Vivian Vance - I Am Lily Of The Valley

[ladywes09]

Lol I LOVE LOVE LOVE this episode

[MissTourmaline1990]

One of my top favorite episodes. Lucille and Vivian shined so much in this one. Viv with her singing especially and Lucille with her comedy. So funny the way she talked and her expressions with those blackened teeth! I laughed so hard when I first watched this over six years ago!

[egogo816]

1:22...haha

[Seanschemmelfan]

Vivian vance has a beautiful singing voice.

[zacefronswife100]

I like the Operetta episode. It's funny when Lucy sings. I also like when Ricky sings Good Prince Lancelot.

[zacefronswife100]

To me Ethel sounds & looks a lot younger in the first & second season, in the later seasons, she looks & sounds a lot older.

[zacefronswife100]

I think Lucy hired William Frawley for Fred Mertz & Desi hired Vivian Vance as Ethel Mertz. Vivian Vance wasn't the first choice for Ethel Mertz. Ethel was supposed to be a lot older than Lucy & fatter & not pretty. She was 2 yrs older than Lucy & she was quite pretty.

[zacefronswife100]

She wasn't in any movies, only a tv actress? I've never heard of her in movies but Lucille Ball was in a lot of movies.

[zacefronswife100]

Lucille Ball couldn't really sing but Vivian Vance could

[Seanschemmelfan]

@zacefronswife100 But actually lucy started out a singer she is actually a good singer. She had to pretend to sing to bad.

[suzycreamcheesez]

love viv !

[ILoveLucy1937]

she really had a beautiful voice

[zacefronswife100]

beautiful singing voice

[Xaforn]

*whistle* man she had one heck of a voice, so strong and powerful and beautiful

[darinsgirl86]

She had a beautiful voice

[LadyEthelMertz]

Viv you rock honeyyyyyyy :D

[OrfamayQuest]

Whenever I see her point (at :24) I crack up. Viv's my lady!

[BalletBabyBoy]

I love Ethel! 

[ericdn62782]

This is so hilarious! Not only was Vivian Vance an excellent actress and singer, but Ethel Mertz shows such a dedication to performing this song with rather... bizarre... lyrics, only to add her own personal touch at the end! Tears of laughter are streaming down my face!

[soaringtonewheights]

What I like about this scene is that at the end, the audience is just WOWED! They are like Vivian Vance can sing! Love it!

[Pikminlinkfan23]

Vivian vance is a great singer

[955pokerface]

she would have been PERFECT with MGM in the 30's

such a shame she didnt have a film career,this woman was a TALENT!!

so versatile,comedic,dramatic, opperettic and soulfoul

a wonderful actress and singer

[lisapetrinec]

i luv the ending wen it gets all jazzy :)

[andigirlsc]

This is my favorite episode! Tell him not to dilly dally!

[tonybklyn]

The real Vivian Vance voice kicks in at 1:21 and she's workin' the hell out of it.

[StinkadoodlePie]

Vivian Vance had an AMAZING voice! Fuck yeah, she was hardcore!

[obamagirl1961]

Bravo Hot Mama. RIP and rock it Ms. Vance - Shine on.

[sandycottonkandy]

1:21 I WATCH IT OVER AND OVER AND OVER!!!!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAH U GO GIRL!

[mcfrdmn]

Excellent performance by the late Vivian Vance

[murbbie]

i love ethel!! she has such an amazing voice and is so hilarious!!

[86Wadley]

Vivian Vance has a fantastic voice! This is one of my favorite "Ethel" scenes from all six season of "I Love Lucy." I can't say enough about it!

[njplr]

What a fun, marvelous, enlightening vignette. There was SO much more to Viv than Ethel Mertz. She simply OOZED talent, from her hair follicles to her toenails. Kudos to you for posting this - and may the world NEVER FORGET how special she was.

[wiccanlove1]

Vivian Vance doesn't get the credit she so rightly deserves. I HIGHLY recommend everyone read her biography called "The Other Side Of Ethel Mertz'....VERY informative!

[HerAkanE505]

I Live!!!!

[cemeterydude]

I think what we see at 1:22 is probably the only real glimpse into the complexity of Vivian Vance on ILL - she was SO much more than Ethel Mertz! I love Vivian!

[emancera8]

i loved viv and i will always

[slickoboy04]

I think I just peed a little, lol.

[lill2441]

Love this show! Thank you for posting!

[BabyDillGerkin]

GREATEST MUSICAL MOMENT ON TELEVISION. EVER!

[ferngullyful]

"When other girls go walking on their arm they have a swell beau, but whenever I go walking on my arm is just my elbow"  LOL!

