Surrender the Pink Angie!

[Cassandra]

Nancy Wrote:

FYI, Lucille Ball is said to have had it written into Vivian Vance's contract that she would get clothes that made her look less attractive than Ms. Ball, i.e., clothes that made Ethel look heavier than the actress really was.  

I always wondered why Vivan Vance looked so heavy on I Love Lucy because when you saw her in other shows she always appeared to be half that size!

Cassandra[/font]

[Nancy]

Yes, exactly, lol.  If you ever have a chance to see headshots and other photos of Vivian Vance from that time period sans "I Love Lucy" publicity and set shots you will see a lovely lady with a nice figure.  She was not overweight or dumpy looking.   However, if you followed her career with Lucy, Vance looked a lot better in "The Lucy Show" because she would not consent to the "be dumpy so Lucy always looks the best" clause of her previous contract.  By then, Vance could put her foot down as to what she would or would not agree to do.

Nancy

Nancy Wrote:


I always wondered why Vivan Vance looked so heavy on I Love Lucy because when you saw her in other shows she always appeared to be half that size!

Cassandra[/font]

[Nancy]

Good point Nancy after all joan was the draw at first for the show! but i think it was pretty mean of Lucy
to do that! making someone appear fatter than they are should be a felony in my book! LOL
jennifer

While Lucille Ball was not renown for her kindness towards co-stars, she was not atypical of lead actresses in television or film of that era in terms of wanting to always look the best of every other female in the cast.  Remember, it is one of those stigmas on women (even now) that you have to look great as that translates into being successful, having power/prestige and the rest of it.  Someone can actually not believe in that philosophy but nonetheless practice it because that is the game they are in and the general perception.  If you look dumpy or heavy, you are not "the star" . . .generally speaking.  Performers like Roseanne managed to turn that notion on its head somewhat.

Ms. Bennett was a very kind and considerate individual but she undoubtedly knew how to manipulate a perception and what she had to do to look like "the star."   It was her business to know it.

Nancy
Nancy

[Luciaphile]

Ms. Bennett was a very kind and considerate individual but she undoubtedly knew how to manipulate a perception and what she had to do to look like "the star."   It was her business to know it.

There's an interview with Jessica Harper, who co-starred with Bennett in Suspiria on the web. In the interview, Harper mentions Bennett (fondly) and says that they were both smokers. Bennett advised Harper to never let herself be photographed smoking.

Not that this has anything to do with clothes, but it does indicate that Bennett was cognizant of the need to maintain a certain image.

Jessica Harper Interview