Without him, I Love Lucy would not have happened and would p Steve Sanders sadly passed away in February 2013, and I know he had other projects in the planning stages. Ball sold Desilu, in 1967, to Paramount for $17 million (entrepreneur). We’ll feature a different book each week and share exclusive deals you won’t find anywhere else. Ask Jonathan W about Star Trek Original Series Set Tour. The manager or the secretary counted the money, and then banked it. In docs, obtained by TMZ, Hensley says he reached out to Lucie Arnaz -- daughter of Lucy and Desi Arnaz -- to see if she would be on board for the relaunch. Desi Arnaz had burned out after their divorce and sold his interest in 1962 to Lucy. Desilu Productions was formed in 1950 by Lucille Ball and her then-husband, Desi Arnaz. Amplify your business knowledge and reach your full entrepreneurial potential with Entrepreneur Insider’s exclusive benefits. I Love Lucy became a hit show, so, according to Entrepreneur, Arnaz "expanded the Desilu empire, producing an impressive roster of hits, including 'The Ann Sothern Show,' 'The Untouchables' and 'Sheriff of Cochise.'" It was not the best time for such a first, however. But the couple insisted on staying in Hollywood. Finally, there's the extraordinary fact that a TV show featuring a beautiful young American woman in a "mixed marriage" ever made it onto TV at all. Sci-fi classic vehicle V is being revived as a film by Desilu Studios, with the new version of the former TV series written and directed by the original ’80s series creator, Kenneth Johnson. Charles Hensley says he applied for the "Desilu" trademark in 2016 in order to relaunch Desilu Studios as a "technology-focused film and television studio." In doing so, Arnaz and Ball made themselves their own bosses, providing their product to CBS rather than working directly for the network or a sponsor, which was then the common practice in television. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Desilu : The Story of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz by Tom Gilbert and Coyne S. Sanders (2011, Trade Paperback) at the best online prices at eBay! He presented his budget. The main problem was that the committee could not tell if any money was really missing. As the growing company needed more space, Arnaz and Ball turned to the gold mine of "I Love Lucy" reruns they owned and sold the syndication rights to the first 180 episodes back to CBS for $5 million (approximately $19.5 million by today's standards). That's the same as $130 million in today's dollars. Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were the stars of I Love Lucy, but they were so much more -- thanks to Desilu Productions, they were television's first power couple. At the time, the only show Desilu had in production was Lucy's. View 24 photos for 6806 Desilu Dr, San Antonio, TX 78240 a 3 bed, 2 bath, 1,494 Sq. Get heaping discounts to books you love delivered straight to your inbox. (That’s the equivalent of 128 million dollars today.) Desilu: The Story of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, New Exp edition Contrary to popular belief, Desi Arnaz did not sell his share of Desilu due to his divorce with Lucille Ball. There was no doubt that it would have to be recut for release as a B‑grade theatrical feature and sold to foreign markets, not just to recover the loss, but to generate what is known as a good return on investment. Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were incredibly business savvy to have taken their own money to create their own production company. And if you love a good rerun marathon, you have Arnaz to thank — he and Ball formed the first-ever independent television production company, Desilu, in preparation for the show, and convinced CBS to give them full ownership of the episodes. Get TMZ breaking news sent right to your browser! But even this tremendous success wasn't enough to keep the star-crossed sweethearts together. [2] Gulf+Western then transformed Desilu into the television production arm of Paramount Pictures , rebranding the company as the original Paramount Television . This amount was much … He claims CBS, which originally aired "I Love Lucy" back in the day -- derailed his negotiations by telling Arnaz to stop dealing with Desilu. Arnaz's dad was the mayor of Santiago, his mom was the daughter of one of the Bacardi Rum Company founders, and his grandpa had accompanied Theodore Roosevelt and the Rough Riders at the Battle of San Juan Hill all in all, not a bad family tree to sprout from. That same year, Desilu sold the rights to 180 “I Love Lucy” episodes to CBS for $4.5 million, a windfall that helped finance Desilu’s expansion as a production and production services company. Ball believed in the show and she stuck it out as long as she could, but she knew that if she kept producing Star Trek on her own she’d go broke. The network executives were reluctant, fearing viewers would have difficulty accepting the Cuban Arnaz as the husband of the all-American redhead. The breakup of the couple, Lucy sold Desilu to keep the Enterprise flying. But the first decade of their lives together would prove to be rocky. That meant they had to find a way to split their residuals evenly. In 1960, Desi Arnaz sold the pre-1960s shows to CBS. