Vivian Vance was a tv actress who will all the time be remembered for enjoying Ethel Mertz on I Love Lucy
She was born Vivian Roberta Jones on July 26, 1909 in Cherryvale, Kansas. Her household moved to Independence, Kansas when she was six. Vivian was raised in a strict spiritual house and her father may very well be abusive. She later claimed that he made her afraid of all males. After highschool she went to Albuquerque, New Mexico and began appearing in native theater productions. On the age of 19 she married Joseph Danneck Jr, a publicity agent. They break up up just a few years later. In 1932 she moved to New York Metropolis the place she studied with appearing instructor
Eva Le Gallienne. At first she had lots of hassle discovering work. Vivian’s huge break got here when she was forged within the Broadway present in Musical In The Air. Then she was chosen to be Ethel Merman’s understudy within the musical Something Goes. She married violinist George Nathan Koch in 1933. Her success on Broadway continued with roles in Crimson, Sizzling, and Blue and Out From Below. Vivian started an affair with married actor Philip Ober in 1939. She and Paul each left their spouses so they might marry one another. They wished to have a baby collectively however she suffered a miscarriage early of their marriage. Whereas touring with Voice Of The Turtle in 1945 she had an entire nervous breakdown. Her psychiatrist identified her with “anxiousness neurosis” that had been brought on by her childhood trauma. In 1951 she had a small function within the movie The Blue Veil starring Jane Wyman.
With Lucille Ball in I Love Lucy
That very same yr she auditioned for a job on Lucille Ball’s new sitcom I Love Lucy. Vivian was forged as Ethel Mertz, Lucy’s greatest buddy and neighbor. The present would make her a family identify and in 1954 she gained the Emmy award for Greatest Supporting Actress. Though she loved her newfound fame she hated being referred to as the frumpy, obese Ethel. She by no means acquired together with William Frawley who performed her husband Fred Mertz. Vivian even refused a profitable supply to star in a spin-off as a result of she did not wish to work with him once more. Sadly her marriage to Phil had change into tumultuous. He was very jealous of her success and infrequently abused her. The couple have been divorced in 1959. Two years later she married writer John Dodds, who was twelve years youthful than her and homosexual. She was conscious of his sexuality however they appeared to have a contented marriage. In 1962 she reunited along with her shut buddy Lucille Ball to co-star within the collection The Lucy Present. After three seasons she left the present over a contract dispute. Vivian continued to work sometimes on tv and appeared in commercials for Maxwell home espresso. Sadly she was identified with breast most cancers in 1973. 4 years later she suffered a stroke that left her partially paralyzed. On August 17, 1979 she died from most cancers on the age of seventy. She was cremated and her ashes have been scattered at sea.
