Eadie Was A Lady

[Civix1320]

yes, at 5:50, that's Vivian Vance alright.

[mimicat64]

Vivian Vance appears at 5: 50 in the video.

I knew it was her right away.

She is 24 years old in this clip.

[sesresu]

Man - if she ain't lip-synching to Ethel Merman - she's doing a PERFECT impression.

[LadyEthelMertz]

That is our lovely Vivian !

[mikemcgee]

Suggested lesbianism? She's satirizing Mae West.. L

[aeichler]

This is the film version of "Take a Chance," which Ethel Merman originated on Broadway and Lillian Roth re-created on screen.

[hebneh]

I'd only heard Ethel Merman's (later) version of this song till now, and it's interesting how much Liliian Roth sounds like Ethel...or, I should say, how much Ethel (who came a bit after this) sounded like Lillian here, doing this same song.

[URLy2Rise]

Marvelous! Witty lyrics, strong women--a wonderful clip!

[theminicooper]

Why did Vivian never make a record?! or did she?! I love her singing!

[JTeamjesters]

Eadie's picture in the back of Vivian Vance looks alot like Lucille Ball. Hmm...is that saying something? lol

[ladypeinforte]

@JTeamjesters it's kismet.

[thefabulousmark]

I love these vintage musical numbers!

[z978ady]

Ethel Merman could have done this too. Would have been Mae West tempo. Not Lilian Roth's best song.

[neonmoon82]

People here keep saying that Lillian Roth immitated Mae West and Ethel Merman yet Lillian was a star before either one of them,

[MissDroplette]

fab! I really like Roth's singing style and personality when she was young. Didn't really see any of her performances (I gues just on tv here and there) when she made her comeback, after kicking the bottle and the movie of her life being so popular. I really enjoyed her in "Madame Satan".

[scotnick59]

Who ever thought that this very rare clip of Vivian Vance would survive! What a delight: she is so talented and cute here!

[ksantiquer]

If thats not Vivian Vance Ill eat my shirt! voice and look the SAME

[shadenymurad]

is the lady singing in the long dress and boa lillian roth??

[NYC1927]

@shadenymurad

Yes, that is Lillian Roth. =)

[2agray]

Yep.  That's her!

[newrochellephoenix]

Young Viv !  Go girl !

[gregoryagogo]

Lillian Roth did seem to emulate Ethel Merman in her singing style in this one...

[TreblePop]

Merman copied Lillian Roth's delivery. In her biography, Lillian Roth says the thing that bothered her was that people thought she copied Merman. She wasn't slamming Merman at all, though.

In my opinion, Lillian Roth had much better pitch than Merman and wasn't quite as "brassy" in tone. A little bit of Ethel Merman goes a long way.

[ILoveLucyStreet]

I love Vivian sooooo much...and watching her sing in this is such a treat. I loooove the way she acts in this! :D LOVE HER.

[JonathanBusterINC5]

Vivian Vance!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[elzuzo267]

Poor P.I. O'Grady. Edie's death really hit him hard.

[PatrickLHawkins]

No doubt about it, that is Vivian Vance on the staircase

[waynebrasler]

Wonderful to see Vivian Vance during her era as a Broadway star. Roth is out-Mermaning Merman.

[NikDanger99]

What film is this from?

I think the "winny voiced lady" is Mae Questel, more famous as the voice of Betty Boop.

This is klip has Klass with a Kapital "K"!

[perfectjazz78]

"Take A Chance"

[NikDanger99]

Thanks. Never heard of it, but the clip is cool.

Pretty suggestive for the times. Must be pre-code.

[Snowydog123]

That definately is Mae Questel who had a late career in a couple of forgettable musicals including Bajour

[mysteriouslaura6]

I can tell that that is Vivian singing on the steps.She was beautiful,and a great attress.

[dxearlmarc]

I might be wrong but wasn't the winny voiced lady,Franny Brice??? Anyone care to comment?

[vox012]

Vance @ 5:45

I absolutely agree with tex's post below. I fell absolutely in love with Vivian Vance's voice when I heard her bust out those vocals in the final verse of her "Lily of the Valley" on the I love Lucy Show. She's so beautiful.

[mookindahouse]

5:28 - is that Mae Questal?

[fedtrooper]

This may been a scene with Roth doing Merman, but it is a Mae West scene with Mae music. I keep thinking Lady Lou or Diamond Lil is going to come down the stairs.

[uctjuctj]

I am pretty sure that Vivian Vance was Ethel Merman's understudy in the 1930's on Broadway when Ethel originated Eadie was a Lady.

This is a treasure to see Vivian so young!

[DiamondRedd1]

Vivivan Vance was ultra talented and oh, so gorgeous. I know she was "boxed in" by Ethel Mertz but we'd never know her otherwise. God Bless Her!!

[Nancysinatrafan]

I never knew she was singer too¡¡

Vivian was a pretty blonde, always over the shadow of redhaired Lucille Ball¡¡¡

[streisandgarlandlvr]

Aww Viv! she never really got the credit she deserved as an actress...

[Italiagirl1]

YEP THAT WOULD BE Viv!

[MTPippin]

THAT'S GOTTA BE HER!!! Lillian Roth seems like she's trying to hard to be like Mae West. She can imitate it, but doesn't have the 'real brass'.

[songplugger]

bobparis, Roth sounded that way when Merman was still a typist! :)

[texjones62]

There's no mistaking Vivian's voice, especially when you compare to the final verse of "Lily of the Valley".

[LornaDoone63]

When she sings the single word "scoundrel," you can just see her in her housecoat, on East 68th Street!

Vivian was born in 1909, so she would have been around 24 at the time this was filmed.

Isn't it amazing that we can instantly identify this woman, whom we never met, and who died almost thirty years ago, by hearing her sing two sentences? The magic of I Love Lucy is alive and well. :-)

[scotnick59]

@LornaDoone63 : you are SO right: Vivian Vance is an Amercian institution. A very clever actress who's voice is unique as her mannerisms!

[defundthewar]

No question about it- that's Vivian.

[songplugger]

Lillian Roth - juicy, gorgeous and what a voice! If she had stayed 'clean' and not had such serious problems with alcohol, Ethel Merman might have never had a career.

[librarylover321]

WOW< SHE WAS YOUNGE

[JCJasion]

I completely agree with gerardm. The face is unmistakable as are the facial expressions, but the voice timbre is what really nails it. This is a film appearance of a very young Vivian Vance!

[smurfswacker]

Great number! I'd only known this song through Ethel Merman's recording...Roth's style is similar to Merman's, but in my opinion Lillian blows Ethel away with her superior voice.

[gerardm]

I definitely believe that was Ethel Mertz. The voice and the face. Lillian Roth was very attractive and talented. 2o years later she looked 40 years older.

[Prizm2356]

yes that was Vivian Vance aka Ethel Mertz..