Lucy chased the fame of this show till the end and I believe the magic was really in William and Vivian playing off the insanity that is Lucille Ball. They really balanced each other out. Without this balance, she wasn't as entertaining. It was too much.
@@geoffdearth7360 I believe that it is more that he didn't respect her as an equal so that upset her given her merit. I don't think it's fair to just say she didn't like him. There was a reason.
I'd rather actors have confrontations about the quality of the work than say, about not having Evian water, or about the size of their dressing rooms! 🎬🎥
By the way, Bill was being sarcastic when he called Viv "That Galli-Curci!" Madame Galli-Curci was an opera singer who made records back in the teens and 20s.
You dont tell war jokes to a soldier, you dont tell religious jokes to a priest. Somethings are more important than they are to others. The show being a comedy, they prolly at first didnt think much of it, if they bombed, audience would have laughed. Hats off to both men, one for standing up for what he believed in, the other reassuring what he believed in was important.
William Frawley was an old school, Depression era tough guy. He was working class. Arnaz and Ball were privileged. Any field or place of employment has the same two types of workers. The "I work for a living and scratched and fought my way up" and the "Handed to you" (at least their view) crowd.
Lucy did not have a privileged background - if losing your father age 3 moving around while your mother was trying to get work and you lived with grandparents and gm died; then you end up with step grandparents who were pretty awful. She did not live with her mother again until she was 11. If that is privilege, wow. Unfortunately, Vivian had some mental issues and ended up in a hospital for awhile; also made bad choices in marriages - while filming ILL her husband was abusive and finally she divorced him, the only marriage that worked out was the last one, and he was a homosexual. While Desi came from privilege - his family lost everything and he ended up in Miami age 16 with nothing. (I actually think both his parents were narcissistic.) BTW when I saw the show This is Your Life, Bill Frawley his first wife was lovely and they hugged each with gusto - she quite attractive - also his female mentor I forgot her name - what a classy, lovely attractive woman and they also hugged each other with warmth and feeling. I think Desi and maybe Vivian had High School educations.
I can understand Bill's complaint - it's all about the music and the art form. That said, the way this was approached didn't detract from the original. Brilliant way of them starting off which they thought was going to be right - but Lucy's note just - ehhh, not quite there. Bill needed to ask how this was going to be approached and handled first before flying off the handle and going like a machine gun targeting whoever would listen. Kudos to the non-aggressive way Desi handled it.
23 years older than Vivian Vance, Frawley began his Vaudeville act in 1910 with brother. Vance came along much later and joined a Vaudevillian troupe and never worked with Frawley (they never had an act together) directly. They did, however, know each other and were familiar with the acts. Vance, when discovering Frawley was going to play her husband, did refer to him as an old cogger drawing on her experience with him in Vaudeville.
Remember Bill Frawley and Vivian Vance were not the first choice for Fred and Ethel. Gale Gordon ( who worked with Lucy on her later shows) and Bea Benederet who was on the Burns and Allen Show at that time
There is no way that Lucy did not know about Bill Frawley they both worked at RKO studios together. He called Lucy about being on the ILL show and Lucy immediately said yes, but talk to Desi about it. Bill said this himself when he was on This Is Your Life Bill Frawley. Also Lucy could not appear on the show because she was opening in Wildcat in NYC within the hour. They talked together for about 10 minutes -so endearing and she ended saying I love you Bill and he replied I love you too Lucy - Not only what they said, but how they said it brought tears to my eyes and I believe Bill had tears in his eyes when they got off the phone.
This 1/2 hour show "This is Your Life Bill Frawley" was amazing and the best acknowledgement I ever seen of him. He had tears in his eyes and the viewer would feel the same. Look it up, I only recently saw it on YT
Vivian must have been pretty young to have been a vaudeville performer. It began to decline in the late 20s. She was born in 1909 which made her only two years older than Lucy.
Because Frawley was the oldest in the cast he had an almost paternal quality, especially toward Arnaz. As for Vance being considerably younger, there was nothing unusual about that.
3:04 - I suspect pretty much nobody watching this video (including the guy who made it) will know what the reference to "Galli-Curci" means. Amelita Galli-Curci was an Italian opera singer who lived and performed in the USA from 1916 into the 1930s. Bill Frawley calling Vivian Vance by this name, I presume, means he thought she sang like an opera singer, which was unsuitable for a barbershop quartet number. And in fact she could sing that way if she wanted to.
do not forget that William Frawley had a long career in films as a character actor to whit: William Frawley was born in Burlington, Iowa. As a boy he sang at St. Paul's Catholic Church and played at the Burlington Opera House. His first job was as a stenographer for the Union Pacific Railroad. He did vaudeville with his brother Paul, then joined pianist Franz Rath in an act they took to San Francisco in 1910. Four years later he formed a light comedy act with his new wife Edna Louise Broedt, "Frawley and Louise", touring the Orpheum and Keith circuits until they divorced in 1927. He next moved to Broadway and then, in 1932, to Hollywood with Paramount. By 1951, when he contacted Lucille Ball about a part in her TV show I Love Lucy (1951), he had performed in over 100 films. His Fred Mertz role lasted until the show ended in 1960, after which he did a five-year stint on My Three Sons (1960). Poor health forced his retirement. He collapsed of a heart attack on March 3, 1966, aged 79, walking along Hollywood Boulevard after seeing a movie. He is buried in San Fernando Mission Cemetery.
I so appreciate you for taking the time to educate myself/us on the history of the I Love Lucy Show. I'm deeply in love with the show and everyone involved. Thank you so much
I think the finished product was brilliant!! I watch the show every morning from 5 am to 8 am! And have been watching this show for years!! Great video Rick. 🙏🏼🙏🏼💜💜 Jeannine
This is one my favorite scenes of all the "I Love Lucy" episodes! It's perfect and as many hundreds of times that I've seen it I still laugh the whole way through! This outburst sounds very much like what I've read about Bill! He was a salty man to say the least but don't forget that every piece to the puzzle are responsible for making the beautiful picture of a show that we are so blessed to enjoy to this day! I'm
This is one of my favorites amigo! Your right Bill was being Bill! I'm just glad Lucy was able able to stay calm at 6 months pregnant. Leave it to Desi to be able to calm Bill down.
