Vivian Vance (July 26 1909 – August 17 1979) was an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
award winning
televisionTelevision is a widely used telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images, either monochromatic or color, usually accompanied by sound. "Television" may also refer specifically to a television set, television programming or television transmission...
and theater actress and singer. Often referred to as “TV’s most beloved second banana,” she is best known for her role as
Ethel MertzEthel Mertz is a fictional character played by Vivian Vance in the 1950s and 1960s American television sitcom I Love Lucy, where she was one of the four main roles. Ethel was born about 1905 and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her maiden name was Ethel Roberta Louise Mae Potter. Her father...
,
sidekickA sidekick is a stock character, a close companion who assists a partner in a superior position. Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, Sherlock Holmes' Doctor Watson, Batman's companion Robin, and Xena's partner, Gabrielle are some well-known sidekicks in fiction....
to
Lucille BallLucille Désirée Ball was an American comedienne, 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 and Here's Lucy...
on the American television sitcom
I Love LucyI 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 April 1, 1960 on CBS...
, and as Vivian Bagley on
The Lucy ShowThe Lucy Show is a television series that aired on CBS from 1962 until 1968. It was Lucille Ball's follow-up to I Love Lucy. A significant change in cast and premise for the 1965-66 season divides the program into two distinct eras; aside from Ball, only Gale Gordon, who joined the program for its...
.
Early life
Born
Vivian Roberta Jones in
Cherryvale, KansasCherryvale is a city in Montgomery County, Kansas, United States. The population was 2,386 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Cherryvale is located at ....
, Vance was the second of six children born to Robert Jones and Euphemia Ragan. When she was six years old her family moved to
Independence, KansasIndependence is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Kansas, United States. The population was 9,846 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, where she eventually began her dramatic studies at Independence High School under the tutelage of Anna Ingleman, the drama instructor.
William IngeWilliam Motter Inge was an American playwright and novelist, whose works typically feature solitary protagonists encumbered with strained sexual relations. In the early 1950s, he had a string of memorable Broadway productions, and one of these, Picnic, earned him a Pulitzer Prize...
was a classmate and fellow cast member in play productions at the school. Her love of acting clashed with her mother's strict religious beliefs, and it wasn't too long before Vance,
nicknameA nickname is a descriptive name given in place of or in addition to the official name of a person, place or thing. It can also be the familiar or truncated form of the proper name, which may sometimes be used simply for convenience A nickname (also spelled "nick name") is a descriptive name...
d "Viv" by friends, became very rebellious, often sneaking out of her bedroom and staying out after
curfewA curfew refers to one of the following:# An order by a government for certain persons to return home daily before a certain time. It can be imposed to maintain public order , or suppress targeted groups...
. She soon changed her
surnameA surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases a surname is a family name; the family-name meaning first appeared in 1375. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name". It is also known as a "last name". In some cultures, the surname may...
to Vance (after folklorist
Vance RandolphVance Randolph was a famous folklorist who studied the folklore of the Ozarks in particular. He wrote a number of books on topics including the Ozarks, Little Blue Books, and juvenile fiction....
) and moved to
Tulsa, OklahomaTulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 45th-largest in the United States. With an estimated population of 385,635 in 2008, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 916,079 residents projected to reach one million between 2010...
, to find work as an actress.
Broadway
Starting in 1934, she was in a number of shows on Broadway playing second or third leads:
(dates she was in the cast)
- Anything Goes - November 21, 1934-November 16, 1935
- Red, Hot and Blue - October 29, 1936-April 10, 1937
- Hooray for What! - December 1, 1937-May 21, 1938
- Skylark - October 11, 1939-May 25, 1940
- Out From Under - May 4, 1940-May 11, 1940
- Let’s Face It! - October 29, 1941-March 20, 1943
- It Takes Two - February 3, 1947-February 8, 1947
- The Cradle Will Rock (revival) - December 26, 1947-February 7, 1948
and later in her career:
- My Daughter, My Son - May 14, 1969-June 21, 1969
I Love Lucy
When
Desi ArnazDesi Arnaz was a Cuban-American musician, actor and television producer. He gained international renown for leading a Latino music band, the Desi Arnaz Orchestra...
and wife
Lucille BallLucille Désirée Ball was an American comedienne, 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 and Here's Lucy...
were casting their new television sitcom
I Love Lucy in 1951,
directorA television director directs the activities involved in making a television episode.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or filmed/taped .In both types of productions, the director is responsible for supervising the placement of cameras ,...
