Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1449234
Over the course of their twenty-year marriage, Lucy and Desi shared three dierent homesa ranch in Chatsworth, a large estate in Beverly Hills, and later, a mid-century house in Palm Springs. The design tried to capture and balance the space and simplicity of the ranch with the refinement and comfort of the Beverly Hills house. This was achieved by filming the exteriors at a historic ranch in Simi Valley, and the interiors at a classic home in Pasadena. Set decorator Ellen Brill managed to integrate the sophisticated fabrics and furnishings inspired by the Beverly Hills house into the classically casual structure of the ranch. Much of the backstory of Lucy and Desi's romance is told through a series of ashbacks interspersed throughout the film. Starting on the sound stage where they meet, to the nightclub where Desi teaches Lucy to dance the rumba, to the hotel suite where they make love for the first time, the film tried to enhance the memories of their courtship with a richness of color, texture, and architecture. The amber glow and art deco details of the Queen Mary location amplify the romance and glamor of the Ciro's nightclub set. Curved velvet booths were added to frame the dance oor, along with a glittering Austrian drape backdrop on the stage behind the band. Desi's hotel suite was based on the penthouse of the Chateau Marmont, a Hollywood landmark on the Sunset Strip where the production had initially planned to shoot the scene. Graphic Artist Jason Sweers designed the silver leaf wallpaper which wraps the room to echo the tropical plants on the terrace, creating a lush and exotic setting for the first night which Lucy and Desi spend together. F G H I J