Top Docs: Award-Winning Documentary Filmmakers ”Lucy And Desi” with Robert A. Martinez
Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. They were America’s most beloved couple and Hollywood’s ultimate power couple. But when the studio lights were turned off, what was it like being the “real” Lucy and Desi? How did their relationship inform everything they did — from creating the groundbreaking sitcom “I Love Lucy” to running one of Hollywood’s most successful television studios? With “Lucy and Desi”, multi-hyphenate comedian-actor-producer — and now documentary director — Amy Poehler aims her prodigious talent at cracking the story of Lucy and Desi, with Emmy®-worthy results.
Mike and Ken recently had the opportunity to speak with the film’s Emmy-nominated editor Robert A. Martinez (“The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart”, “Pavarotti”) to discuss what it was like to sit at the controls of this refreshing, revealing and, at times, surprising portrayal of this dynamic duo. How did Amy’s directorial chops drive the storytelling beyond the superficial “Wikipedia” treatment that it could easily have been given? For the filmmakers, why was it so important to lift up the accomplishments of Desi Arnaz, who, all-too-often has been overlooked in the shadow of Lucille Ball’s comedic brilliance? And what did the comedic genius Buster Keaton see in Ball that enabled her, through tireless rehearsal, to develop a style of comedy that was way ahead of its time? Ultimately, “Lucy and Desi” is about neither Lucy nor Desi’s individual talents, but about the magic that they created as one unit, leaving a legacy that will last as long as the human species comes factory-equipped with a funny bone.
“Lucy and Desi”, which is nominated for six 2022 Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special, is available for streaming on Amazon Prime.
Find our conversation with Mark Monroe about “The Bee Gees” here.
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