Many people assisted Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz in the early days of the television journey. Two such individuals were Pepito and Joanne Perez, veteran vaudeville entertainers better known in those days as “Pepito the Spanish Clown” and “Joanne the Twisting Marvel.” It was the Perez’s that helped Lucy and Desi develop the props and acts they took on the road to prove to CBS the public would accept them for a new TV show in developement.
The couples remained close friends throughout their lives as evident in this handwritten letter from Lucille to Joanne which reads:
“Dearest Joanne, I love you more each year for your thoughfulness. Please know I think of you often and appreciate you. – Love Lucy”
I Love Lucy fans can thank Joanne for discovering an original print of the I Love Lucy pilot long thought lost and never seen by the public until the early 1990’s. To learn more about Pepito and Joanne and their incredible time in show business, please visit: https://pepitoandjoanne.com/