[TheHippiepenguin17]

Do u have the whole episode you can post

[HepburnFlicks]

omg i died at 1:22 :D

[ilovelucy1992]

@HepburnFlicks omg samee!!! ive seen this episode a thousand times and still die laughing at that part!!

[craig9843]

Great.

[tonybklyn]

Oh my damn, did she rock that shyt at 1:33 or what??

[east215]

Viv had a great voice.

[eb8532]

Now THATS a performance!! Pure comedy...I LOVE IT!!!

[xRockaJoJox]

LOL I couldn't stop laughing when she goes all wild with her voice!

[Beautifulmusiclistnr]

I've always loved this episode, and this scene is certainly a favorite the way that Ethel starts out so sweet and innocent like and then she starts belting out the rest of the song. Just good stuff! When Lucy comes out in this episode and starts singing "I am the queen of the Gypsies", that's pretty funny also!

[MrJuan541]

What a truly talented woman. An outstanding singer with a credible Broadway background in musical comedy. You didn't get to be the great Ethel Merman's understudy if you couldn't cut the mustard vocally. This is my favorite moment from one of my most favorite episodes. Vivian Vance, just like the Merm: brass with class!

[WTFPhoneCalls]

tell him not to dilly dally not 2 dilly dally call lilly... lilly of the valley!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i love it

[jef5512]

dude there isnt anything better than good ole classic t.v....too funny!

everything else today on tv. sex, drugs, violence, insults and people find that funny......strange!

This is classy clean comedy! love it!

[jef5512]

dude there isnt anything better than classic t.v....too funny!

love it!

[libearian]

Sing it, girl!

[Brianeddie666]

The only prince i ever met was a neighbors Irish Setter! lol

[breezy501]

This is the sh#t!!

[valzaidi]

Wow no matter how many times I watch this it never gets old. This will always be my favorite. Viv was so talented!

[Dennis5051]

Vivian Vance was SOOOOOO talented, and she had a wonderful voice....and YES she was singing that LIVE...something they would NEVER do today. Love ya Viv.

[amcfan100]

Vivian has a beautiful voice, I always wish they let her do that Indian love song.

[TawanaObama]

This crakkka be pushing up lilys of the valley~~~six feet under. lol

[ChristophePhilippe]

Watching this is like therapy.

[soulierinvestments]

What's not to love about "The Operetta"?

First --- that plot which is awful, but not much more awful than the operettas of the time which masqueraded as high art.

Second, those heavy-weight society matrons flouncing about as Ruritarian peasant virgins.

And then Vivian, mixing the singing styles of the Met and of Minsky's.

I still giggle thinking about the way Squire Quinn observes, surrounded by that bevvy of overaged chorus girls, what a pleasant bunch of peasants this is. Indeed.

[albertj7]

this episode is always has me in hysterics. It really is a true testament to the top notch quality of I Love Lucy, that a show from the 1950's still makes me laugh out loud no matter how many times i watch it. Viv's performance here was especially great! "The Pleasant Peasant"..ROFL!

[Spifftasticdork]

This is probably my favorite Viv singing moment from the show. It cracks me up every time when she switches singing styles at the end, but she sounds aweome. What a great talent.

[02chevyguy]

LOL! I love that little kick she gives at the end.

[Prizm2356]

I love Vivian Vance she is the reason I watch I Love Lucy and The Lucy Show her facial expressions are just too much for me sometimes I cant hold back the laughter

[zonabear62]

Indeed, one of Vivian's many shining moments on the show. Another one worth noting is from the ep. "The Star Upstairs", when she tried desperately to distract Ricky from noticing Lucy hanging from the balcony above their Hollywood suite. Viv was absolutely brilliant.

[Hunterunc]

Sheer comic perfection!

Boy did Lucy and Desi get lucky when they hired Vivian and Bill Frawley.

[marymcg57]

One of the all time best episodes of I Love Lucy and one that sealed Vivian Vance as a real talent. She had to be to work off of Lucy and she was. It's wild to see how she sold it with codes the way they were back then.

[Lucyeths04]

damn girl! She absolutely nailed that! Wow she had an absolutely incredible voice. Next time you watch an I Love Lucy episode, focus on Vivian Vance the whole time instead of Lucy. She is an incredible actress. I love you Vivian!

[minimikimusic]

absolutely love it! i sing this song almost every day whilst I am just doing the housework. Can't get it out of my head!

[blkchk]

Vivian Vance was a classically trained singer but she always had to 'dumb herself down' on this show. Too bad.

[gogosan1]

Vivian Vance ROCKED that lily of the valley song.

