Meet the Mertzes

An expansive dual biography of two of America's most popular sitcom actors, William Frawley and Vivian Vance-Fred and Ethel Mertz on I Love Lucy. This meticulously researched book contains interviews with Frawley's and Vance's colleagues, friends, and relatives, and explores their personal and professional lives before, during, and after I Love Lucy. With a complete filmography and videography of each, Meet the Mertzes finally sets the record straight on the lives and legacies of these compelling stars who detested one another. You'll learn about:- Vance's successful Broadway career prior to I Love Lucy- Frawley's vaudevillian roots and his passion for baseball- Vance's nervous breakdown after the collapse of her first marriage- Frawley's drinking and carousing- Lucille Ball's caustic relationship with both of her costars- Vance's hatred of being known to the world as Ethel Mertz"e;She's one of the finest gals to come out of Kansas, but I often wish she'd go back there."e; -William Frawley on Vivian Vance"e;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."e; -Vivian Vance on William Frawley