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Young Vivian Roberta Jones was just your average Kansas girl born in January of 1909. As her life progressed, young Vivian decided she wanted to study drama, and did so under Anna Ingleman and William Inge. Excited, young Vivian continued to study and finally made the move to Albuquerque, where she acted on stage for extra money, and finally made the move to New York, to study with Eva Le Gallienne in 1932. Her first successful project was "Music in the Air", in which she played in for two years. After that, she understudied Ethel Merman in the project "Anything Goes." Finally, an eager Vivian got her first starring role as Kay Thompson in "Hooray for What!" In 1945, while touring with the production of "Voice of the Turtle", Vivian had a nervous breakdown, and had to be admitted to a hospital. This would be the first of an ongoing struggle with mental breakdowns in Vivian's life. After getting back on her feet, she returned to "Voice of the Turtle" at the La Jolla Playhouse, and in the audience happened to be Desi Arnaz, who saw her perform and instantly thought of Ethel Mertz for his new television project, I Love Lucy. Initially, Vivian did not want to play the part of the frumpy, old landlady Ethel Mertz, feeling that it was not a glamorous part and she was not particularly thrilled with the idea of playing William Frawley's wife, because of their extreme age difference. Vivian met Lucille Ball during a casting audition, and Lucy was not as thrilled to see her as Desi Arnaz, thinking that Vivian was too gorgeous for the part, and just not the right quality. After giving Vivian a hard time, the two finally came to terms, and Vivian started out her role. Eventually, Vivian and Lucy would become real-life best friends. After Lucy ended, Vivian moved to Connecticut, but later returned to the The Lucy Show. While she enjoyed the show, and her new character, the long-distance traveling became difficult for her, so she resigned from the show after three years, although continued to make guest appearances. In 1974, she moved with her husband to San Fransisco, and later died there, due to breast and bone cancer. Vivian always kept in contact with Lucy, who visited her constantly during her illness, and always remembered her stint on I Love Lucy, and her many years in the business.
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Young Vivian Roberta Jones was just your average Kansas girl born in January of 1909. As her life progressed, young Vivian decided she wanted to study drama, and did so under Anna Ingleman and William Inge. Excited, young Vivian continued to study and finally made the move to Albuquerque, where she acted on stage for extra money, and finally made the move to New York, to study with Eva Le Gallienne in 1932. Her first successful project was "Music in the Air", in which she played in for two years. After that, she understudied Ethel Merman in the project "Anything Goes." Finally, an eager Vivian got her first starring role as Kay Thompson in "Hooray for What!" In 1945, while touring with the production of "Voice of the Turtle", Vivian had a nervous breakdown, and had to be admitted to a hospital. This would be the first of an ongoing struggle with mental breakdowns in Vivian's life. After getting back on her feet, she returned to "Voice of the Turtle" at the La Jolla Playhouse, and in
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