I never noticed this before, but it seems as the series went on, Vivian Vance aged rapidly. I saw an episode from the first season and then one of the Hollywood episodes, and in the latter, she almost ... did not look well. The difference is dramatic.

Has anyone else noticed this?

Odd, I thought she aged in reverse! In the first season she looks frumpy; by the time of the last few hour-long shows she apparently was allowed to glam herself up a bit and arguably looks younger than she did at the beginning. Certainly one gets the impression that Lucille spent a lot more time in the makeup chair than Vivian did during their time together on The Lucy Show....

I also think she looked younger as time went on. With better clothes and a new hairstyle, she looked really great in the Connecticut episodes.

In some ways I thought her character had more pep. She's helping Lucy with the barbarque, on the subway with the trophy, lawnmower scene, chicken scenes. She had more a casual but peppier feel. Maybe it was the clothes

In some ways I thought her character had more pep. She's helping Lucy with the barbarque, on the subway with the trophy, lawnmower scene, chicken scenes. She had more a casual but peppier feel. Maybe it was the clothes

The clothes and the weight, I think. She seemed somewhat slim in the first season, but a bit heavier the second, and even more so in the third and fourth seasons. Then she started slimming down around the fifth season and stayed that way the remainder of the series. I think her initial contract was just for five seasons. So starting in the sixth season, she seemed to be operating under different terms that allowed her to wear more flattering clothes, and a better (more youthful) hairstyle.

One scene that has always struck me as odd is the beginning of the Danny Thomas episode (season eight). Lucy and Ricky are having trouble closing a suitcase. Then in walks Ethel. She sees them struggling with the suitcase, then proceeds to sit on it. It closes instantly. It was an old "overweight Ethel" joke: See how easy it is to close a suitcase? All you to do is get fat Ethel to sit on it. But the joke falls flat because Vivian Vance was as slim as ever by this point, and looks even slimmer than Lucille Ball. By the time of The Lucy Show, however, she had added back those pounds again. But later on, in her final appearance on Here's Lucy in season four, she had gone back to a slim appearance and by that point, was looking younger than Lucille Ball IMO.

I must say, though, that by today's standards she looks thin, even when she was at her heaviest weight. To illustrate here are several photos. The first two are from the second season. The third is from the third season. The fourth is from the fifth season. And the last two are from the sixth season. Check out that tiny waist in the last three.

She did IMO. But I still loved Viv.BTW I just watched Sall we dance with Richard Gere, for the upteenth time, and there was this young girl, who played the daughter of the woman who tore her dress at the dance, that reminded me so much of Vivian Vance. She not only looked like her, her facial expresions were like Vivian's too. If you get a chance to see this movie again, watch the young blonde girl when she is chewing out her mom for over working herslef after passing out while dancing and ends up in the hospital for it. You might agree with me.

Vivian looked her most attractive to me in the earliest episodes. The clothes were kind of frumpy for her until the Comedy Hour eps, her weight fluctuated a bit throughout, but I think it was that ugly poodle cut hairdo from the middle years that was most unflattering to her. This was a popular style that looked good on some women back then, but I think it sort of accentuated the fullness of Vivian's face. I thought Lucy looked better in the few episodes in which her hair was down (nighttime scenes). I thought it harkened back to the Lucy of The Fuller Brush Girl and films like that. When she adopted the "bubble cut" in the Fred MacMurray hour, I thought that looked better. In the pilot and in "The Fur Coat" Lucy wears her hair down.

I always thought Vivian had several different looks over the years, but I am not certain I would say she looked older...just different. There were times she looked "frumpy" and then in later years, she looked almost like a wealthy socialite. I know it has been said in early years, Lucille Ball wanted Vivian to look like a landlady which meant she was too look much older than Lucy, heavier, etc. I never felt she looked like that. Clearly, there wasn't much of an age difference between the two, although we were led to believe Ethel Mertz was much older than Lucy Ricardo. And I never felt there was much of a weight difference between the actresses, although ILL had several "fat Ethel" jokes peppered in over the years.

