Desi Arnaz Premature Gray - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

eddie146 · 05-23-2013, 06:18 PM

was desi dying his hair black even in his early 30's?

Yong Fang · 06-03-2013, 01:57 AM

Desi was born in 1917, so he would have been 23 in 1940. How many 23 year olds have greying hair?

I live in China and have seen children and young people with some white strands of hair. Most are sort of embarrassed about it. I do not think it comes from emotional issues, I think it is some kind of defect. I do not know if other dark haired peoples have this, but it is possible.

Other grey parts of his body included his liver from excessive drinking and partying, lungs from smoking nasty unfiltered cigarettes, and his nether regions from banging all those floozies back in the day. This is why he lost Lucy, couldn't keep it in his pants.

Marvo301 · 06-03-2013, 01:55 PM

I think Desi's grey hair was caused by both stress and lifestyle. He was running Desilu Studio's while at the same same time producing and co-starring in I Love Lucy. He was also smoking, drinking, and carousing. And not getting a lot of sleep! If that's not a recipe for premature aging I din't know what is!!

lucy&vivfan · 06-03-2013, 04:24 PM

Excessive drinking and smoking takes its total. I recently saw a 1964 photo of Arnaz. At that time, he would have been 47....he looked 65. And by the 1970s, in my opinion, Desi looked like "death-warmed-over". I had an uncle who drank and smoked like a fiend, he died at 68, but at the time of his death, looked like he could have been married to his mother who was 90.

Dianne3 · 06-03-2013, 04:33 PM

Anyone see Desi on an episode of Alice?
I don't know exactly what year.
Boy, did he ever look old.

Yong Fang · 06-03-2013, 11:12 PM

What was his financial situation like when he died? Did he do the Alice episode because he was broke? Lucy was richer than God, and he should have been comfortable too.

biffbronson · 06-04-2013, 07:22 PM

He had been the producer of successful shows like The Mothers-in-Law later on -- I would be very surprised if he wasn't able to maintain at least a comfortable lifestyle...!

shotzette · 06-04-2013, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eddie146

was desi dying his hair black even in his early 30's?

Maybe. Some people gray earlier than others. My mom started to go gray in her late 20s, yet a close friend of mine (in her 50s) has yet to find a gray hair.

Lifestyles also can play a role in premature aging. Desi was an alcoholic and a chain smoker for decades. That can take its toll.

LittleRickyII · 06-04-2013, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yong Fang

What was his financial situation like when he died? Did he do the Alice episode because he was broke? Lucy was richer than God, and he should have been comfortable too.

I remember a news item on TV around 1980 (Rona Barrett on Good Morning America, I think) that suggested he had little left of his fortune. I'm paraphrasing, but part of the segment went something like this: "And if you're wondering about all the money made from those continuous reruns of I Love Lucy, well, he sold his rights to that show years ago." The gist of it seemed to be that he had gambled away his fortune. It's probably an exaggeration that he was broke, but he certainly wasn't the wealthy man he had been earlier on. And I seem to recall a comment Lucie Arnaz made that she and Desi Jr. did not inherit a whole lot from him because there wasn't a whole lot left to inherit. He did still have his Del Mar home, though, and that's not cheap real estate.

missy's pop pop · 11-23-2013, 11:23 PM

While Lucy and Ricky made fun of the matter in "Ricky Thinks He's Growing Bald," if you study Desi Arnaz' hairline during both the half-hour and the LDCH episodes, you can see major thinning at the part on the left side of his head and at the crown. While his lifestyle and some major surgeries he had in the 1960s didn't help, it seems to me Desi would have been willing "to bake for 20 minutes"--and then some--if he thought he could keep his hair....

bliss · 12-08-2013, 02:39 AM

I need to rewatch my I Love Lucy sets but Desi looked fit and younger than his age during the first few seasons after that he got heavier and his hair was looking a little grey in select episodes.

eddie146 · 01-09-2015, 12:18 AM

I saw an old photo of Desi from the year 1959. He was at a Desilu stock meeting. He was almost totally gray.

eddie146 · 01-09-2015, 12:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yong Fang

Desi was born in 1917, so he would have been 23 in 1940. How many 23 year olds have greying hair?

I live in China and have seen children and young people with some white strands of hair. Most are sort of embarrassed about it. I do not think it comes from emotional issues, I think it is some kind of defect. I do not know if other dark haired peoples have this, but it is possible.

Other grey parts of his body included his liver from excessive drinking and partying, lungs from smoking nasty unfiltered cigarettes, and his nether regions from banging all those floozies back in the day. This is why he lost Lucy, couldn't keep it in his pants.

I think u misunderstood not the 1930's, I meant his age, if desi was born in 1917 . That would mean in 1952 desi was 35. he was totally gray in 1959. so he must have been premature gray?

comedyfreak · 01-10-2015, 06:02 AM

You could tell he looked older in The Desilu Comedy Hour. All the pressure of running a the studio, the drinking, and womanizing took a toll on him.

PracTz · 03-13-2015, 01:26 PM

Actually, Desi may have been predisposed to have been prematurely grey. As far back as December, 1949 when he and Lucille appeared on "The Ed Wynn Show", he was clearly grey in the temples and he was only 32 but he dyed it black for virtually all of "ILL" . Yes, likely alcohol and stress accelerated it as the years zoomed by but someone who's already grey templed at 32 likely would have gone totally white before too long even if he'd been totally chilled, relaxed and stayed away from booze and cigarettes.

