Desi, in my opinion, doesn't receive enough credit for the success of I Love Lucy. The guy never received an Emmy nomination and never got credit for running the show because everyone assumed Lucy ran things. Well of course it was actually Desi that made sure everything was in place for the show's success. He made sure Bob and Madelyn produced great scripts and when they didn't, he always gave them helpful, constructive suggestions which they used to make a not so good script into a great one. He also made sure all the props, costumes, cameras, ect were going well kept everyone on the set happy, and kept everything flowing smooth. He continued doing so for the superior first season of The Lucy Show as well. Well, after he left The Lucy Show at the end of the first season, Gary started taking over some of the roles Desi was doing, mainly the person the writers had to pitch a script too. Unfortunately, his abilities to recoginize poor scripts wasn't nearly that of Desi's. As a result, Lucy started finding herself in situations that were simply ridiculous and without any logical premises. Gary also wouldn't tone down Lucy's on set tiradesand let her criticize people in negatives ways, ways Desi never let her do and always did himself in a constructive, helpful manner. As a result, she lost many good people like her writers, who left after 2nd season of The Lucy Show. Then Gary wasn't exactly nice to Vivian either, which, in my opinion, helped lead to her departure from The Lucy Show after season 3. Well, by season 4, Gary had done so many things wrong Desi would have done right, The Lucy Show wasn't nearly as good as it was under Desi in Season 1. And it never got any better either not saying there weren't a few standout episodes during that time. Here's Lucy showed a pickup from The Lucy Show. With a whole new plot and the addition of Desi Jr and Lucie things were really going good especially in season 3 when Bob and Madelyn returned as writers. Unfortunately Desi Jr left at the end of season 3 and Gary, who by then had complete control, let everything go downhill, especially in Season 5.

Originally posted by oldshows
Well, after he left The Lucy Show at the end of the first season

I thought I read he left after episode #8.

Anyway, I agree. Gary wouldn't have known good comedy if it had bitten him in the a$$.

I admit, I have absolutely nothing nice to say about Gary Morton. He was nothing but a half-wit, second...no, third rate comic who saw a meal ticket in Lucy and took advantage of it. I mean really, who the hell knew him as anything other than Mr. Lucille Ball? At least Desi had enough talent of his own where people knew him by his own name. Gary was just a lacky, and a lousy one at that.

yeah he was a hack who came into Lucy's life at her most vulnerable point. It was only November 1961--a year and a half since the divorce from Desi. She was in New York doing Wildcat when she met Gary. She was fatigued from the show and he offered her attention. Whether he married her to be part of her fame or not--I don't know. She always said Gary could make her laugh and maybe that's what she needed after Desi. Though I'm sure its clear and had to be clear even to Gary that Desi was her passion and was until the day she died. It's interesting but at the time of the Lucy Show (early on) Desi was producing, Lucy was starring and Gary was doing the comedy warm up--that pretty much sums up his role then, but he did have one good line--which he used in later years even on Here's Lucy--when Desi was present to watch a taping he would introduce him as his "ex-husband in law".

Originally posted by buddy love
when Desi was present to watch a taping he would introduce him as his "ex-husband in law".

That says a lot doesn't it?

Ok, every time Gary gets bashed on these boards, i think of his sister reading these things or other members of his family, so i come on and defend him, then i read another book that proves we were right about him and then i go on and do the bashing myself, so i'll try to be fair here as this is a very interesting subject. Lucy was tired of Desi's womanizing and the shame he brought to her rep, so they got divorced. Yes, Gary came in at the best possible time, gave her laughter and boredom for the next 28 years, a stable quiet homelife, which is what she wanted most.

First of all, yes Desi was the creative genius behind the show, Lucy ALWAYS gave him credit for that, even though nobody believed the congo drum guy really was, and you have to remember Jess' contribution also, there are conflicting reports about that, was Jess or Desi the real brains behind the show? Back to Gary, Lucie and Desi jr NEVER said a negative thing about Gary, that says a lot too, was it because, he had to thread lightly around them and Lucy's mother, therefore they were the three exceptions. Lucy's mom apparently hated him, but let it go when she saw how happy he made her daughter. Gary eliminated all of Desi's friends from her circle and substituted his friends and family, now that's insecurity. Now, i consider myself a fanatic Lucille Ball fan, but i also try and be fair by adding that she was not the easiest person to live with, and it also could not have been that pleasant to be considered Mr Ball. The wirters hated him, and were vocal about it, so when they left, it could very well have been his doing, though Lucy took the blame for it all!

