Desilu Studios Cast & Crew

Lucie Arnaz

Lucie Arnaz has had a diversified career spanning over forty years in show business, including co-starring alongside her mother and brother in Here’s Lucy. She has starred on the international theatrical stage and seen critically acclaimed success as a producer, singer, actor, and director. With her daughter, Kate Luckinbill Connor, she manages Desilu, Too, LLC.

William Asher

Emmy-winning director William Asher helmed over 100 episodes of I Love Lucy, in addition to a range of other seminal television series including Bewitched, Make Room for Daddy, The Twilight Zone, Gidget, The Dukes of Hazzard, and Alice.  

Fred Ball

Lucille Ball’s beloved younger brother, Fred Ball, travelled on the road with Desi’s band and was on the Board of Directors for Desilu Productions. Fred went on to manage various restaurants and hotels and later became a real estate agent and broker. 

Dann Cahn

As film editor of I Love Lucy, Dann Cahn created a film editing system that revolutionized the television industry. He went on to serve as editorial supervisor for TV series including Whirlybirds, The Real McCoys, and The Texan. Dann was a frequent participant in Jamestown’s annual Lucille Ball Comedy Festival.

Bob Carroll, Jr.

Bob Carroll, Jr. and his writing partner Madelyn Pugh wrote for Lucille Ball’s radio sitcom, My Favorite Husband, before developing the pilot episode for the I Love Lucy series. The team of Carroll and Pugh contributed to every episode of I Love Lucy and were nominated for three Emmys for their work on the show. They also wrote episodes of Ball’s subsequent TV series The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here’s Lucy, and Life with Lucy. Together they wrote some 400 television programs and roughly 500 radio shows.

Wanda Clark

Prior to serving as Lucille Ball’s long-time personal secretary, Wanda Clark was employed at LOOK magazine. She befriended her coworker Cleo Smith – who happened to be Lucy’s cousin. When Lucy needed a secretary, Cleo recommended Wanda, who went on to work alongside Lucy for more than 25 years. Wanda has been a frequent participant in the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival in Jamestown. 

Carole Cook

Carole Cook is an actress and close friend of Lucille Ball. In addition to guest starring on The Lucy Show and Here’s Lucy, she appeared in television shows and films including Dynasty, Cagney and Lacey, and Sixteen Candles. Her theatrical appearances have won her a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle nomination as Best Actress and a Helen Hayes Theatre Award for Outstanding Actress. For nearly two decades, Ms. Cook has been heavily involved in the fight against AIDS and has performed in S.T.A.G.E. benefits in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Mary Jane Croft

Late in the weekly run of the I Love Lucy series, the Ricardos moved to Connecticut where Lucy befriended a new neighbor, Betty Ramsey, who was portrayed by Mary Jane Croft. Croft had previously appeared on two episodes of I Love Lucy: as the wealthy and snobbish Cynthia Harcourt in “Lucy is Envious,” and as airline passenger Evelyn Bigsby in “Return Home from Europe.” Years later, when Vivian Vance left The Lucy Show after the 1964-65 season, Croft became Lucy’s new sidekick, Mary Jane Lewis. Croft reprised her role as Mary Jane Lewis again during the entire run of Ball’s third sitcom, Here’s Lucy.

Eliot Daniel

Eliot Daniel created the melody for the I Love Lucy theme song in a single afternoon. (Later, in 1953, Harold Adamson wrote the lyrics to the song, which were performed by Desi Arnaz in the episode called “Lucy’s Last Birthday.”) Eliot Daniel also composed the music for classic I Love Lucy moments like the performance of Lucy Ricardo’s operetta (in which she plays the Queen of the Gypsies) and the extended musical dream sequence in “Lucy Goes to Scotland.” 

Marc Daniels

Marc Daniels directed the first 39 episodes of I Love Lucy. He recommended Vivian Vance for the role of Ethel Mertz, and has been credited alongside Karl Freund for the invention of the three-camera technique of sitcom production. Following his stint on I Love Lucy, Daniels went on to direct numerous television productions, including fifteen episodes of Star Trek. He worked with Lucille Ball again on her last TV series, Life with Lucy. 

