From the start, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz’s relationship was a whirlwind romance straight out of a Hollywood movie.

After meeting on the set of the film Too Many Girls in 1940, Ball and Arnaz quickly fell in love, and married later that year. Their union marked the beginning of one of Hollywood’s most iconic relationships that would go on to captivate audiences for decades, and leave a lasting legacy on the entertainment industry.

The duo created the iconic sitcom I Love Lucy in 1951, which revolutionized television and made significant contributions to comedy and representation on screen. Despite the challenges they faced as a couple and their eventual divorce, Ball and Arnaz’s relationship remained a powerful testament to their close bond and professional partnership.

From their whirlwind romance to their enduring friendship, here’s a look back at the iconic relationship of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.

Ball and Arnaz first crossed paths on the set of Too Many Girls in 1940. Ball, who was starring in the film, was already an established actress at the time, while Arnaz was still emerging and cast in a supporting role.

Among their first interactions, Arnaz asked Ball if she knew how to rumba and, after a quick demonstration that caught the actress’ attention, Arnaz said: “I can teach you quickly, but only on condition that you go out with me tonight,” according to Warren G. Harris’ biography, Lucy & Desi: The Legendary Love Story of Television’s Most Famous Couple.

“I never fell in love with anyone quite so fast,” Ball recalled, per Harris. “He was very handsome and romantic.”

The pair quickly formed a bond, and their palpable chemistry became evident to the rest of their costars on set.

“You could tell the sparks were flying with Lucy,” Too Many Girls costar Eddie Bracken told PEOPLE in 1996. “It happened so fast it seemed it wouldn’t last. Everybody on the set made bets about how long it would last.”

Ball and Arnaz eloped six months after meeting each other
After Too Many Girls wrapped, Ball and Arnaz continued their relationship amid their respective hectic schedules, with long-distance calls that the actress later estimated to total up to $29,000, per Coyne Sanders’ biography, Desilu.

However, in November 1940, Ball and Arnaz were both in New York — where the musician was scheduled to play a show at the Roxy and the actress was giving an interview to a magazine (where she told the interviewer, “It would never work,” referring to Arnaz). Nonetheless, he proposed and the two eloped in Greenwich, Conn., on Nov. 30, 1940, about six months after they first met.

“Eloping with Desi was the most daring thing I ever did in my life,” Ball said, per Harris. “I knew I shouldn’t have married him, but that was one of the biggest attractions.”