|
tina says on 24/Sep/08
He had to stand on phone books while recording. I watched the special of how the show was made and produced. I dont remember exactly how tall he wasnt much taller than lucy, and very short compared to other actors Maribel says on 19/Sep/08
I think Desi was more like 5'8 or 8.5 and Lucy, 5'7.
Frank2 says on 31/Jul/08
Yep. Like General MacArthur, I have returned. sf says on 31/Jul/08
Oh my God - Frank2 is back 2? Everybody's coming from out of the woodwork....! Frank2 says on 31/Jul/08
Desi's lifts boosted him by at least two inches, possibly by two and a half. He was no more than 5'9". when Bill Holden guested, he and Desi were close to the same height with Holden possibly a half an inch taller. Back then Holden was a solid 5'11". Towards the end of his career he lost about an inch.
Lucy was 5'6". I know since I met her on several occasions. Her mom and my grandmother were both members of the Motion Picture Mother's Club. In heels she was about 5'9" which is tall for a woman. The last time I saw Lucy was on the Fox lot with her husband Gary Morton helping her walk. This was shortly before she passed on. By then she looked like she had lost at least a couple of inches. It was kind of sad seeing her in that condition. light says on 25/Jun/08
When Lucy was in flats on the show, which she often was, she could have been no more than 1 1/2 inches shorter than Desi, I don't think. I would probably think 5' 7 1/2" for Lucy and 5'9" for Desi. Linds says on 15/May/08
I definitly agree with richinkle. Watch love lucy. I swear they look near the same height when lucy has a little heel and they are walking next too each other~ richinkle says on 19/Nov/07
Desi Arnaz had at most 2" on Lucille Ball. Watch a few episodes of "I Love Lucy" and they are very close to the same height. But, be sure to check out the footwear. Steve XIV says on 3/Aug/07
Desi Arnaz's height could very well be 5.9 1/2. I happened to catch an episode recently where Superman came to little Ricky's birthday party. Desi Arnaz seemed to be at least 3 inches, maybe a little more than George Reeves (6'1") C says on 21/Jul/07
Desi had about 3.5 inches on Lucille Ball, you can check it out here at 8:07 here Click Here where they are walking on the beach with their children. If Lucy was 5'6'', then Desi was around 5'9.5''. robotix says on 7/Jun/07
Frank2, i think some near 6-footers wear lifts. Bruce Willis is an obvious case, and I think Alec Baldwin's variability can only be explained by lifts. Frank2 says on 13/Apr/06
Carlson was my height or 5'11". Dick was very good friends with my mom and after my father passed away my mom went into real estate and handled the sale of Carlson's Sherman Oaks home. I saw him frequently and as a kid I even got to go onto the set of I Led Three Lives which was a syndicated TV series made in the 1950's. I still have his autographed photo given to me that day hanging on the wall of my den.
I've argued Desi's height until I'm blue in the face. Needless to say he wasn't close to being the height publicized. Desi was no more than 5'9". You don't wear lifts if you're nearly 6'. You don't have to. The same is true for Dean Martin. Babyboomer says on 13/Apr/06
I saw part of a TCM movie today with Desi Arnaz, Lucy, and Richard Carlson. Desi and Carlson were in many scenes & Desi came up to Carlson's forehead. Lookerd like a definite 3-3.5 inch difference to me. How tall was Richard Carlson? Seems like Frank posted it somewhere on the site...??? Frank2 says on 12/Apr/06
And those are lifts on Desi in the photo with Conreid. I just watched the episode of I Love Lucy with Richard Widmark and Desi is exactly his height. But that's with Desi wearing his lifts. 5'10" Widmark wears regular shoes. Frank2 says on 20/Mar/06
I took that photo of the group with Desi and blew it up using Photoshop and low and behold those are lifts he's wearing! They're not boots. Frank2 says on 18/Mar/06
Desi was never 5'10". At best he was 5'9". Ingred Bergman was never 5'9-1/2". She was more like 5'8". Desi's lifts were his own idea since he went around claiming to be nearly 6' so don't blame Lucy. By the way, George Sanders was 6'3". richinkle says on 18/Mar/06
Desi probably wore lifts because in heels, his 5'-7 1/2" wife, Lucille Ball, who stood next to him on screen for the world to see on a regular basis, stood almost exactly the same height. Call it male ego.
I don't believe Desi Arnaz was ever as tall as 5'-11 1/2". I think he was roughly 5'-10", as indicated on his US Army Discharge Certificate. I would not estimate him as taller than this, despite the fact that he stated his height as 5'-11 1/2" on "I Love Lucy" episode #134 (Nov 14, 1955). The Mertzes think the Ricardos are planning to move, so Ethel's Aunt calls to ask Lucy how tall Ricky is to see if her husband, Uncle Elmo, can fit in the bathtub. Ricky : "five eleven and a half, why?". I think that's what Desi Arnaz claimed his height to be, and that's what his lovely, talented and dutiful daughter, Lucie Arnaz (a very tall gal in her own right, thanks no doubt to her mother's genes), presented as his height.
