John J. "2 Sitcoms: 'Lucie Arnaz' And 'Hail to the Chief'", The New York Times, April 9, 1985, p. C16,
15. Margulies, Lee. "Lucie Throws Her Series Into The Ratings Ring" Los Angeles Times, April 17, 1985
16. Margulies, Lee. "'Jeffersons' Out Of CBS Lineup" Los Angeles Times, May 8, 1985
17. News: July 5, 1996. Oh, Mama, another talker looms in Vicki's future. Daily News. August 21, 2017. August 22, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170822013714/http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/entertainment/mama-talker-looms-vicki-future-article-1.735253. dead.
18. http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/472656/Lucy-and-Desi-A-Home-Movie/ "'Lucy and Desi: A Home Movie' Overview"
19. Dunne, Susan. "Lucie Arnaz To Present 'Lucy And Desi: A Home Movie'" Hartford Courant, May 22, 2013
20. King, Susan. "Retro : Lucy's Candid Camera : Documentary Shows Revealing Footage of Ball and Arnaz, Family and Friends" Los Angeles Times, February 14, 1993
21. Web site: Lucy and Desi: A Home Movie. Marin, Rick. Variety.com. Variety. February 11, 1993.
22. Shepard, Richard F. "Annie Get Your Gun Presented at Jones Beach Theater" The New York Times, July 3, 1978
23. http://www.limusichalloffame.org/project/jones-beach-theater/ "Jones Beach Theatre History"
24. Klein, Alvin. "Theater. A Rip-Roaring 'Annie Get Your Gun'" The New York Times, May 31, 1987
25. https://www.nytimes.com/1981/08/21/theater/it-s-a-busy-season-on-the-summer-theater-circuit.html "Summer Theater Circuit"
26. Simon, Neil. Introduction" They're Playing Our Song, Samuel French, Inc., 1980,, p. 3
27. http://www.playbillvault.com/Show/Detail/6039/Theyre-Playing-Our-Song "'They're Playing Our Song' Broadway"
28. No author. "'My One And Only' Taps Into Town With Tommy Tune, Lucie Arnaz". Chicago Tribune. November 17, 1985
29. http://www.sarahsiddonssociety.org/awardees/ "Awardees"
30. Altman, China. "Lucie Arnaz, Doing It Her Way" People, Vol. 1 No. 12, May 20, 1974
31. Emblen, Frank. "New Jersey Guide. Lucie and Laurence" The New York Times, January 8, 1984
32. http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-wizard-of-oz-in-concert-dreams-come-true-mw0000189708/credits "'The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True' Credits"
33. Robinson, Mark. "10 Wickedly Wonderful Musicals Inspired By 'The Wizard of Oz'" playbill.com, October 30, 2015
34. Jones, Kenneth. "Show Goes On: Coconut Grove's 'Sonia Flew', With Arnaz, Starts April 19" playbill.com, April 17, 2006
35. [Simonson, Robert]
36. Wolf, Matt. "Review: 'The Witches of Eastwick'" Variety, July 20, 2000
37. Kataora, Mike. "'Vanities' To Premiere In PS" Desert Sun, December 3, 1976
38. http://www.ibdb.com/Person/View/30134#tabs-Productions "Lucie Arnaz Broadway"
39. Ehren, Christine. "Lucie Arnaz to Give 'Master Class' at NH's Seacoast Rep April 22 – May 23" playbill.com, March 19, 1999
40. News: Review-Desi Arnaz tribute 'Babalu' sizzles at the Arsht . Miami Herald. Associated Press. July 9, 2010. July 17, 2010.
41. Gioia, Michael. "Lucie Arnaz Will Swing from Pippin's Trapeze on Tour" playbill.com, July 28, 2014
42. Gioia, Michael. "Lucie Arnaz Swings Into Broadway's 'Pippin' Tonight" playbill.com, October 9, 2014
43. http://www.playbillvault.com/Show/Detail/Cast/13994/Pippin-at-Music-Box-Theatre# "'Pippin' Cast Replacements"
44. Web site: Winners and Nominees : Lucie Arnaz. GoldenGlobes.com. Golden Globe Awards. August 16, 2018.
45. The Paley Center announcement: Tuesday, October 28; 6:30 pm; Panelist: Lucie Arnaz; Moderator: Robert Osborne, Host, Turner Classic Movies.)"2008 Annual Report. Lucie & Lucy: Lucie Arnaz Shares Treasures From the Family Video Collection. p. 17" paleycenter.org, accessed December 4, 2015
46. Web site: Jamestown Update: Morris Resigns . Lucyfan.com . January 4, 2002 . December 21, 2013.
47. O'Shei, Tim. "New leadership at Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center looks to turn it into National Comedy Center" Buffalo News, March 8, 2014
48. (No Author). "Tammy Pescatelli Joins Lucy Comedy Fest Line-up" lucycomedyfest.com, accessed December 4, 2015
49. Cadle, Jessie, "Jamestown's Lucy Fest tickles the funny bone" The Chautauquan Daily, August 1, 2012
50. http://www.wrfalp.com/audio-lucille-ball-festival-of-comedy-begins-today/ "AUDIO: Lucille Ball Festival of Comedy Begins Today"
51. News: Goodman . Stephanie . Nation Comedy Center Opens . May 16, 2020 . New York Times . August 3, 2018.
52. Web site: Lucie Arnaz, daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, says 'Being the Ricardos' is 'freakin' amazing' .
53. http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20076908,00.html "Larry Luckinbill and Lucie Arnaz Begin Their Own Chapter Two as Mr. and Mrs."
54. Fessier, Bruce. "Lucie Arnaz and Laurence Luckinbill find family in Palm Springs" Desert Sun, February 23, 2015
55. Edgers, Geoff. "Lucie Arnaz, daughter of entertainment royalty, steps into her own circus in 'Pippin'" Washington Post, December 10, 2014
56. Messer, Kate X. "Lucie 'splains It All" Austin Chronicle, February 10, 2011
57. http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/68769/Billy-Jack-Goes-to-Washington/ Billy Jack Goes to Washington
58. http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/89384/Second-Thoughts/ Second Thoughts
59. http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/443013/Down-to-You/ Down to You
60. http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/lucie-arnaz "Interview"
61. http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/22789/Death-Scream/ Death Scream
62. https://web.archive.org/web/20160107065334/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/12901/Death-Scream/overview "'Death Scream' Overview"
63. Monush, Barry. t's Not Where You Start – It's Where You Finish" paleycenter.org, October 15, 2008
64. O'Connor, John J. "TV: Bird Watchers Find Romance", The New York Times, December 30, 1980, p. C9
65. Maslin, Janet. "TV: Lucie Arnaz Appears As 'Washington Mistress'" The New York Times, January 13, 1982
66. Web site: One More Try (CBS unsold pilot). TV Archives : Unsold Pilots. August 31, 1982.
67. http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/483848/Who-Gets-the-Friends-/ Who Gets the Friends?
68. http://www.paleycenter.org/collection/item/?q=cbs&p=19&item=B:33891 Murder, She Wrote: Wearing of the Green (TV)
69. http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/459296/Abduction-of-Innocence-A-Moment-of-Truth-Movie/ Abduction of Innocence"