I’m not sure wether this belongs in Cafe Society or not (Mods if it does please move it). I’ve been watching Hallmark’s marathon of I Love Lucy over the weekend. One of the shows longest running recurring gags is that Lucy Ricardo (despite being married to a Cuban for over a decade) cannot speak or understand a word of Spanish. Desi Arnaz was actually Cuban and naturally his native language was Spanish. His marriage to Ball lasted more or less as long as the Ricardos’ fictional marriage. Did Lucille Ball ever actually learn to speak Spanish herself?
Not more than a few phrases, according to her daughter Lucie Arnaz.