William Frawley

Best known for his role as landlord Fred Mertz, Frawley began working on the Broadway stage in 1925 and, throughout his 35-year career, went on to appear in over 100 motion pictures. For his work on I Love Lucy, Frawley was Emmy-nominated five consecutive times, from 1953-1957, for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a comedy series. Following the show’s end, Frawley went on to star in the situation comedy My Three Sons and was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960, and was posthumously inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in March 2012 along with Vivian Vance. 

Karl Freund

Karl Freund was an Oscar-winning cinematographer for dozens of landmark Hollywood films including Metropolis, Dracula, and The Good Earth. In 1951, Lucille Ball – who called him “Papa” – persuaded him to join the Desilu Productions team to shoot I Love Lucy. Along with Desi Arnaz, Freund perfected multi-camera television production, as well as the “flat lighting” system for shooting sitcoms that is still used today. 

Jimmy Garrett

Jimmy Garrett was only 8 years old when he played Jerry Carmichael, Lucille Ball’s son on The Lucy Show. He also appeared on other 1960s TV series like Playhouse 90, The Twilight Zone, Mr. Ed and My Three Sons. 

Gale Gordon

Gale Gordon played Rudolph Atterbury on Lucille Ball’s radio show, My Favorite Husband, and was her first pick to play the character of Fred Mertz on I Love Lucy. Gordon was committed to another show and had to decline the offer. In 1962, Gale Gordon joined the cast of The Lucy Show as the irascible Mr. Mooney, Lucy Carmichael’s boss at the bank where she worked as a secretary. On Here’s Lucy, Gordon played the similar role of Harry Carter – Lucy’s brother-in-law and owner of the employment agency where Lucy worked. In her final sitcom, Life with Lucy, Gordon again co-starred as Lucy’s business partner in a struggling hardware store venture. 

Frank Gorey

Lucille Ball’s chauffeur for nearly 30 years, Frank Gorey started working for Lucy in October of 1959 and was with her for the rest of her life. Among his responsibilities were serving as the “major domo” who ran Lucy’s Beverly Hills home. Frank was an active participant in Jamestown’s Lucille Ball Comedy Festival.  

Wilbur Hatch

Wilbur Hatch conducted the Desi Arnaz Orchestra on I Love Lucy and composed much of its original music. He also composed for The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, and Here’s Lucy and served as the head of the music department at Desilu Studios and Lucille Ball Productions. He would later also compose soundtracks for series such as Star Trek: The Original Series and Mission: Impossible. 

Jerry Hausner

Best known as Ricky Ricardo’s agent in I Love Lucy, Jerry Hausner was an American radio and television actor who voiced memorable characters on programs like Mr. Magoo and The Dick Tracy Show. He also appeared in bit roles on dozens of 1950s and 1960s television shows. 

Elois Jenssen

Elois Jenssen designed Lucille Ball’s wardrobe for the feature film Lured, cutting a silhouette that Lucy found flattering and comfortable to wear. In 1951, Ball approached Jenssen and asked her if she would be interested in designing her costumes for I Love Lucy, but Jenssen – who was under exclusive contract to 20th Century Fox – was unable to initially accept the offer. She would later join the Desilu team for just over 50 episodes from 1953 to 1955, creating some of the show’s most iconic outfits.

James V. Kern

James V. Kern began his career as a screenwriter and transitioned to directing. He was a frequent director of I Love Lucy throughout its run and later directed My Three Sons, starring William Frawley, for two seasons in the 1960s.

Irma Kusely

Irma Kusely was Lucille Ball’s hairstylist and was responsible for blending her signature “apricot” hair coloring. She was the first stylist credited on television – for her work on I Love Lucy – and stayed with Lucille Ball for the duration of her post-1950s career on television, on stage, and in film. 

Charles Lane

Prolific character-actor Charles Lane was a favored supporting actor of Lucille Ball, who often used him as a no-nonsense authority figure and comedic foe of her scatterbrained character on I Love Lucy, The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, and The Lucy Show. During his time on the I Love Lucy show, Lane played several guest roles, including an appearance in the episode “Lucy Goes to the Hospital,” where he is seated in the waiting room with Ricky while Lucy gives birth to their son. Lane appeared in well over 100 feature films and dozens of television shows during his extraordinary career. 

