LittleRickyII Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 Is this possible? This film as a release date of January 21, 1926 and Vivian Vance is listed in the cast. She would have only been 16 at the time of the release. Knowing how her mother felt about performing and showbiz, is it possible she could have gotten out of the house and out to Hollywood at such a young age without the support of her parents? I'm thinking maybe this is an error. I'd need to see the film to believe it. This is a full seven years before she was in Take a Chance singing "Eadie Was a Lady." That's her first film as far as I know. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0147153/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_24 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeySanJoaquin Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 Is this possible? This film as a release date of January 21, 1926 and Vivian Vance is listed in the cast. She would have only been 16 at the time of the release. Knowing how her mother felt about performing and showbiz, is it possible she could have gotten out of the house and out to Hollywood at such a young age without the support of her parents? I'm thinking maybe this is an error. I'd need to see the film to believe it. This is a full seven years before she was in Take a Chance singing "Eadie Was a Lady." That's her first film as far as I know. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0147153/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_24 Must be an error, or she was even older than she let on!! Seriously though, for the reasons you stated plus the fact it's a silent and not a "talkie" leads me to believe this is a mistake! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleRickyII Posted May 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 Must be an error, or she was even older than she let on!! Seriously though, for the reasons you stated plus the fact it's a silent and not a "talkie" leads me to believe this is a mistake! I hadn't though of that, but you're right, it's unlikely she would have had any interest in being in silent movies. And of course, she WAS older than she let on. But I can confirm that she was born in 1909 and no older than that. Many years ago, I was at the National Archives and saw the 1910 census records for her family, and she was listed as an infant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 I hadn't though of that, but you're right, it's unlikely she would have had any interest in being in silent movies. And of course, she WAS older than she let on. But I can confirm that she was born in 1909 and no older than that. Many years ago, I was at the National Archives and saw the 1910 census records for her family, and she was listed as an infant. HA! I had forgotten it was you who cracked the Viv case. That takes me back! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvsbway Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 Also when did she change her last name? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleRickyII Posted May 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 HA! I had forgotten it was you who cracked the Viv case. That takes me back! Oh boy, you were just a kid then, Brock. Putting credit where credit is due, there was a woman on the Lucy List (I can't recall her name) who came up with the bright idea to go to the National Archives. She came back and reported to us that Vivian was listed in the 1920 census as a ten year-old. That was pretty good proof she couldn't have been born in 1912 or 1913, as every source was saying at that time. But I was concerned there might have been an error in the 1920 census, that maybe they wrote down the wrong age. I was living in DC, so it was easy enough for me to go over to the National Archives myself one weekend and check the 1910 census. I knew that if she had been born in 1912 or 1913, it would have been impossible for her to be in the 1910 census in any way, shape or form as she would not even have existed yet. But there she was, little baby Vivian Jones from Cherryvale, Kansas! Although I seem to recall the family was living in some other town at that point, like Independence, KS. Also when did she change her last name? Hmm. I have no idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvsbway Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 I remember that hunt and found it so cool when you found the proof. Did someone try to find the birth certificate in Kansas? I thought that may have been part of the hunt to only find out when the Viv book came out why it could not be located because Viv stole it in the 60s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleRickyII Posted May 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 6, 2015 I remember that hunt and found it so cool when you found the proof. Did someone try to find the birth certificate in Kansas? I thought that may have been part of the hunt to only find out when the Viv book came out why it could not be located because Viv stole it in the 60s. I didn't realize there were so many of us old timers here. I don't have any specific recollection about the birth certificate, though I guess you'd have to go to Kansas for that. I did read the Viv bio so I'm surprised I can't remember the part about Vivian stealing her birth certificate. Really??? She was that desperate for people not to know her age? I suppose Lucy died believing she was older than Vivian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted May 6, 2015 Report Share Posted May 6, 2015 I didn't realize there