DESILU SOLD!

July 27, 1967

Desilu Productions was formed in 1950 by Lucille Ball and her then-husband, Desi Arnaz. The name was a portmanteau of the couple’s first names and was originally applied to the Ball-Arnaz ranch. 

Desilu was one of many television production companies that sprung up all over the Hollywood catering to the growing needs of the increasingly popular medium of television. The success of “I Love Lucy” enabled Desilu to expand throughout the 1950s. 

When RKO Pictures went bankrupt in 1957, Desilu bought its studios and other location facilities. These acquisitions gave the Ball-Arnaz TV empire a total of 33 sound stages – four more than Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and eleven more than Twentieth Century-Fox had in 1957.

Desilu operated the physical facilities bought from RKO, which included the main Gower Street Studio in Hollywood, next door to Paramount Pictures. It also consisted of a studio in Culver City and the ‘40 Acres’ backlot – most famous for being Mayberry in “The Andy Griffith Show.”

On the lot there was a small theatre called Desilu Playhouse where Lucy hosted the Desilu Workshop, a training ground for new performers. 

After the breakup of the Ball-Arnaz marriage in early 1960, Desilu remained successful. 

In 1962, Ball bought out Arnaz and became the first female Hollywood mogul ever to run a major motion picture studio, albeit a reluctant one, as Ball never wanted to be a businesswoman. It was shortly after her second marriage to comedian Gary Morton in 1961, that she left the minutiae of the studio’s business and financial affairs to her new husband by naming him Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors. 

During Ball’s time as sole owner, Desilu developed popular series such as “Mission: Impossible” (1966), “Mannix” (1967), “That Girl” (1966), and “Star Trek” (1966).   

By April 1964, Desilu found itself in financial trouble – partly due to the fact that husband Morton was inexperienced at running a motion picture studio. “The Lucy Show” was their only remaining self-made production, even though other shows were still produced on the lot as consignments (rentals) from other production companies. 

Ball’s success as an actress continued until February 1967, when Ball announced she would sell Desilu to Gulf+Western, a decision which was formalized on July 27, 1967. The act of selling Desilu to Gulf+Western brought the studio under the same parent company as its next-door neighbor Paramount Pictures. The event was commemorated the next day by a dramatic ceremony in which Ball cut a ribbon of film stock which had replaced a wall between the two production studios. Lucille Ball left the Desilu lot the very same day (taking her own hugely popular “The Lucy Show” with her, the only studio asset not included in the sale), directly after the ownership transfer ceremony. 

After selling Desilu, rather than working for Paramount, Ball established her own production company, Lucille Ball Productions (LBP) in 1968. The company went to work on her new series “Here’s Lucy” that year. The program ran until 1974 and enjoyed several years of ratings success. LBP continues to exist, and its primary purpose is residual sales of license rights for “Here’s Lucy.”

Television shows produced by or taped at Desilu

The Jack Benny Program (CBS; 1950-1964/NBC; 1964–1965)

I Love Lucy (CBS; 1951–1957)

Our Miss Brooks (CBS; 1952–1956)

The Danny Thomas Show a.k.a. Make Room for Daddy (ABC; 1953–1957/CBS; 1957–1964)

Private Secretary (CBS; 1953–1957)

December Bride (CBS; 1954–1959)

The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (ABC; 1955–1961)

Meet McGraw (NBC; 1957–1958)

The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour (CBS; 1957–1960)

Whirlybirds (Syndicated; 1957–1960)

The Real McCoys (ABC; 1957–1962/CBS; 1962–1963)

The Ann Sothern Show (CBS; 1958–1961)

The Untouchables (ABC; 1959–1963)

The Andy Griffith Show (CBS; 1960–1968)

The Lineup a.k.a. San Francisco Beat (CBS; 1954–1960)

Sheriff of Cochise a.k.a. United States Marshal a.k.a. U.S. Marshal (Syndicated, 1956–1960)

Harrigan and Son (ABC; 1960–1961)

My Three Sons (ABC; 1960–1965/CBS; 1965–1972)

The Dick Van Dyke Show (CBS; 1961–1966)

The Lucy Show (CBS; 1962–1968)

You Don’t Say! (NBC; 1963–1969)

My Favorite Martian (CBS; 1963–1965)

The Greatest Show on Earth (TV series) (ABC; 1963–1964)

Gomer Pyle, USMC (CBS; 1964–1969)

I Spy (NBC; 1965–1968)

Hogan’s Heroes (CBS; 1965–1971)

Star Trek (NBC; 1966–1969)

Family Affair (CBS; 1966–1971)

That Girl (ABC; 1966–1971)

Mission: Impossible (CBS; 1966–1973)

Mannix (CBS; 1967–1975)