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Own the dream. This is Our American Stories. Up next, The story of a Cuban refugee who became one of the greatest entertainers in American history. Here to tell the story of Desi Arnaz. is our own Jim Watkins.
Take it away, Jim. Think back to 1950s. television. The guiding light presented by Doz, the soap that does everything in your washing machine. It really was the Old West.
Uh A mix of experimentation and innovation as households began to adapt to the new media. There were daytime dramas called soaps, old radio shows that crossed over to TV. The one, the only What a ridiculous name. Oh, that's me, Gracho Mars. Comedies, music, and variety shows, and game shows.
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Some called it the golden age of television. It truly was a place where stars were born overnight. Including one Cuban exile whose only claim to fame was the Conga. A very popular line dance that swept New York nightlife in the 1940s. But before the glitter and the fame, There was a little kid on an island.
not far away. Born Desidario Alberto Arnaz III, Little Desi was born to proud parents. His father was the mayor of Santiago de Cuba. himself the son of a Cuban congressman of great esteem. and Desi's family was considered part of the upper class of Cuba.
But all that changed in nineteen thirty three, when a revolution broke out on the island nation. The rebellion left the Arnazes family impoverished. Desi's father imprisoned. That is, until Desi's influential grandfather with political connections was able to secure Desi's father's release out of jail. Just long enough for them to escape from Cuba to America with exile in Miami, Florida.
Here's Desi talking about his childhood on the Johnny Carson show during an appearance he made in 1974. Man, I didn't realize this. You were in Cuba at the time that they had. The Cuban Revolution, and you had the Cuban. Very rare down there, you know, a revolution.
But I was down there way before Fidel Castro. During the Batista thing. My father was the mayor of my hometown for. And he is. My uncle was the chief of police.
We had that town pretty well. Mm-hmm. For a time, things were pretty bad for Father Alberto and Little Desi. It was Miami during the 30s, back when Florida was more swamped than swank. and something called air conditioning was still a decade away.
In Desi's recollection of it years later, he recalled his teen years cleaning birdcages for a living. while living out of a garage with his dad. though Desi did have a gift for rhythm and singing, and it wasn't too long before the young man was able to get a gig with a local nightclub band, playing the bongos and entertaining the crowd. It wasn't a big time, but it was better than cleaning up bird poop in humid South Florida, living in a garage with Papa. And it was then that a local bandleader named Javier Cougat took the young performer under his wing, grooming the boy for eventual success.
You really see that my my whole life has been a A bunch of accidents. Everything that happened to me is because something else happened. I was with Kugat. And even though he didn't pay much money, I had to still Buns and celery at the Waldorf, but I learned a hell of a lot about the band business. Desi show was a hit.
And everyone, it seems, were catching on to the new Cuban sound from the young band leader from Cuba. Weren't you partly responsible for starting the conga craze? Yeah, that's another accident. I quit Cougar because, like I says, I couldn't eat well working with him. And I went back to Miami.
Kugi's not coming off too good so far. I said I learned a lot from him, though. Yeah. I said, Cougar, I gotta quit. I gotta get my little band.
And he says, you'll die of hunger. Nobody knows the Roomba in this country. I say, I'm dying of hunger now.
So what's the difference?
So he says, go to Miami. And I go to Miami and say, if I get a job, will you send me a little band? I said sure, so He's a you can use Sebi Cougar and she's desiernaz orchestra from the world of a story in New York City. That's great, you know, it's a wonderful start.
So I got a little job done there. I said, I got the job, send me the band. And they got there the night that I was opening. I had no arrangements, no nothing.
So I opened, we played the first set. I came down the stairs. The guy says, You're fired. That is the worst sound I have ever heard in my life. And he was right.
And he was right. He says, I would have been better off hiring the Salvation Army.
So I said, let me try to figure out. And I had this big congotrum with me. Anyway, I said to these guys, I bought a bottle of rum. I said, drink up. We're going to try something new.
I figure I can make enough noise with this thing to cover the band, you know, behind me. And also who can go boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. You know, I said, to the drummer, I said, you can go boom, boom, boom, boom, can you? You don't have to make that sounds like a pass-load. I said, no, boom, boom, boom, boom, I can go.
I said, all right. Yo, get up and get it. Take me there. And just when everything was going great for the exiled Cuban. The band was on its way and the future looked bright.
But there was another drum beating. The Drums of War. Desi Arnaz was drafted. The United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked. by naval and air forces.
of the Empire of Japan. Um As luck would have it with Desi, after boot camp, the Army decided to keep the young soldier stateside due to knee injuries that kept him from the front lines. He would end up heading the USO, a morale-boosting agency within the Army that performed for troops overseas, as well as the injured here at home. After the war, Desi set his sights on movies, the big screen. And it was while appearing in an extra in the film Too Many Girls that Desi caught the attention of producers who liked his comedic timing and musical ability.