were so many of us old timers here. ...the part about Vivian stealing her birth certificate OH, speak for yourself!! I tried stealing mine but parchment doesn't hold up well and it crumbled before I got it out of the St. Helens Hall of Records.....excuse me: WEST St. Helens. I don't know how Lucy let Viv get away with stating she was born in 1912. In articles, this "fact" was usually paired with the other: "Lucy had Vance contractually bound to stay 20 pounds overweight so she would appear older than Lucy when in fact she was a year younger": I did not ever hear that Viv was born in 1913 until her newspaper obituary (and as such could have been the child born to Wildcat and Joe who we presume got married at the end of "Wildcat" set in 1912). To this day, some articles state Vance died at 66 instead of 70 and of course the long-debunked overweight clause still pops up on occasion. The death of Viv came as quite a shock. I had no idea she was ill. Information like that was not public knowledge like it is today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleRickyII Posted May 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 6, 2015 OH, speak for yourself!! I tried stealing mine but parchment doesn't hold up well and it crumbled before I got it out of the St. Helens Hall of Records.....excuse me: WEST St. Helens.. You need not worry about age. You're very well preserved. I don't know how Lucy let Viv get away with stating she was born in 1912. In articles, this "fact" was usually paired with the other: "Lucy had Vance contractually bound to stay 20 pounds overweight so she would appear older than Lucy when in fact she was a year younger": I did not ever hear that Viv was born in 1913 until her newspaper obituary (and as such could have been the child born to Wildcat and Joe who we presume got married at the end of "Wildcat" set in 1912). To this day, some articles state Vance died at 66 instead of 70 and of course the long-debunked overweight clause still pops up on occasion. The death of Viv came as quite a shock. I had no idea she was ill. Information like that was not public knowledge like it is today. I remember the moment I heard on TV the news of her death. I was a bit shaken, but not shocked because I was already aware she had cancer. I was working in a grocery store at the time and a month or two before her death there was a National Enquirer cover story with the headline, "Lucy's Next-Door-Neighbor Has Cancer." I mostly dismissed that article as typical tabloid nonsense, but then a month or so later another article followed with a photo of an obviously very ill (and barely recognizable) Vivian Vance. There was no such thing as Photoshop in those days, so I assumed the photo had to be real. It was just weeks later that she died. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleRickyII Posted May 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 6, 2015 Oh wow, and here's that National Enquirer cover. Everything is on the Internet! http://www.imcrazyforlucy.com/cart/html/images/IMG_8269-400x300.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucyilove Posted May 28, 2015 Report Share Posted May 28, 2015 Is this possible? This film as a release date of January 21, 1926 and Vivian Vance is listed in the cast. She would have only been 16 at the time of the release. Knowing how her mother felt about performing and showbiz, is it possible she could have gotten out of the house and out to Hollywood at such a young age without the support of her parents? I'm thinking maybe this is an error. I'd need to see the film to believe it. This is a full seven years before she was in Take a Chance singing "Eadie Was a Lady." That's her first film as far as I know. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0147153/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_24 I'm sure it's another actress using the name Vivian Vance - and remember that thread I posted a year or so ago about the "Vivian Vance Cosmetics Line" of the 1930's? Names like that have a "ring" tend to be used by two or three people over the 20th century until somebody "hits big" with it. (One thing I can't believe though re IMDb is how many minor players/extras are using famous names of the past today for their careers. I mean seriously - another Jean Harlow, another Gloria Swanson?? ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleRickyII Posted May 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2015 I'm sure it's another actress using the name Vivian Vance - and remember that thread I posted a year or so ago about the "Vivian Vance Cosmetics Line" of the 1930's? Names like that have a "ring" tend to be used by two or three people over the 20th century until somebody "hits big" with it. (One thing I can't believe though re IMDb is how many minor players/extras are using famous names of the past today for their careers. I mean seriously - another Jean Harlow, another Gloria Swanson?? ) Really, Gloria Swanson? That takes nerve. I'm not sure if that's a good move or a bad one. But that's an interesting point about lots of people using the same melodious or euphonious (as Lucy would say) name until someone becomes famous with it. I remember some 1980s talk show -- I can't remember which one -- Lucy was the guest and the (factually confused) person interviewing her was asking her when she changed her name from Diane Belmont to Lucille Ball. Lucy went into hysterics -- "Bwahahaha! You think I would choose Lu-cille Ball?! Bwahahaha!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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