Frawley and Vivian vance despised each other. years later Vivian vance went into a restaurant and somebody playfully called out, "Hi, ethel, where's fred?" and she replied, "dead, thank god." I think they got off on the wrong foot because she tried to coach Frawley on a dance number and he had been in show biz longer than her. when she got a script she would first look through it to see if she had to kiss him. actually, desi arnaz knew they didn't like each other and thought that would make their zingers at each other more believable and funny because of the genuine dislike behind it. this show was a beloved part of my childhood and I read a lot about it later. once I was with my little boy in a restaurant and he asked me what Ethel's maiden name was and several people at nearby tables instantly joined the discussion. I was in awe of the show's continuing popularity. it's like the music of the beatles, a precious cultural artifact passed from by one generation to the next.
What started the feud between Vance and Frawley was Vivian complained that she was coupled with an old man. When Frawley heard what she said, that was it - they never liked each other. When Vance heard that Frawley had died, she was in a restaurant and called out, "Champagne for everyone." After working so closely with someone for over 5 years - what a heartless thing to say! Also, since he was hired first, why did she take the part since she knew his age at the time?! While the 4 cast members were gold together in the show - I don't think either of them would have been remembered today if it were not for their roles in ILL.
Bill used to call Desi "Cuban"..........."Hey, Cuban!".............both world class drinkers, Desi warned Bill never to return to the set drunk after he did it once. He never did. Desi felt affection towards old bachelor Bill and visa versa, but Bill and Vivian absolutely hated each other and try to avoid each other between takes.
Actually when you read the history of all of them: Desi, Vivian, and Bill they all ended up loving Lucy. And she, in turn, loved all of them. The last time Lucy and Bill talked was on the phone for about 10 minutes and ended up with Lucy saying, I love you Bill; and in return, Bill said I love you too Lucy. The last thing Desi and Lucy said together a day or two before Desi died was I love you. and Lucy was one of the last people to see Vivian in the hospital before she died, every one left the room and two talked and deeply connected for two hours. I think both of them expressed their love and friendship.
the last thing Desi and Lucy said to each other was I love you. Actually Lucy said I love you over and over the last time they spoke and Desi said, I love you too honey. He went into a coma a day later and died. Lucie Arnaz said that this last time they spoke would have been their 46th wedding anniversary.
Desi Arnaz doesn't get the credit he deserves , actor, singer, producer, director, studio head, businessman, Lucy was "the star" but Desi was the force behind the empire...................
I wasnt aware of both William and Vivian's career past. Though both had age difference as William was a bit too old looking for Vivian who was quite pretty.
I've sung barbershop harmony, and Frawley was right; it's not easy. You can't just throw four people together and expect them to do a good job, even if they're competent musicians.
I love Lucy is a family tradition.....from my grandma to my mother and of course me! now my son cracks up when we watching together, thank you for all these wonderful scenes. It give so much information off I Love Lucy... I love it.
Thank you very much for posting this and the research you did to create it. Out of all the TV shows we watched during the 50s and 60s it is far and above the best. Quality actors, producers, camera work. A much happier time
The episode was funny as hell...some performers ate very temperamental...Bill just happened to be one of them...not surprised by Lucy's calm demeanor...she's an American jewel.
I'm glad he spoke up! It is one of the funniest I Love Lucy's. I'm happy that both him and Vivian got to do musical numbers. The 3 singers vs. a Non -Singer classical and funny,
Get it straight. Frawley tolerated Desi and Lucy cuz they were a paycheck for him. He also despised Vivian Vance, hated working with her and rarely, if ever. Spoke to her off set. He always thought TV acting was beneath him.
William Frawley didn't sound much different than his character, Fred. I'm sure he had his reasons for wanting the scenes to be perfect but he also strikes me as a difficult person to get along with. I'm glad that Lucy, Desi, and Vivian were able to make it work with him to make the show a great success.
Actually it was Vivian Vance who created the problem with Bill Frawley about her 'having to play with that old man"... She was the last to be hired and why did she take the role of Ethel Mertz if she was unhappy that she had to play the wife of Bill Frawley??? She apparently said it a lot, like a dog with a bone in its mouth. After the show was over, Desilu offered a spin off with Bill and Vivian - he said yes, and she said no. After that, Bill went on to another fabulous show "My Three Sons." I do not know of anything other than coffee commercials that Vivian did. Of course, we know different things that Desi did - write Ä Book"appear on talk shows etc. He was a producer for The Lucy Show for two or three years. I think in the 1960's resigned as Head of Desilu Studios and Lucy took over.
Cuban square was a 50s expression? Square was used for decades, (started in 20's with jazz muscians), and cuban, well hell, boy that sure is 50s-ish kinda, not really, crack a history book, huh?
I’m not surprised that William Frawly went off about the barber shop scene. He seem like the kind of person to always complain about something. That’s why he played Fred Mertz do well. It came natural to him. Both are nasty mean people. Except Fred mertz couldn’t drink and bet on tv. William did that in real life. And William was very racist too.
Your explaining Bill is short for William reminds me of the time Verizon basically thought I was trying to scam them, telling them my name was Bill and in their system I was William. I was like... You don't know Bill is short for William? What the...
I wasn't aware of this issue while watching this episode, having watched it so many times; thanks so much for the info. We loved & still love, Lucy & Desi and Vivian, and Bill Frawley & the rest of the family. I'm 62.
I recall reading that Vivian Vance didn't want Bill Frawley to play the part of Fred Mertz in the first place. She felt he was too old to play her husband.
And Vivian and Bill hated each other during the show which I read ... so interesting show ... Bill Frawley never appeared on the show if the Yankees were in the World Series
I understand that he was pretty old and had been in Vaudeville back in his hay Day, but you would also think that he would have understood that he was on a comedy show and that that scene they were doing didn't have to be or shouldn't have to have been so exact and perfect since it on a comedy show like I said. They were doing it to be silly. Now I can understand other scenes like for the night club scenes having to be perfect since they are actually performing for the audience that is supposed to be in the night club. But Bill Frawley was old and was a drinker, so it's sorta understandable. Especially since Desi had to make sure it was known that Bill had to be sober while doing the shows.
