Ethel Mertz

[Oeditpus Rex]

:popcorn:

[wildhorses]

1. i love vivian vance

:bounce:

[Oeditpus Rex]

10. Hell of an actress

But I just think "Ethel Mertz" would be a great name for a band.

Especially a symphonic technobilly band.

:headbang:

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

2. Did you know Vivian Vance was only two years older than Lucille Ball?

She didn't appreciate playing the dumpy house wife married to the old codger next door.

[Oeditpus Rex]

4. She also didn't care for the old codger

And it was mutual. Bill Frawley often called her "fat-ass" and the like.

But she was well-compensated for it.

[Left Is Write]

9. He called her fat in character as Fred quite a bit too...

but she certainly wasn't fat!

[Oeditpus Rex]

13. By today's standards, she was

But then, today's standards are gefuckt. :eyes:

Her weight was stipulated in her contract. She was to remain something like 30 pounds heavier than Lucille Ball to further impress their supposed age difference.

I think in the show it was supposed to be about 11 years.

[Left Is Write]

14. Well, by today's standards....

I am practically fat.

I'm guessing the character of Lucy was supposed to be a tad younger than Lucille Ball actually was also.

[Oeditpus Rex]

15. Yup

Lucille Ball was 40 when the series began (1951), but in the "Tell the Truth" episode, she told her bridge partners she was 33. (The full line was "Thirty-three, 129 and mousy brown" in response to the questions, "How old are you?" "How much do you weigh?" and "What color would your hair be if you didn't dye it?")

I stand corrected on the contractually overweight bit, though:

A common myth is that Vance was contractually obligated to be 20 pounds overweight during her entire run on I Love Lucy due to Lucille Ball's concern that she would not appear as attractive if Vance was allowed to appear as she naturally was. This misconception is fueled by Vance's natural weight gain and loss through the years on the show. It is, however, untrue. (<2>)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vivian_Vance

The annotation is this: http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/vance.htm



Oh — and by today's standards, you're... nope, I can't say it. :scared:

[Left Is Write]

3. Gee. I never realized how much I resemble her.

:D

[Oeditpus Rex]

6. ROFL!

Yeah. Striking, innit? :D

[hippiechick]

5. Ethel rocks, man!

Lucy wouldn't have been Lucy without Ethel! :applause:

[BrotherBuzz]

7. Gracie Allen

[wildhorses]

8. i think she is beautiful and she has a wonderful voice

i love the shows where she gets to sing:loveya:

of course i love lucy, period:P

[pagerbear]

11. She was quite lovely!

[Oeditpus Rex]

12. Even 'I am Lilly of the Valley'?

Y'know, the quiet, peaceful valley over there?

*points*

:rofl: