Ethel Mae Mertz (née Potter) (alternately Ethel Louise, Ethel May, and Ethel Roberta), played by
Vivian Vance
Vivian Vance (born Vivian Roberta Jones; July 26, 1909 – August 17, 1979) was an American actress and singer best known for playing Ethel Mertz on the sitcom ''I Love Lucy'' (1951–1957), for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outst ...
, is one of the four main
fictional character
In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, ...
s in the highly popular 1950s American television
sitcom
A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...
''
I Love Lucy
''I Love Lucy'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning six seasons. The show starred Lucille Ball, her husband, Desi Arnaz, along with ...
''. Ethel is the middle-aged landlady of the main character,
Lucy Ricardo
Lucy is an English feminine given name derived from the Latin masculine given name Lucius with the meaning ''as of light'' (''born at dawn or daylight'', maybe also ''shiny'', or ''of light complexion''). Alternative spellings are Luci, Luce, Luci ...
, played by
Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedienne and producer. She was nominated for 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning five times, and was the recipient of several other accolades, such as the Golden ...
. Ethel was most likely born about 1905, and was raised in
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...
. She is married to
Fred Mertz
Frederick Hobart Mertz, played by William Frawley, is a fictional character in the 1950s American sitcom ''I Love Lucy''.
Character
Fred was born and raised on a farm in the Midwest; in one episode, Ethel says that Fred's mother comes to visit on ...
, played by
William Frawley
William Clement Frawley (February 26, 1887 – March 3, 1966) was an American vaudevillian and actor best remembered for playing landlord Fred Mertz in the American television sitcom ''I Love Lucy'', "Bub" O'Casey in the television comedy series ...
, with whom she had a career in
vaudeville
Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...
. The two female characters are close friends, habitually scheming together; Ethel is generally the voice of reason as a counterpart to Lucy's harebrained ideas.
Background
Ethel was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where her father, Will Potter, owned a sweet shop and soda fountain with the slogan "You can lick our cones, but you can't beat our sodas!". Ethel went on to a career in music and acting, yet got her start at Albuquerque's Little Theater, singing her signature number "
Shortnin' Bread
"Shortnin' Bread" (also spelled "Shortenin' Bread", "Short'nin' Bread", or "Sho'tnin' Bread") is an African-American folk song dating back at least to the 1890s. James Whitcomb Riley published it as a poem in 1900, building on older lyrics. A " ...
".
Although Ethel's mother is apparently alive and well during the first season, viewers never meet Mrs. Potter. A
flapper
Flappers were a subculture of young Western women in the 1920s who wore short skirts (knee height was considered short during that period), bobbed their hair, listened to jazz, and flaunted their disdain for what was then considered acceptab ...
in the 1920s, Ethel eloped and married
Fred Mertz
Frederick Hobart Mertz, played by William Frawley, is a fictional character in the 1950s American sitcom ''I Love Lucy''.
Character
Fred was born and raised on a farm in the Midwest; in one episode, Ethel says that Fred's mother comes to visit on ...
on May 3 in either 1933 or 1927; the length of their marriage changed during the series.
Ethel worked in
vaudeville
Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...
with Fred before settling down and purchasing their own
brownstone
Brownstone is a brown Triassic–Jurassic sandstone that was historically a popular building material. The term is also used in the United States and Canada to refer to a townhouse clad in this or any other aesthetically similar material.
Type ...
apartment building in New York City, containing the apartment they rent to
Ricky Ricky may refer to:
Places
*Říčky (Brno-Country District), a village and municipality in the Czech Republic
*Říčky v Orlických horách, a village in the north of the Czech Republic
* Rickmansworth, a town in England sometimes called "Ricky" ...
and
Lucy Ricardo
Lucy is an English feminine given name derived from the Latin masculine given name Lucius with the meaning ''as of light'' (''born at dawn or daylight'', maybe also ''shiny'', or ''of light complexion''). Alternative spellings are Luci, Luce, Luci ...
, though it is stated that the building is solely in Ethel's name. Some of Ricky's shows have included Ethel and/or Fred in the production, with the effect of making Lucy determined to get in on the act.
![Lucy goes to Japan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Lucy_goes_to_Japan.JPG)
In appearance blonde and supposedly a beauty in her youth, Ethel is unsentimental yet warm, proud, and extremely loyal, with her tendency to be sharp-tongued leading to moments of hilarity. She has a fine
soprano
A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...
voice, among other artistic talents, but unlike Lucy, is now unambitious and content as a housewife and landlady.
Somewhat lonely, she is devoted to Lucy and her family. Despite her common sense, she is often fascinated by the possibilities for excitement opened up by Lucy's mad schemes. Although continually complaining about Fred's penny-pinching and other faults, she defers to him far more than Lucy does to Ricky. Something of a
gossip
Gossip is idle talk or rumour, especially about the personal or private affairs of others; the act is also known as dishing or tattling.
Gossip is a topic of research in evolutionary psychology, which has found gossip to be an important means ...
and an inveterate snoop, she often tries to read Lucy's mail, especially postcards, which she claims are fair game. At times slightly vain, as in one episode when a concert in New Mexico goes to her head, she has a thicker skin than Lucy and seldom takes offense. She is easily able to parry Fred's frequent disparaging remarks.
Ethel and Lucy, although landlady and tenant, are the best of friends, gossiping and supporting each other during difficult times. They are seen entering several business ventures together, including owning and running a dress shop and a diner, and marketing a homemade salad dressing. Though not afraid to be critical of Lucy, especially when Lucy's schemes create trouble for others, Ethel will always bail out her friend.
Occasional episodes of competition occur between them, mostly in relation to show business. When they are in competition for the same part, Ethel, having actual experience, always has the edge over Lucy, which in turn leads Lucy to mention Ethel's greater age and weight. Despite their spats, they always make up again by the end of the show. Lucy relies a great deal on her friend's more practical nature and calmer disposition.
Along with Lucy's husband Ricky and her own husband, Fred, Ethel travels to many places in the United States and Europe, such as England, France, Italy, and Switzerland. They are a childless couple. Fred and Ethel eventually move to Connecticut with the Ricardos and continue as their neighbors there; they also appear regularly on ''
The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour
''The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour'' is a collection of thirteen black-and-white one-hour specials airing occasionally from 1957 to 1960 (as opposed to the thirty-minute regular series, ''I Love Lucy''). The first five were shown as specials during t ...
''.
After ''I Love Lucy''
Vivian Vance portrayed Lucille Ball's best friend in a recurring role on each of her next two sitcoms, ''
The Lucy Show
''The Lucy Show'' is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from 1962 to 1968. It was Lucille Ball's follow-up to ''I Love Lucy''. A significant change in cast and premise for the fourth season (1965–1966) divides the program into two distinct ...
'' and ''
Here's Lucy
''Here's Lucy'' is an American sitcom starring Lucille Ball. The series co-starred her long-time comedy partner Gale Gordon and her real-life children Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr. It was broadcast on CBS from 1968 to 1974. It was Ball's thir ...
''. In both sitcoms, Vance insisted her character's name also be Vivian, as she was reportedly tired of being identified as "Ethel" when spotted on the street.
Reception
According to ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
,'' she is one of the "greatest sidekicks".
[Ben Schott, ''Schott's Mischellany Calendar 2009'' (New York: Workman Publishing, 2008), March 21.]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mertz, Ethel
I Love Lucy characters
Fictional singers
Fictional characters from New Mexico
Television sidekicks
Television characters introduced in 1951
American female characters in television
Flappers