The only time I saw an older Vivian Vance was perhaps in 1958 & 1959, during "The Lucy Desi Comedy Hour" when Vivian was going through a difficult divorce with real-life husband Phil Ober. It clearly took a toll on her as she looked heavier and more tired, but then in the first year or two of "The Lucy Show" she looked wonderful! She got to be more stylish and perhaps more of a reflection of her true self. She even looked better than Lucy in the late 1960s and early 1970s during her final appearances on "The Lucy Show" and "Here's Lucy" and then from 1973 on, as her health declined, that is when her age advanced rapidly. She looked well beyond her years of 70 when she died in 1979.

I always thought Vivian had several different looks over the years, but I am not certain I would say she looked older...just different. There were times she looked "frumpy" and then in later years, she looked almost like a wealthy socialite. I know it has been said in early years, Lucille Ball wanted Vivian to look like a landlady which meant she was too look much older than Lucy, heavier, etc. I never felt she looked like that. Clearly, there wasn't much of an age difference between the two, although we were led to believe Ethel Mertz was much older than Lucy Ricardo. And I never felt there was much of a weight difference between the actresses, although ILL had several "fat Ethel" jokes peppered in over the years.

The only time I saw an older Vivian Vance was perhaps in 1958 & 1959, during "The Lucy Desi Comedy Hour" when Vivian was going through a difficult divorce with real-life husband Phil Ober. It clearly took a toll on her as she looked heavier and more tired, but then in the first year or two of "The Lucy Show" she looked wonderful! She got to be more stylish and perhaps more of a reflection of her true self. She even looked better than Lucy in the late 1960s and early 1970s during her final appearances on "The Lucy Show" and "Here's Lucy" and then from 1973 on, as her health declined, that is when her age advanced rapidly. She looked well beyond her years of 70 when she died in 1979.
I draw the line at the SHE LOOKED BETTER THAN LUCY, she looked fine but never better than Lucy, EVER!

I draw the line at the SHE LOOKED BETTER THAN LUCY, she looked fine but never better than Lucy, EVER!
Vivian Vance was what I would call a "handsome" woman, rather attractive in the earliest I Love Lucy shows, but Lucy was drop dead gorgeous, even submerged in ordinary house dresses. Vivian always reminded me of what Jean Harlow may have looked like, had she lived and allowed herself to gain weight.

I don't think that Vivian Vance aged rapidly or noticeably during the "I Love Lucy" years.

Vivian Vance was what I would call a "handsome" woman, rather attractive in the earliest I Love Lucy shows, but Lucy was drop dead gorgeous, even submerged in ordinary house dresses. Vivian always reminded me of what Jean Harlow may have looked like, had she lived and allowed herself to gain weight.
Oh, that's funny! Never heard anybody come up with something so funny to describe her, LOL! Let's not forget that Viv, unlike Lucy, was able to get a facelift at one point so that sure helped her. Lucy had to resort to that temporary face lift contraption she used under her wigs.

The clothes and the weight, I think. She seemed somewhat slim in the first season, but a bit heavier the second, and even more so in the third and fourth seasons. Then she started slimming down around the fifth season and stayed that way the remainder of the series. I think her initial contract was just for five seasons. So starting in the sixth season, she seemed to be operating under different terms that allowed her to wear more flattering clothes, and a better (more youthful) hairstyle....


Fact is, Vivian Vance was from August 1911 to May 1912 younger than Lucille Ball, so in the half-hour years of "I Love Lucy" she was supposed to stay overweight and look frumpier than Lucy. By the time the LDCH started contract negotiations, Vivian was ready to quit the series because she was tired of looking frumpy. You will also notice that, beginning with the hour-long shows, she does look trimmer and more attractive. Sadly, with Viv's last appearance on "Here's Lucy," she was starting to feel the effects of the cancer that eventually took her life in 1979.

I think she was the heaviest of all when she was on The Lucy Show, but was slimmer when she returned for guest appearances in seasons 5 & 6.

I think it was up and down. She essentially looked about the same in the face, but they kept changing her hair and clothes and it gave her a different look along the way. They dressed her older while Lucy tried to dress younger. That was the difference really. Through the 1960s, I thought her looks were more dramatic to older to younger and back to older.

Fact is, Vivian Vance was from August 1911 to May 1912 younger than Lucille Ball, so in the half-hour years of "I Love Lucy" she was supposed to stay overweight and look frumpier than Lucy.

