Meet the Mertzes


Book Description

Meet the Mertzes is an expansive dual biography chronicling the lives of two of America's most popular situation-comedy actors, William Frawley and Vivian Vance, who portrayed 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




Summary of Rob Edelman & Audrey Kupferberg's Meet the Mertzes


Book Description

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 Bill Frawley was born in 1887 in Burlington, Iowa. He was of Irish descent and grew up in Burlington with his brother and sister. He worked for the Burlington Insurance Company and established his own insurance/real-estate agency in 1891. #2 Frawley had a thick head of golden curls as a youngster. He and his brother, Paul, sang in the choir at the local St. Paul’s Church. Between 1895 and 1900, Corbett was in the box scores of twenty-nine official bush-league contests, appearing as a gate attraction and batting. 274. #3 Bill Frawley, the actor, was born in 1939 in Des Moines County. He was headed for a career as a railroad employee, but he was also a great performer who enjoyed theatricals. His mother wanted him to study bookkeeping and shorthand, but he wanted to be an actor. #4 The circumstances surrounding Frawley’s entry into show business are unclear. Some accounts say he went to Chicago on railroad business, while others say he was relocated to Chicago. Regardless, his mother quickly stifled his artistic aspirations.




I Had a Ball


Book Description

Knowing how much Mom liked Michael Stern, I knew his book would be honestand it is. I HAD A BALL is full of stories no one but Michael would know. His friendship with Mom is evident on every page. A good read. Thank you Michael. DESI ARNAZ JR . Michaels memories are my memories, only clearer. What a talent for details! It was very moving for me to relive so much of our lives through Michaels eyes. Very entertaining. Charming. And, more importantly, true. As Mom wrote on one of her photos to him, Happy Thoughts. LUCIE ARNAZ In 1971, ten-year-old Michael Stern thought he had died and gone to heaven as he watched a filming of Heres Lucy. He was enthralled with a redhead gifted with beauty, stage presence, and the ability to make others laugh. Over the next few years, he would attend several more filmings, meet Lucy, and eventually become (in Lucys own words) her number-one fan. In his memoir, Michael Stern offers a refreshing glimpse into the life of a natural comedienne and actress as he provides a fascinating narrative on what it was like to become first a fan and then a friend with one of the biggest television personalities of all time. Known to fans simply as Lucy, she entertained millions of people across the world with shows like I Love Lucy, The Lucy Show, and Heres Lucy. But to Michael, who was eventually allowed access into her private world, she was a fascinating woman with whom he would share many unforgettable adventures. I Had a Ball is a unique tribute to Lucys legacy, her spirit, her talent, and her enthusiasm for lifesure to entertain Lucy fans, television aficionados, and comedy lovers around the world.




Desilu


Book Description

A dual biography of Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball focuses on the star-crossed marriage that sired one of the most powerful production empires in television history but ended in disintegration.




The Other Side of Ethel Mertz


Book Description

The only biography of Vivian Vance is now in paperback, with dozens of rare photographs and handwritten correspondence. Drawn from exclusive interviews with the actress's friends and acquaintances, as well as her own unpublished memoirs, this book tells the whole story about the former glamor girl, including her struggle with a violent depression, her failed love affairs, and her tumultuous friendship with Lucille Ball.




Laughs, Luck . . . and Lucy


Book Description

The man Lucille Ball called the brains of I Love Lucy gives us an inside view of television history as it was being made. Jess Oppenheimer's famous sitcom was the most popular and influential television phenomenon in the history of the medium. Forty-five years after its debut, it remains a favourite the world over.




Lucy & Desi


Book Description

A Portrayal of the relationship between the comedienne, Lucille Ball, and her Cuban bandleader husband, Desi Arnaz.




A Book


Book Description




Laughing with Lucy


Book Description

Lucille Ball's comic genius made them famous, but many of the unforgettable plot lines for I Love Lucy came from the life of their writer, Madelyn Pugh Davis. In Laughing with Lucy, Davis and her long-time writing partner, Bob Carroll Jr., recount her rise in television and her many years working on the set and behind the scenes with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Lighthearted and witty, this book offers a trip back in time to the tumultuous early days of television.




Miracle on 34th Street


Book Description

Despite having been made into three TV movies, a radio drama, a stage play, a Broadway musical, a feature-film remake in color, and a book adaptation, the 1947 black-and-white film of Miracle on 34th Street still remains the favorite version of this modern Christmas classic. The American public seems to echo what Macy’s stated when declining to participate in the 1994 remake: “We felt there was nothing to be improved upon.” In many ways, it is a perfect film in the sense that there really is nothing that could have been done better: the story, the casting, the acting were all spot-on. The decade from 1941–1951 saw a bumper crop of classic Christmas including Christmas in Connecticut, Holiday Inn, and It’s a Wonderful Life, but with the exception of the latter film none have had the staying power of Miracle on 34th Street. This book describes the origins of the story, the casting and production of the film, its marketing and publicity, and even how it elevated the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade from a local New York event to a national celebration. Finally, it looks at the film’s legacy, including its high ranking among best Christmas movies of all time as well as its placement as ninth overall on the American Film Institute’s list of the most inspiring films.