Marc DanielsMarc Daniels , born Danny Marcus, was an American television director.After serving in World War II, Daniels was hired by CBS to direct its first dramatic anthology program, Ford Theater. He mastered live television directing, and was hired to direct the first 38 episodes of I Love Lucy,...
, who had previously worked with Vance in a theater production, suggested her for the role of landlady Ethel Mertz. She was not the first choice, however. Lucille Ball wanted actress
Bea BenaderetBea Benaderet was an American actress, born in New York City and raised in San Francisco, California. Sometimes credited as Bea Benadaret, she is best remembered for starring in the 1960s television series Petticoat Junction and The Beverly Hillbillies as Jed Clampett's cousin Pearl Bodine , and...
, a close friend. Because of a prior acting commitment, Benaderet had to decline playing the role. Arnaz then began searching for another actress. Daniels took Arnaz, along with
producerThe primary role of a television producer is to control all aspects of production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
Jess OppenheimerJess Oppenheimer a radio and television writer, producer, and director, was producer and head writer of the landmark CBS sitcom I Love Lucy.Lucille Ball called Oppenheimer "the brains" behind I Love Lucy...
, to see Vance in the John Van Druten play
The Voice of the TurtleThe Voice of the Turtle is a comedic Broadway play by John William Van Druten dealing with the challenges of the single life in New York City during World War II...
. While watching her perform, Arnaz was convinced he had found the right woman to play Ethel Mertz. Ball was less sure, since she had envisioned Ethel as much older and less attractive. In addition, Ball, firmly entrenched in film and radio, had never heard of Vance, primarily a theater actress. Nonetheless, the 42-year-old Vance was given the role on the new
television programA television program , television programme , or television show is a segment of content broadcast on television...
, which debuted October 15, 1951, on
CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is an American television network, one of television's original "big three", which also include NBC and ABC. Like NBC, CBS started out as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System...
.
Vance's Ethel Mertz
characterA character is the representation of a person in a narrative or dramatic work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr through its Latin transcription character, the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its...
was the less-than-prosperous landlady of a New York City
brownstoneBrownstone is a brown Triassic sandstone which was once a popular building material. The term is also understood to be a terraced house clad in this material.-Brownstone dwellings:...
, owned by her and husband Fred Mertz. The role of Fred was played by
William FrawleyWilliam Clement 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 on the sitcom I Love Lucy....
, who was 22 years her senior. While the actors shared great comedic and musical chemistry on-screen, they did not get along in real life. According to some reports, things first went sour when Frawley overheard Vance complaining about his age, stating that he should be playing her father rather than her husband. She used to skim through the script to see how many scenes she had with that "stubborn-headed little Irishman." Others recall that Frawley loathed Vance practically on sight. Vance, in turn, was put off by Frawley's cantankerous ways, in addition to his age. Eventually, Ball overcame her resistance to Vance, and the two women formed a close friendship.
Honored for her work in 1953, Vance became the first actress to win an
Emmy AwardThe Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards , Grammy Awards and Tony Awards .They are presented in various...
for "Outstanding Supporting Actress". Vance accepted her award at the Emmy ceremony in February 1954. She was nominated an additional three times (for 1954, 1956 and 1957) before the end of the series.
In 1957, after the highly successful half-hour
I Love Lucy episodeAn episode is a part of a dramatic work such as a serial television or radio program. An episode is a part of a sequence of a body of work, akin to a chapter of a book. The term sometimes applies to works based on other forms of mass media as well, as in Star Wars...
s had ended, Vance continued playing Ethel Mertz on a series of hour-long
specialsA television special is a television program which interrupts or temporarily replaces programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Sometimes, however, the term is given to a special TV telecast of a theatrical film, such as The Wizard of Oz or The Ten Commandments, as opposed to the...
titled
The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz ShowThe Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour is a 1957-60 CBS television situation comedy. The show was more a collection of occasional specials than a regular series. Its original network title was The Ford Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show for the first season and The Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse Presents The Lucille...
(later retitled
The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour). In 1959, she divorced her third husband Philip Ober, who allegedly
physically abusedPhysical abuse is abuse involving contact intended to cause feelings of intimidation, pain, injury, or other physical suffering or bodily harm.-Forms of physical abuse:*Striking*Punching*Pushing, pulling*Slapping*Whipping*Striking with an object...
her. When the hour-long
Lucy-Desi specials ended production in 1960, Vance and Frawley were given the opportunity to star in their own "Fred and Ethel"
spin-off show. Although Frawley was interested, Vance declined. The program was retooled and broadcast as
Guestward, Ho!Guestward, Ho! is a situation comedy which aired on the ABC network in the 1960-1961 television season, based on a novel of the same title by Patrick Dennis....