He would also catch the fancy of a playful redhead actress named Lucille Ball. I like the shade of lipstick you have on to the noon. Do you, Sugar? I'll bet I can tell you what kind it is.
Well, it... Oh, don't tell me. Caroline. You're wrong, Sugar. Not Caroline.
No, it's a pleasure. This is very embarrassing to me. The two eloped a short time later and together would go on to create their own production company. calling it appropriately Desilu. Here's Deszy reflecting on his partnership with Lucy and her contributions.
You know, Time magazine asked me one time, what are you if you had to Split. The percentage of the success of Islam of Lucy between yourself and the actors and the actresses and the writers, and how will you do it? Who would you give the credit to? I said, Well, give Lucy 90% and split the rest between us. Yeah, he's a big gallant.
No, I like him. No, I like it. Needless to say, I Love Lucy was a tremendous success. It was also the first television show filmed in Los Angeles. Each episode featured the charming band leader and his kooky wife, who always found a way to find trouble.
The show was an immediate hit. I'm your Vitamita Bedjumen girl. Are you tired, run down, listless? Do you poop out at parties? The chemistry worked, and every week tens of millions tuned in to watch the antics.
It should be noted that when Lucy had her baby in the final season, forty four million viewers watched it. which accounted for seventy five percent of all households who had a television set in their living room. Yes, thank you. Tomorrow night at this time Okay. I'm gonna be a father.
Yes, sir, and I'm going to be a godfather. And I'm going to be a godmother. Ricky, this is it. This is it I Love Lucy had many distinctions. It was filmed live, the stars were also producers, and it was also the first time a show played in reruns.
which meant movie studios could make money in perpetuity by syndicating shows forever. In all, Lucy and Desi produced 180 episodes over six seasons, and I Love Lucy was still number one in the ratings when its last show aired in 1959. Just too can be. Desi Lou went on to produce other groundbreaking shows like Mission Impossible, which still generates box office success today. But perhaps the greatest franchise came from Desi Lou's launch of Star Trek.
In 1965, which would run for just three seasons initially, but spawn a legacy of spin-offs and feature films for the next 50 years. Space. final frontier. Many will say barriers were broken by both Desi and Lucy. and some of it well deserved.
But in interviews, Desi always says it was America's freedom. that made it possible for a young exiled lad from Cuba achieve such extraordinary fame and fortune. It's as much a love story as it is a testament to the achievability of the American dream. The audience, like these people, throughout the country. They love us.
Being together.
So I said, Well, now I don't care what the networks, the agency, or anybody says.
So you can go from no one to someone. with a little bit of talent, and a desire to make it big. The story of Desi Arnaz here on Our American Stories. No one knows what the future holds, but you deserve a weather app that can help. Weatherbug is easy to use and provides forecasts for your every need, from storm warnings to pollen levels, right at your fingertips.
Get the fastest local alerts and comprehensive 10-day forecasts wherever you are. It's hyper-local, real-time, customizable alerts. Make sure the weather never takes you by surprise so you can plan every day with confidence. Download the free Weatherbug app from the App Store today and start getting accurate weather forecasts 24-7. You won't see the engineer that slams the Nissan Rogue's door 13,920 times, or the corrosive chamber that simulates 15 years of life in five months, or the rogue heat-baked for over 300 combined hours.
What you will see is a vehicle that can take punch after punch and keep rolling. Nissan, number one in new vehicle quality among mainstream brands by JD Power. We put it through the worst, so you get its best. Yeah. For JD Power 2025 US Initial Quality Study Award information, visit JDPower.com/slash awards.
Awards based on 2025 model year, newer models may be shown. This is Julian Edelman from Games with Names. I want to take a second to talk about something that's personal to me. I've had the privilege of working closely with Robert Kraft for a long time. And one thing I've always respected is how seriously he takes up standing up to hate.
As a Jewish athlete my identity is something I am proud of. but I also know what it feels like to be singled out for it. That's why this new commercial for the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate that aired during the big game really hit home. It's about showing up for someone when they're targeted, even if you don't have the perfect words. And sometimes standing next to someone is enough.
And you can show support by sharing the blue square. At CVS, it matters that we're not just in your community, but that we're part of it. It matters that we're here for you when you need us, day or night. And we want everyone to feel welcomed and rewarded. It matters that CVS is here to fill your prescriptions and here to fill your craving for a tasty and, yeah, healthy snack.
At CBS, we're proud to serve your community because we believe where you get your medicine matters.
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