Richard Denning, The Husband That Lucille Ball Left Behind
What To Know
- Before I Love Lucy, Lucille Ball starred with Richard Denning as her husband in the popular radio show My Favorite Husband, which shared creative roots with her later TV classic.
- Although Ball chose to work with her real-life husband Desi Arnaz for television, Denning continued to thrive in entertainment, earning a Hollywood Walk of Fame star and starring in TV shows like Mr. and Mrs. North.
- Denning enjoyed a successful career in both film and television, with notable roles in movies such as Creature from the Black Lagoon and TV series like Hawaii Five-O.
I know, I know — whenever anyone mentions Lucille Ball‘s husband, if you’re like me, you immediately think of Desi Arnaz. Most fans of classic television know that the relationship between Lucy and Desi was a tumultuous one, but it was also one for the history books, with Desi and Lucy playing beloved characters who became among the most beloved TV couples of all time. But did you know that Ricky Ricardo wasn’t Lucy’s first fictional husband? Nope, that honor goes to a very talented actor by the name of Richard Denning, who in the late forties starred with Ball in a very popular radio program called My Favorite Husband.
Now, don’t get me wrong, Lucille Ball was, of course, the star of that show. Throughout the forties, Lucy had been nurturing a career in motion pictures, and by the end of that decade, she had really gained a name for herself as a talented comedic actor. The similarities between My Favorite Husband and what would become I Love Lucy are many, primarily because so many members of the creative team that worked on My Favorite Husband were also involved in the creation of I Love Lucy.
Everett Collection
By the early fifties, it had become clear to everyone that television entertainment was the future. Initially, there were conversations about a direct translation of My Favorite Husband from radio to television. However, Lucy, who had been married to Desi Arnaz since 1940, wanted to be closer to her husband. She wanted to work with him on a daily basis, and as a result, work on what would become I Love Lucy began in earnest.
But what about Richard Denning? What happened to him?
Well, I am happy to report that although Lucille Ball moved on without him, the entertainment industry did not. In fact, Richard was so successful that he was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
After My Favorite Husband, Richard found himself starring in his very own TV show with Barbara Britton, starring as the husband and wife amateur sleuth team, Mr. and Mrs. North.
Of Richard, his TV wife said this in the April 22, 1961 issue of TV Guide, “He was the most sweet and charming guy I ever worked with. Absolutely without complex of any kind, particularly the star complex.”
Everett Collection
Richard had also found success in motion pictures during the fifties with a string of fun films, including Creature from the Black Lagoon and Target Earth. Toward the tail end of that decade, Richard also had a significant role in the classic motion picture An Affair to Remember. This may have been where I saw Richard for the first time. I love this movie, and Richard does a great job with his character.
And while Richard was having success in movies, he was also working hard on TV. A couple of notable roles from the sixties and seventies are Richard’s turn as famed pulp fiction private investigator Michael Shayne, as well as a recurring role on Hawaii Five-O as Paul Jameson, the state’s governor.
Richard loved working on Hawaii Five-O. It was truly a fitting swan song for a tenacious actor who deserved every good thing that happened to him. When Richard died in October 1998, The Independent quoted Richard saying that he and his wife felt like their time in Hawaii was “about as close to Paradise as we could find on earth – and we love it more each day.”