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Lucille Ball sold Desilu to Gulf+Western for $17 million in 1967. In order to further grow the business, Desilu sold … In 1967 Lucille Ball sold Desilu to Gulf+Western for $17 million. After 20 tumultuous years of marriage, actress Lucille Ball divorces her husband and collaborator, Desi Arnaz, on March 4, 1960. This wasn't the only show biz convention the duo would shatter. In 1970, Desilu Studios was renamed The Culver City Studios. Its CBS Television Studios unit owns the rights to everything Desilu produced after 1960 as successor in interest to Paramount Television. Realizing she could not turn the company around on her own, Ball hired CBS executive Oskar Katz to be her executive vice president. He built a studio that made Star Trek, Mission Impossible and The Untouchables possible. Then, because TV in 1958 was so hilariously weird, he raved about how much food you could shove into the new Westinghouse Desilu special refrigerator. Again, Ball changed a societal role and became the first woman CEO of a major production company. When the creators of such mega-hits as "Friends," "Seinfeld" and "ER" cash their hefty syndication residual checks, they should take a moment to pay homage to Desi Arnaz¬ and Lucille Ball-two of the savviest and most innovative entrepreneurs ever to grace the star-studded streets of Tinseltown. Using film would double production costs. Do Not Sell My Info ... Charles Hensley says he applied for the "Desilu" trademark in 2016 in order to relaunch Desilu Studios as a "technology-focused film and television studio." Ball had succeeded in making Desilu profitable again by 1968, when she sold her shares of Desilu to Gulf+Western for $17 million (a valued $130 million in 2019). Ball sold Desilu, in 1967, to Paramount for $17 million (entrepreneur). Their big chance came in 1950, when CBS approached Ball about moving "My Favorite Husband" to the fledgling medium of television. Years earlier in 1967, Ball made herself millions when Desilu Productions sold for $122 million in today’s dollars. Stay informed and join our daily newsletter now! Hensley says he was granted the trademark this year, and says CBS did not oppose his application. Because of the time difference between the coasts, the network would be forced to air blurry kinescopes in the East, where most television-viewing homes were located. Plus, enjoy a FREE 1-year. Lucy sold Desilu in 1967 for 17 million dollars. When Lucy bought Desi out in 1962, she became the very first woman ever to head a major production company. Related Articles Yep, That Captain Pike STAR TREK Show Is Really Happening Desilu Productions. In 1967, Lucille Ball sold Desilu Productions and began her third television series on CBS under her own banner, Lucille Ball Productions. Though we all remember them as a TV ideal, we often forget that they were divorced by 1960. While Ball made pictures in Hollywood and gained fame as the star of the radio show "My Favorite Husband," Arnaz spent much of his time on the road touring with his band. The CBS unit owns all Desilu properties that were produced and concluded before 1960, which were sold to CBS by Desilu itself. Desilu was a production powerhouse in its heyday, and Desi Arnaz was the man who made it happen. She paid him $2.5 million for his shares and became the first woman CEO of a major television and movie production company. … According to a financial analysis done by Paramount in 1968, excluding pilot costs, Star Trek had been losing an average of $28,354 per episode before the Desilu acquisition. Photo Courtesy: Desilu Productions/IMDb. Tosses Lombardi Trophy Off Boat At Parade, Gets Restraining Order Against Doorbell Ringer, Chad Wheeler Victim Reveals Disturbing Injury Pics, Historic Krispy Kreme Shop 'Gutted' In Fire, Tom Brady Didn't Call Mathieu A Racial Slur, ©2021 EHM PRODUCTIONS,INC. This sitcom ran for two seasons from 1967 to 1969. Within days, Desilu