Customer Reviews

Meet the Mertzes: The Life Stories of I Love Lucy's Other Couple

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Watching I LOVE LUCY and THE LUCY SHOW as a kid growing up in Europe, I was naturally not aware of Hollywood hierachy. I didn't know that there were stars and then there were the Second Bananas. In fact, I thought Lucy almost too noisily American and preferred Ethel's (and later Viv's) quiet, no-nonsense approach to life. Having working in the entertainment field for years and even lived in Los Angeles on occasion, I now realize the gulf that must have existed between the stars and their jovial support. So much more welcome is this wonderful dual biography, which finally gives Vivian Vance and Bill Frawley their well-deserved due. And although they both fought personal demons (and don't we all?), what emerges from the pages of this lovingly written biography are two top-notch professionals, whose long careers stand as testaments to their versatility. Let's hear it for the Second Bananas!

This is a must-have and a must-buy for any "I Love Lucy" fan or if you simply are just a fan of Vivian Vance or William Frawley. Here is the true story of both stars in their beginnings. How they almost did not and eventually were destined to be "The Mertzes" for nine years. Here you will read Vivian Vance's and William Frawley's individual stories. Also what happened to one another after "I Love Lucy" (1951-1957)/ "The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Comedy Hour" (1957-1960) came to an end.
Every movie, every television episode and work Vivian Vance did before she died is here. The same for William Frawley.
Also read the story of when Lucille Ball saw Vivian Vance for the last time when Viv was sick.
Also read when William Frawley worked with Lucille Ball one last time as a guest on "The Lucy Show" in 1965. Five months later he unexpectedly passed away after he collapsed (a heart attack) near Hollywood & Vine St. after seeing a movie. He was with his male nurse.

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would.I love books on what I call "footnote"people!To me,the journeyman actors' stories are more interesting than the big stars.William Frawley was apparently just as crusty in real life as he was on the show.He and Vivian Vance couldn't stand each other,yet created a memorable tv duo still fondly remembered today.A must read for the "I Love Lucy" fan.

This is an informative and entertaining double biography. I've always loved Fred and Ethel-- and this book is loaded with information and anecdotes about the actors who played them. I particularly loved all the stories about Frawley. What a character!

For all my life I have loved I Love Lucy, and always have been fascinated by Vivian Vance and William Frawley, the actors who played Fred and Ethel Mertz. What about their childhoods? How did they get into show biz? What did they do before being cast on I Love Lucy? What happened to them after they left the show? Well, this book told me everything I wanted to know about Viv and Bill-- and then some. It is well written and well researched, and filled with great interviews with those who knew and workled with Viv and Bill. Such a pleasure to read!

With all the books and information available on Lucy and Desi, it is great to see one finally written on Viv and Bill!

Very little has been written about William Frawley and Vivian Vance. As a life-long I Love Lucy fan, I was anxious to read their life stories. This book offers a full-bodied, three-dimensional portrait of the pair. I was fascinated to learn about their lives pre-and post-Lucy, and I loved the book's anecdotes, especially all those involving Frawley and Vance's mutual dislike and Vance's relationship with Lucille Ball.

I have been a fan of I Love Lucy ever since I could walk. I have read just about all the books on Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz and the show, yet very little has been written about Vivian Vance and Willaim Frawley. I liked the Vance biography that was published last year, and I also enjoyed this book, too. There is insight into Vance, her career, and what made her tick, and there was fascinating stuff on Frawley. I loved all the anecdotes about Frawley from the My Three Sons cast members. Many had me laughing out loud. I would say that if you are as big a fan of I Love Lucy as I am, you will definitely want to check out this book.

This was an absolute joy to read and is now one of my favorite biographies.I'm an avid Lucy fan and have waited years for just this book,the first bio of Frawley and only the second of Vance and that book only came out not too long ago.If you love Fred&Ethel get to know the talents who portrayed them .SHEER BLISS!

Great book for all I Love Lucy fans. These are 2 people you can't find on the biography website. Enjoyed the book very much. I Love Lucy would have not been the same without Fred and Ethyl. No one could have played the parts as well as William Frawley and Vivian Vance. A must read book.

This was actually a good book. Although the life and times of Vivian Vance have been better chronicled in recent texts, this book provides a very interesting reflection on the man behind Fred Mertz, actor William Frawley. Who knew William Frawley received residuals long after the demise of "I Love Lucy"? A must for fans of "Lucy", if for anything else, the life story of William Frawley.