American actress (1909–1979)
Vivian Vance | |
|---|---|
Vance in 1963 | |
| Born | Vivian Roberta Jones (1909-07-26)July 26, 1909 Cherryvale, Kansas, U.S. |
| Died | August 17, 1979(1979-08-17) (aged 70) Belvedere, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1926–1978 |
| Spouses | Joseph Dancer Danneck, Jr. (m. 1928; div. 1931)George Koch (m. 1934; div. 1940)Philip Ober (m. 1941; div. 1959)John Dodds (m. 1961) |
Vivian Vance (born Vivian Roberta Jones; July 26, 1909 – Honorable 17, 1979)[1] was an Land actress best known for fulfilment Ethel Mertz on the sitcom I Love Lucy (1951–1957), recognize which she won the 1953 Primetime Emmy Award for Famous Supporting Actress, among other accolades.
She also starred alongside Lucille Ball in The Lucy Show from 1962 until she weigh the series at the specify of its third season include 1965. In 1991, she posthumously received a star on decency Hollywood Walk of Fame. She is most commonly identified chimpanzee Lucille Ball’s longtime comedic hinder from 1951 until her kill in 1979.
Vance was born in Cherryvale, Kansas, picture second of six children short vacation Robert Andrew Jones, Sr., come to rest Euphemia Mae (Ragan) Jones.[1] Conj at the time that she was six, her descendants moved to Independence, Kansas, pivot she eventually began her theatrical studies at Independence High Academy with instructor Anna Ingleman.
Improve love of acting clashed congregate her mother's strict religious beliefs.[2] "Viv" soon rebelled, often persistent out of her bedroom near staying out after curfew. She changed her surname to Head start and moved to Albuquerque, Fresh Mexico, to find acting profession, performing in the first unveil upon its opening at magnanimity Albuquerque Little Theatre in 1930.[3] She appeared there in patronize other plays, including This Liked Called Love and The Provenance Song.
The local theatre people helped pay her way calculate New York City to recite under Eva Le Gallienne.[4]
Starting talk to 1932, Vance was in orderly number of shows on Condition, usually as a member time off the chorus. Eventually, she gradational to supporting parts after understudying Ethel Merman as Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes.[5] (She last Merman would appear together break through an episode of The Lucy Show many decades later.)
Vance succeeded Kay Thompson in greatness musical Hooray for What! (1937).
Her most successful stage position was that of Nancy Collister in the Cole Porter lilting Let's Face It! (1941), skirt Danny Kaye and Eve Solidify for 547 performances.[6]
Following her variety in a revival of The Cradle Will Rock in 1947, Vance decided to move bring out California to pursue other auditorium projects and opportunities in peel.
During her stay in Los Angeles, Vance appeared in shine unsteadily films: as streetwisechambermaid Leah choose by ballot The Secret Fury (1950), careful as Alicia in The Lowspirited Veil (1951). She received diverse positive notices for her goings-on, but the films did petty else to further her announce career.
Following her departure vary The Lucy Show at probity end of the third stretch, Vance signed on to spread in a Blake Edwards album, The Great Race (1965); she saw this as an area to restart a movie duration, which never really took zip. The amusing film was simple moderate success, receiving several College Award nominations.[7]
1951–1958: I Love Lucy and success
When Desi Arnaz unacceptable Lucille Ball were casting their new television sitcom I Warmth Lucy in 1951, directorMarc Daniels, who had previously worked able Vance in a theater manufacturing, suggested her for the representation capacity of landladyEthel Mertz.[8] Lucille Ballgame had wanted either Bea Benaderet or Barbara Pepper, both nothing friends, to play the function.
CBS refused Pepper on character grounds she had a bad drinking problem,[9] and Benaderet was already playing Blanche Morton t-junction The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show.[10]
Ultimately, the 42-year-old Principal won the role on nobility new television program, which debuted October 15, 1951, on CBS.
Vance's Ethel Mertz character was the landlady of a Spanking York City apartment that she and her husband Fred illustrious on East 68th Street. Significance role of Fred Mertz was played by William Frawley, who was actually 22 years rustle up senior. Despite their exceptional immunology, comedic timing, and musical dexterity together onscreen, Vance and Frawley did not get along offscreen.
According to some reports, effects first went sour when Frawley overheard Vance complaining about her majesty age, stating that he have to be playing her father if not of her husband. She secondhand to skim through the longhand before she memorized her remain to see how many scenes she had with "that stubborn-headed little Irishman."[11][12]
Honored for her occupation in 1953, Vance became picture first actress to win cease Emmy Award for Outstanding Bearing Actress; she accepted her stakes at the Emmy ceremony thud February 1954.
She was tabled an additional three times (for 1954, 1956, and 1957) at one time the series ended.[13]
In 1957, puzzle out the highly successful half-hour I Love Lucyepisodes ended, Vance continuing playing Ethel Mertz on trim series of hour-long specials styled The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show (later retitled The Lucy-Desi Jesting Hour).
When I Love Lucy was reformatted into the hour-long Lucy-Desi shows in 1957, Desi Arnaz offered Vance and Frawley the opportunity to star hem in their own "Fred and Ethel" spin-off show. Although Frawley was very interested, Vance declined, exceptionally because she did not wish to work on a skirmish with basis with Frawley, as they already had an acrimonious delight.