Michael and Joseph Mayer

Twins Michael and Joseph Mayer played Little Ricky in seasons three, four, and five of I Love Lucy. Producers hired the Mayer twins after seeing their picture in a local newspaper; They were just 18-months-old when they joined the I Love Lucy cast. 

Shirley Mitchell

Known affectionately to I Love Lucy fans as Lucy Ricardo’s cackling friend Marion Strong, Shirley Mitchell appeared on numerous television series including Dragnet, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and Perry Mason. The Marion Strong character was named for Lucille Ball’s real-life childhood friend, Marion Strong Van Vlack.  

Candy Moore

In 1962, Candy Moore was cast as Lucille Ball’s daughter Chris Carmichael on The Lucy Show. She remained a regular on the show through the end of the 1964-1965 season. Candy later appeared in My Three Sons alongside William Frawley. 

Cleo Smith Morgan

Lucille Ball always referred to her cousin Cleo as her “sister,” because they were raised together by their grandparents. Cleo Smith was a producer of Lucille Ball’s third television series, Here’s Lucy, and the Production Manager for the 1966 CBS special Lucy in London.

Gary Morton

In 1960, stand-up comedian Gary Morton met Lucille Ball in New York City a few months before she starred in the Broadway musical Wildcat. Morton claimed he was always busy working nights, so he had truly never seen the I Love Lucy television show prior to meeting Ball. Morton and Ball married in 1961, and Morton became closely involved in the management of his wife’s career. Gary Morton later served as executive producer of Ball’s third series Here’s Lucy, and was a co-executive producer of her final series Life with Lucy. Morton occasionally played bit roles on-screen and greeted the live studio audiences before Lucy’s weekly television shows. 

Frank Nelson

Frank Nelson, a prolific comedic actor on both radio and television, made eleven memorable appearances on I Love Lucy. Nelson’s association with Lucille Ball began on her popular radio show My Favorite Husband, but he is best remembered by fans as the wise-cracking game show host Freddie Fillmore – a character he played on three I Love Lucy episodes. He also played the recurring roles of Ralph Ramsey, the Ricardos’ next door neighbor in Connecticut. 

Jess Oppenheimer

Jess Oppenheimer was the creator, producer and head writer of I Love Lucy. He first worked with Lucille Ball as producer, director and head writer of her radio sitcom, My Favorite Husband. Oppenheimer made a cameo appearance  on I Love Lucy in “The Audition” as a network representative, and his voice is heard as the “audio man” telling Lucy to “go ahead” on “Lucy Does a TV Commercial.” After I Love Lucy, Oppenheimer produced Lucille Ball’s 1960s comedy specials with Danny Kaye and Bob Hope. He also wrote, produced and directed episodes of the popular 1960s comedy series Get Smart. Oppenheimer won two Emmy Awards and was nominated for seven others.

Elizabeth Patterson

In 1952, Elizabeth Patterson made her first appearance on I Love Lucy as Mrs. Willoughby in the episode “The Marriage License,” during which she sang a comically off-key rendition of “I Love You Truly.” She was later cast in a featured guest role as Mrs. Matilda Trumbull, Little Ricky’s babysitter, in the episode “No Children Allowed.” Patterson’s portrayal of Mrs. Trumbull was so popular among viewers – and useful to the writers, who were always trying to explain the off-screen whereabouts of Little Ricky – that she continued in the role for three more years. 

Barbara Pepper

At age 16, Barbara Pepper met Lucille Ball during their time as Goldwyn Girls at MGM Studios. Pepper was considered for the role of Ethel Mertz on I Love Lucy, and appeared in several episodes including “The Freezer,” “Lucy Goes to the Hospital,” and “Lucy’s Last Birthday.” She is best known for her role as Doris Ziffel in Petticoat Junction and Green Acres. 