, with
Joanne DruJoanne Dru was an American film and television actress, best-known for such films as Red River and All the King's Men...
taking the female lead.
The Lucy Show
In 1960, Vance appeared in a
pilotA television pilot is a test episode of an intended television series. It is an early step in the development of a television series, much like pilot lights or pilot studies serve as precursors to the start of larger activity, or pilot holes prepare the way for larger holes. Networks use pilots to...
for a new sitcom titled
Guestward, Ho! The pilot didn't sell, and a year later she married
literary agentA literary agent is an agent who represents writers and their written works to publishers, theatrical producers and film producers and assists in the sale and deal negotiation of the same. Literary agents most often represent novelists, screenwriters and major non-fiction writers...
John Dodds. Despite rumors that Dodds was
gayThe term gay was originally used, until well into the mid-20th century, primarily to refer to feelings of being "carefree", "happy", or "bright and showy"; it had also come to acquire some connotations of "immorality" as early as 1637....
or bisexual, the marriage lasted until Vance's death. The couple set up their home in
Stamford, ConnecticutStamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to 2007 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 118,475, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England Stamford is part of the New York metropolitan area.-Sister...
.
In 1962, when Lucille Ball was planning to return to television in a new series, she asked Vance to rejoin her. Vance reluctantly agreed, with the stipulation that she be allowed to appear in more glamorous clothes, as well as having her character be named "Vivian" (as she was tired of the public addressing her as "Ethel"). She appeared on
The Lucy ShowThe Lucy Show is a television series that aired on CBS from 1962 until 1968. It was Lucille Ball's follow-up to I Love Lucy. A significant change in cast and premise for the 1965-66 season divides the program into two distinct eras; aside from Ball, only Gale Gordon, who joined the program for its...
from 1962 until 1965, as Vivian Bagley, a divorced mother of one son, sharing a house with Ball's character. The character of Vivian Bagley was the first divorcee ever on a weekly American television series.
The strain of commuting from her home in
ConnecticutConnecticut is a state in the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and New York to the west and south ....
to Hollywood was too hard on her, however. By 1964, she appeared in only half of the episodes. The following year, she was offered a new contract with Desilu Studios, giving her the opportunity to direct. This never came to fruition, though, when Vance could not reach an agreement on
salaryA salary is a form of periodic payment from an employer to an employee, which may be specified in an employment contract. It is contrasted with piece wages, where each job, hour or other unit is paid separately, rather than on a periodic basis....
. She made a handful of guest appearances on the remaining seasons of
The Lucy Show.
Later years and death
After her departure from
The Lucy ShowThe Lucy Show is a television series that aired on CBS from 1962 until 1968. It was Lucille Ball's follow-up to I Love Lucy. A significant change in cast and premise for the 1965-66 season divides the program into two distinct eras; aside from Ball, only Gale Gordon, who joined the program for its...
, Vance appeared occasionally alongside Lucille Ball on reunion shows and made several guest appearances on Ball's third sitcom,
Here's LucyHere's Lucy is Lucille Ball's third network television sitcom. It ran on CBS from 1968 to 1974.-Background:Though The Lucy Show was still hugely popular during the previous season, finishing in the top five of the Nielsen Ratings , Ball opted to end that series at the end of that season and create...
(1968-1974). In 1966 Vance did the national tour of
Woody AllenWoody Allen is an American screenwriter, film director, actor, comedian, writer, musician, and playwright....
's
Don't Drink the WaterDon't Drink the Water is a 1994 television movie written and directed by Woody Allen, based on a play he wrote in the 1960s. This is the second filmed version of the play, after a a 1969 theatrical version, starring Jackie Gleason, left Allen dissatisfied...
. She had the leading role as the wife and mother of a family that takes a disastrous trip to Europe. In 1969, Vance returned to
BroadwayBroadway Theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, is the theatre associated with the 40 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located in the Theatre District, New York in Manhattan, New York City...
and starred in the comedy
My Daughter, Your Son.
In 1973, Vance was diagnosed with
breast cancerBreast cancer is a cancer that starts in the breast, usually in the inner lining of the milk ducts or lobules. There are different types of breast cancer, with different stages , aggressiveness, and genetic makeup. With best treatment, 10-year disease-free survival varies from 98% to 10%...
