The Bay Theatre in Seal Beach was filled to standing room only this week as Lucie Arnaz brought the unvarnished truth about her famous mom to the screen, then held back a little in a discussion with fans afterward.
Arnaz, the daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, came to screen a copy of the Emmy Award-winning documentary, “Lucy and Desi: A Home Movie.” In addition, her husband, Larry Luckinbill, a legendary actor on Broadway, came with Arnaz and also answered questions after the film.
“I can’t believe this. This is like a dream,” said an emotional Raji Ahsan, Los Al High School graduate who has enjoyed some starring roles in New York. He has returned to Los Al to raise money for a short film he hopes to make with Arnaz.
The crowd was standing room only in the newly refurbished theatre.
Ahsan recounted his mother, Manal, immigrating to the U.S. while still pregnant with him. They ended up in Los Alamitos and the kindness and generosity of a woman named Joyce gave young Raji Ahsan a stable place to grow up.
With little money and a baby on the way, New Life Beginnings in Long Beach took the mom in and assisted in Raji’s birth, he said. Then God sent a Los Alamitos woman named Joyce to the shelter and invited Raji and his mom into her home.
Raji’s mom, an immigrant from Cairo, could only clean other people’s homes to earn money while Raji began school and grew up. They lived with Susan Drake a few months before moving in with Joyce, he said.
Once there, he said Joyce had a television “and one of Joyce’s favorite shows was “I Love Lucy,” the comedy show that put CBS on the television map and made her parents superstars of the day.
He and Joyce would watch together, he said. “I fell in love with ‘I Love Lucy,’” said Ahsan.
With his voice choking a bit on the memories, Ahsan said he wrote a letter to Paramount at 12, including a headshot. Soon enough, he was on the lot. Then at 16, he managed to see a batch of Lucille Ball interviews and was fascinated with Lucie Arnaz.
Studying in New York, he searched for links to Lucie. He found one, invited her to an interview on his early talk show, and they have become close friends in the years since.
When they first met, Ahsan said he told Arnaz, “I feel like I’ve known you my whole life.”
“I love this woman,” said Ahsan of Arnaz.
Arnaz said when Ahsan asked her to come down to help raise money for the film, “I said why not?” Ahsan said portions of the money raised would go to the New Life Beginnings Shelter which did so much for him and his mom two decades ago.
The 90-minute home movie included a frank look at Lucy and Desi’s family dynamic, using reels and reels of home movies taken by Desi throughout their marriage, said Arnaz.
“It is respectful but real,” she said.
The movie explores the complex personal and professional lives of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. It highlights their rise from challenging beginnings to becoming entertainment icons, while also delving into the emotional struggles that fractured their family.
Lucille Ball’s difficult childhood, marked by abandonment, shaped her fierce independence but also repeated in her parenting, as she relied on others to raise her children.
Desi Arnaz, a talented but flawed man, struggled with infidelity and alcoholism, which strained their marriage.
Their fiery relationship was driven by deep love but marred by personal and professional pressures. Despite divorcing in 1960 after 20 years of marriage, they maintained a strong connection and mutual admiration until Desi’s death.
“I’m not sure they ever found the happiness they sought in their relationship,” said Arnaz, but she said they ironically found absolute true happiness in their work.
The film poignantly contrasts their early romantic bond with later years of regret and loss. It reveals the toll of fame on their family dynamics, particularly on their children, Lucie and Desi Jr., who faced emotional challenges due to their parents’ demanding careers and separation.
Lucie, with five children and three grandchildren, looks back and sees much of herself in the struggles her mother went through.
She also recalled the rare times her mother could indeed act as a homemaker, cooking chicken and dumplings while acknowledging much of her life was shaped by others charged with their daily care.
“She (Lucille) struggled to find ways to simply sit and connect with her kids,” said Lucie.
Despite her parents’ rocky marriage and ultimate divorce, there was love until the end.
“When Desi died, my mother lost a piece of herself. She died of a broken heart. It physically broke.”
“Because she had fame, that did not make her life that much easier – or luckier. I doubt she would have traded what she had but it wasn’t that easy,” said Arnaz.
Luckinbill, who recently published his autobiography, “Affective Memories. How Chance and the Theatre Saved My Life,” spoke about having Lucy and Desi as in laws.
Lucie’s fans came from throughout Southern California to see her.
“I was just so excited when I heard this was going to be happening, and I’ve always wanted to come to this theatre,” said Debbie Jacobs, of Long Beach. “I was brought up with Lucy, and watched it over and over again,” she said.
“The event itself was inspirational, offering a glimpse into the life of a beloved figure through close family friends and intimate interviews highlighting the importance of family reconciliation,” said Phil Ellis of Huntington Beach. “The film and event served as a powerful reminder that forgiveness and healing are possible for any family, regardless of their circumstances,” he said.
Annie Rojas, of Downey, said “Lucie is so iconic. Her mother is ingrained in our childhood so to be here and hear her memories firsthand is a dream. It’s just wonderful and heartwarming to be here,” she said.
Yolanda Sierra, of Long Beach, said “We all loved ‘I Love Lucy.’ And we loved Ricky (Desi’s character on the show). Our hearts are beating because we all grew up watching the show with our families.“
Sierra had gone out to purchase a large heart that she presented to Arnaz after the show.
Editor’s note: This story includes additional quotes from moviegoers that could not be included in the printed edition of the Sun.
