Ball As Sole Owner
In 1960, Desi Arnaz sold the pre-1960s shows to CBS. Desilu Productions retained ownership of those shows which premiered before 1960, but were still in production. Contrary to popular belief, Desi Arnaz did not sell his share of Desilu due to his divorce with Lucille Ball.
In November 1962, Arnaz resigned as president when his holdings in the company were bought out by Ball, who succeeded him as president. This made her the first woman to head a major studio, and one of the most powerful women in Hollywood at the time. Ball later founded Desilu Sales, Inc. that later became part of CBS Television Distribution.
Arnaz left television production for a few years but returned in 1966 when formed his own company, Desi Arnaz Productions, based at Desilu. Desi Arnaz Productions along with United Artists Television, co-produced The Mothers-in-Law, for National Broadcasting Company (NBC). Arnaz attempted to sell other television plots including a comedy with Carol Channing and an adventure series with Rory Calhoun. Neither series sold. Arnaz also tried to create a law drama called Without Consent, with Spencer Tracy as a defense attorney, but after several attempts at developing a suitable script failed, the project was abandoned.
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