. The following year, she and her husband moved to
Belvedere, CaliforniaBelvedere is an affluent town in Marin County, California, United States. Belvedere is located northeast of Sausalito, at an elevation of 36 feet...
, so she could be near her sister. It was during this period that Vance played the part of "Maxine", who wheeled around a
cateringCatering is the business of providing foodservice at a remote site.-Mobile catering:A mobile caterer serves food directly from a vehicle or cart that is designed for the purpose. Mobile catering is common at outdoor events , workplaces, and downtown business districts.-Event catering:Event ranges...
truck, dispensing
Maxwell HouseMaxwell House is a brand of coffee manufactured by a like-named division of Kraft Foods. It is named in honor of the Maxwell House Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. For many years until the late 1980s it was the largest-selling coffee in the U.S. and is currently second behind Folgers, which is...
coffeeCoffee is a brewed beverage prepared from roasted seeds, commonly called coffee beans, of the coffee plant. They are seeds of "coffee cherries" that grow on trees in over 70 countries. It has been said that green coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world behind crude oil. Due to its...
to office workers in a series of television commercials. In 1977, Vance suffered a
strokeA stroke is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by thrombosis or embolism or due to a hemorrhage...
which left her partially
paralyzedParalysis is the complete loss of muscle function for one or more muscle groups. Paralysis can cause loss of feeling or loss of mobility in the affected area.-Causes:Paralysis is most often caused by damage to the nervous system, especially the spinal cord...
. Her final television appearance with Lucille Ball was on the CBS special
Lucy Calls the President, which aired November 21, 1977.
Vivian Vance, who never had children, died on August 17, 1979, at the age of 70, of bone cancer. After her death,
Desi ArnazDesi Arnaz was a Cuban-American musician, actor and television producer. He gained international renown for leading a Latino music band, the Desi Arnaz Orchestra...
remarked, "It’s bad enough to lose one of the great artists we had the honor and the pleasure to work with, but it’s even harder to reconcile the loss of one of your best friends."
She was the godmother of Lovin' Spoonful guitarist
John SebastianJohn Sebastian is an American songwriter and harmonica player. He is best known as a founder of The Lovin' Spoonful, a band inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000...
, and had been very close friends with his mother Jane.
Her body was cremated, and the ashes scattered at sea.
During a 1986 interview, Lucille Ball talked about watching
I Love Lucy rerunA rerun or repeat is a re-airing of an episode of a radio or television broadcast. The invention of the rerun is generally credited to Desi Arnaz. Some viewers find reruns annoying, although many viewers appreciate the opportunity to re-watch a program they enjoyed or watch one they missed the...
s and her reaction to Vance's performance: "I find that now I usually spend my time looking at Viv. Viv was sensational. And back then, there were things I had to do—I was in the projection room for some reason, and I just couldn't concentrate on it. But now I can. And I enjoy every move that Viv made. She was something."
For her achievements in the field of television, Vance was
posthumouslyA posthumous recognition is a ceremonial award given after the recipient has died, usually in honor of an action associated with his or her death....
awarded a star on the
Hollywood Walk of FameThe Hollywood Walk of Fame is a sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA, that serves as an entertainment museum...
in 1991 at 7030
Hollywood BoulevardHollywood Boulevard is a boulevard in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States, beginning at Sunset Boulevard in the east and running northwest to Vermont Avenue, where it straightens out and runs due west to Laurel Canyon Boulevard. West of Laurel Canyon it continues as a small...
.
Vance is memorialized in the
Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz CenterThe Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center is a museum in Jamestown, New York, dedicated to the lives and careers of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. The museum officially opened in 1996 "to preserve and celebrate the legacy of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz and enrich the world through the healing powers of love...
in
Jamestown, New YorkJamestown is a city in Chautauqua County, New York in the United States. The population was 31,730 at the 2000 census.The City of Jamestown is adjacent to Town of Ellicott and is at the southern tip of Chautauqua Lake...
.
Filmography
- The Secret Fury
The Secret Fury is a 1950 black-and-white drama film distributed by RKO Radio Pictures, directed by Mel Ferrer.-Plot:Musician and wealthy woman, Ellen, is accused of already being married when she attempts to take her wedding vows. Ellen, her future husband and the wedding guests are shocked...
(1950)
- The Blue Veil
The Blue Veil is a film drama made by Wald/Krasna Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. It tells the story of a child torn between the competing claims of his birth mother and his adoptive mother...