Frawley had a nerve trying to be a prima donna. He was fortunate to have been cast as Fred Mertz in the first place. Lucy didn't want him: his reputation as a diehard drunkard was well-known, and she felt Frawley could be a serious liability to the show. When they finally decided to cast him, Desi took Frawley aside and warned him that, if his alcoholism ever caused a problem, even just being late one time, he would be fired. To his credit, Frawley took the warning to heart, and never allowed his offstage drinking to affect his onstage work. However, his precarious position vis-a-vis the show meant that any prima donna antics were unthinkable and should have been avoided. His antipathy toward Vivian Vance is well-known. It was supposedly based on a remark of hers which he overheard, but I doubt that his crusty irascibility would have endeared him to any actress who undertook the role of Ethel. He was lucky it was not Bea Benaderet, Lucy's friend and the actress for whom the role of Ethel was originally intended. Benaderet was an easygoing, kind woman, but she took no nonsense from anyone. Had she been cast as Ethel, Frawley would have been out on his ear the first time he disrespected her. He was a strong personality and a fine performer (Fred is my favorite character on the show), but his antics certainly made life difficult for the other performers in the cast.
Yes that's what is written in the BOOK about THE I LOVE LUCY SHOW! I forget the author's name, but he actually interviewed alot of the people who were responsible for the SHOW being developed and what they contributed to its success!! Desi was firm with William Fraley but he truly cared about him as a person and a professional!
Jason Hurd Hah, Fred and Ethel were CENTRAL to that show. Lucy and Desi were fortunate to have them. Frawley KNEW barbershop quartet - Lucy and Desi had no clue. Nobody knows EVERYTHING. Frawley simply spoke up not wanting the scene to be a disaster.
Vaudeville was the stage, tv/open radio of its time. The greats started there. It was hard work, but also fun. Of course Bill Frawley took it seriously. It was his bread and butter before the movies, before theater. Jack Benny came from that Stock, so did Micky Rooney (Joe Yule Jr/Sr). Their all gone now, but at least Desi, respected that and saw this in both Frawley and Vance.
so did Lucy - she went to see Vaudeville with her grandfather as a child and that is what she wanted to do. On one of the documentaries about Lucy Desi she said she even sold hamburgers in Celeron Park with that in mind. (teenager) Of course when she got to NYC, vaudeville was no longer the thing so she ended being a model to be able to eat.
How did Vivian work in vaudeville? She was only 2 years older than Lucy - and Lucy saw vaudeville with her grandfather as a child growing up. She left for NYC at age 15 but already vaudeville was on the way out - she went home again and ended up back in NYC working as as a model so she could eat.
True enough, ain't seen much of you ... but now you are back! I'm a real authentic Lucy, Desi, William Frawley and Vivian Vance fan: so your incisive videos are really enjoyed!
Bill Frawley should have never been casted in ILL in the first place. 1. He was waaay to old to be the husband of Ethel. 2. He was well known for being a cantankerous actor. 3. He was a well known heavy drinker, and known for showing up for work drunk. Why Desi hired this guy with all those critical concerns (which very well could severely impact the show) is beyond me. There must have been some personal friendship there or something like that.
Desi told him upfront if he came to work drunk he was off the show. Bill kept his promise to Desi and Desi kept his promise to Bill about time off if the Yankees were involved in the World Series, which they constantly were.
Wow, this is really interesting to know Rick. I never knew the extent of the background William Frawley had and as to how that not only incorporated into I Love Lucy but how it lead to a confrontation one day. Thanks for the information Rick. It’s always cool to learn more about I Love Lucy!
That would have made him around 70 in 1957 . I dont think he was thst old , maybe he was . He died in 1966 at 79 so guess he was old when on Lucy Show . Yep born Feb 1887 died March 1966 79 yrs old . Wow he didnt look act or seem like he was in his 70s . On the show i thought he was in early 60s great make up . Great actor , i like him in Miracle on 34th St . With John Payne ,Natalie zwood etc . That was 1947 . He was 60 then . Didnt change much . Anyway great show and great acting . There will never be shows like that again . I miss the 60s & 70s ! .... ( old hippy )
The Reverend Sal I don’t know why I’m shocked by this but I am. I have always loved this show. I think maybe it’s because EVERYTHING was so different then. Weren’t they still hunting down the Native Americans?
Bill Frawley had maybe the best comedic timing of any comedian in history. His jokes in the show are corny, but Bill's timing of the punchline will always get a laugh.
@@theministersal702 Supposedly Vivian Vance despised being teamed with Frawley because he was 22 years older than her, but they were portrayed as roughly equal in age. And she was quite attractive when she was younger and would have, in real life, been married to a much more handsome, debonair man.
I always loved Fred on the show. However, I was very disappointed in recently learning how racist Bill Frawley was - also learned how extremely racist Jimmy Stewart was. The latter bowled me over. (Also, Stewart was alleged to have a very bad temper - even his wife concurred such.) Fred was a cranky type character; but Jimmy Stewart played the opposite of who he really was. Give me Frawley over Stewart any time. At least I'd known whom I was dealing with.
Sounds like Bill Frawley just wanted to do the best scene possible. Sounds like he was a professional. He wanted everyone to do better. Which I have seen this episode. They pulled it off brilliantly. Thanks for the behind the scenes information.
Wow very interesting. I knew Frawley was kinda difficult at times but I can just imagine how he blew his top. I thought the ending was one of the best musical scenes they ever did I loved it. Thanks Rick for another great video. I would like to hear more of behind the scenes drama with the cast and crew
I absolutely loved the finished product, so they worked it out! That makes it possible for us to enjoy it decades later! It's among my top 10 favorites.
apparently, bill was drunk alot ... but hey, nobody really knows. Alot of gossip goes around, and the actors themselves have their own "stories". As business folks, I have high regard for both Desi & Lucille.
Bill and Lucy remained friends after the shows end and the divorce. Lucy was performing on Broadway in Wildcat and Bill Went to the performance shortly before his death.
With that episode...Bill and Vivian sounded as the real professionals (as obvious by their experience), Ricky/Desi was the “Cuban trying to do vaudeville” (in itself comedic), and of course, Lucy comedically lousing it up. The combination worked!
