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

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

4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (27 customer reviews)

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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: #148,959 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Inside This Book (learn more)

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Vivian Vance, Bill Frawley, Ethel Mertz, Lucille Ball, William Frawley, Los Angeles, John Stephens, Fred Mertz, Desi Arnaz, San Francisco, Phil Ober, Don Grady, United States, Stanley Livingston, Tim Considine, Bob Schiller, Marjorie Lord, Albuquerque Little Theater, Gene Reynolds, New Mexico, Paul Frawley, The Voice of the Turtle, World Series, Anything Goes

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 24 books:

Great Baseball Films: From Right Off the Bat to a League of Their Own by Rob Edelman in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Cover
My Favorite Husband (Audio Theatre Collection) by Jess Oppenheimer on page 136, page 146, and Index
Baseball on the Web by Rob Edelman in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Cover
The Voice of the Turtle. by John Van Druten on page 123, and page 125
The John Travolta Scrapbook by Rob Edelman in Back Matter, and Back Cover

See all 24 books this book cites

2 books cite this book:

Ball of Fire: The Tumultuous Life and Comic Art of Lucille Ball by Stefan Kanfer in Back Matter
Baseball and American Culture: Across the Diamond (Contemporary Sports Issues) by Edward J Rielly in Front Matter

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	63% buy the item featured on this page: Meet the Mertzes: The Life Stories of I Love Lucy's Other Couple 4.1 out of 5 stars (27) $12.21
	14% buy Love, Lucy 4.9 out of 5 stars (95) $7.99
	10% buy Desilu: The Story of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz 4.1 out of 5 stars (40) $10.76
	8% buy The Other Side of Ethel Mertz: The Life Story of Vivian Vance 4.4 out of 5 stars (67)

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Customer Reviews

27 Reviews

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

Average Customer Review

4.1 out of 5 stars (27 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 36 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!

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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 ",Get FREE Amazon.com Gift car... (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.

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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!

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Good Read!
I have to admit that I skimmed over their early years, but this is a good book!! I laughed so hard at one point with William Frawley in his escapades as "Bub" in "My Three Sons"... Read more

Published 6 months ago by Dee from Brighton, MI

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting read
I haven't read all the book yet but what I have read is very interesting. The only thing I wish was different about this book is that it had more pictures within it. Read more

Published 18 months ago by T.L. MOORE

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed
Meet the Mertzes: The Life Stories of I Love Lucy's Other Couple Not what I was expecting. The book mostly contains information easily found on the internet. Read more

Published 19 months ago by Molly Turgess

2.0 out of 5 stars Lukewarm
Interesting read, but the same theme of "Vivian disliked Bill" and "Bill disliked Vivian" kept repeating over and over without giving out too many details. Read more

Published on June 6, 2007 by Jenni Kinard

3.0 out of 5 stars Good Biography
While it sometimes summarizes too much, it gives a lot of insight into the lives of Vivian and Bill. Read more

Published on January 23, 2007 by G. Favreau

1.0 out of 5 stars Boring!!!!!
This book had so much useless information I could barely get through it. What a waste of paper! I have loved watching the Mertzes on I Love Lucy, so I bought this book to learn... Read more

Published on November 3, 2006 by Kimberly F.

5.0 out of 5 stars Meet The Mertzes
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. Read more

Published on March 8, 2005 by E. ORFF

5.0 out of 5 stars BILL AND VIV SHOWN AS NEVER BEFORE
THIS BOOK IS AN EXCELLENT LOOK AT BILL FRAWLEY AND VIVIAN VANCE WHO PLAYED 2 OF THE MOST BELOVED CHARACTERS IN TV HISTORY. Read more

Published on September 2, 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars EXCELLENT BOOK
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. Read more

Published on August 21, 2002

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing
I had looked forward to reading this book for some time, but what a disappointment! The writing is merely adequate, the research something anybody with an internet connection... Read more

Published on August 7, 2002

› See all 27 customer reviews...

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