So, Lucy got 28 years of a stable relationship. He also helped her at the studio and at home to make her life more tolerable. All she asked of him was that he NEVER foll around, and we don't know for sure that he ever did. But dating weeks after she died, and marrying so quickly after she passed does not help his case. Yes, he was a second rate comic, yes Lucy built him up in the public's mind, as she always did with her husbands. Yes, she could have done better as Mary Jane and Carole Cook and Marcella Rabwin said, but if she was happy, who are we to argue. When he was off playing golf and leaving her alone for such long periods, and making bad career decisions for her, that i will NEVER forgive him for. I think it's also a safe bet that he endured the living with her for the financial and social rewards. She wanted the public to see her happy in public holding her hand at social events when Davis and Hepburn to name but two didn't have that. I think the last ten years of her life would have been much better if she had not been married to him and had had a better manager for the career part of her life, and we all know her career is what mattered most to her.

As you can see, i could go on for days on this subject, but instead will leave you with two last thoughts. He did succeed in forming a friendship with the head of Twentieth Century Fox and got them on the board there, he produced the Tom Cruise movie All the Right Moves, but she removed her name from the credots because of a little nudity, she so desperately wanted to protect her image. He starred in Lenny and Postcards from the edge, and did other things, i always used to think he should have played her boyfriend on the show, but that was deemed too weird to be accepted by her adoring public, he wasn't baad on the shows he did with her, he seemed natural and easygoing enough, and like Bill Paily said, you CAN"T fake that on TV. But he lost me with the Life with Lucy fiasco. For her to be paid 125 thou to his 100 thousand for producing that show, is a sacrilege. She tarnished her crown as the Queen of television so he could make a bundle, he told her to do it, even though she always said she couldn't and wouldn't come back. He should have let her do the Broadway show planned for her instead, but wouldn't give up his beloved golf game. She might not have been the easiest person in the world to live with, but she deserved so much better than Morty Goldapper!

Originally posted by SPLAIN
he produced the Tom Cruise movie All the Right Moves

There's another reason to hate him...I hate Tom Cruise!

but she removed her name from the credots because of a little nudity, she so desperately wanted to protect her image.

She wouldn't have liked some of the stuff I've written then. ;)

Like i just said to Jane in a private PM, where is she anyway? I think there's nothing wrong with telling the real story of what went on, i don't like sugar coating, but one must remember that we are on Lucy boards that exist because of Lucy fans, common decency should make us realize that some things are not permissable, like slut and bitch, i have used the last one where i apologize for it and mention that Lucy called herself that many times, and therefore wouldn't object to it, i also added that i only used it to try and finally figure out why she acted that way, and i got most of the answers i was looking for. If even an insider like Lee Tannen wonders, then an outsider like me would too, i just ask that we be more restrained in our criticisms out of respect for her children and family and friends, not to mention fans who aren't blunt and direct like us, and who take exception to our comments. I always use the following example for myself. We are guests on these boards, and as guests we should behave in a proper way, that doesn't mean we can't discuss EVERY aspect of her life if we don't do it to shock or get people angry, but rather to get answers and talk about our favorite star, which is why most of us are here to begin with!

Since you were nice enough to participate, i should at least comment on what you said. I also despise Tommy so he and Gary deserved each other. And no, Lucy wouldn't mind your comments because i'm sure she doesn't care about her image anymore, she doesn't need to anymore. She built a huge legacy that the world enjoys and i'm sure she's proud of that. And she could be the most direct and honest person when she wanted to, so she would probably agree with many of the things you've said. She wasn't this pompous braggart who looked upon her triumphs all the time saying hey look at what i accomplished, when a Mr Fred Friendly wanted CBS to show the Vietnam hearings instead of an ILL rerun in the early sixties, he lost his job, but she gave interviews backing him up, that the show was not as important as kids dying in a foreign land, she knew what was important, and could not tolerate bulls***! Just like you and me! She'd be the first one to tell you, life's too short!