Bill Frawley wasn't just a former vaudellian, he was also a proud Irishman. So, Desi getting laughs from singing Sweet Adeline, while affecting a funny Irish brogue could have rubbed Bill the wrong way.
@@baldeagle5297: That is true but has nothing to do with the fact that as an actor or actress you are required to take on a role no matter what you think. That is what your paid for!
It was for comedic effects Lucy was known as a terrible singer to the three but she was tone deaf to her own horrible singing. I like to think that Lucy took singing lessons from Alfalfa the worst singer of all time.
Frawley was a real pain, at least that was his reputation or it was something that followed him? He was also reported as a daily drinker, described by one of the cast of "My 3 son's" claimed that at lunchtime Frawley was usually having a liquid lunch and someone would have to go and try and get him to come back to the set to resume shooting( he was the original Uncle Charlie)
@@EYE_GOTCHA You are correct! I wasn't thinking about it until you pointed it out and then remembered their last names were O'Malley and O'Casey but most people today wouldn't even know he ( Frawley) was their first House Mother...
Not only did we learn about the confrontation, we learned that Bill and Will and Billy are short or nicknames form William. So glad I watched. I would have never know that.
This was a great show. But obviously Bill and Vivian weren’t Desi and Lucy... lol... Vaudeville and barbershop singing was not as popular as he thought. Lolol...He was an expert?? Desi was a musician and Cuban .. which if you didn’t know, have natural rhythm and flavor. He would never be able to dance a guaguanco, salsa or any of what Desi could dance. Bill should have known his place and just done what he was told because Desi had more musical talent than he did.
Frawley was darn lucky to have a job this great. He had a reputation of drinking too much and warned about it when hired. That shows no respect for Lucy and Desi complaining in that fashion to them about the script. I call that ungrateful.
judith wyman He also quit drinking BEFORE he was hired on to the show. And he remained alcohol free for the rest of his life due to the fact that Desi & Lucy bc such good friends w him and took care of him till the day he died!!
I think it's pretty funny too. But you can understand his concern for Barber shop and his reputation and reverence. Of course the bigger picture was they were doing comedy and Lucy was supposed to have a lost voice. Thanks Rick!!!!!
Lots of stories about Bill Frawley's bitchy side exist from the set of My Three Sons, too ...can you imagine it? the crabby old man was ten years older and ten years crabbier by that point! That was a Desilu production, too, so we can only assume whatever professional skirmishes he may have had with the Arnazes from time to time, they must've seen through his bluster and all parties must've valued each other's talents or they wouldn't have kept working together for so long!!
To little credit has been given to Vivian Vance and Bill Frawley in regards to the I Love Lucy show. Glad to hear you expounding on some of that.
Lucy chased the fame of this show till the end and I believe the magic was really in William and Vivian playing off the insanity that is Lucille Ball. They really balanced each other out. Without this balance, she wasn't as entertaining. It was too much.
Richard Hoover it wouldn’t have been the same show without them
I understand that Vance and Frawley didn't get along well.
@@geoffdearth7360 I believe that it is more that he didn't respect her as an equal so that upset her given her merit. I don't think it's fair to just say she didn't like him. There was a reason.
@@aftersexhighfives What I remember about what I read is that Frawley didn't like her. I don't remember anything about her not liking him.
I'd rather actors have confrontations about the quality of the work than say, about not having Evian water, or about the size of their dressing rooms! 🎬🎥
Yes!
Bill Frawley was a gem. I think it’s great that he stood up and voiced his opinion…
Thank you
If the movie, "Being the Ricardos is any testament - Bill spoke as did Vance etc
Bill had some hilarious sarcastic come backs in this show. Love it!
and he delivered them beautifully. I'm envious. I wish I could do that.
William Frawley was passionate about his craft. That's Showbiz!!!
By the way, Bill was being sarcastic when he called Viv "That Galli-Curci!" Madame Galli-Curci was an opera singer who made records back in the teens and 20s.
I remember this episode. It sounded fine to me. That's probably why Frawley was so believable as Fred Mertz. He was basically playing himself lol.
As I do when I take off my hat, you make a good point !!
Vivian’s voice is heavenly. It’s pretty obvious she was an experienced singer.
, She was a classically trained operatic singer
You dont tell war jokes to a soldier, you dont tell religious jokes to a priest. Somethings are more important than they are to others. The show being a comedy, they prolly at first didnt think much of it, if they bombed, audience would have laughed. Hats off to both men, one for standing up for what he believed in, the other reassuring what he believed in was important.
The finished product on every episode was perfection. Some of these back stories are hard to believe. It proves what professionals they all were.
William Frawley was an old school, Depression era tough guy. He was working class. Arnaz and Ball were privileged. Any field or place of employment has the same two types of workers. The "I work for a living and scratched and fought my way up" and the "Handed to you" (at least their view) crowd.
Lucy did not have a privileged background - if losing your father age 3 moving around while your mother was trying to get work and you lived with grandparents and gm died; then you end up with step grandparents who were pretty awful. She did not live with her mother again until she was 11. If that is privilege, wow. Unfortunately, Vivian had some mental issues and ended up in a hospital for awhile; also made bad choices in marriages - while filming ILL her husband was abusive and finally she divorced him, the only marriage that worked out was the last one, and he was a homosexual. While Desi came from privilege - his family lost everything and he ended up in Miami age 16 with nothing. (I actually think both his parents were narcissistic.) BTW when I saw the show This is Your Life, Bill Frawley his first wife was lovely and they hugged each with gusto - she quite attractive - also his female mentor I forgot her name - what a classy, lovely attractive woman and they also hugged each other with warmth and feeling. I think Desi and maybe Vivian had High School educations.
If that was the biggest argument they had , then they should have been in charge of the country back then .
I can understand Bill's complaint - it's all about the music and the art form. That said, the way this was approached didn't detract from the original. Brilliant way of them starting off which they thought was going to be right - but Lucy's note just - ehhh, not quite there. Bill needed to ask how this was going to be approached and handled first before flying off the handle and going like a machine gun targeting whoever would listen. Kudos to the non-aggressive way Desi handled it.
