Category: Vivian Vance

My Favorite Husband 1950 Audience Ticket

Lucille Ball ventured into a regular radio show in 1948 with CBS’s My Favorite Husband. Ball starred in the program as “Liz Cooper”, a slightly zany housewife, alongside her husband “George”, a business man, played by Richard Denning. The show was based on the book by Isabel Scott Rorick called Mr. & Mrs. Cugat.

It was very popular with high ratings and CBS decided to turn the radio show into a television series by 1950, keeping Lucy as the main character with Denning recurring his role as well. She refused wanting her real husband, Desi Arnaz to be her TV husband. Writers for the show were Bob Carroll, Jr. Madelyn Pugh Davis and Jess Oppenheimer who also all moved to the TV version. They were the brillant minds that turned Lucille into the LUCY we all know and love.

This is an original audience ticket for the May 10, 1950 recording, admitting entrance into the Columbia Square Playhouse on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood.

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William Frawley Handwritten Letter on I Love Lucy Stationery

William Frawley writes to a friend by the name of Roger in this personal letter dated April 10, 1953. Bill thanks him for his visit in Hollywood and also lets him know he is scheduled to be in New York City early June to appear on Milton Berle’s show.

Handwritten notes and letters from Frawley are quite rare and what is even more interesting is that this was done on his own personalized I Love Lucy stationery. It is unknown if the other principle actors from the show had similar letterhead of their own or something Bill made for himself.

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Lucille Ball – Desi Arnaz Show Ticket to “Lucy Hunts Uranium”

For the third episode of the new Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show (aka The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour) the Ricardos and Mertzs are in Las Vegas for Ricky’s band performing at The Sands Casino. Fred MacMurray and June Haver are the special guest stars with MacMurray joining the two couples in hunting for uranium around the desert.

Shown here is an original audience ticket for the November 15, 1957 filming of the episode. Tickets for all the LBDAS are much larger than previous I Love Lucy tickets or any future ‘Lucy series’ for that matter with more of an invitation, square style.

This show had a couple of ‘firsts’ for the series. It was the first epsiode to go outside the studio for location filming as well as the debut of Lucille Ball’s and Lucy Ricardo’s new hairstyle, dubbed by Irma Kusley as the “artichoke cut” which Lucy had variations of for the rest of her life.

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Vivian Vance’s Large Embroidered Shawl

Vivian Vance owned and wore this oversized, off-white silk shawl. It features an ornate floral pattern embroidered in a champagne color with very long tassels around the hem for added drama. Viv gave the wrap to her little sister Lou Ann Graham who kept it for many years before consigning the piece for an auction held in Lucille Ball’s hometown of Jamestown, New York in the mid 2000’s.

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William Frawley Inscribed Brown Derby Menu

The Brown Derby was once an iconic restaurant in Hollywood and the surrounding area. It was a place where one could spot their favorite movie stars enjoying a meal – “Remember, they’re just people like you and me.” Said to be birthplace of the Cobb Salad, the building was also shapped like the hat which it was named.

Lucy Ricardo, Fred and Ethel Mertz went to ‘the watering hole’ in a famous epsiode of I Love Lucy, seeing the likes of Cary Grant, Eve Arden and of course William Holden. This original dinner menu from ‘The Derby’ was used by a fan to obtain an autograph from William Frawley. Bill inscribed on the back in part…”hello and good wishes.”

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Vivian Vance Feather Headpiece from The Lucy Show

Vivian Vance returned to TV after I Love Lucy in 1962 for Lucille Ball’s second hit series, The Lucy Show. Airing on the last day of the year the episode entitled “Chris’ New Years Eve Party,” Lucy Carmichael and Vivian Bagley perform a silent movie sketch to help save Chris’ dull party.

