Miss Pepper
Barbara Pepper, the star of Green Acres almost played the part of Ethel Mertz, the sidekick to Lucille Ball. Ball and Pepper were close friends and had also worked together on previous projects. Furthermore, Pepper was the right age and body type to play the part of Ethel, but seeing as she was also an alcoholic, the network wasn’t willing to have the main cast consist of two heavy drinkers. Pepper did play some background characters on the show though.
Miss Pepper
No Love
Yikes, here’s a tough one to digest, the “Mertzes” absolutely hated each other off-camera. Maybe hate is putting it lightly, more like despised beyond comprehension. Well here’s why, folks. Vivian Vance didn’t like that her TV husband was 22 years older than her; she seriously resented having an “old poop” play her TV spouse. William Frawley often referred to Vance as “that sack of doorknobs” or even just “b*tch.” WOW. Despite their intense hatred for one another, that was all kept behind the scenes and only the show’s directors and writers knew the truth. Even Keith Thibodeaux (Little Ricky) and Roy Rowan (the show’s announcer), didn’t have an inkling that Vance and Frawley hated one another and they were on set daily! It wasn’t until years after I Love Lucy went off air that everyone learned the truth.
No Love
