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The Other Side of Ethel Mertz: The Life Story of Vivian Vance

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As is observed in this book, I LOVE LUCY without the Mertzes would probably not have been an immortal show, and more properly it was Vivian Vance who was key to the chemistry that made this show such an icon. It was high time there was a book about her, and what we get is a solid narration of an interesting story. Vance was a working third banana on the New York stage of the Golden Era, respected and dependable but never quite hitting the top, just missing getting Mary Martin's spot in LEAVE IT TO ME, just missing a key role in CAROUSEL, etc. One can read quite a bit about musicals and straight plays of this era without realizing that the future Ethel Mertz was one of the people regularlly filling key character roles on the Great White Way. The "slice of life" of one of the "state-of-the-art" performers in this world is great reading.

After this we get to Vance's work with Lucille Ball, and at this point, if one has already read the growing number of books on Lucy and her television work, there is really only so much more to be said that hasn't been said before. This is not the authors' fault, however, and they more than compensate with fascinating information about Vance's two main marriages and her bout with depression.

If there is one flaw in this book, it is that the authors appear to lose interest in their subject after Vance leaves THE LUCY SHOW. Vance was quite distraught that she was forever associated with the Ethel character, and yet for the last fifteen years of her life, the authors -- belying that what they are at heart is Lucy fans who came to wonder what was up with Vivian Vance -- seem mainly interested in her life to the extent that it occasionally reconnected with Lucy's. Yet during this period Vance did several theatre tours and stock appearances and television productions. Things like this can make interesting reading as well -- witness William Henry III's book on Jackie Gleason, THE GREAT ONE -- but the authors seem to consider all of this mere "postscripts", not having gone to the trouble to view the TV appearances, dig up info on most of the plays. I now feel like I more or less knew the Vance of her New York days, but the post-LUCY Vance remains a kind of footnote.

However, overall, hats off to the authors for bringing this wonderful performer to light. Now it's time for someone to give Eve Arden similar treatment...

She chaffed when people called her Ethel in public places, sometimes even exploding in anger, especially if they asked where Fred was. ("He's dead, thank God," was her reply in later years after he died.) Her blessing was her curse. Vivian Vance was such a fine actress, she convinced TV's millions that she was Ethel Mertz. Only a small percentage of her audience ever saw her on stage or in remembered her few forays onto the big screen, so we might be forgiven for not realizing how talented she really was. With the recently released "Ball of Fire" Lucy fans might want to read about Ball's talented side-kick.

Vance had a successful acting career before that fateful evening when Desi Arnaz first saw her on stage in La Jolla, and would continue her stage career after her years as Lucy's sidekick (Vivian Bagley in The Lucy Show and Here's Lucy being but a prettier, more sophisticated version of Ethel). Most Lucy fans already know quite a bit about those years from the many books about Lucy, but this concise book fills in what happened before and after.

The authors do an excellent sleuthing job. They highlight Vance's religious upbringing and trace some of her later emotional problems to her conflict arising from desire to be on the stage and her mother's admonitions that it was the road to perdition. They cover her early experiences on the stage in New York and then in New Mexico as well as her few films. From this, they illustrate her versatility and trace the roots of some of her funniest moments on "I Love Lucy."

Only in the bibliography do we learn that they most of the extended quotes are from Vance's unpublished memoirs. Unwilling to reveal names or hurt anyone, she offered little cooperation to her assigned ghost writer and the project fell through. That's a pity, given the viewpoint she had in one of TV's greatest comedy series and what she reveals about herself in the excerpts. This was one courageous woman who had more than a little business savvy.

No matter though, her excellent work as one of the most famous second-bananas in show business speaks for itself.

It came as a surprise that there had been no previous biography of the actress Vivian Vance before this. We all came to know her as the beloved sidekick and "best friend" of Lucy Ricardo on the long running "I Love Lucy" television show. It came as little surprise that the wise cracking, laughing person we all grew to love from TV was actually a person beset by family problems and anxiety. This is a well researched and written book. Following Vivian Vance's growing up in a small town, her early days in theatre, her disappointments in love, and her crossing paths with Desi Arnez, this book doesn't disappoint. Vivian Vance is shown to be a multifaceted, complex performer, trying to come to terms with the perpetual second bannana roll that became her offering in life. There are some particularly poignent sections dealing with the actress's struggle with depression and breakdowns, and touching tales of how she was the first to speak out about depression and mental illness, and how she reached out to others. This was a much needed glimpse into the life of someone we all thought we knew and loved.