She had AMAZING TALENT.

[snowhlte]

the end of the song made me fall in love with vivian vance

[littletroll]

I adore this song and the performance! The lyrics are fantastic! I've loved this for 40 years and taped it off t.v. on a cassette and have played it many times over those years. Now at last, I can watch it whenever I want. Lucy was simply wonderful, but Vivian was very special too.

[MyGodForgives]

LOL I love her.

[Belle1Fan]

LOVE I LOVE LUCY!

I've never seen this episode though.

[lynwoodavid]

Really!!! Daam!! your missing out!! really!!!

Watch this one!!!

[Lucyeths04]

She has an incredible voice. Vivian Vance was extremely talented and will love her forever.

[oldenglishbulldog14]

I am like the biggest I Love Lucy fan ever!

Vivian/"Ethel" had such a beautiful voice.

<3

[store275]

You rock that shyt Ethel!!

[BabyBlueLace]

Such a beautiful woman with such a beautiful voice:)

[ronnykmarshall]

Teeeellll him not to dilly dally .... not to silly sally ... come back to ... Lilly of the Vaaallleyyyyy!

Go on VIV!

[ClassicMovieClub]

LOVE that bit!

[desmisc]

That "Vamp" of hers at the end of the Lilly of The Valley" is great. She turns in to a Hot Mama then back to a sweet flower with ease. I have watched this clip at least 50 times. It is part of my play list and it makes me smile every time. This what old show biz and Vaudeville folks were like and they no longer exists. Thanks!

[beatlequeen06]

Hahaha! I love how Viv's so calm and peaceful then suddenly starts singing more aggressively and ends all peacefully with her hands clasped.

[aidenstelevision]

Oh how dazzling! Between this and the episode where they're in Albuquerque and Vivian gives us a gorgeous aria from "The Chocolate Soldier", I can't get enough of her singing. Just beautiful and hysterical. A fine supporting gem, Viv managed to be, and she'll never be forgotten. Brava!

[waynebrasler]

Lucy and Desi fully understood just how talented Vivian was. After Vivian left, Lucy felt her shows were never the same.

[starchase39]

I never get sick of watching this...Vivian is so amazing!

[Yennerf]

both she and lucy were sooo great together

[McGeeToo]

I'm am so pleased that you have all enjoyed this clip. Thank you for all the wonderful comments - I'm sure Viv is smiling right now...

[daretodream1988]

Im sure she's smiling too =)

[bjoaquinesq]

I absolutely LOVE this episode with Ms Vivian Vance... she's the greatest. I love the part of her giving some boogie woogie in the song! The dilly dally part!...lol. Im glad fans still post on this!

[daretodream1988]

I never realized how talented she was untill i saw this episode. I think if I ever have a daughter, her name's gonna be vivian.

[rhndasue]

It never gets old!

[celtickimba]

This one of my favs. Very clever

[JerseyRich732]

Vivian was soooooooooo under rated. Even a stupid role on Rhoda she was wonderful :-))))))

[etienne818]

Vivian was wonderful and she once understudied (on Broadway) for the great Ethel Merman (she really did have a marvelous voice!) Sadly (from Vivian's viewpoint!) Ethel NEVER missed a show! Nevertheless, Vivian had a very successful career and was more talented than most people ever really knew. I have a Playbill from an off-Broadway show Vivian did in 1974 - I cherish it - she signed it with (her name) next to a little (Lucy) heart, which she drew. Thanks dear one!

[bjoaquinesq]

wow... thats very cool of you to have the Playbill signed by Ms Vivian Vance. I absolutely adore her as well. Thanks for sharing. Beto.

[ThePoetCherryMoon]

She had a marvelous voice.

[MyHeroVivianVance]

Thee Best.... love her <3

[kissmebaby341]

i love viv soooo much she was great!

[bearcub410]

she had a very good voice thanks

[GypsyFairy69]

Vivian Vance was so talented.

She starts out like Jeanette McDonald

then belts it out like Bessie Smith at the end.

[Dagrecco1982]

I think she belts it out like Sophie Tucker.

[RoxasLight2]

vivian was amazing

I think she was on broadway or something... im not sure

but she was great, she was always my favorite, IDK WHYYY

[chinacutie1545]

I love this episode she sings amazing in this

[ILoveEthelMertz]

Viv had such a great voice and a great sence of humor but she always took the back seat.

:( Her and Lucy were both so wonderful I miss them both terribly <3 :) Love ya Viv.

[meeyamii]

What a voice!

[Yuri19602000]

Viv had a Lovely voice

[BeckEis]

They really did need to let Vivian sing more. She was a real talent and so funny too. That song finalee is just too wonderful!