05-23-2013, 06:18 PM	#1
eddie146 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 28, 2003 Location: brooklyn ny Posts: 426	Desi Arnaz Premature Gray was desi dying his hair black even in his early 30's?

06-03-2013, 01:55 PM	#3
Marvo301 I'm NOT a Blockhead! Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 17, 2002 Location: The Great White North Posts: 21,456	I think Desi's grey hair was caused by both stress and lifestyle. He was running Desilu Studio's while at the same same time producing and co-starring in I Love Lucy. He was also smoking, drinking, and carousing. And not getting a lot of sleep! If that's not a recipe for premature aging I din't know what is!!
	__________________ Only a life lived for others is worth living. Albert Einstein A life isn't worth living unless it has impact on other lives. Jackie Robinson Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. Benjamin Franklin

06-04-2013, 07:22 PM	#7
biffbronson Sentimental Fool Forum Star Join Date: Aug 22, 2009 Location: Near Notre Dame Posts: 10,502	He had been the producer of successful shows like The Mothers-in-Law later on -- I would be very surprised if he wasn't able to maintain at least a comfortable lifestyle...!
	__________________ In memory of lovely Erin Moran 1960-2017 ~ Missing you "For you are beautiful ~ And I have loved you dearly ~ More dearly than the spoken word can tell..." "What's the word?" (Paul Martin) ~~ "I don't want money for nothing." (Timmy Martin) -- Lassie ROCKS! WORD UP "It's just a dugout that my dad built... In case the reds* decide to push the button down..."*

11-23-2013, 11:23 PM	#10
missy's pop pop Hooray for "Hazel!" Frequent Poster Join Date: Nov 19, 2013 Location: St. Louis Posts: 396	I don't think it was graying hair (at least not at first)... While Lucy and Ricky made fun of the matter in "Ricky Thinks He's Growing Bald," if you study Desi Arnaz' hairline during both the half-hour and the LDCH episodes, you can see major thinning at the part on the left side of his head and at the crown. While his lifestyle and some major surgeries he had in the 1960s didn't help, it seems to me Desi would have been willing "to bake for 20 minutes"--and then some--if he thought he could keep his hair....

01-10-2015, 06:02 AM	#14
comedyfreak Cheers! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Dec 14, 2005 Location: Sunny California Posts: 11,060	You could tell he looked older in The Desilu Comedy Hour. All the pressure of running a the studio, the drinking, and womanizing took a toll on him.
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06-03-2013, 01:57 AM	#2
Yong Fang Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 04, 2009 Location: Memphis Tennessee Posts: 3,073	Desi was born in 1917, so he would have been 23 in 1940. How many 23 year olds have greying hair? I live in China and have seen children and young people with some white strands of hair. Most are sort of embarrassed about it. I do not think it comes from emotional issues, I think it is some kind of defect. I do not know if other dark haired peoples have this, but it is possible. Other grey parts of his body included his liver from excessive drinking and partying, lungs from smoking nasty unfiltered cigarettes, and his nether regions from banging all those floozies back in the day. This is why he lost Lucy, couldn't keep it in his pants.

06-03-2013, 04:24 PM	#4
lucy&vivfan Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jun 01, 2013 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 126	Excessive drinking and smoking takes its total. I recently saw a 1964 photo of Arnaz. At that time, he would have been 47....he looked 65. And by the 1970s, in my opinion, Desi looked like "death-warmed-over". I had an uncle who drank and smoked like a fiend, he died at 68, but at the time of his death, looked like he could have been married to his mother who was 90.

06-03-2013, 04:33 PM	#5
Dianne3 Member Senior Member Join Date: Aug 07, 2002 Posts: 1,057	Anyone see Desi on an episode of Alice? I don't know exactly what year. Boy, did he ever look old.

06-03-2013, 11:12 PM	#6
Yong Fang Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 04, 2009 Location: Memphis Tennessee Posts: 3,073	What was his financial situation like when he died? Did he do the Alice episode because he was broke? Lucy was richer than God, and he should have been comfortable too.

12-08-2013, 02:39 AM	#11
bliss THAT GIRL Senior Member Join Date: Apr 26, 2009 Posts: 1,000	I need to rewatch my I Love Lucy sets but Desi looked fit and younger than his age during the first few seasons after that he got heavier and his hair was looking a little grey in select episodes.

01-09-2015, 12:18 AM	#12
eddie146 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 28, 2003 Location: brooklyn ny Posts: 426	I saw an old photo of Desi from the year 1959. He was at a Desilu stock meeting. He was almost totally gray.

03-13-2015, 01:26 PM	#15
PracTz Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 14, 2002 Location: United States of America [Happily Living in the 20th Century] Posts: 2,711	Actually, Desi may have been predisposed to have been prematurely grey. As far back as December, 1949 when he and Lucille appeared on "The Ed Wynn Show", he was clearly grey in the temples and he was only 32 but he dyed it black for virtually all of "ILL" . Yes, likely alcohol and stress accelerated it as the years zoomed by but someone who's already grey templed at 32 likely would have gone totally white before too long even if he'd been totally chilled, relaxed and stayed away from booze and cigarettes.