Todd Purdom

Well, no, Terry, they weren't. First of all, they were very concerned that he was different, that he had a thick accent. And they just did not believe that widespread American audiences would believe him as the husband of an all-American girl like Lucille Ball. Of course, the irony is they had been an all-American couple for 10 years already in real life.

Well, no, Terry, they weren't. First of all, they were very concerned that he was different, that he had a thick accent. And they just did not believe that widespread American audiences would believe him as the husband of an all-American girl like Lucille Ball. Of course, the irony is they had been an all-American couple for 10 years already in real life.

Well, no, Terry, they weren't. First of all, they were very concerned that he was different, that he had a thick accent. And they just did not believe that widespread American audiences would believe him as the husband of an all-American girl like Lucille Ball. Of course, the irony is they had been an all-American couple for 10 years already in real life.

He said at one point his ambition was to be the Cuban Mickey Rooney. And he really was a little bit like Mickey Rooney. He could do comedy. He could do music. He could play the drum. He could sing. And he struggled to find a workable niche in Hollywood. He was always a little bit off. He never quite fit into Hollywood's stereotype of what a Latin performer should be.

He said at one point his ambition was to be the Cuban Mickey Rooney. And he really was a little bit like Mickey Rooney. He could do comedy. He could do music. He could play the drum. He could sing. And he struggled to find a workable niche in Hollywood. He was always a little bit off. He never quite fit into Hollywood's stereotype of what a Latin performer should be.

He said at one point his ambition was to be the Cuban Mickey Rooney. And he really was a little bit like Mickey Rooney. He could do comedy. He could do music. He could play the drum. He could sing. And he struggled to find a workable niche in Hollywood. He was always a little bit off. He never quite fit into Hollywood's stereotype of what a Latin performer should be.

Yes, and he was apparently in person a very, very compelling entertainer, a wonderful showman who could hold the audience in the palm of his hand. He wasn't a classically great musician. He was self-taught. He never learned how to read music. He wasn't a spectacular drummer. His Latin music, his Cuban music was, by the lights of authentic Cuban music fans, not the most pure version.

Yes, and he was apparently in person a very, very compelling entertainer, a wonderful showman who could hold the audience in the palm of his hand. He wasn't a classically great musician. He was self-taught. He never learned how to read music. He wasn't a spectacular drummer. His Latin music, his Cuban music was, by the lights of authentic Cuban music fans, not the most pure version.

Yes, and he was apparently in person a very, very compelling entertainer, a wonderful showman who could hold the audience in the palm of his hand. He wasn't a classically great musician. He was self-taught. He never learned how to read music. He wasn't a spectacular drummer. His Latin music, his Cuban music was, by the lights of authentic Cuban music fans, not the most pure version.

It was a kind of popularized American version that brought those Cuban musical forms to American mass audiences. But apparently the whole package was pretty overwhelming when you saw him in the flesh.

It was a kind of popularized American version that brought those Cuban musical forms to American mass audiences. But apparently the whole package was pretty overwhelming when you saw him in the flesh.

It was a kind of popularized American version that brought those Cuban musical forms to American mass audiences. But apparently the whole package was pretty overwhelming when you saw him in the flesh.

Yes, he was an adequate singer, but he was not an incredible vocalist. There's no doubt about that.

Yes, he was an adequate singer, but he was not an incredible vocalist. There's no doubt about that.

Yes, he was an adequate singer, but he was not an incredible vocalist. There's no doubt about that.

No, she'd been working steadily in movies since 1933. This is 1950, 51, when they're trying to get the show on the air. She was approaching the age of 40, which then, as now, was a very dangerous age for a female actress in Hollywood.

No, she'd been working steadily in movies since 1933. This is 1950, 51, when they're trying to get the show on the air. She was approaching the age of 40, which then, as now, was a very dangerous age for a female actress in Hollywood.

No, she'd been working steadily in movies since 1933. This is 1950, 51, when they're trying to get the show on the air. She was approaching the age of 40, which then, as now, was a very dangerous age for a female actress in Hollywood.

She had worked steadily, but she'd never really broken through as a major A-list star, and she was beginning to be known as the Queen of the Bees, the second-tier movies that rounded out double features.

She had worked steadily, but she'd never really broken through as a major A-list star, and she was beginning to be known as the Queen of the Bees, the second-tier movies that rounded out double features.