When I ran across a softback edition of this book, I was floored. I had no idea a book had been written about Vivian Vance. Where had I been? I bought it thinking ,well, it'll be superficial at best. Boy, was I wrong. This is an excellent, in depth and very revealing life story of one of television's best loved ladies. Alvin Walker and Frank Castelluccio have written one of the best biographies on a legend I've ever read. And Vivian Vance is a legend, if an often overlooked one. From her humble showbiz beginnings, to a Broadway career, to her fateful reading with Lucille Ball for the part of Ethel Mertz---I could not put this book down. Vivian Vance came to life on those pages and I learned that there's a lot more to a "second banana" than just the character they play. Vance never escaped her role as Ethel, but she lived a full and complete life worthy of this book and was a more accomplished actress than given credit for. Her years of baffling mental problems, the estrangement with her mother, her extensive stage work, her often rocky relationship with Lucille Ball (not to overlook William Frawley) are all here as well as the huge amount of humanitarian work she did for mental health later in life. This is a highly recommended read for anyone who loved watching Ethel as well as Lucy. It reveals the fascinating woman behind the "mask" of Ethel Mertz, a landmark television icon and an American showbiz legend known as Vivian Vance.

How wonderful it was to finally hear about Vivian Vance, the most under-rated performer of all time maybe. She had something very special that many people didn't realize was in her. In reading this book, you find out about how Vivian struggled through her darkest fears and finally accepted herself. You learn of her friendship with Lucille Ball, and how at times it was very trying, her admiration for Desi Arnaz and lets face it, haterd towards William Frawley. This is an excellent book.

This is the best biography I've read in a long time - and I read a lot of biographies. The authors fresh take on not only Vivian Vance but the celeb-bio form make this a great read. You will learn much about Vivian Vance that you never knew - and in a surprisingly original way. I've recommended and given this book to many friends this year, and they've all loved it. Go. Buy. Enjoy.

Being an "I Love Lucy" fan from childhood, I've always wondered about Vivian. It is so easy to get information about Lucille Ball, but has been very hard to get info about Vivian Vance. I thought I was the only one who appreciated her comedic talents. The show would not be the same without her; to me her character was essential. Now with this book, jam-packed with information, you get a true sense of her personality and long history before the show. After reading this book, I felt I knew Vivian, a completely different person than her character "Ethel". I want to thank the authors for giving us an opportunity to know Vivian Vance.

Ditto that "about time" for a book about my favorite Lucy character. Her wise cracking "second banana" was my hero growing up.
Reading about her early life...her drive and ambition, her courage and determination to succeed...I felt an even deeper admiration for the complex woman that was Vivian Vance.
Her lifelong struggle with depression illustrates vividly that (with inner strength and resolve) one can find a way to survive mental illness when the world (through ignorance and fear) refuses to understand and accept.
Three cheers to the authors for revealing the life of a much loved and little understood lady. And that she was...a real lady.

This is an interesting book and a great biography about one of the most talented character actresses ever: Vivian Vance. Here you'll read about her strict upbringing, her illustrious theatrical career, her crowning achievement as comely neighbor Ethel Mertz on the hit sitcom "I Love Lucy" and her later battles with mental illness. You'll also get to read about her early stage triumphs and the turmoil on the "I Love Lucy" set. This book makes the reader feel as if they knew Ms. Vance personally like she was a friend. It goes on to show that Vivian was more than just a "second banana" but a talented and gifted actress who was a star in her own rite. The book also proves that Vivian lived an interesting and extraordinary life before and after "Lucy". Buy this book right away!

Frank Castelluccio and Alvin Walker have done a superb job in their research into the life of Vivian Vance. Although sad at times, this book gives us a look at her abilities and accomplishments, as well as her disappointments, and proves what a fine actress Vivian really was. It is interesting to read about the names of the Broadway and off-Broadway shows she was in and who the other stars were that she worked with. I had no idea she worked with and was close to Marjorie Lord, who had many fond memories of and words of praise for Vivian. If you are a fan of Vivian or I Love Lucy, you will enjoy this book. It is worth the price of the hard cover.