In full costume, Lucy brilliantly portrays Charlie Chaplin while Viv is a flirtatious 1920’s flapper wearing this black feather headpiece. One end has an attached comb to secure the feather to her hair and a black velvet bow to hide it. This may have been added later for use in another production as the bow does not appear visible in the sketch.

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1974 Postcard from Vivian Vance

Based on this response, Vivian Vance was writing a book in the early 1970’s. Postmarked on February 14, 1974 this postcard sent to a Mr. Michael Marcel, she states – “I am writing my book – Viv and will be unable to grant your request for it’s all in my book.” To our knowledge this project never came to fruition so could there be an undiscovered autobiography somewhere out there?

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Gold Serpent Bracelet worn by Lucille Ball, Vivian Vance & Lucie Arnaz

It is amazing to see costumes and props being utilized multiple times. This brass serpent bracelet is one such item that spanned the course of two decades and three different Lucille Ball series. It was first seen on Vivian Vance’s (Ethel Mertz) arm in the I Love Lucy episode “Charm School” from season 3 which aired on January 25, 1954. Then Lucy Carmichael wore it on the first episode of season 2 of The Lucy Show – “Lucy Plays Cleopatra” that aired on September 30, 1963. Several years later it makes a final appearance on Lucie Arnaz’s arm, on the season 2 Here’s Lucy episode “Lucy and the Generation Gap” airing on December 8, 1969.

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I Love Lucy Studio Audience Ticket to “The Audition” Episode

On October 12, 1951, three days before the official television premiere of I Love Lucy, an audience packed the Desilu Playhouse to watch the filming of an episode called “The Audition.” This was the sixth I Love Lucy show of season one where Lucy Ricardo replaces a clown named Buffo for an act at Ricky’s club. Lucy is referred to as “the professor” and is dressed in an oversized blue suit who plays the cello. Shown here is an original ticket to that show. Tickets were complementary and given out in excess to fill the roughly 300 member audience each week. Accounting for all the episodes of I Love Lucy and number of people in each audience, over 50,000 tickets would have been made during the series run. However so few still exist today making them a rarity and highly collectible among fans.

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I Love Lucy Creator, Jess Oppenheimer “OPPY AWARD”

At the end of the 5th season of I Love Lucy, creator and head writer Jess Oppenheimer left the show. At his farewell party he presented ‘Oppy Awards’ to select members of the cast and crew in appreciation of their long and devoted service. These bronze statuettes looked similar to an Oscar but more like Jess – a little man with glasses, bald and hands that were discreetly positioned in front of his crotch. Made of plaster and attached to a wood base each award stands 10.5 inches tall and has a bronze plaque affixed to the front. This particular “Oppy” award was presented to Dann Cahn, editor of I Love Lucy.

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Blue Polka Dot Blouse Worn by Lucille Ball on Here’s Lucy

Season 2 of Here’s Lucy saw the return of the ‘dynamic duo’ when Vivian Vance guest starred in an episode called “Lucy and Viv Visit Tijuana.” Lucille Ball wore this custom-made, blue and white polka dot polyester blouse on their trip south of the border with Gale Gordon.

It features a large pointy collar, covered buttons down the front, side vents, large cuffs with faux button and snap closure at the wrists. The off white pants shown with this blouse were also Lucy’s but the scarf is after market but used here to complete the look. When Lucy liked a certain style of garment she often had multiples made in different colors. This blouse is a prime example – she also had ones made in brown, yellow and pink.

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Vivian Vance Handwritten Postcard to Sister

Vivian Vance wrote this recipe to her sister Mickey in January of 1957. On her personal postcard stationery using red ink, Viv writes in part – “It’s great and will feed a mob” about a new casserole. Vivian’s sister was married to Ralph Bouyer. I Love Lucy fans may recognize the name Bouyer used in the episode ‘The Girls Go Into Business’ – the guy who bought the clothing store from Lucy and Ethel for $3,500 and in turn sold it to a construction company for $50,000. A common practice on the show was using names of real life people for characters or story lines.

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