Lucille Ball didn't need, or want, any positive adjustment to her height. Quite the contrary. Being that tall was not an asset to her in her early years in Hollywood (1930's and 40's) trying to be a leading lady. Most of the major leading ladies were under 5'-5", and at least half of the leading men were under 5'-10". Katharine Hepburn at roughly 5'-7" was one of the tallest of the major female stars, and Lucy looks about an inch taller in their two movies together. Ingrid Bergman (5'- 9 1/2") was posed in myriad awkward ways to hide her height relative to her male co-stars. (Incidently, in the one picture I have of Lucy standing next to Bergman, they appear almost identical in height. However, you don't see their feet, and the angle is slightly distorting.)
By the way, Desi's lifts may have been Lucy's idea. She has always preferred taller leading men, so she wouldn't have to slouch or lean or reshoot scenes in flats to remain smaller than the man - which was absolutely derigueur in those days. George Sanders (with whom she was rumored to have an affair), Henry Fonda (whom she dated, and who was rumored to be in love with her) and Van Johnson were ideal for her to be paired up with. She could stand up straight and tall, and wear high heels. With her shorter costars - Desi Arnaz, Bob Hope, Mark Stevens, William Holden and Robert Preston, you can tell she's compensating. Before filming Mame, bossy and officious Lucy actually bought her 5'-10" +/- costar Robert Preston (whom she wanted to have replaced believing him too short to play opposite her) lifts to wear in the movie. Frank2 says on 16/Mar/06
To richinkle,
why would a man who's supposedly nearly six feet tall wear lifts that boosted him by at least two and a half inches in height? It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. I was at leats two events where Lucy was present and on each occasion she was wearing a minum of three-inch heels and I was still a good two inches to three inches taller. Why in the episode of I Love Lucy with Richard Widmark as a guest is Desi the same height? Widmark was 5'10". Why was Desi and Bob Hope the same height in another episode of I Love Lucy where Desi was wearing the lifts you admit he wore? Hope was about 5'10" back then. Take a look at the photo of my dad with Hope at Hope's height listing on this forum. My dad was about 5'9 1/2" and he's almost as tall as Hope and my father never wore lifts. I have other shots of the two where they're about the same height. Desi was no more than 5'9". Nothing else makes sense. Frank2 says on 16/Mar/06
Didn't you know that all the WMD's are stored together with the lifts that stars tried to hide from their public?
[Editor Rob: Frank, see in the comment part, can you change where it says 'your name' from 'Anonymous' to 'Frank2' as the site remembers the last name] richinkle says on 16/Mar/06
I wouldn't hold my breath for that first prediction to materialize, Frank. But, I will save the political discussion for another website.
I never disagreed that Desi wore lifts on I Love Lucy. In fact, I confirmed it in my comments on the Lucille Ball page - he made no attempt to hide them. At first he didn't wear lifts, but started to after about the first season. I could figure out the episode they first appeared if I had the time. But I don't at the moment. When I figure it out, I'll let you know. I have the first two seasons of I Love Lucy on DVD, and I'm only up to episode 8. So far, no lifts.
Frank, the pictures you've submitted don't show any shoes, feet or context. I have many of the episodes and film footage from which your stills were taken. Lucy is much taller than she looks in the publicity stills. I have tried to take pictures of them on my television, showing the position of the feet and footware. Unfortunately, the quality is grainy, and most of my collection is not on dvd (where the quality of the stills is somewhat better). But, Frank, you've been in the business long enough to know that publicity stills are even more doctored than height records.
And your zealousness and repetition don't make your observations any more convincing or compelling, nor do your carefully selected publicity stills that don't show any feet or shoes. The proof is in the film, showing full context body shots, not the still photos. Frank2 says on 16/Mar/06
When it comes out that the WMDs were moved to Syria shortly before the war I can hardly wait to see the reaction from those who felt Bush doctored the intel. This isn't a damned political forum. Just look at I Love Lucy and tell me truthfully that Desi didn't wear lifts. You can't. He did. It's quite obvious to anyone who knows these things. And dismissing what I've seen just doesn't cut it. Sorry. I've been aware of the heights of the famous since before most of you were born. Frank2 says on 15/Mar/06
Pretty good memory! That Bacall comment was made on an old TV interview i watched. What she said was, "Bogie wasn't short. He was about 5'10"." Well, Bogie wasn't 5'10". If that was the case then I'm six feet four! Editor Rob says on 15/Mar/06
Frank2, sorry I accidentally deleted your last comment, the jist was from memory:
"I met Lucille and she was about 5ft 6. I could look over the top of her head, one time in flats. Not what you'd expect from a 5ft 8 lady.