Playhouse received six thousand letters about “Time Element,” more than any other episode that year. Their individual careers however never fully recovered and in 1967, Lucy sold Desilu to CBS’s parent company Gulf + Western. Desilu: The Story of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, New Exp edition [Sanders, Coyne S] on Amazon.com. Explore our giveaways, bundles, "Pay What You Want" deals & more. It included Lehman … Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were incredibly business savvy to have taken their own money to create their own production company. Today, that would be equal to $130 million. For just $5 per month, get access to premium content, webinars, an ad-free experience, and more! #4- The actors' salaries grew over time. The demands of running a corporation while still playing his role on "I Love Lucy" began to take their toll on Arnaz and the marriage. They also starred in a little television comedy called I Love Lucy. But it proved to be too much for Arnaz to handle, and in 1962, he asked Lucy to buy him out of Desilu. Arnaz was the first television producer to film with three cameras instead of one, so he could shoot angles and close-ups simultaneously. Desilu Studios, founded in 2013 by Charles Hensley, ... Desilu Productions was sold to Gulf & Western Industries, which became Paramount Pictures, which later became owned by Viacom. She didn’t think she’d keep acting after “I Love Lucy” Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images. Ball had succeeded in making Desilu profitable again by 1968, when she sold her shares of Desilu to Gulf+Western for $17 million (a valued $130 million in 2019). - desilu studios map - Desilu began the creation of its productions using conventional film studio materials, production, and processing techniques. It is from these pilot cash allowances, Desilu financed the expensive productions of Star Trek and Mission: Impossible. CBS got some 'splainin' to do ... as far as the legendary studio made famous by Lucille Ball is concerned. They took a huge gamble on buying this huge – it was three lots, the Gower lot, the Cahuenga lot and the Culver City lot. Desilu Productions retained ownership of those shows which premiered before 1960, but were still in production. Her goal accomplished, she sold her shares of Desilu to Paramount Studios for $17 million. Gulf+Western then transformed Desilu into the television production arm of Paramount Pictures, rebranding the … Desilu soon became a force in the entertainment industry, raking in $20 million in revenue in 1958. Under her leadership, the studio produced hits including Mission: Impossible and Star Trek. Desilu began when actress Lucille Desirée Ball married bandleader Desiderio Alberto Arnaz III in 1940. In addition to laying the groundwork for the multibillion-dollar television syndication industry, they introduced many of the production techniques that would become standard television practice and almost single-handedly made Hollywood the television capital of the world. Again CBS protested, claiming that live production in Los Angeles was impractical. Originally, the studio was named Motion Picture Center, founded by Joe Justman (father of later Star Trek alumnus Robert Justman, and with whom Arnaz in particular had a mutual friendly relationship), the couple first rented before buying it. Star Trek was originally owned by Desilu studios, and is currently owned by Paramount and CBS, so Roddenberry wouldn’t have earned royalties on licensing out the property - he wasn’t ever in a position to to do that. Their story of romance, marriage and family is also one of strife and infidelity. Source: (pinterest.com) Even though Desilu was making money, Star Trek was losing $15,000 an episode in its first season which isn’t great. Desi Arnaz, the actor who played the titular Lucille Ball's husband on I Love Lucy, was also really married to Lucille Ball at the time, but the couple divorced in 1960. To prove that they could make the sitcom work, Arnaz and Ball formed Desilu Productions (the very first independent television production company) and used $5,000 of their own money to produce the pilot for "I Love Lucy." History. After being the head honcho of her own production company, she later sold Desilu to Western-Gulf in 1967 for $17 million dollars. When Ball divorced Arnaz, and bought out his share of Desilu, before selling it to Gulf + Western in 1967 for $17 million. Success was n't enough to keep the Enterprise flying book each week how much was desilu sold for share exclusive deals you won t... 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