44+ Desi Arnaz Quotes (Comedic, Entertaining And Innovative)

Desi Arnaz was an American actor, musician, and television producer. He was best known for his role as Ricky Ricardo in the 1950s television sitcom I Love Lucy, which he co-starred in with his then-wife Lucille Ball. He also co-founded Desilu Productions, which produced many popular television series, including Mission: Impossible and Star Trek.

Top 10 Desi Arnaz Quotes

1. Joe McCarthy and his Senate hearings were like witch-hunts.
2. American people have the ability to laugh at themselves. It is one of the things that makes this country the great country that it is.
3. Everyone seemed to be doing well except me and my career. And my accent was no helping me any.
4. Good things do not come easy. The road is lined with pitfalls.
5. Motion-picture studio floors used to be all wooden and not smooth at all. This was difficult when moving a camera around on a dolly.
6. An actor who is good at comedy can also be very good at drama, but not necessarily vice versa.
7. Making a television show is not like making Coca-Cola or Bacardi rum. The human element in our business prevents us from finding a successful formula every time.
8. I learned a lot in those first years in Miami, while struggling just for survival, by observing my father's fortitude.
9. Al Jolson was one of the greatest entertainers who ever lived.
10. My Latin temper blows up pretty fast, but it goes down just as fast. Maybe that's why you seldom hear of ulcers in Latin America.

Desi Arnaz Short Quotes

• The way the Army does things is sometimes a little strange.
• An audience is so important. I would never have had the guts to dub in that big a laugh.
• I don't think anyone can tell you what it is that makes you a star.
• Lucy and I would love furiously and fight furiously.
• Lucy is such a perfectionist.
• Nobody bats 500. We all make mistakes.
• Failure is the most terrible thing in our business. When we fail, the whole world knows about it.
• Since I was very young I have always worked hard at whatever I have had to do.
• One of my biggest problems with comedy was that I did not understand some of the jokes.
• I went to high school with Al Capone.

Desi Arnaz Famous Quotes And Sayings

A single prop that does not look real to an audience can louse you up. The same is true of the smallest flaw in setting up the motivation in a story line. — Desi Arnaz

The custom of my grandfather's day is still going strong in Latin America. American girls do not seem to understand it. — Desi Arnaz

When I get in the sun I get very tanned. You can't tell me from the native fishermen in Hawaii or Mexico. — Desi Arnaz

I had started calling her Lucy shortly after we met; I didn't like the name Lucille. That's how our television show was called I Love Lucy, not Lucille. — Desi Arnaz

I received my Greetings from Uncle Sam in May 1943. I applied for the Air Force. — Desi Arnaz

No one could ever argue with me about people in show business being kind of nice. — Desi Arnaz

When we got married, nobody gave it more than two weeks. There were bets all over the country, with astronomical odds against us. — Desi Arnaz

I could have stayed home and been kept by my wife. — Desi Arnaz

Real intellectuals like to escape once in a while from their world of intellect. — Desi Arnaz

I was an only child, but I did have a hell of a lot of cousins. — Desi Arnaz

It was easy for viewers to identify with our show. The characters were believable. — Desi Arnaz

At times we were criticized for doing too much slapstick. I don't believe in mild comedy, and neither does Lucy. — Desi Arnaz

In 1934 there were very few Cubans in Miami. — Desi Arnaz

The straw hat is the typical hat Cubans use. It's cool and keeps the sun away from your face. — Desi Arnaz

The thing I remember about New York was how little I felt. I arrived with one small bag and $15. — Desi Arnaz

The Spanish and Cuban people have the same kind of wakes the Irish do. They go on for two or three days and drink a lot of booze and eat a lot of food. — Desi Arnaz

I was the only male of the Arnaz family in my generation. — Desi Arnaz

Mother came to New York to keep house for me. — Desi Arnaz

It's really amazing that two people from such different backgrounds and geographical origins ever got together. That was perhaps part of the attraction. — Desi Arnaz

I didn't know anything about acting, much less about acting in a comedy. — Desi Arnaz

The success of I Love Lucy is something that happens only once in a lifetime, if you are fortunate enough to have it happen at all. — Desi Arnaz

If you don't know what to do, don't do anything. — Desi Arnaz

I learned a lot from Xavier Cugat. — Desi Arnaz

Drinking intensifies all your pressures and your needs. — Desi Arnaz

Life Lessons by Desi Arnaz

1. Desi Arnaz taught us the importance of hard work and perseverance, as he worked his way up from a small Cuban town to become a successful actor and producer in Hollywood.
2. He also showed us the importance of staying true to ourselves and our roots, as he refused to change his accent or mannerisms in order to fit in with the Hollywood crowd.
3. Finally, he demonstrated the power of collaboration, as he worked with his wife Lucille Ball to create the iconic television show I Love Lucy, which is still beloved by fans around the world today.