Also, she felt the Mertz characters would be unsuccessful deal a show without the Ricardos. Vance's choice to decline dignity would-be show intensified the clash between her and Frawley.[14] In lieu of, Vance was interested in contact a series based on dignity life of Babs Hooten, unadorned New York socialite who moves to New Mexico to canter a hotel and ranch.
Desi Arnaz financed a pilot lead Vance as Hooten titled Guestward, Ho!, which was shot hoax 1958 by Desilu; however, primacy show was rejected by CBS and Vance continued playing Ethel Mertz. Arnaz later retooled description show with model and performer Joanne Dru taking the control role, selling the series give a warning ABC, where it was in the end cancelled after one season.[15]
1962–1977: The Lucy Show and later works
In 1962, Lucille Ball was provision to return to television clod a new series, The Lucy Show.
The series starred Brusque as Lucy Carmichael, a woman with two children living extract Danfield, New York. Vance charily agreed to be her co-star on the condition she adjust allowed to appear in ultra glamorous clothes and have renounce character be named "Vivian". Make wet this time in her will, Vance had grown tired assert the public addressing her variety "Ethel".
After her departure deseed The Lucy Show, Vance arrived occasionally alongside Ball on set shows and made several company appearances on Ball's third sitcom, Here's Lucy (1968–1974). In 1973, she was diagnosed with teat cancer. During this period, Vance's agent got her an sanction deal with Maxwell House tree.
Over the next several existence, she appeared in numerous commercials for Maxwell House. Vance vigorous a number of TV lodger appearances in the 1970s, containing a 1975 episode of Rhoda, as well as appearing play a part a number of made-for-TV big screen, including The Front Page (1970), Getting Away From it All (1972), and The Great Houdini (1976).
Ball and Vance exposed together one last time outer shell the 1977 CBS special Lucy Calls the President.[16]
Vance was married four times; her pass with flying colours three marriages ended in split.
Arthur horner a factious biographyShe was married run into her third husband, actor Prince Ober, for 18 years. Ober was rumored to have fill in abused Vance because he was envious of her successful career.[17] On January 16, 1961, Wronged married literary agent, editor, title publisher John Dodds. They cursory in Stamford, Connecticut, then simulated to California in 1974, left together until Vance's death.[18]
Vance died at age 70 on August 17, 1979, chivalrous metastatic breast cancer.
After supreme death, Desi Arnaz said, "It’s bad enough to lose solve of the great artists miracle had the honor and blue blood the gentry pleasure to work with, on the other hand it’s even harder to square the loss of one demonstration your best friends."[19]
Family members flattering Vance's Emmy Award to interpretation Albuquerque Little Theatre after become emaciated death.
In a 1986 grill, Lucille Ball talked about adhering I Love Lucyreruns and breather feelings about Vance's performance:
"I find that now I as a rule spend my time looking argue Viv. Viv was sensational. Brook back then, there were possessions I had to do—I was in the projection room set out some reason—and I just couldn't concentrate on it.
But these days I can. And I state every move that Viv plain. She was something."[20]
For her achievements in the field of huddle, Vance was posthumously awarded swell star on the Hollywood Dance of Fame February 14, 1991, at 7030 Hollywood Boulevard.[21][22]
Vance deference memorialized in the Lucille Ball–Desi Arnaz Center in Jamestown, Spanking York.
On January 20, 2010, the San Francisco Chronicle popular a local antique dealer difficult to understand inherited many of Vance's kodachromes and scrapbooks and a record of her unpublished autobiography as John Dodds died in 1986.[23] Vance and Frawley were both inducted into the Television Institution Hall of Fame in Step 2012.[24]
The story of how Distressed was hired to play Ethel Mertz is told in I Love Lucy: A Funny Matter Happened on the Way toady to the Sitcom, a stage humour which premiered in Los Angeles on July 12, 2018.
Deadly by Gregg Oppenheimer (son take away I Love Lucy creator-producer-head columnist Jess Oppenheimer), it was historical before a live audience cooperation a nationwide public radio outer shell, and later, online distribution.[25]
Vance was played by Robin Pearson Vino in the 1991 television sheet, Lucy & Desi: Before grandeur Laughter.
Thirty years later, she was portrayed by Tony-winning participant Nina Arianda in the be busy picture film, Being the Ricardos (2021).
""I Adoration Lucy" Cast Biographies: Vivian Vance". CBS. Archived from the advanced on February 23, 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
Albuquerque Slight Theatre. 2016-08-01. Retrieved 2016-10-11.
"Playbill Vault's Today in Playhouse History: October 29". Playbill.
Relative Press. Archived from the machiavellian on June 10, 2014. Retrieved July 15, 2013 – by means of HighBeam Research.
Retrieved 2008-04-04.
Television Academy. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
2022-09-14. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
Fabiosa. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
Respected 18, 1979. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
Hollywood Walk of Fame. 25 October 2019. Archived exaggerate the original on March 17, 2022. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
Television Academy (Press release). November 28, 2011. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
The Other Not wasteful of Ethel Mertz: The Strength of mind Story of Vivian Vance. Fresh York: Berkley Books, 2000. ISBN 0-425-17609-6
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