Jump to content

VIVIAN & VALERIE: When "Ethel" Met RHODA


Recommended Posts

Well, her reason for leaving The Lucy Show, in 1965, was so she could spend more time with her husband, in Conneticutt. I don't think she wanted to work steady anymore.

 

Yeah, but didn't she move back to California sometime in the mid-70s? Didn't she pass away in California? I think she should've worked more in TV too but I guess she enjoyed the theater more, eh?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know that and she did several not just one, but she should have worked more in tv after leaving Lucy.

I'm with you, there should have been more offers in the 1970's but then there was that idiot Hollywood mentality at the time that tv actors were popular for their characters rather than being popular actors playing roles. Very few tv people who established themselves in the 1950's to 1970's got much in the way of later roles other than the true icons like Lucy, Jackie Gleason, Andy Griffith, Dick Van Dyke. Even with her Emmy and fame and being the pioneer (and still yardstick to measure any newbies by) supporting sitcom comedienne, I don't think Vivian quite had the high public profile (can't really say though 'cuz I wasn't around for any of the ILL and too little to remember her on TLS when it was new, just going by the old movie and tv mags) as her later sisters such as Doris Roberts, Estelle Getty, or Rhea Perlman. Hopefully I'm wrong because I'd love to know the 50s/60s viewers appreciated her as Vivian Vance as not just "Ethel Mertz/Vivian Bagley".

 

One thing I believe if she had survived into her late 80's/early 90s a decade ago I think she'd have been the "first" Betty White as Hollywood's supercool old gal being the last of the ILL stars and a now recognized true tv icon in her own right (as she was posthumously if not quite in her lifetime).

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm with you, there should have been more offers in the 1970's but then there was that idiot Hollywood mentality at the time that tv actors were popular for their characters rather than being popular actors playing roles. Very few tv people who established themselves in the 1950's to 1970's got much in the way of later roles other than the true icons like Lucy, Jackie Gleason, Andy Griffith, Dick Van Dyke. Even with her Emmy and fame and being the pioneer (and still yardstick to measure any newbies by) supporting sitcom comedienne, I don't think Vivian quite had the high public profile (can't really say though 'cuz I wasn't around for any of the ILL and too little to remember her on TLS when it was new, just going by the old movie and tv mags) as her later sisters such as Doris Roberts, Estelle Getty, or Rhea Perlman. Hopefully I'm wrong because I'd love to know the 50s/60s viewers appreciated her as Vivian Vance as not just "Ethel Mertz/Vivian Bagley".

 

One thing I believe if she had survived into her late 80's/early 90s a decade ago I think she'd have been the "first" Betty White as Hollywood's supercool old gal being the last of the ILL stars and a now recognized true tv icon in her own right (as she was posthumously if not quite in her lifetime).

Do you think her mental problems had anything to do with her lacking work on TV? After that story of her in Guestward Ho where she froze on set?
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm with you, there should have been more offers in the 1970's but then there was that idiot Hollywood mentality at the time that tv actors were popular for their characters rather than being popular actors playing roles. Very few tv people who established themselves in the 1950's to 1970's got much in the way of later roles other than the true icons like Lucy, Jackie Gleason, Andy Griffith, Dick Van Dyke. Even with her Emmy and fame and being the pioneer (and still yardstick to measure any newbies by) supporting sitcom comedienne, I don't think Vivian quite had the high public profile (can't really say though 'cuz I wasn't around for any of the ILL and too little to remember her on TLS when it was new, just going by the old movie and tv mags) as her later sisters such as Doris Roberts, Estelle Getty, or Rhea Perlman. Hopefully I'm wrong because I'd love to know the 50s/60s viewers appreciated her as Vivian Vance as not just "Ethel Mertz/Vivian Bagley".

 

One thing I believe if she had survived into her late 80's/early 90s a decade ago I think she'd have been the "first" Betty White as Hollywood's supercool old gal being the last of the ILL stars and a now recognized true tv icon in her own right (as she was posthumously if not quite in her lifetime).

I also dun't thin she was a workaholic like Lucy, so she may not have wanted to work that hard or often.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 7 years later...
8 hours ago, Mot Morenzi said:

Ken Levine has revealed he was at the filming of Vivian's guest spot on Rhoda. He shares a lovely anecdote about her introduction and the ovation she received.

http://kenlevine.blogspot.com/2020/05/entrance-applause.html

Very interesting. Lucy would always be introduced to her audience on her shows before the show, thus no enternce applause. 

But when Life With Lucy rolled around Gary didn't have her do preshow introduction thus the roar when she entered the scene. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It’s interesting that Ken pointed out Viv’s Rhoda appearance as an example, because her entrance in that episode has been stuck in my mind ever since I first saw it. She does get entrance applause in the episode, but it’s very brief and not especially warm, which surprised me. Now it makes sense that the audience had already seen her, so this second round was more subdued. That, or maybe the applause was edited in; I’d have to rewatch. 
Contrary to what he says, I remember MTM shows having a standard level of applause, at least for guest stars. Let’s not forget the ridiculous hoopla that would greet “Hi, I’m Larry...” every week. Frasier is the one show that always comes to mind for a “No Applause” rule. The only time I remember it happening was for Ted Danson’s guest appearance in the show’s second season. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Freddie2 said:

Frasier is the one show that always comes to mind for a “No Applause” rule. The only time I remember it happening was for Ted Danson’s guest appearance in the show’s second season. 

It also happened during Lilith's first appearance in season one, when she called into Frasier's show. The audience, recognizing that unmistakable voice, let out a hearty mix of laughter and applause. In those instances, it worked, because home viewers would react the exact same way.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...