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

“She's one of the finest gals to come out of Kansas, but I often wish she'd go back there.” -William Frawley on Vivian Vance

“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.” -Vivian Vance on William Frawley