Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: Arnaz not having a ball with biopic

There is a difference between private and reclusive.

Take, for example, longtime Boulder City resident Desi Arnaz Jr. -- the offspring of probably the most famous entertainment couple of the 20th century, Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball.

Little Desi's birth in 1953 was a national event, and was the genesis for the birth of Little Ricky on "I Love Lucy."

He guards his privacy, but is a vital part of the Boulder City community.

Arnaz makes a concerted effort not to exploit his famous parents -- hence his refusal to participate in Sunday's CBS "Lucy" biopic. It airs locally on KLAS Channel 8 at 8 p.m.

VegasBeat has had the privilege to spend some time with Arnaz recently. He does not generally speak to the media about his family.

And Arnaz makes it very clear that he and his sister did not approve of and did not contribute to the television movie. Lucie Arnaz was also quite clear where she stands on the TV movie, which stars Rachel York as Lucy and Danny Pino as Desi.

"We had nothing to do with it," Lucie Arnaz told VegasBeat from Florida Tuesday. She is there performing in the Coconut Grove Playhouse's staging of Eduardo Machado's "Once Removed," about five Cuban exiles.

At the height of "I Love Lucy's" popularity in the mid 1950s, the show averaged an incredible 67.3 rating. That means that on a typical Monday night more than two-thirds of all the homes in the country with a televison were watching the wacky escapades of America's favorite redhead and her Cuban bandleader husband.

The show is still wildly popular and airs around the world on a daily basis. To cash in on its continuing popularity, the networks periodically air a "clip job" -- a compilation of Lucy bits timed to some anniversary.

Or they come up with something new, such as Sunday's biographical effort.

Lucie Arnaz and her husband, Lawrence Luckinbill, produced the 1993 CBS special, "Lucy & Desi: A Home Movie."

And brother and sister participated in the announcement of the "I Love Lucy" slot machine last year -- but insisted that it not be a huge media event.

Desi owns the Historic Boulder Theater, which recently hosted a children's ballet production of "The Magic Tutu." His wife, Amy Arnaz, is a dance teacher in the community.

He also pals around with old musical partner and Las Vegas resident Billy Hinsche. Hinsche and Arnaz, along with Dean Martin Jr., formed the popular '60s group, Dino, Desi and Billy.

The trio had a pair of Top 40 hits and appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show." Hinsche went on to perform with the Beach Boys for 30 years. Martin Jr. had a successful acting career and married Olympic skater Dorothy Hamill. He was killed in a plane crash in 1987.

Name game

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman attended the wedding party for Brett Ravell and Pietra Domenica Isolina Graziella Fay Sardelli the other day.

The bride is the daughter of longtime Vegas entertainer Nelson Sardelli.

"Her new name is Pietra Ravell-Sardelli plus all the other names, plus tax," her proud papa said.

Double D-ecade

Hooters, the restaurant chain known for many things other than the cuisine, is having its 20th anniversary party in Las Vegas.

The festivities will be at Paris Las Vegas on July 8 and July 9. Part of the fun will be its annual Hooters International Swimsuit Pageant.

Also, five winners of a nationwide Hooters promotion called Double Decade will get a chance to play one hand of blackjack for $1 million.

SARS scare

Elton John and Billy Joel canceled their scheduled weekend concerts in Toronto because of warnings from health officials that the city is a SARS hotbed.

Earlier this month Lisa Marie Presley canceled a Toronto appearance promoting her new album, "To Whom It May Concern."

So far, 21 people in Toronto have died from SARS.

Under pressure from the Canadian government, the World Health Organization Tuesday officially lifted its warning against nonessential travel to Toronto, but still considers it an "affected area."

Call me

Now, readers, instead of pointing out my occasional lapses in judgment via telephone or e-mail, you can tell me live on the radio.

Starting Thursday the regular weekly radio appearance on KNUU 970-AM (K-NEWS) grows to an hour and will include listener, and reader, calls.

Please, be gentle.

VegasBits

Deal makers: Action film producer Jerry Bruckheimer ("Top Gun"), action film director Michael Bay ("Armageddon") and comic Martin Lawrence were discussing a possible collaboration at Light (Bellagio) Saturday night ...

Happy family: Former Sahara owner Paul Lowden had lunch Tuesday at McCormick & Schmick's with ex-wife Sue and their son and daughter. The one-time piano bar player returns to tickle the ivories Thursday at the opening of Prana ...

Chip in: Steve Schirripa was on "The Late, Late Show With Craig Kilborn" Monday night waving his new commemorative Riviera chip. "The Sopranos" star used to be the hotel's entertainment director. The chip is available May 9 ...

It's a wrap: "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" -- the highly rated television show set in Las Vegas -- today wraps three days of local shooting. Stars William L. Petersen, Marg Helgenberger, Gary Dourdan and Paul Guilfoyle will spend most of the day filming in an alley near First and Lewis streets. Tuesday was spent at the JW Marriott Las Vegas and the Rampart Casino at the Resort at Summerlin ...

Cheap date: A Nevada ID gets you discount tickets to the Blues Brothers (Dan Aykroyd and Jim Belushi) as part of the Aladdin's Red, White & Blues Memorial Day weekend party May 24 ...

Get the point: A convention of dart throwers has taken over the Riviera this week. Ouch!

From Sun wires

The first time Playboy magazine came calling, Sarah Kozer from "Joe Millionaire" said no. The second time, she said no again.

But the third time -- after receiving unanimous approval from her family and friends -- she changed her mind. Now the reality show runner-up is on the cover of the magazine's June issue.

Kozer said she only agreed to pose for Playboy if the photos entailed no full-frontal nudity. "I was a women's studies major," she said.

You don't know Jack: Jack Osbourne, the 17-year-old son of heavy metal star Ozzy Osbourne, has checked into a drug and alcohol rehabilitation clinic, according to magazine reports.

"I got caught up in my new lifestyle and got carried away with drugs and alcohol," Osbourne told People magazine, which reported he entered Las Encinas Hospital in Pasadena, Calif., on April 23. "Once I realized this, I voluntarily checked myself into a detox facility for my own health and well-being."

A publicist for the Osbourne family did not immediately return calls seeking comment Tuesday.

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