FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!
Vance Vivian Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
Vance Vivian Quizzes, Trivia

Vivian Vance Trivia

Vivian Vance Trivia Quizzes

  1. Home
  2. »
  3. Quizzes
  4. »
  5. Celebrity Trivia
  6. »
  7. Celebrities T-Z

Fun Trivia
2 Vivian Vance quizzes and 20 Vivian Vance trivia questions.
1.
  Inside Ethel Mertz   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Almost everyone has heard of Ethel Mertz from the "I Love Lucy" show, but how well do you know Vivian Vance, the woman who brought one of TV's most beloved characters to life?
Tough, 10 Qns, gretas, Feb 11 22
Tough
gretas
Feb 11 22
2440 plays
2.
  The Life and Career of Vivian Vance    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
If you have ever watched the classic sitcom "I Love Lucy", you probably watched Vivian Vance. Take this quiz to learn more about her. If you like it, rate it.
Tough, 10 Qns, piccione2000, May 08 17
Tough
piccione2000
636 plays

Vivian Vance Trivia Questions
1. What was Vivian Vance's birth name?

From Quiz Inside Ethel Mertz

Answer: Vivian Jones

Vivian Vance's birth name was Vivian Roberta Jones. She was born on July 26, 1909 in Cherryvale, Kansas. She changed her last name to "Vance" in honor of a dramatics instructor who inspired her during her formative years.

2. What is Vivian's birthday?

From Quiz The Life and Career of Vivian Vance

Answer: July 26, 1909

On July 26, 1909, Vivian Roberta Jones was born in Cherryvale, Kansas. Her sister Venus was born in 1906.

3. Born and raised in Kansas, Vivian didn't become interested in acting until she relocated as a teen-ager to the city from which her alter ego, Ethel also supposedly hailed. In which city did Vivian Vance first embrace her craft?

From Quiz Inside Ethel Mertz

Answer: Albuquerque, New Mexico

After moving to Albuquerque, Ms. Vance began acting in local theater, eventually working her way to New York City and a serious acting career. The "I Love Lucy" show honors Ms. Vance's past ties to Albuquerque when Ricky, Lucy, Ethel, and Fred stop there for a brief visit with Ethel's family while en route to California.

4. In 1950, Vivan made her film debut where she portrayed a hotel maid. What is the name of the film?

From Quiz The Life and Career of Vivian Vance

Answer: The Secret Fury

Her first movie was "The Secret Fury" in 1950. She played Leah, a hotel maid.

5. Vivian Vance was a successful stage actress throughout the 30s and 40s, but her success was tainted by personal difficulties that almost ended her career. What was the nature of Ms. Vance's problem in those early years?

From Quiz Inside Ethel Mertz

Answer: Emotional breakdown

Biographers have cited Vivian Vance's overbearing mother as one of the chief reasons for the emotional stress she suffered in the early years of her career. A stern, religious woman, Vivian's mother didn't want her daughter to be an actress and tried constantly to thwart her ambitions, on one occasion even going so far as to lock Vivian in her bedroom before a theater performance. Exhibiting an immense amount of pluck, Vivian crawled out the window and made it to her performance anyway.

6. In 1951-1957, she worked on "I Love Lucy" as Ethel. What was her character Ethel's full name?

From Quiz The Life and Career of Vivian Vance

Answer: Ethel Mae Roberta Louise Potter Mertz

Her name was Ethel Mae Roberta Louise Potter Mertz. In an episode with her father, he called her Ethel Mae.

7. Was it Lucille Ball or Desi Arnaz who first suggested Vivian Vance for the role of Ethel Mertz on "I Love Lucy"?

From Quiz Inside Ethel Mertz

Answer: Desi

Desi Arnaz first saw Ms. Vance in a Broadway show called "Voice Of The Turtle." He decided that she would be perfect to play Ethel Mertz on the new show he was planning to produce and co-star in with his famous red-haired wife.

8. When first approached to play the role of Ethel Mertz, Vivian Vance was less than enthusiastic about taking it. Why was she reluctant to play Ethel?

From Quiz Inside Ethel Mertz

Answer: The character was frumpy and unattractive

At the time she was offered the role, Vivian Vance was an attractive young actress and wasn't certain that she wanted to play a frumpy older woman who was clearly the second banana on the show. Lucille Ball shared her concerns, wondering openly to Desi and others if Vivian really was right for the role of the matronly Ethel.

