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

by Rob Edelman (Author), Audrey Kupferberg (Author)
Key Phrases: New York, Vivian Vance, Bill Frawley (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"She's one of the finest gals to come out of Kansas, but I often wish she'd go back there." --William Frawley on Vivian Vance "I loathed William Frawley and the feeling was mutual. Whenever I received a new script, I raced through it, praying that there wouldn't be a scene where we had to be in bed together." --Vivian Vance on William Frawley -- Review

Review

"She's one of the finest gals to come out of Kansas, but I often wish she'd go back there." --William Frawley on Vivian Vance

"I loathed William Frawley and the feeling was mutual. Whenever I received a new script, I raced through it, praying that there wouldn't be a scene where we had to be in bed together." --Vivian Vance on William Frawley

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Renaissance Books; 1st edition (September 18, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580630952
• ISBN-13: 978-1580630955
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #270,606 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative and entertaining look at TV's "other couple.", January 5, 2000

By	Hans J. Wollstein (Denmark) - See all my reviews

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!

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Personal. Emotional. Every detail is here., July 10, 2003

By	James McDonald (Lancaster, California) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

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.
Note: William Frawley's son, James Frawley became a director for "The Monkees" tv series.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great!, November 1, 1999

By A Customer

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!