I don't know exactly what this sentence is saying. The actual fact is that Vivian Vance was born in 1909, two years before Lucille Ball in 1911, so how could she have ever been younger?

By the time the LDCH started contract negotiations, Vivian was ready to quit the series because she was tired of looking frumpy. You will also notice that, beginning with the hour-long shows, she does look trimmer and more attractive.

Actually, she was already thin and wearing a more attractive hairstyle by the fifth season of I Love Lucy, long before the hour shows began. She was almost getting too thin and attractive because it got a little hard sometimes to believe someone looking like that would be married to Fred Mertz.

I draw the line at the SHE LOOKED BETTER THAN LUCY, she looked fine but never better than Lucy, EVER!

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I just always thought it was funny how they tried to say she was suppose to look so much older and heavier than Lucy during the ILL years, but she wasn't and didn't.

If anyone aged rapidly, it was Lucy. She looked awful in the hour long shows.

Lucy didn't age well.

I must say, though, that by today's standards she looks thin, even when she was at her heaviest weight. To illustrate here are several photos. The first two are from the second season. The third is from the third season. The fourth is from the fifth season. And the last two are from the sixth season. Check out that tiny waist in the last three.

You know, people looked older back then
(today 50 looks 30, 70 looks 50)
and you are right, heavy wasn't all that "fat" back then.

(example- Jackie Gleason was round and portrayed as heavy when originally playing Ralph, however, compared to Billy Gadell or Kevin James, Ralph Kramden is downright skinny.

I think they always tried to make Vivian look older because her character was suppose to be much older than Lucy Ricardo. She wore the bland house dresses and basic hairstyles. But if you see pics of Vivian during the run of ILL (out of character) she looked quite different.

I don't think that Vivian Vance aged rapidly or noticeably during the "I Love Lucy" years.


Same here. I don't think she looked older. I liked her hair longer in the later epps, but it looked like she put on more weight. Her face stayed young and pretty though. I think Ethel was a pretty lady, just a little heavy set is all. She could do better than fuddy duddy old Fred who didn't appreciate her.

Same here. I don't think she looked older. I liked her hair longer in the later epps, but it looked like she put on more weight. Her face stayed young and pretty though. I think Ethel was a pretty lady, just a little heavy set is all. She could do better than fuddy duddy old Fred who didn't appreciate her.

I agree her hair looked better, but put on weight in the later years of the show? I think the opposite. This is Vivian Vance during the sixth season of I Love Lucy and throughout the years of the comedy hours. That is not a heavy woman!

Personally, I never thought Lucy or Viv looked attractive, but they worked well together and were a great comedy team.

Personally, I never thought Lucy or Viv looked attractive, but they worked well together and were a great comedy team.

:lol: Yeah, Lucille Ball was a real dog. It's so strange how, in all her movies, producers always cast her the woman all the men were after and that the women envied, given how unattractive she was.

Nice pictures. I think both ladies were attractive.

Yeah, Lucille Ball was a real dog.

I wouldn't go so far as to say she was a dog, but in my opinion Lucy was not an attractive looking woman. She was a great comedianne though, I'll give her credit for that.

Lucy was an average looking woman, so was Viv. Viv was prettier than Lucy, but not by much.

The I Love Lucy episode Country Club Dance where Barbara Eden makes an appearance, Barbara completely outshines both Lucy and Viv. Barbara is totally hot, she's a beautiful woman.

I can come up with several other names of actresses from back in the day who I think were better looking than Lucy was. Barbara Stanwyck, Anne Nagel, Margaret Lindsay, Carole Mathews, and Dorothy Lee are just a few that come to mind. Dorothy Lee was especially pretty, she was cast in several Wheeler & Woolsey comedies, she was a real honey, yes indeed. :)

Nice pictures. I think both ladies were attractive.

They certainly were. And here are a few of Vivian.

I wouldn't go so far as to say she was a dog, but in my opinion Lucy was not an attractive looking woman. She was a great comedianne though, I'll give her credit for that.

Lucy was an average looking woman, so was Viv. Viv was prettier than Lucy, but not by much.

The I Love Lucy episode Country Club Dance where Barbara Eden makes an appearance, Barbara completely outshines both Lucy and Viv. Barbara is totally hot, she's a beautiful woman.

