Desilu Studios (1957-1966)

          Desilu Productions was originally formed in 1951.  Its name is the obvious combination of its two owners names, wife and husband duo Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.  The production company was well-known for producing the iconic I Love Lucy​ series. Originally, its studios were located in Los Angeles, but outgrowing their existing space, they purchased their Culver City location on the RKO "40 Acre" backlot from General Tire and Rubber in late 1957.  Many locals know that the Desilu Studios were an important part of Culver City history.  What they may not be aware of was that Desilu mught have never come to Culver City.
9336 W. Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 
          Prior to their move to Culver City, the hysteria surrounding the Communist influence in Hollywood cast a shadow over Desilu when Lucille Ball was accused of being a communist.  In a 1953 edition of the Herald Express, Ball's portrait appeared on the cover next to a voter registration card from 1936 that clearly illustrated having registered as a "Communist." Prior to the publication of the newspaper, Lucille Ball was named by Walter Winchell, one of J. Edgar Hoover's favored journalist informants. On September 4, 1953, Lucille Ball gave a voluntary testimony to an investigator for The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), in which she explained, "It was our grandfather, Fred Hunt. He just wanted us to, and we just did something to please him. I didn't intend to vote that way. As I recall, I didn't." 
           Although the Communist Party of the United States had been an active political party as early as 1919, during the height of the Great Depression in the mid-1930's, many turned to alternative political models, and the party saw an increase in membership.  Her grandfather, who Ball described as a life-long Socialist, had pressured the entire family to register as communists in 1936, which Ball adds, seemed to be "a personal victory" for him. Ball stated, "At that time it wasn't a thing to hide behind doors, to be a member of that party...We thought we could make him happy. I at no time intended to vote that way. When I go behind a curtain to vote, nobody knows whom I vote for". At the time of registering, prior to WWII and the development of atomic weapons, "Communism" was not necessarily the threat that it would later become, and registering would not have been perceived in the same light as the "Fifth Column" Communist conspiracy, which had been the driving force behind the HUAC trials. 
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Ball and Arnaz give a press conference at their home. Courtesy of the Los Angeles Times.
          Before 1953, even being suspected of having communist ties was damning.  Many suspicions had already ended the careers of actors, writers, and directors throughout the film and television industry. However, by this time, popular opinion was beginning to sway against HUAC investigations.  Many people came out in defense of Lucille Ball and the Ball family, including Hedda Hopper, a columnist well-known herself for "naming names" in Hollywood. Ball and Arnaz also took a preemptive approach.  On September 12th, 1953, as the committee released the transcripts of Ball's interview, they held a press conference at their Chatsworth home to address any concerns related to her communist association 17 years earlier. ​When asked about the damage to her career, Lucille Ball answered, “I have more faith in the American people than that. I think any time you give the American people the truth they’re with you.”​
          Desi Arnaz was also one of the most vocal refuters of Lucille Balls associations, using his own story as a Cuban immigrant fleeing Communism to back up his wife's innocence  Before the filming of episode 68 of I Love Lucy, entitled "The Girls Go Into Business," Arnaz addresses the accusation while doing his usual studio audience warm-up.  In his speech to the audience, he reuses the line first published in Hedda Hopper's column, "The only thing red about Lucy is her hair, and even that is not legitimate."  This would be a line used repeatedly by Arnaz, but ultimately it was very successful at winning over public opinion by laughing-off the believed communist association. 
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         Support for the Ball family was a well-documented story following the investigation, but a great deal of credit actually goes to Lucille Ball herself.  As the co-owner of a production studio, she was in quite a different position than many of those who  relied on studios in order to survive. Lucille Ball was one of only a few to have been investigated without ending up on the Blacklist, or having their careers ruined.  Throughout the investigation and in subsequent years, she retained the support of her fans, and the ordeal faded from memory. Only a few years later, Desilu Productions would purchase the lot in Culver City. For the next decade, Desilu Studios would be the outdoor setting for several films and numerous television shows including: The Andy Griffith Show, Mission Impossible, Hogan's Heroes, Batman, Star Trek and many more.  Desilu eventually sold the "40 Acre" property to Perfect Film in 1968, which it resold a year later.  After changing hands several more times, the studio stands today as The Culver Studios, who proudly lists Desilu as part of the studio's history.
Harrison, Scott. "". Los Angeles Times Framework. 15 Sept. 2011.
".". Culver Studios. 2016.
​"". House of Representatives Committee on Un-American Activities. Sept 4, 1953. Archive.org.