23 years older than Vivian Vance, Frawley began his Vaudeville act in 1910 with brother. Vance came along much later and joined a Vaudevillian troupe and never worked with Frawley (they never had an act together) directly. They did, however, know each other and were familiar with the acts. Vance, when discovering Frawley was going to play her husband, did refer to him as an old cogger drawing on her experience with him in Vaudeville.
Remember Bill Frawley and Vivian Vance were not the first choice for Fred and Ethel. Gale Gordon ( who worked with Lucy on her later shows) and Bea Benederet who was on the Burns and Allen Show at that time
There is no way that Lucy did not know about Bill Frawley they both worked at RKO studios together. He called Lucy about being on the ILL show and Lucy immediately said yes, but talk to Desi about it. Bill said this himself when he was on This Is Your Life Bill Frawley. Also Lucy could not appear on the show because she was opening in Wildcat in NYC within the hour. They talked together for about 10 minutes -so endearing and she ended saying I love you Bill and he replied I love you too Lucy - Not only what they said, but how they said it brought tears to my eyes and I believe Bill had tears in his eyes when they got off the phone.
This 1/2 hour show "This is Your Life Bill Frawley" was amazing and the best acknowledgement I ever seen of him. He had tears in his eyes and the viewer would feel the same. Look it up, I only recently saw it on YT
Vivian must have been pretty young to have been a vaudeville performer. It began to decline in the late 20s. She was born in 1909 which made her only two years older than Lucy.
Because Frawley was the oldest in the cast he had an almost paternal quality, especially toward Arnaz. As for Vance being considerably younger, there was nothing unusual about that.
3:04 - I suspect pretty much nobody watching this video (including the guy who made it) will know what the reference to "Galli-Curci" means. Amelita Galli-Curci was an Italian opera singer who lived and performed in the USA from 1916 into the 1930s. Bill Frawley calling Vivian Vance by this name, I presume, means he thought she sang like an opera singer, which was unsuitable for a barbershop quartet number. And in fact she could sing that way if she wanted to.
do not forget that William Frawley had a long career in films as a character actor to whit: William Frawley was born in Burlington, Iowa. As a boy he sang at St.
Paul's Catholic Church and played at the Burlington Opera House. His
first job was as a stenographer for the Union Pacific Railroad. He did
vaudeville with his brother Paul, then joined pianist Franz Rath in an
act they took to San Francisco in 1910. Four years later he formed a
light comedy act with his new wife Edna Louise Broedt, "Frawley and
Louise", touring the Orpheum and Keith circuits until they divorced in
1927. He next moved to Broadway and then, in 1932, to Hollywood with
Paramount. By 1951, when he contacted Lucille Ball about a part in her TV show I Love Lucy
(1951), he had performed in over 100 films. His Fred Mertz role lasted
until the show ended in 1960, after which he did a five-year stint on My Three Sons
(1960). Poor health forced his retirement. He collapsed of a heart
attack on March 3, 1966, aged 79, walking along Hollywood Boulevard
after seeing a movie. He is buried in San Fernando Mission Cemetery.
I always thought it was amazing the Bill Frawley lived to the the oldest, 79; Lucy died age 77; Vivian died at age 70 and Desi died at age 69.
I remember one episode where Viv was on the piano comparing her singing voice to Lucy, and I was surprised at her AMAZING voice.
I love your videos... They are perfect.. No idea why people give thumbs down..
Good performers back then truly cared about the art
Vivien couldn't stand Frawley. Vivien and Lucy on the other hand were the best of friends
I so appreciate you for taking the time to educate myself/us on the history of the I Love Lucy Show. I'm deeply in love with the show and everyone involved. Thank you so much
This is so cool to know these random facts. I love them!! Keep them coming
I thought the number came out fine. Thanks for sharing Rick!
They should have included his complaining as part of the show
I think the finished product was brilliant!! I watch the show every morning from 5 am to 8 am! And have been watching this show for years!! Great video Rick. 🙏🏼🙏🏼💜💜 Jeannine
I'm glad he was a perfectionist and made sure it was right. Glad Desi appreciated his opinion
This is one my favorite scenes of all the "I Love Lucy" episodes! It's perfect and as many hundreds of times that I've seen it I still laugh the whole way through! This outburst sounds very much like what I've read about Bill! He was a salty man to say the least but don't forget that every piece to the puzzle are responsible for making the beautiful picture of a show that we are so blessed to enjoy to this day! I'm
I just love the I love Lucy show! I loved all the characters and think they all did a great job.
This is one of my favorites amigo! Your right Bill was being Bill! I'm just glad Lucy was able able to stay calm at 6 months pregnant. Leave it to Desi to be able to calm Bill down.
Frawley and Vivian vance despised each other. years later Vivian vance went into a restaurant and somebody playfully called out, "Hi, ethel, where's fred?" and she replied, "dead, thank god." I think they got off on the wrong foot because she tried to coach Frawley on a dance number and he had been in show biz longer than her. when she got a script she would first look through it to see if she had to kiss him. actually, desi arnaz knew they didn't like each other and thought that would make their zingers at each other more believable and funny because of the genuine dislike behind it. this show was a beloved part of my childhood and I read a lot about it later. once I was with my little boy in a restaurant and he asked me what Ethel's maiden name was and several people at nearby tables instantly joined the discussion. I was in awe of the show's continuing popularity. it's like the music of the beatles, a precious cultural artifact passed from by one generation to the next.
I Love ❤ Lucy and The Beatles ‼️. Can't beat that‼️
Potter
What started the feud between Vance and Frawley was Vivian complained that she was coupled with an old man. When Frawley heard what she said, that was it - they never liked each other. When Vance heard that Frawley had died, she was in a restaurant and called out, "Champagne for everyone." After working so closely with someone for over 5 years - what a heartless thing to say! Also, since he was hired first, why did she take the part since she knew his age at the time?! While the 4 cast members were gold together in the show - I don't think either of them would have been remembered today if it were not for their roles in ILL.
Bill used to call Desi "Cuban"..........."Hey, Cuban!".............both world class drinkers, Desi warned Bill never to return to the set drunk after he did it once. He never did. Desi felt affection towards old bachelor Bill and visa versa, but Bill and Vivian absolutely hated each other and try to avoid each other between takes.