A girl who dated Peter Sellers said he was 5ft 11, when I met him he was about 5ft 7. Bacall once said Bogart was 5ft 10. Believe what someone who has met these people says, rather than the publicity machine. I'm trying to educate, not piss people off." Anonymous says on 15/Mar/06
I read recently that the "cow clause" was a gag contract handed to Vivian Vance by Lucille Ball as a joke. I'll find my reference cite it for you when I get home.
Frank, all the pictures you show are deliberately posed to show Lucy as shorter than she is. The shot with Victor Mature and Lizabeth Scott is from "Easy Living" 1949. She was also in the movie "Seven Days Leave" 1942, with Victor Mature. She's never seen in the first movie with Lizabeth Scott, but is in several scenes with Mature in both films. She comes up consistently to just above his brow wearing 2 1/2 to 3" heels. You should watch the movie, Frank, and not just point to a useless publicity still. They're more posed and doctored than those government records you distrust so vehemently.
As for Bob Hope, I have all four movies they did together, as well as a number of tv specials. She is consistently about 1" shorter wearing 2 1/2-3" heels, altho starts to gain on him as he got older. In one very revealing scene from a 1960's tv special, they walk out together facing the camera and engage in some contrived comedic banter. She is almost identical to him in height. 10 seconds into it, she leans on her outer foot or steps out of her shoes (you can't see for sure) and instantly loses two to three inches for the rest of the bit. As for Vivian Vance, there is more footage of the two of them over the years, standing side by side in various footware, for anyone to clearly see that Lucy is easily 1" to 1 1/2" taller. Your claim that Vivian is 5'-7" and Lucy is 5'-6" is verifiably absurd. Frank2 says on 15/Mar/06
By the way, the shot of Desi with Bob Hope and Lucy clearly shows that Desi was an inch shorter than Hope. I suspect he wasn't wearing lifts that day. You can also see that Lucy is about four inches shorter than 5'10" Hope which places her at 5'6" which back then was still quite tall for an actress or comedian. Frank2 says on 15/Mar/06
That's correct. Vivian had to gain weight for the role. And I met Bill Frawley on several occasions and he was quite short, I'd say no more than 5'6". Vivian was tall, about 5'7". theheightguru says on 15/Mar/06
SF-regarding your comments on Desi Arnaz and 'I Love Lucy', I heard that Lucille Ball enforced a 'cow clause', which required Vivian Vance to be (I think) 10 or 20 pds. heavier than she.
sf says on 15/Mar/06
Hell, there's nothing wrong with being 5'9" now. It's interesting on "I Love Lucy" how the only other male lead is much shorter than Desi and the other female lead is heavier than Lucy (which I saw on TV where Vivian Vance said Lucy required this). It seems like the two lead stars made sure they looked better in comparison. And, people don't think these stars are vein and will make things up? Frank2 says on 14/Mar/06
Thank you, sf. Much appreciated. Believe me, Desi was only 5'9" and wore lifts. But remember that 5'9" was still above average male height in the US back in the fifties. Just about everyone under 6' tends to lie about their height. It's human nature. And to richinkle, sham marriage? Really? Think so? Noooooooooooo way! I mean everthing you read officially has to be true. What guys like me say is just BS. sf says on 14/Mar/06
Frank2 - I gotta say I believe Desi was 5'9". That's about the height I always pegged him at on "I Love Lucy." Sure, he looks taller, because in comparison to everyone else, including the only other man on the show, William Frawley, he's a lot taller.
I don't know why everyone takes everything they read as gospel. I'm with you on things being made up for stars - their heights, whether they're married or not, etc. I'll take the word from someone who has been around these people, actually met them, seen them many times, then from any publication. There's just too much made up. Come on - they're stars. Everything about them is exaggerated. Lots try to fudge on their ages, their heights. You never actually see what a star looks like in a movie or magazine cause so they're so damn heavily made up, airbrushed, photographed at different angles, with soft lensese, etc. I bet people would be really surprised if they met some of these people close up.
I'm just saying, I believe most of your comments regarding height. I don't know why people have such a hard time not being able to understand that just cause you read something, especially about people where many things are exaggerated, doesn't make it so... Frank2 says on 13/Mar/06
No! No!! No!!! Desi was at best 5'9" and wore huge lifts on I Love Lucy. Even with his lifts he was still shorter than Bill Holden on the episode Holden was in and was the same height as 5'10" Bob Hope and 5'10" Richard Widmark. I met Desi later in his life and by then he was about 5'7". In the 1980's I knew and worked under Dan Cahn who at one time edited I Love Lucy and he confirmed that Desi was his height and Dan is short! I still see Dan occasionally. At one time he was head of Editorial at Fox for all the Glenn Larson TV series. |