Looks like Hollywood isn't enough for Lucy! A few days after the announcement of Being the Ricardos, a biographical drama based on the lives of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, was nominated for three Oscars; Amazon decided to give us a second taste of the iconic Hollywood couple and dropped the trailer for Amy Poehler's debut documentary Lucy and Desi. The trailer can be viewed below.
It's hard to talk about the movie without talking about what made I Love Lucy such a groundbreaking series, as well as the people behind it. I Love Lucy was a sitcom that aired from 1951 to 1957. It starred husband and wife Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz as Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, and it broke ground in many ways. The series followed Lucy as she found herself in (and out of) various messes, including several messes trying to get into Ricky's nightclub show. The show would go on to become one of the most popular and influential shows in the United States, with Lucy and Ricky taking front row center both on and off camera. What do Lucy and Desi claim to do? Tell us the story behind it in all shades, even the ones that aren't so pretty and Hollywood's glamorous. Amy Poehler, who directed the film, told this to Rebecca Rubin for Variety's Virtual Sundance Studios.
Lucy and Desi share love in front and behind the camera
Lucy and Desi officially premiered earlier this year, January 22, at the Sundance Film Festival. Using archival footage, interviews with their children (Lucy Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr.), and interviews with Carol Burnett, Bette Midler and Norman Lear. The film gives viewers an inside look at the real relationship between Lucille and Desi. We also learn how their relationship helped build the empire that came after the show. Poehler with Variety expressed how much the team was able to use to tell this story.
I Love Lucy has stood the test of time, remaining in the eye of pop culture to this day. The legacy of I Love Lucy, as well as that of Lucille Ball herself, remains inspiring generations after. Lucy and Desi is set to premiere on Amazon Prime on March 4 this year, but until then, there are plenty of ways to celebrate. The biographical film Being the Ricardos premiered last December and is currently streaming on Amazon Prime, Turner Classic Movies' podcast, The Plot Thickens, takes a deep dive on Lucille Ball's life from childhood to the Twilight years and Currently streaming on various platforms including Youtube. Whether you prefer retelling, documentaries or audio, there are many ways to appreciate the life of one of America's golden couples.