Actually when you read the history of all of them: Desi, Vivian, and Bill they all ended up loving Lucy. And she, in turn, loved all of them. The last time Lucy and Bill talked was on the phone for about 10 minutes and ended up with Lucy saying, I love you Bill; and in return, Bill said I love you too Lucy. The last thing Desi and Lucy said together a day or two before Desi died was I love you. and Lucy was one of the last people to see Vivian in the hospital before she died, every one left the room and two talked and deeply connected for two hours. I think both of them expressed their love and friendship.
the last thing Desi and Lucy said to each other was I love you. Actually Lucy said I love you over and over the last time they spoke and Desi said, I love you too honey. He went into a coma a day later and died. Lucie Arnaz said that this last time they spoke would have been their 46th wedding anniversary.
@@LJ-ht4zs They should have been together. Sometimes life gets in the way.
Watching Bill Frawley and hearing he was a serial alcoholic was no surprise, to the end the way he died was very sad.
I loved the finished project and Bill should have been reminded that it was comedy vaudeville.
Desi Arnaz doesn't get the credit he deserves , actor, singer, producer, director, studio head, businessman, Lucy was "the star" but Desi was the force behind the empire...................
Frawley and Vance supposedly HATED each other!
Bill, being BILL. LOL Glad egos didn't get bruised and advice NOT taken. Everyone has a talent to lend. I loved to see Bill & Vivian in a number.
I wasnt aware of both William and Vivian's career past. Though both had age difference as William was a bit too old looking for Vivian who was quite pretty.
Dan Reese She complained about that
@@speedracer1945 I never thought about it when seeing the show - all I knew they were The Fabulous Four and worked together beautifully.
I've sung barbershop harmony, and Frawley was right; it's not easy. You can't just throw four people together and expect them to do a good job, even if they're competent musicians.
I absolutely loved the Sweet Adeline number. I'm laughing now just thinking of those shaving cream brushes aimed at Lucy's mouth.
I'm impressed by how diplomatic Desi and Lucy were. Love Bill Frawley. I'm glad that kept him happy, he was an important part of the show.
With Actors you have to be diplomatic.
@@vaubanschwarzwald3058 With kid gloves
I loved the finished product - very, very funny!! (I love the song, too!) :-)
I love Lucy is a family tradition.....from my grandma to my mother and of course me! now my son cracks up when we watching together, thank you for all these wonderful scenes. It give so much information off I Love Lucy... I love it.
Thank you very much for posting this and the research you did to create it.
Out of all the TV shows we watched during the 50s and 60s it is far and above the best.
Quality actors, producers, camera work. A much happier time
Best wishes Rick
The episode was funny as hell...some performers ate very temperamental...Bill just happened to be one of them...not surprised by Lucy's calm demeanor...she's an American jewel.
Where do you get all of this very interesting information? This is one of your best "I Love Lucy" videos ever, in my opinion. Great work, Rick. ☺
You Got That Right..
Rick gets this "Trivia" from all the books that have been written about Lucy. Desi, Bill and Viv.
I'm glad he spoke up! It is one of the funniest I Love Lucy's. I'm happy that both him and Vivian got to do musical numbers. The 3 singers vs. a Non -Singer classical and funny,
Well researched. Love learning about the show.
Robert Cramer , glad he can read them all and give us all the interesting videos. I love it! 💖
I can't blame him. He did the right thing. But should have been more diplomatic about his approach.
@James A Dauphinais you have me on that one....tis the truth.
Get it straight. Frawley tolerated Desi and Lucy cuz they were a paycheck for him. He also despised Vivian Vance, hated working with her and rarely, if ever. Spoke to her off set. He always thought TV acting was beneath him.
William Frawley didn't sound much different than his character, Fred. I'm sure he had his reasons for wanting the scenes to be perfect but he also strikes me as a difficult person to get along with. I'm glad that Lucy, Desi, and Vivian were able to make it work with him to make the show a great success.
I couldn't agree more.
Actually it was Vivian Vance who created the problem with Bill Frawley about her 'having to play with that old man"... She was the last to be hired and why did she take the role of Ethel Mertz if she was unhappy that she had to play the wife of Bill Frawley??? She apparently said it a lot, like a dog with a bone in its mouth. After the show was over, Desilu offered a spin off with Bill and Vivian - he said yes, and she said no. After that, Bill went on to another fabulous show "My Three Sons." I do not know of anything other than coffee commercials that Vivian did. Of course, we know different things that Desi did - write Ä Book"appear on talk shows etc. He was a producer for The Lucy Show for two or three years. I think in the 1960's resigned as Head of Desilu Studios and Lucy took over.
Very infromative video Rick, Happy 4th of July!
“That Cuban square. What does he know about good ol’ American music?!”
That’s the 1950s for ya.
That line cracked me up lol
Cuban square was a 50s expression? Square was used for decades, (started in 20's with jazz muscians), and cuban, well hell, boy that sure is 50s-ish kinda, not really, crack a history book, huh?
He would probably and try to get him kicked out of the country now aday.
@@CatsClaw44 you are sp right. Today's world, we have complainers, winers, and flakes.
I’m not surprised that William Frawly went off about the barber shop scene. He seem like the kind of person to always complain about something. That’s why he played Fred Mertz do well. It came natural to him. Both are nasty mean people. Except Fred mertz couldn’t drink and bet on tv. William did that in real life. And William was very racist too.
Love these vids
Your explaining Bill is short for William reminds me of the time Verizon basically thought I was trying to scam them, telling them my name was Bill and in their system I was William. I was like... You don't know Bill is short for William? What the...
You would be surprised! I’ve had countless people ask why I refer to him as Bill and not William, haha
Great bit of trivia. I guess Bill was right because it sounded perfect!
I wasn't aware of this issue while watching this episode, having watched it so many times; thanks so much for the info. We loved & still love, Lucy & Desi and Vivian, and Bill Frawley & the rest of the family. I'm 62.
You sure have inside information Rick! I think Bill had nothing to worry about...the number came out great!
I just remember Wm. Frawley as the cop in 30s movies.
Robert Schwartz You just remember that? Not ‘I Love Lucy’? Ahahahaha
He was also in my favorite Christmas movie, Miracle on 34th Street.
