Vivian Vance

 Vivian Vance, born Vivian Roberta Jones, (July 26, 1909 – August 17, 1979)

She was best known for her role as Ethel Mertz, sidekick to Lucille Ball on the I Love Lucy, and as Vivian Bagley on The Lucy Show. Starting in 1932, Vance was in a number of shows on Broadway, usually as a member of the chorus. Eventually she graduated to supporting parts after she replaced Kay Thompson in the musical Hooray for What! (1937). Her most successful stage role was that of Nancy Collister in the Cole Porter musical Let's Face It! (1941), in which she starred alongside Danny Kaye and Eve Arden for over 500 performances. Following her appearance in a revival of The Cradle Will Rock in 1947, Vance decided to move to California to pursue other theatre projects as well as opportunities in film. During her stay in Los Angeles, Vance appeared in two films: as streetwise chambermaid Leah in The Secret Fury (1950), and as Alicia in The Blue Veil (1951). Vivian was not Lucy's choice to play Ethel, and the two had a stormy relationship to start, but soon became close friends. Following her departure from The Lucy Show at the end of the third season, Vance signed on to appear in a Blake Edwards film, The Great Race; she saw this as an opportunity to restart a movie career which never really took off. The film was a moderate success, receiving several Academy Award nominations; however, it did little to help her establish a career as a movie actress. Vance rejoined Lucille Ball on Here's Lucy, Ball's third sitcom.

Vance was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1973. She suffered a stroke in 1977, and died in 1979 of bone cancer (secondary to breast cancer). After her death, Desi Arnaz remarked, "It’s bad enough to lose one of the great artists we had the honor and the pleasure to work with, but it’s even harder to reconcile the loss of one of your best friends."