(1951)
- I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy, aka I Love Lucy: The Movie is a 1953 feature film spin-off of the sitcom I Love Lucy. Except for one test screening in Bakersfield, California, the film was never theatrically released and was shelved.-Background:...
(1953) (available only on the I Love Lucy The Complete Series set.)
- The Great Race
The Great Race is a 1965 slapstick comedy movie directed by Blake Edwards, written by Blake Edwards and Arthur A. Ross, with music by Henry Mancini and cinematography by Russell Harlan...
(1965)
Television work
- 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 April 1, 1960 on CBS...
(1951-1957)
- The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour
The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour is a 1957-60 CBS television situation comedy. The show was more a collection of occasional specials than a regular series. Its original network title was The Ford Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show for the first season and The Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse Presents The Lucille...
(1957-1960)
- The Deputy (1959)
- The Lucy Show
The Lucy Show is a television series that aired on CBS from 1962 until 1968. It was Lucille Ball's follow-up to I Love Lucy. A significant change in cast and premise for the 1965-66 season divides the program into two distinct eras; aside from Ball, only Gale Gordon, who joined the program for its...
(1962-1965 — cast member; 1967 & 1968 — guest star)
- Love, American Style
Love, American Style is an hour-long television anthology which was produced by Paramount Television and originally aired between September 1969 and January 1974...
(1969)
- The Front Page (1970)
- Getting Away from It All (1972)
- Here's Lucy
Here's Lucy is Lucille Ball's third network television sitcom. It ran on CBS from 1968 to 1974.-Background:Though The Lucy Show was still hugely popular during the previous season, finishing in the top five of the Nielsen Ratings , Ball opted to end that series at the end of that season and create...
(1968, 1969, 1970, 1971 & 1972 — guest star)
- Rhoda
Rhoda is an American television sitcom starring Valerie Harper. It was a spin-off from The Mary Tyler Moore Show and ran for five seasons between 1974-1978. Harper played the lead role of Rhoda Morgenstern, who was the spunky, weight conscious, flamboyantly-fashioned best friend of Mary Richards...
(1975)
- The Great Houdinis
The Great Houdini was a highly fictionalized made-for-TV movie biography of Harry Houdini featuring TV stars Paul Michael Glaser and Sally Struthers was written and directed by Melville Shavelson . This film first aired on ABC on Friday, October 8, 1976 under the title The Great Houdinis...
(1976)
- Lucy Calls the President (1977)
- Sam (1978)
Broadway credits
- Music in the Air
Music in the Air is a musical written by Oscar Hammerstein II and Jerome Kern . It introduced songs such as "The Song Is You", "In Egern on the Tegern See" and "I've Told Ev'ry Little Star".-Productions:...
(1932-1933)
- Anything Goes
Anything Goes is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The book was a collaborative effort by Guy Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse, revised by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The story concerns madcap antics aboard an ocean liner bound from New York to London. Billy Crocker is a stowaway in...
(1934-1935)
- Red, Hot and Blue
Red, Hot and Blue is a musical with words and music by Cole Porter and the book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The musical premiered on Broadway in 1936 and introduced the popular song, It's De-Lovely.-Synopsis:...
(1936-1937)
- Hooray for What!
Hooray for What! is an anti-war musical with music by Harold Arlen, lyrics by E. Y. Harburg and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It introduced the song "Down With Love".-Productions:...
(1937-1938)
- Skylark (1939-1940)
- Out From Under (1940)
- Let's Face It!
Let's Face It! is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The book by Herbert and Dorothy Fields is based on the 1925 play The Cradle Snatchers by Russell Medcraft and Norma Mitchell....
(1941-1943)
- It Takes Two (1947)
- The Cradle Will Rock
The Cradle Will Rock is a 1937 musical by Marc Blitzstein. Originally a part of the Federal Theatre Project, it was directed by Orson Welles, and produced by John Houseman.-Story:...
(1947-1948)
- My Daughter, Your Son (1969)
For further reading
- Castelluccio, Frank and Walker, Alvin. The Other Side of Ethel Mertz: The Life Story of Vivian Vance. New York: Berkley Books, 2000. ISBN 0425176096
- Edelman, Rob and Kupferberg, Audre. Meet the Mertzes: The Life Stories of I Love Lucy's Other Couple. Los Angeles, Calif.: Renaissance Books, 1999. ISBN 1580630952
External links