Glad to know he cared actually.
I recall reading that Vivian Vance didn't want Bill Frawley to play the part of Fred Mertz in the first place. She felt he was too old to play her husband.
And Vivian and Bill hated each other during the show which I read ... so interesting show ... Bill Frawley never appeared on the show if the Yankees were in the World Series
Another excellent video!! Thanks!!
Didn’t Frawley have a no drinking clause in his contract because of outbursts like this?
I understand that he was pretty old and had been in Vaudeville back in his hay Day, but you would also think that he would have understood that he was on a comedy show and that that scene they were doing didn't have to be or shouldn't have to have been so exact and perfect since it on a comedy show like I said. They were doing it to be silly. Now I can understand other scenes like for the night club scenes having to be perfect since they are actually performing for the audience that is supposed to be in the night club. But Bill Frawley was old and was a drinker, so it's sorta understandable. Especially since Desi had to make sure it was known that Bill had to be sober while doing the shows.
Another aside to this story is that Frawley and Vance hated each other.
Frawley had a nerve trying to be a prima donna. He was fortunate to have been cast as Fred Mertz in the first place. Lucy didn't want him: his reputation as a diehard drunkard was well-known, and she felt Frawley could be a serious liability to the show. When they finally decided to cast him, Desi took Frawley aside and warned him that, if his alcoholism ever caused a problem, even just being late one time, he would be fired. To his credit, Frawley took the warning to heart, and never allowed his offstage drinking to affect his onstage work. However, his precarious position vis-a-vis the show meant that any prima donna antics were unthinkable and should have been avoided. His antipathy toward Vivian Vance is well-known. It was supposedly based on a remark of hers which he overheard, but I doubt that his crusty irascibility would have endeared him to any actress who undertook the role of Ethel. He was lucky it was not Bea Benaderet, Lucy's friend and the actress for whom the role of Ethel was originally intended. Benaderet was an easygoing, kind woman, but she took no nonsense from anyone. Had she been cast as Ethel, Frawley would have been out on his ear the first time he disrespected her. He was a strong personality and a fine performer (Fred is my favorite character on the show), but his antics certainly made life difficult for the other performers in the cast.
Yes that's what is written in the BOOK about THE I LOVE LUCY SHOW! I forget the author's name, but he actually interviewed alot of the people who were responsible for the SHOW being developed and what they contributed to its success!! Desi was firm with William Fraley but he truly cared about him as a person and a professional!
Jason Hurd Hah, Fred and Ethel were CENTRAL to that show. Lucy and Desi were fortunate to have them. Frawley KNEW barbershop quartet - Lucy and Desi had no clue. Nobody knows EVERYTHING. Frawley simply spoke up not wanting the scene to be a disaster.
Bea was great on Burns and Allen,the perfect neighbor and friend for Gracie Allen
@@srmichel417 Also great as Iris, Lucy's sidekick on her radio show My Favorite Husband. And the voice of Betty Rubble on The Flintstones!
Your sharing the story behind this scene makes me want to watch it again. That show is priceless.
Excellent video. I love learning all this stuff keep up the great work
Thank you Brian, your steadfast support of the channel is much appreciated as always!
@@ricknineg It is my pleasure your videos are always a treat. Incidentally I'd love to see a video about Lucy's radio show my favorite husband
@@ricknineg: What does galley coursey mean?
Vaudeville was the stage, tv/open radio of its time. The greats started there. It was hard work, but also fun. Of course Bill Frawley took it seriously. It was his bread and butter before the movies, before theater. Jack Benny came from that Stock, so did Micky Rooney (Joe Yule Jr/Sr). Their all gone now, but at least Desi, respected that and saw this in both Frawley and Vance.
so did Lucy - she went to see Vaudeville with her grandfather as a child and that is what she wanted to do. On one of the documentaries about Lucy Desi she said she even sold hamburgers in Celeron Park with that in mind. (teenager) Of course when she got to NYC, vaudeville was no longer the thing so she ended being a model to be able to eat.
How did Vivian work in vaudeville? She was only 2 years older than Lucy - and Lucy saw vaudeville with her grandfather as a child growing up. She left for NYC at age 15 but already vaudeville was on the way out - she went home again and ended up back in NYC working as as a model so she could eat.
True enough, ain't seen much of you ... but now you are back! I'm a real authentic Lucy, Desi, William Frawley and Vivian Vance fan: so your incisive videos are really enjoyed!
Bill Frawley should have never been casted in ILL in the first place.
1. He was waaay to old to be the husband of Ethel.
2. He was well known for being a cantankerous actor.
3. He was a well known heavy drinker, and known for showing up for work drunk.
Why Desi hired this guy with all those critical concerns (which very well could severely impact the show) is beyond me. There must have been some personal friendship there or something like that.
Desi told him upfront if he came to work drunk he was off the show. Bill kept his promise to Desi and Desi kept his promise to Bill about time off if the Yankees were involved in the World Series, which they constantly were.
Wow, this is really interesting to know Rick. I never knew the extent of the background William Frawley had and as to how that not only incorporated into I Love Lucy but how it lead to a confrontation one day. Thanks for the information Rick. It’s always cool to learn more about I Love Lucy!
I remember hearing about Frawley's background in vaudeville in ILL.
in one of the episodes
Thanks for the ♥️ love these videos, and love I love lucy, so glad there are people that upload vids like this
I loved the sweet Adeline number! William wanted it to be good.
The thing that freaks me out is Frawley was born in 1887.
That would have made him around 70 in 1957 . I dont think he was thst old , maybe he was . He died in 1966 at 79 so guess he was old when on Lucy Show . Yep born Feb 1887 died March 1966 79 yrs old . Wow he didnt look act or seem like he was in his 70s . On the show i thought he was in early 60s great make up . Great actor , i like him in Miracle on 34th St . With John Payne ,Natalie zwood etc . That was 1947 . He was 60 then . Didnt change much . Anyway great show and great acting . There will never be shows like that again . I miss the 60s & 70s ! .... ( old hippy )
The Reverend Sal I don’t know why I’m shocked by this but I am. I have always loved this show. I think maybe it’s because EVERYTHING was so different then. Weren’t they still hunting down the Native Americans?