My theory is that,, Lucy wanted someone to take care of her for once, instead of her taking care of everybody else like she normally did. I think early on Gary may have been good for her, but as her friends say, Once she gave him some balls that was it...he saw cash signs, and sold their relationship out for fame and fortune, Where the hell was he when she was so depressed, that she wanted her life to end, playing golf and she was so alone. except for her friends, her poodle, and backgammon. I think had he got off the course, and stayed with her, maybe she would ahve gotten some spirit to get her self back to order.
I don't really think Gary worked...Desi worked, Desi is the reason, that empire became what it became, and as Lucy said There would be no Lucy without Desi. When Desi was around the employees were happy, adn there was a good feeling throughout the studio and it was family. I think the overwhelming of work at the executive end became too much for Desi, and boozing and brouzing was his only way to vent. Lucy got way too overwhelmed and high strung and it just wasn't too enthused anymore...both came from nowhere and became the finest in showbuiness, beloved by the world over. even Fame has it's price to pay. But I would say bottom line that Lucy and Desi NEVER stopped loving eachother and i see that now.
Behind teh scenes< from what I understand, Gary and Lucy did not get along in the end really. However she put a front up in public, for the reason that if the public knew she was miserable, it would be for her a sign of failure, she felt she had already let her fans down with the divorce to Desi, and not only that it was an embarressment to her, and she was depressed for a long time. Now Gary comes along and puts a smile on her face, adn after a while her fame became his fortune, and Lucy I think knew it. But why would she want to go through the pain and embarressment again ...especially at her age. Her health was not so good, They were not getting along together, and he was out golfing and Lucy just gave up and decided to Let it be. Which is sad, she was such a wonderful person, but lived a very sad life especially in the end, not as though all the hard times when she was younger wasn't enough, the end of her life was just as bad.

Now I myself never met Gary, when my gramma did she said he was nice, and funny. This was in the fifties though.
I am not passing judgement saying he is a good egg or a bad egg. But there is so much proof to back me up that in the end...the bottom line was, I think he just got spoiled, I don't think Lucy should have got Gary involved with the business, and I think the mariage was basically, Lucy felt insecure and Lucy needed to be with somebody, at that point in time Gary was right for her, but that wore off. Lucy needed to compensate for her marriage to Desi, although she never stopped loving him, and i think deep down she wished her marriage to Desi worked out and I think all along all she really wanted from Desi was the attention and devotion, that he really felt for her deep inside.

I would not know who was better for Lucy on a personal level. But on a professional level it had to be Desi. He knew how to showcase her true comedic talents through her character in I Love Lucy and early years of The Lucy Show. Or at least had ALOT to do with it.
It seemed to me that Gary mainly gave out false encouragement and bad advice (Life with Lucy for example).

By the way, Desi did very good work with Eve Arden and Kaye Ballard on "The Mothers-in-Law" too. Sure wish someone would rerun those!

Originally posted by baronzzz
By the way, Desi did very good work with Eve Arden and Kaye Ballard on "The Mothers-in-Law" too. Sure wish someone would rerun those!

Me too...I've never seen them.

And you're right...Desi was better for her on a professional level.

Originally posted by SPLAIN
And no, Lucy wouldn't mind your comments because i'm sure she doesn't care about her image anymore, she doesn't need to anymore.

I meant about the fiction I've written, not necessairily what I've said here. I've just put sex and bad language in some of my writing.

Three words......I LOVE LUCY and as Desi so eloquently put it..that was never just the title.

Compared to Gary's words, Show Business isn' my life Show business is my wife.


I think Desi has the stronger hand here so I am gonna let him have the last word....


I LOVE LUCY was never just the title!

Hey, nothing wrong with that, that's part of real life, you have to include everything and remember sex sells! As for The Mothers in Law, i saw them back then and they were good, but they weren't Lucy, Eve and Kaye were excellent and Desi even appeared now and then, the reason they got cancelled after a year and a half was because they were on opposite Ed Sullivan! There was this one scene where Eve is dancing with her husband and somebody says, is that Eve? And she answers, WELL, IT AIN'T LUCILLE BALL!