Mertz' Living Room

[Madame X]

These photos don't really capture how dark and shabby their apartment was. You have to see it live to truly appreciate its tackiness!





Irene, here's your one-time-wonder fish!


During the poker game, the set crew forgot to remove the drapes from a previous scene.


After redecorating. Notice the edge of the set on the right where a wall should be.

[Ireneparalegal]

Man, seeing those pics of the old apartment sure don't tell the whole story. Thanx for putting them up. The place was horrible considering they were the landlords. I think I could even smell the place...

[catlover79]

Fred brought new meaning to the term "cheapskate". He was the landlord - he couldn't even part with enough money to make the place look nice?

[Madame X]

Somewhere along the line the Mertzes had new wallpaper . The walls in season one have a heavier, leafier, darker look than in season three when they finally redecorated. Fred must have paid for that at least!

[Ireneparalegal]

What is up with pic #4? Where in the Mertzes living room do they have multicolored drapes? *sarcasm* Those are obviously the curtains we see at the Tropicana.


Note the different wall behind pic #2 and pic #3 where we see a picture and then a fish. Also the different chairs.

[NOVARick]

That last photograph is very interesting. That's a good catch. I never noticed the missing wall. A question I have is where was the Mertzes' living room physically located on the set? In the early episodes, the Mertzes' living room and the Ricardos' bedroom was actually the same set. They simply hung some panels on the Mertzes' walls to create the Ricardo bedroom. It seems that later on when the Ricardos were in their second apartment, their bedroom and the Mertzes' living room became two completely separate sets.

[Superbatboy]

Originally Posted by Ireneparalegal

I think I could even smell the place...

I picture it smelling like Fred's feet

[catlover79]

Originally Posted by Superbatboy

I picture it smelling like Fred's feet

Gross...

[Ireneparalegal]

Originally Posted by Superbatboy

I picture it smelling like Fred's feet

Yeah!!!!!

[coffield3]

I always thought that their appartment was shabby especially when you saw the other apartments, like youve all said it was probably freds cheapness! lol.

[Ireneparalegal]

Originally Posted by coffield3

I always thought that their appartment was shabby especially when you saw the other apartments, like youve all said it was probably freds cheapness! lol.

So true. If you compare their apartment to the tenants apartments, it sure was dingy and dirty looking.

[Madame X]

Remember in "Redecorating the Mertz' Apartment" when Fred was protesting about getting rid of his favorite eyesores? He says something like "You're not getting rid of this lamp." He touches it and the lampshade shimmies down the pole. Hilarious!

And then Ethel's wonderful sarcastic response "Oh no. Let's not get rid of that lamp!"

[Ireneparalegal]

Originally Posted by Madame X

Remember in "Redecorating the Mertz' Apartment" when Fred was protesting about getting rid of his favorite eyesores? He says something like "You're not getting rid of this lamp." He touches it and the lampshade shimmies down the pole. Hilarious!

And then Ethel's wonderful sarcastic response "Oh no. Let's not get rid of that lamp!"

I know, that scene is hilarious. Just reading it here in your post, it is funny.

And like Ethel says: "Well that just leaves the ashtrays." WHO SMOKED IN THE MERTZES APT?

[Mikado]

Personally, for a late middle-aged couple in the 1950s, I dont think their furniture looks all that unusual....my Granmas stuff looked just like that in the early 60s!

[Ireneparalegal]

Originally Posted by Mikado

Personally, for a late middle-aged couple in the 1950s, I dont think their furniture looks all that unusual....my Granmas stuff looked just like that in the early 60s!

Was she married to a man like Fred Mertz?

The Mertzes' apt. looked so dirty though. Especially the first season. It really looked like it smelled bad.