The Scary Side Of Vivian Vance...

[callmetootie]

This is a story of when Vivian joined the cast of ILL. This is very strange and startling...but the truth. Resources: E! True Hollywood Story, Unsolved Mysteries, and CBS.

Vivian Vance was a real star on broadway and in many other films including My Sister Eileen. When she joined the cast of I Love Lucy, things changed. She was depressed, and tired of show-biz. CBS Studios: early 1951. Casted in roles: Lucille Ball as Lucille Ricardo, Desi Arnaz as Ricky Ricardo, Vivian Vance as Ethel Mertz, William Frawley as Fred Mertz. Later on...first episode shooting, "Lucy Thinks Ricky In Trying To Kill Her". This is where the pressure started. From day 1, direct after casting, Vivian and Bill disagrees and couldn't stand eachother. By season 2, Vivian was already friends with Lucille and Desi. Many times, attempts to take drugs occured, and later on would become habit. ILL is a hit in the ratings, the #1 show in America. Vivian attempts suicide, and later shows up late for shooting episode, episode filmed with Viv at end. Years passing, last episode airs....Vivian is happy to have had a hit show and stay clear of Bill. Later on the bad happens. Vivian is cast with Lucille in The Lucy Show as Vivian Bagley. CBS tries casting William Frawley, but rude remarks from Vivian, and what is said to be very, very crude keeps him out. Lucy Show turns into Here's Lucy in the late 60's, early 70's. Vivian is a recurring character. Becomes addicted to sleeping pills, cigarettes, and alchohal. 1976, Lucy Calls The President TV Film with Vivian. Vivian suffering from bone cancer cannot do film, but attempts to, and completes it. Monthes later, she dies.



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Andrew Carden

[dawsongirl]

In 1962, Bill was already doing My Three Sons; I'm not sure that much begging was done.

[Roz1013]

Ah, well, that was enlightening. http://www.sitcomsonline.com/ubb/frown.gif

That's really too bad, I never knew that about her. What season did she try to commit suicide in?

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"Don't take this personally Ethel, but I'm sick of the sight of your face."

[Osh]

WOW! I knew Viv never got along with Bill, but I never knew all that. As a matter of fact, you always saw Lucy & RIcky smoking cigarettes, but you NEVER saw Ethel smoking, I figured maybe she couldnt stand it. But she was addicted to cigarettes, alcohol, & sleeping pills in real life? Also, I am a big unsolved mysteries fan, did they ever do a story on Lucy?????

[Sean Snow]

Bill COULD have been in it, "The Lucy Show" and "My 3 Sons" sets were filmed next to each other until 1968 when Lucy sold the studio.

[Roz1013]

I find this strange....

Lucy and Viv were best friends right? And don't get me wrong, I love Lucille Ball just as much as the next guy, but if I were Vivian this would really hurt my feelings..

(clip from 'Lucy in the Afternoon'...I know you're getting sick of me quoting from this book, but I'm almost finished with it, I promise http://www.sitcomsonline.com/ubb/wink.gif)

For years, Vivian had been the ugly duckling to Lucy's glamour girl. It was her in I Love Lucy contract that she would have to stay twenty pounds overweight and wear dumpy dresses. Lucy didn't want Vivian to be attractive. Hal King used to make Vivian up during the I Love Lucy years until Lucy put a stop to it because Hal was making Vivian too glamorous"

I don't know, but if I were her, I'd be a bit miffed at Lucy. Does anyone else find that strange, Lucy was always said to have such a big heart and such. http://www.sitcomsonline.com/ubb/confused.gif

Vivian was also abused a lot by her first husband http://www.sitcomsonline.com/ubb/crying.gif, Phil O...O-something, I don't remember, but I'm pretty sure he's the one that portrays Dorey Sharrey in that one episode of ILL. So anyways, she was abused a lot during the ILL years so I'm sure that contributed a lot to her depression, though she was reportedly very happy with her second marriage, which is good to hear.

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"Don't take this personally Ethel, but I'm sick of the sight of your face."

[This message has been edited by Roz1013 (edited 08-12-2001).]

[dawsongirl]

It's Ober, and yes, he was Dory Scharry.

Actually, her last marriage was her 4th. I saw it on Mysteries & Scandals.

[Mignon]

Thats really sad.. I always liked Vivian. I find it hard to believe that Lucy would insist on the frumpy dresses etc. http://www.sitcomsonline.com/ubb/frown.gif
Wasn't it true that Bea Benaderet was meant to play Ethel originally?

[Osh]

Ive always heard about the 20 lbs overweight and frumpy dresses, but I always thought Ethel was pretty, almost as pretty as Lucy sometimes.

[mahlerfan]

There is one episode of ILL where Ethel does take a puff of a cigarette. I can't remember which one.

You have to remember that Lucy was no spring chicken when ILL started. She didn't want Vivian to appear more glamorous.

In the later seasons of ILL, Viv got sick of the shabby dresses and insisted on better costumes. Check out what she is wearing in Lucy Goes to Monte Carlo.

Yes, Bea Benaderet and Gale Gordon were Lucy's first choices for the Mertzes. She had worked with both of them in My Favorite Husband.

[Mignon]

I liked Gale Gordon in The Lucy Show, maybe things would have been better for Vivian if he had played her husband in ILL.

[Sean Snow]

Originally posted by mahlerfan:
[B]There is one episode of ILL where Ethel does take a puff of a cigarette. I can't remember which one.
[B]

It's the one where they go the 'Rio Grande' song.

[TV Guy]

>>Bill COULD have been in it, "The Lucy Show" and "My 3 Sons" sets were filmed next to each other until 1968 when Lucy sold the studio.<<

Actually, although both shows were filmed at Desilu next door to each other, Desilu had no ownership in "My Three Sons". There were two kinds of shows filmed at Desilu: those which were owned by the studio ("I Love Lucy", "Lucy Show", "Untouchables", etc.) and those which simply rented studio space from Desilu, like MTS, "Dick Van Dyke", "Danny Thomas" and quite a few others. William Frawley's contract was with Don Fedderson Productions, which owned co-owned MTS with ABC (and later CBS).

There are a few lines in the book "Desilu", which stated how Desi was upset that Bill signed a contract with Fedderson before Desi had a chance to tailor a show for him at Desilu. They definitely wanted to have Bill as a guest on "The Lucy Show", but weren't able to until Vivian left after the third season (Bill has a brief cameo in a fourth season episode, which he did after he left MTS).