I can come up with several other names of actresses from back in the day who I think were better looking than Lucy was. Barbara Stanwyck, Anne Nagel, Margaret Lindsay, Carole Mathews, and Dorothy Lee are just a few that come to mind. Dorothy Lee was especially pretty, she was cast in several Wheeler & Woolsey comedies, she was a real honey, yes indeed. :)

Lucy was an average looking woman? If ONLY the average woman could look like Lucy! The reason she was brought to Hollywood in the first place was purely because of her beauty. As for Barbara Eden outshining Lucy and Viv, first of all, that was the whole point of the episode! Duh! Secondly, she was twenty years younger! What do you expect? And Barbara Stanwyk better looking? Give me a break! :crazy: And I don't even know who the hell these other women are. As for Viv, yes, she was very pretty, but prettier than Lucy? You've lost your marbles. With that, I think you're just trolling or trying to stir something up because all of these comments are inane and just plain weird.

Lucy was an average looking woman? If ONLY that average woman could look like Lucy! The reason she was brought to Hollywood in the first place was purely because of her beauty. As for Barbara Eden outshining Lucy and Viv, first of all, that was the whole point of the episode! Duh! Secondly, she was twenty years younger! What do you expect? And Barbara Stanwyk better looking? Give me a break! :crazy: And I don't even know who the hell these other women are. As for Viv, yes, she was very pretty, but prettier than Lucy? You've lost your marbles. With that, I think you're just trolling or trying to stir something up because all these comments are inane and just plain weird.

I'm not going to argue with you, and I take offense to the way in which you respond to me. I won't stoop to your low level. If it makes you happy to be obsessed with a woman who was average looking at best, then go right ahead. I was simply joining the discussion and offering my opinion on the topic. If you don't like what I have to say, then ignore me and don't respond with insults. I haven't been insulting to you. I'm not to blame because you have poor taste in women, that's your problem. :wave:

:lol: Yeah, Lucille Ball was a real dog. It's so strange how, in all her movies, producers always cast her the woman all the men were after and that the women envied, given how unattractive she was. I'm sorry. After looking at all those pictures, Lucy was a beauty. It was the last few years of her life that she lost her beauty due to smoking. She was hot even she made it big in I Love Lucy.

I'm not going to argue with you, and I take offense to the way in which you respond to me. I won't stoop to your low level. If it makes you happy to be obsessed with a woman who was average looking at best, then go right ahead. I was simply joining the discussion and offering my opinion on the topic. If you don't like what I have to say, then ignore me and don't respond with insults. I haven't been insulting to you. I'm not to blame because you have poor taste in women, that's your problem. :wave:

:lol: I get it. You can dish it out but you can't take it. If I have poor taste in women, then obviously so did all the casting directors for all of Lucy's movies who, for most of her movies, kept hiring her because of her beauty. You say you were "simply joining the discussion and offering [your] opinion," but the discussion was about whether Vivian had aged or gained weight on I Love Lucy, yet your opening remark was "I never thought Lucy or Viv looked attractive." It seems obvious to me that you were trying to provoke. But if that's your opinion, fine. And my opinion is that your opinion has no merit, and it makes it hard to take your other comments seriously.

I'm sorry. After looking at all those pictures, Lucy was a beauty. It was the last few years of her life that she lost her beauty due to smoking. She was hot even she made it big in I Love Lucy.

Obviously you have bad taste. :lol: But welcome to the club. ;)

:You say you were "simply joining the discussion and offering [your] opinion," but the discussion was about whether Vivian had aged or gained weight on I Love Lucy, yet your opening remark was "I never thought Lucy or Viv looked attractive."

OK, I'll reply to the original question. No, I don't think Viv aged much during the run of the series. She always looked mostly the same to me. Not especially attractive, average looks, slightly better looking than Lucy. I admire Lucy and Viv for the great work they did together. Not for their beauty, or more precisely put, lack of it.

Sad to say, but every one look older as we age. The other night saw Michelle Phillips of the Mamas and Papas. Last time saw her was ? episode of Murder She wrote. Didn't reconize her. It is frightening, we all age. But then again, if you are in good health, it shouldn't matter. You could be young as 25 with a nice chiseled face and be a drug addict. Or be good wonderful Betty White at 92.