Pepito Perez

Also known as “Pepito the Spanish Clown,” Pepito Perez collaborated with Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball to create their touring vaudeville act in the early 1950s and was instrumental to the development of I Love Lucy’s pilot episode—in which he appeared. Footage of the historic I Love Lucy pilot was thought to be lost for nearly forty years, until a singular copy was located within Pepito Perez’s home following his death by his wife, Joanne. Perez starred in four Hollywood films from 1938 to 1951 and performed a live show with his wife at Sid Grauman’s Chinese Theater well into the early 1960s. 

Madelyn Pugh

Early in her career, as a staff writer for CBS radio in Hollywood, Madelyn Pugh forged a partnership with fellow staffer Bob Carroll Jr. that would last for more than 50 years. Together they wrote some 400 television programs and roughly 500 radio shows. Pugh was among the first female comedy writers to work in television. The team of Carroll and Pugh contributed to every episode of I Love Lucy and were nominated for three Emmys for their work on the show. They also wrote episodes of Ball’s subsequent TV series, The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here’s Lucy, and Life with Lucy.   

Marco Rizo

Marco Rizo was Desi Arnaz’s longtime pianist and childhood friend. Rizo worked as the pianist for I Love Lucy from 1951 to 1957, during which he made several on-camera appearances. He contributed to the I Love Lucy theme song alongside composer Eliot Daniel, Desi Arnaz, and lyricist Harold Adamson. Rizo was a celebrity guest during Jamestown’s 1997 Lucille Ball Comedy Festival. 

Bob Schiller

Prior to writing for I Love Lucy, Bob Schiller was a radio comedy writer for series like The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet and The Abbott and Costello Show. With his writing partner, Bob Weiskopf, Schiller also wrote for a range of groundbreaking television comedies including All in the Family, Maude, and The Flip Wilson Show. Together, they were honored with two Emmy Awards, a pair of Peabody Awards, and a Golden Globe. 

Doris Singleton

Doris Singleton had a long and successful career in film and television but is best remembered for her portrayal of Lucy Ricardo’s frenemy, Carolyn Appleby. The character was named for Lucille Ball’s beloved elementary school teacher in Celoron, New York. Doris appeared in numerous I Love Lucy episodes including “Lucy and Harpo Marx” and “Lucy and Superman.” Later, she appeared in two episodes of The Lucy Show, as well as the four episodes of Here’s Lucy. 

Keith Thibodeaux

Keith Thibodeaux, also known as Richard Keith, is best known for playing Little Ricky on I Love Lucy from 1956-1959, and on all 13 episodes of The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour. During his time on the show, Keith became best friends with Desi Jr., the real-life son of Ball and Arnaz. As a child actor, he also made numerous appearances on The Andy Griffith Show between 1962 and 1966. 

Vivian Vance

Vivian Vance was best known for her role as landlady Ethel Mertz on I Love Lucy and was later beloved as Vivian Bagley on The Lucy Show. In February 1954, Vance became the first recipient of the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress and was nominated an additional three times before I Love Lucy ended. She was posthumously awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991 and was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in March 2012 along with William Frawley. Before her time on television, Vivian Vance was an accomplished actor and singer on the theatrical stage. On- and off-screen, Vivian Vance was close friends with Lucille Ball. 

Bob Weiskopf

In 1953, Bob Weiskopf joined forces with comedy writer Bob Schiller. Two years later, the twosome was hired by writer-producer Jess Oppenheimer to join Bob Carroll and Madelyn Pugh as writers of the most popular program on television – I Love Lucy. Schiller and Weiskopf also wrote for a range of groundbreaking television comedies including All in the Family, Maude, and The Flip Wilson Show. Together, they were honored with two Emmy Awards, a pair of Peabody Awards, and a Golden Globe. 

Mary Wickes

I Love Lucy fans remember Mary Wickes as the bombastic Madame LeMonde – the dance instructor who attempted to teach Lucy Ricardo the fundamentals of ballet in a classic first season episode. She subsequently appeared on The Lucy Show as Frances, one of the ladies of the Danfield Women’s Volunteer Fire Department, and as Lucy’s visiting Aunt. Wickes performed in 50 feature films, 27 major Broadway productions, and 10 television series. She was one of Lucille Ball’s closest friends.