[Nancysinatrafan]

Vivian was great¡¡¡

[soulierinvestments]

The genius of this episode! Vivian Vance singing in cliche Ing'enue style and then finishing boffo in the Sophie Tucker style. Those heavyweight New York society matrons frolicking about as central European peasant virgins. The gestures that always seem to be a beat or two off even when they understand what they are doing. And the song is not significantly more awful that typical opera tripe. "Swell beau...elbow" "get'er... setter."! Creativity like this should be bottled and sold.

[soulierinvestments]

I Love Lucy had exactly one producer (with some assistants)and three writers who wrote 30 episodes a season for FOUR seasons. Consider that creativity when looking at the modern sitcoms with long lists of producers and writers doing less than 20 shows a season.

The beauty of THE OPERETTA is that the opera Lucy wrote is bad, but not significantly more awful than most other operas around.

[jobucats]

I remember that years ago, I arranged this number for our fraternity guys to perform in a comedy sketch. It was hilarious. This is one of my favorite scenes.

[gibbonsinthelibrary]

Such a brilliant show. It's still my favorite TV series of all-time.

:)

[eddie1967]

I will never forget the first time I saw this and was bowled over with laughter by the way Ethel sang the end of the song...

[noirpoetix]

ethel broke it down torward the end and made it naughty lol

[terreneqrs]

I really love the group of ladies singing behind her, too. I've often wanted to use that sound in my music. Reminds me of old Disney songs like "Baby Mine" (Dumbo) and "Golden Afternoon" (Alice in Wonderland).

[terreneqrs]

"Of the quiet, peaceful valley over there!"

*points*

LOL

[cinderpelt17]

i LUV this episode!!! i LOVE this song!!!

[lanesville]

I watched this episode some years ago, and missed it a lot. I really enjoyed watching Lily's song again!

It's very funny to see the way they use some opera and operetta clichés - such as the peasant girl, the gypsy woman, the prince etc.

[stargate121]

I suspect that Vivian purposefully slimmed down for this episode, since it was the only time they didn't make her look like a frumpy sack of potatoes.

[slobone]

Allegedly it was in her contract that she couldn't lose too much weight. She was younger than Lucy, BTW.

[slobone]

Oops, that's wrong. I just looked it up in IMDB and she was 2 years older. I wonder where I read that?

[soulierinvestments]

The costuming deliberately made Vivian Vance look frumpy and heavy. In the Lucille Ball -- Desi Arnaz Comedy Hour (1957 - 1960) and In The Lucy Show (1962 - 1965), Vance insisted in her contract on more flattering costuming, and she looks great in those programs.

[benchris11]

Vivian Vance was wonderful, but she always remained in Lucy's shadow

[Simpsonsfan0846]

my favorite part of this ep is when lucy sings I gave him a check LOL

[whiterose465]

this is great! gotta love ethel!

[danielhenares]

Great episode!

Nice scene.

Amazing Vivian!

[renitayv]

Ethel has a deep voice. That doesn't even sound like her.

[Sickapig]

that WAS her though.

[jpd102679]

I wanna see when Lucy sings "Queen of they Gypsies" and when the women interrupt her, LOL

[ilovelucymorethanyou]

I wanna see the part where Lucy is the Gypsy Queen!

[AngryOrgasms]

LOL she was a great singer i love that song HAHA especially when her voice gets low in the end

[dropsoffaith]

Man, she can sing!

[livelifefreeforever]

Vivian Vance Was A Gift To The World. She Had An Amazing Voice

[Prizm2356]

I always liked Ethel better

[ladyvee7110]

This is my favorite episode of I Love Lucy.

[lafingtall]

Omg Ethel's voice at the end.  LMAO!!

[starchase39]

This is one of my favorite episodes...she does a great job singing this! Love her!

[ilovejesky]

is this the lucy show

[Discomanbelgium]

No, it was in I love lucy

[ilovejesky]

what do you mean in the lucy show?

[Discomanbelgium]

What I ment was this is an episode in the I Love Lucy, she also had episodes named The Lucy show which was broadcast in the beginning of the '60s later than the I love Lucy's

[danieljt84]

Brilliance!

[LornaDoone63]

"Swell beau / elbow."

Too MUCH! Hahahaha

[CharleyK4]

Truly a talent... Lucy and Ethel's deep friendship was the true core of the show...

[brettsomers]

That was VERY good! You go, Viv!

[jax1961]

Viv had a trained voice....It is sad that she did not get to sing "Seriously" on Lucy at least once...But it was a comedy....Thanks for posting.