Vivian Vance Trivia

•  
• 
•  
• Favorite

Vance and her fourth husband were dining out when they heard William Frawley had died. Upon receiving the news, Vance reportedly shouted, "Champagne for everybody!".

Vivian was offered a spin-off for I Love Lucy with co-star William Frawley but due to the two not liking each other in real life she refused to do it.

To make Vance look "older and frumpier" than Ball, Vance had to dye her hair a dishwater blonde and wear house dresses that were a few sizes smaller to make her appear overweight. However, it is hard to disguise reality - in most episodes of "I Love Lucy", it is apparent Vance is only a few years older than Ball and doesn`t weigh that much more

Vivian always lied about her age, wanting to be younger than Lucy. She would have to have been born in 1912

Vivian started acting when she moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her dramatics teacher there was so supportive of her acting career she took his last name "Vance".

Vivian won Best Series Supporting Actress for I Love Lucy in 1954

Vivian was honored by the State of Connecticut Department of Mental Health for all of her contributions for the mentally ill.

Vivian`s father, Bob Jones, had many jobs over many years and he didn`t really keep a permanent job

As a teenager, Vivian was always popular in school and popular among boys at school. She liked being involved with school events and activities.

In 1932 (around the month of September) Vivian went to Manhattan, New York. There, she auditioned for many Broadway plays

In 1959 she divorced Phil Ober because of allegations of spousal abuse.

When Vivian was only about 6 years old, her family moved to Independence, Kansas.

Vivian`s mother, Mae Ragen Jones, was very religious.

In 1961, she married publisher John Dodds and left Los Angeles. They moved to many places in many years. They finally bought an old farmhouse located in Stamford, Connecticut.

Vivian had six siblings, five sisters and one brother.

When she was a teenager, Vivian became rebellious. She`d stay out very late, not follow many rules, and would sneak out of her bedroom to hang out with friends

Vivian was the godmother to John Sebastian. She was best friends with his mother, Jane Sebastian. Vivian even mentioned her name many times in many episodes of I Love Lucy.

During the 1970s, she signed on a 3-year $250,000 contract. Soon, she was known as Maxine, from the Maxwell House Commercials.

Vivian was 5`6"

When Vivian was only about 18 years old, she left Independence and went to Tulsa, Oklahoma and changed her name to Vivian Vance.

Vivian`s mother did not encourage or like the idea that Vivian wanted to act for a career

Throughout her life, Vivian struggled with psychosomatic illnesses and depression. She was involved with many organizations dedicated to helping others with the same illnesses.

In 1945, Vivian suffered a nervous breakdown because of all the demands of life as an actress she had

Because of her work in the show The Trial of Mary Dugan, directors sent her to New York. There, she studied drama with Eva LeGalliene while looking for available roles on Broadway.

Vivian didn`t agree to play the character of Ethel Mertz on I Love Lucy at first. She thought the character was too frumpy.

She didn`t always get along with her co-star, who played the character Fred, on I Love Lucy.

First person to win an Emmy Award for 'Best Supporting Actress' [1954] (imdb.com)

In the 1970s, she discovered commercials were a lucrative way to capitalize on fame, with a 3 year $250,000 contract. She became known as Maxine, in the Maxwell House Commercials. (imdb.com)

Divorced Phil Ober in 1959 under allegations of spousal abuse. Because the majority of the wealth was earned during the success of I Love Lucy, she was forced to hand over half of her $160,000 in community property, which included, among other things, her ranch in Cubero, New Mexico and home in California.

She left The Lucy Show as a regular in 1965, because the weekly commutes between Connecticut and Los Angeles put a strain on her marriage to publishing executive John Dodds. She asked the show for a $500,000 advance, more creative and directorial control,and a raise in weekly pay. These demands were in part to convince Lucy not to try and talk her out of retirement. She would go on to guest star with Lucy in future projects.

After marrying publisher John Dodds in 1961, she left Los Angeles for good. The couple spent the next several years living in various locations. In 1961, they purchased an old white farmhouse in Stamford, Connecticut. They also purchased a 200 year old schoolhouse in Westchester County, New York to be used as a retreat for the two of them after her years on The Lucy Show. As John`s career took off, they lived in a penthouse at Beekman Place in Manhattan. Tiring of the big city life, in the late 1960s,they moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico owning and operating a Travel Agency. In 1974, after her first bout with cancer, they decided to sell the business along with property she owned in Solvang, California to finance a publishing business for John in San Francisco. She would live the rest of her life on Belvedere Island, near to her sister, in a shingle style house by the beach.

She returned to Broadway in the late 1960s, early 1970s, and usually commanded a $2,500/week salary. When she would return to her hometown of Albequerque, New Mexico, she would only accept a maximum of $250/week for little theater performances.

Godmother to John Sebastian. She was best friend`s with his mother, Jane Sebastian, and mentioned her name in many "I Love Lucy" episodes.

In the 1970s, she discovered commercials were a lucrative way to capitalize on fame, with a 3 year $250,000 contract. She became known as Maxine, in the Maxwell House Commercials

Miss Vance was honored by the State of Connecticut Department of Mental Health for her contributions on behalf of the mentally ill.

Is portrayed by Robin Pearson Rose in Lucy & Desi: Before the Laughter (1991) (TV).

Best remembered as Lucy`s best friend and land lady, Ethel in "I Love Lucy".

Producer Vinton Freedley was preparing his next musical and offered Vivian a musical role in which she`d have to do a playful striptease. Known for her vulgar, tauntingly glamorous roles already, she turned him down lest she be typecast. The show was "Leave It to Me," the song was "My Heart Belongs to Daddy," and Mary Martin became a huge musical star as a result of it.

A founding member of the Albuquerque Little Theater, where she played a vamp in "This Thing Called Love" and a nun in "The Cradle Song," the local theater community helped pay her way to New York. The theater in later years was eventually nicknamed The Vivian Vance Playhouse.

Vivian started acting when she moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she took the last name "Vance" from a dramatics teacher who had been supportive of her acting career.

Legend has it that a clause in her television contract required her to stay 10 pounds heavier than costar/producer Lucille Ball. Actually, this contract never existed, at least not in legal, binding form. It was a mock contract given to Vance by Ball as a gag gift sparking the legend it was a real contract.

One of her closest friends in childhood was the silent film star Louise Brooks, who was her neighbor in Cherryvale, Kansas.

Producer Jess Oppenheimer was quoted as saying that the infamous feud between Vance and Frawley was exaggerated. While TV`s favorite neighbors may not have been "chummy" in real life, they were professionals who for the most part treated each other with respect during rehearsals and filming.

Vance`s "I Love Lucy" (1951) co-star, William Frawley, reportedly received a unique deal for early television. His contract called for residuals from "I Love Lucy" for years after the series ended production in 1957. Unfortunately, Vance did not have a similar clause in her contract.

Battled ill-health throughout much of the 1970s, beginning with a series of strokes in 1973. She died of bone cancer.

Was offered to do a spinoff of "I Love Lucy" (1951) with her costar William Frawley, but the two did not like each other at all in real life and refused to do it.

First person to win an Emmy Award for `Best Supporting Actress` [1954]