9. It's no secret that Vivian Vance and William Frawley (aka Fred Mertz) were not close friends during the production of the series. What did Ms. Vance reportedly think was the least appealing aspect of her TV husband?

From Quiz Inside Ethel Mertz

Answer: His looks

Vivian Vance reportedly told fellow cast members that she couldn't imagine anyone believing that someone who looked like her would actually be married to someone who looked like William Frawley. For his part, Mr. Frawley was known to call Ms. Vance "Fatso" and other unflattering epithets on the set. Even long after the show had ended, neither one had anything positive to say about the other, Just prior to his death in 1966, Mr. Frawley told an interviewer that he hadn't been in touch with his forner co-star in years and that was the way he liked it. Upon being informed of Mr. Frawley's death, Vivian famously made a reference to her sudden desire for champagne.

10. In 1951, Vivan began appearing on "I Love Lucy." How old was she when the show originally started its run in 1951?

From Quiz The Life and Career of Vivian Vance

Answer: 42

She was 42, and William Frawley was 64. This made her mad, because she thought people would think she was older than she was because she had to play a wife to an old man. She had to make herself 20 lbs. heavier than Lucille Ball, had to die her hair dishwater blonde, and had to wear small clothes to make her look 'older and frumpier'.

11. Other than "I Love Lucy" (and the "I Love Lucy Christmas Special" in 1957), how many other shows was she in as Ethel?

From Quiz The Life and Career of Vivian Vance

Answer: 1

She portrayed Ethel in the "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour." In "The Lucy Show," she portrayed the character of Vivian Bagley. The "I Love Lucy Christmas Special" in 1957 was not part of the "I Love Lucy" series, as it was aired but once (until released on video in the late 1990s), and did not have an episode/production number.

12. After the demise of "I Love Lucy" and her divorce from Desi Arnaz, Lucille Ball asked Vivian Vance to reprise her role as sidekick on "The Lucy Show." What was the name of the character Ms. Vance played on that show?

From Quiz Inside Ethel Mertz

Answer: Vivian

When Vivian Vance agreed to join the cast of Lucille Ball's new show in 1962, she requested that the name of her character be changed from Ethel to Vivian. She revamped her style as well, exchanging Ethel's unflattering house dresses for fashionable clothing that accentuated her newly slender figure and natural good looks.

13. In 1951, Vivian starred in "The Blue Veil," where she portrayed Alicia. What was the tagline for the film?

From Quiz The Life and Career of Vivian Vance

Answer: "Who is the real Mother of this Child? The woman who gave it life... or the woman who gave it love?"

In 1950, Vivian accepted the part of Alica in Curtis Bernhardt's film "The Blue Veil," which was released in 1951. Vance starred opposite Agnes Moorehead ("Bewitched")in a moving drama about a woman who has child and give the baby up to someone that will and can love it more than she. This is considered one of Vance's finer movies..a great treat to her fans..a must see!

14. Vivian Vance died on August 17th, 1979, her death silencing forever the voice of one of TV's most beloved characters. From what disease did Ms. Vance pass away?

From Quiz Inside Ethel Mertz

Answer: Metastatic Breast cancer

At the time of her death, Vivian Vance was retired from show business and living in Connnecticut with her much younger husband, show business agent, John Dodds.

This is category 16714
Last Updated Apr 22 2024 11:03 AM
play trivia = Top 5% Rated Quiz, take trivia quiz Top 10% Rated Quiz, test trivia quiz Top 20% Rated Quiz, popular trivia A Well Rated Quiz
new quizzes = added recently, editor pick = Editor's Pick editor = FunTrivia Editor gold = Gold Member

Teachers / educators: FunTrivia welcomes the use of our website and quizzes in the classroom as a teaching aid or for preparing and testing students. See our education section. Our quizzes are printable and may be used as question sheets by k-12 teachers, parents, and home schoolers.

 ·  All questions, answers, and quiz content on this website is copyright FunTrivia, Inc and may not be reproduced without permission. Any images from TV shows and movies are copyright their studios, and are being used under "fair use" for commentary and education.