NAMES IN THE NEWS : Desi Called Funnier Than Lucy

NEW YORK —  Lucille Ball “was not funny off stage” and Desi Arnaz “ended up a drunk,” but daughter Lucie Arnaz said she doesn’t resent her parents.

Her mom was “a control freak,” Arnaz said on “The Joan Rivers Show” taped Tuesday. The show will be telecast Monday.

“She had to be in charge 24 hours a day,” Arnaz said. “She loved us in her own way. I’m sure she loved us in the only way she knew how.”

Desi used to say that Lucille was “so funny,” but, according to his daughter, Desi was “a lot funnier” than Lucille.

“I mean, as far as doing the physical stuff, she (Lucy) was the queen. But . . . I get my humor from my dad, not from her--which is odd, but I do. He’s a naturally funny kind of guy. And he always used to see things funny, so that’s kind of depressing that he ended up a drunk.”

Arnaz said her father “never got the acclaim that I think he deserved, because he was the brains behind all that comedy talent.”