Ethel Mertz
Encyclopedia
Ethel Roberta Louise Mae Mertz (née Potter) is one of the four main fictional character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...

s in the highly popular 1950s and 1960s American television sitcom I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy is an American television sitcom starring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, and William Frawley. The black-and-white series originally ran from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, on the Columbia Broadcasting System...

, played by Vivian Vance
Vivian Vance
Vivian Roberta Jones was an American television and theater actress and singer. Often referred to as “TV’s most beloved second banana,” she is best known for her role as Ethel Mertz, sidekick to Lucille Ball on the American television sitcom I Love Lucy, and as Vivian Bagley on The Lucy...

. Ethel is the main character Lucy's
Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy...

 middle-aged landlady - supposed to have been born about 1905, and raised in New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...

. She is married to Fred Mertz
Fred Mertz
Frederick Hobart Mertz, born in 1887 is a fictional character in the 1950s American sitcom I Love Lucy, originally from Indianapolis before his relocation to New York City. He is a World War I veteran and often talks about his times in the war. He is married to Ethel Mae Potter Mertz , and they...

, played by William Frawley
William Frawley
William Clement "Bill" Frawley was an American stage entertainer, screen and television actor. Although Frawley acted in over 100 films, he achieved his greatest fame playing landlord Fred Mertz for the situation comedy I Love Lucy.-Early life:William was born to Michael A. Frawley and Mary E....

, with whom she is supposed to have had a career in vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...

. The two female characters are close friends, habitually scheming together, Ethel being generally the voice of reason as a counterpart to Lucy's hare-brained ideas.

Background

Born around 1905 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where her father, Will Potter, owned a sweet shop and soda fountain, Ethel has had a career in music and acting. A flapper
Flapper
Flapper in the 1920s was a term applied to a "new breed" of young Western women who wore short skirts, bobbed their hair, listened to jazz, and flaunted their disdain for what was then considered acceptable behavior...

 in the 1920s, she met and married Fred Mertz either in 1933 (episode #2) or 1927 (episode #42)-the length of their marriage changed during the series. Ethel worked in vaudeville with Fred before settling down and purchasing their own brownstone
Brownstone
Brownstone is a brown Triassic or Jurassic sandstone which was once a popular building material. The term is also used in the United States to refer to a terraced house clad in this material.-Types:-Apostle Island brownstone:...

 apartment building, containing the apartment they rent to Ricky and Lucy. Some of Ricky's shows have included Ethel and/or Fred in the production, with the effect of making Lucy determined to get in on the act.
In appearance blonde and supposedly a beauty in her youth, in personality Ethel is unsentimental yet warm, proud and extremely loyal, with her tendency to be sharp-tongued leading to moments of hilarity. She has a fine soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...

 voice, among other artistic talents, but unlike Lucy is now unambitious and content as a housewife and landlady. Somewhat lonely, she is devoted to Lucy and her family. Despite her commonsense outlook, she is often fascinated by the possibilities for excitement opened up by Lucy's mad schemes. Although continually complaining about Fred's penny-pinching and other faults, she defers to him far more than Lucy does to Ricky. Something of a gossip
Gossip
Gossip is idle talk or rumour, especially about the personal or private affairs of others, It is one of the oldest and most common means of sharing facts and views, but also has a reputation for the introduction of errors and variations into the information transmitted...

and an inveterate snoop, she is often tries to read Lucy's mail, especially post cards which she claims are fair game. At times shown as slightly vain, as in one episode when a concert in New Mexico goes to her head, she has on the other hand a thicker skin than Lucy and seldom takes offense. She is easily able to parry Fred's frequent disparaging remarks.

Ethel and Lucy, although landlady and tenant, are the best of friends, gossiping and supporting each other during difficult times. They are seen entering several business ventures together, including owning and running a dress shop, a diner and marketing a homemade salad dressing. Though not afraid to be critical of Lucy, especially when Lucy's schemes create trouble for others, Ethel will always bail her friend out. There are occasional episodes of competition between Ethel and Lucy, mostly in relation to show business. On occasions when they are in competition for the same part, Ethel, having actual experience, always has the edge over Lucy; this in turn leads Lucy to mention Ethel's greater age and weight. Despite their spats, they always make up again by the end of the show. Lucy relies a great deal on her friend's more practical nature and calmer disposition.

Along with Lucy's husband Ricky and her own husband, Fred, Ethel travels to many places in the United States and Europe, such as England, France, Italy and Germany. According to an episode in Season 4, Ethel's and Fred's wedding anniversary is May 3, although the duration of their marriage changes several times during the show.
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