Ethel Mertz

Ethel Mae Mertz (née Potter) (alternately "Ethel Louise" and "Ethel Roberta"), played by Vivian Vance, is one of the four main fictional characters in the highly popular 1950s American television sitcom I Love Lucy. Ethel is the middle-aged landlady of the main character, Lucy Ricardo, played by Lucille Ball. Ethel was most likely born about 1905 and was raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico (episode #113). She is married to Fred Mertz, played by William Frawley, with whom she had a career in vaudeville. The two female characters are close friends, habitually scheming together; Ethel is generally the voice of reason as a counterpart to Lucy's hare-brained ideas.

Ethel was born around 1905 in Albuquerque, New Mexico (episode #113) where her father, Will Potter, owned a sweet shop and soda fountain with the slogan "You can lick our cones, but you can't beat our sodas!" (episode#113). Ethel went on to a career in music and acting, yet got her start at Albuquerque's Little Theater, singing her signature number "Shortnin' Bread". Although Ethel's mother is apparently alive and well during the first season (episodes #22 and 30) viewers never meet Mrs. Potter. A flapper in the 1920s, she eloped (episode #113) and married Fred Mertz on May 3 (episode #121) in either 1933 (episode #2) or 1927 (episode #42)—the length of their marriage changed during the series. Ethel worked in vaudeville with Fred before settling down and purchasing their own brownstone apartment building in New York City, containing the apartment they rent to Ricky and Lucy Ricardo. Though it is stated that the building is solely in Ethel's name (episode 132). Some of Ricky's shows have included Ethel and/or Fred in the production, with the effect of making Lucy determined to get in on the act.

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