Bill Frawley had maybe the best comedic timing of any comedian in history. His jokes in the show are corny, but Bill's timing of the punchline will always get a laugh.
@@theministersal702 he looked much older than 70. I wouldn've thought 80.
@@theministersal702 Supposedly Vivian Vance despised being teamed with Frawley because he was 22 years older than her, but they were portrayed as roughly equal in age. And she was quite attractive when she was younger and would have, in real life, been married to a much more handsome, debonair man.
I think Bill called it. Always defer to more experience...unless its ludicrous of course.
Great introspection. I wonder who documented all this? 😊❤❤
Lol...Just Fred Being Fred😭👏🏽 Fred go speak his Mind On and Off Camera😂💯
Fred was funny😁
I always loved Fred on the show. However, I was very disappointed in recently learning how racist Bill Frawley was - also learned how extremely racist Jimmy Stewart was. The latter bowled me over. (Also, Stewart was alleged to have a very bad temper - even his wife concurred such.) Fred was a cranky type character; but Jimmy Stewart played the opposite of who he really was. Give me Frawley over Stewart any time. At least I'd known whom I was dealing with.
Sounds like Bill Frawley just wanted to do the best scene possible. Sounds like he was a professional. He wanted everyone to do better. Which I have seen this episode. They pulled it off brilliantly. Thanks for the behind the scenes information.
Wow very interesting. I knew Frawley was kinda difficult at times but I can just imagine how he blew his top. I thought the ending was one of the best musical scenes they ever did I loved it. Thanks Rick for another great video. I would like to hear more of behind the scenes drama with the cast and crew
That ending was the first thing that came to mind when the barbershop quartet was mentioned.
Yes same here. They had such vision for the show. Lucille ball once said looking back she really don't know how they did it but they did.
Bill Frawley just got by on his looks, alone.
My guess Bill was pleased with the final scene as it was perfect in my humble opinion
I absolutely loved the finished product, so they worked it out! That makes it possible for us to enjoy it decades later! It's among my top 10 favorites.
Vivian Vance was quoted as saying that Bill was an absolute bastard to work with and made her and Lucy cry quite often :(
That comes from many sources that I have heard. Also Vivian resented being presented as being married to a man older than her father.
apparently, bill was drunk alot ... but hey, nobody really knows. Alot of gossip goes around, and the actors themselves have their own "stories". As business folks, I have high regard for both Desi & Lucille.
@@atbragdots8852 yea his hand would always shake. I assumed he was an alcoholic
Never heard Lucy complain about Bill Frawley
@@LJ-ht4zs She was way too classy to do so
I've been trying to find Saturday Night Live, Season 1, episode 14, with Desi Arnaz. Can you help me?
Bill and Lucy remained friends after the shows end and the divorce. Lucy was performing on Broadway in Wildcat and Bill Went to the performance shortly before his death.
Also Desi remained friendly with Bill after the show. I think Desi went to his funeral.
With that episode...Bill and Vivian sounded as the real professionals (as obvious by their experience), Ricky/Desi was the “Cuban trying to do vaudeville” (in itself comedic), and of course, Lucy comedically lousing it up. The combination worked!
Bill Frawley wasn't just a former vaudellian, he was also a proud Irishman. So, Desi getting laughs from singing Sweet Adeline, while affecting a funny Irish brogue could have rubbed Bill the wrong way.
My dear it was only a show!!!
@@roberttelarket4934 As a former performer, the show isn't everything, it's the ONLY thing.
@@baldeagle5297: That is true but has nothing to do with the fact that as an actor or actress you are required to take on a role no matter what you think. That is what your paid for!
@@roberttelarket4934 True, but when you take a role, you do it to the best of your ability. That includes making your views known.
Thank you for this behind-the-scenes insight!
It was for comedic effects Lucy was known as a terrible singer to the three but she was tone deaf to her own horrible singing. I like to think that Lucy took singing lessons from Alfalfa the worst singer of all time.
Frawley was a real pain, at least that was his reputation or it was something that followed him? He was also reported as a daily drinker, described by one of the cast of "My 3 son's" claimed that at lunchtime Frawley was usually having a liquid lunch and someone would have to go and try and get him to come back to the set to resume shooting( he was the original Uncle Charlie)
rc5chi But he wasn’t “Uncle Charlie I”; he was “Bub”...
@@EYE_GOTCHA You are correct! I wasn't thinking about it until you pointed it out and then remembered their last names were O'Malley and O'Casey but most people today wouldn't even know he ( Frawley) was their first House Mother...
Not only did we learn about the confrontation, we learned that Bill and Will and Billy are short or nicknames form William. So glad I watched. I would have never know that.
This was a great show. But obviously Bill and Vivian weren’t Desi and Lucy... lol... Vaudeville and barbershop singing was not as popular as he thought. Lolol...He was an expert?? Desi was a musician and Cuban .. which if you didn’t know, have natural rhythm and flavor. He would never be able to dance a guaguanco, salsa or any of what Desi could dance. Bill should have known his place and just done what he was told because Desi had more musical talent than he did.
I never understood why he was so much older then everyone else
Frawley was darn lucky to have a job this great. He had a reputation of drinking too much and warned about it when hired. That shows no respect for Lucy and Desi complaining in that fashion to them about the script. I call that ungrateful.
judith wyman
He also quit drinking BEFORE he was hired on to the show. And he remained alcohol free for the rest of his life due to the fact that Desi & Lucy bc such good friends w him and took care of him till the day he died!!
Correct!
I think it's pretty funny too. But you can understand his concern for Barber shop and his reputation and reverence. Of course the bigger picture was they were doing comedy and Lucy was supposed to have a lost voice. Thanks Rick!!!!!
Lots of stories about Bill Frawley's bitchy side exist from the set of My Three Sons, too ...can you imagine it? the crabby old man was ten years older and ten years crabbier by that point! That was a Desilu production, too, so we can only assume whatever professional skirmishes he may have had with the Arnazes from time to time, they must've seen through his bluster and all parties must've valued each other's talents or they wouldn't have kept working together for so long!!
Geez. Whydid he go to pregnant Lucy first? The writers and Desi should have been who he went to.
After all that talk you don't even show the clip?