Frederick Hobart Mertz, played by William Frawley, is a fictional character in the 1950s American

sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

I Love Lucy ''I Love Lucy'' is an American sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes spanning six seasons. The series starred Lucille Ball and her husband Desi Arnaz, along with Vivian ...

''.

Character

Fred was born and raised on a farm in the Midwest; in one episode, Ethel says that Fred's mother comes to visit once a year from Indiana. Fred is of Irish descent and has at least one brother. He toured the country in vaudeville before retiring to New York City. He is a

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

veteran and is married to Ethel (

Vivian Vance Vivian Vance (born Vivian Roberta Jones; July 26, 1909 – August 17, 1979) was an American actress best known for playing landlady Ethel Mertz on the sitcom ''I Love Lucy'' (1951–1957), for which she won the 1953 Primetime Emmy Award for Outs ...

), and they often make fun of each other. Their wedding anniversary is May 3rd. Ethel often calls Fred a "fat old goat", and in return, Fred calls Ethel the "bottomless pit" due to her voracious appetite. Having been "wiped out" in the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

, he is a penny pincher and gives Ethel very little money. Nevertheless, Fred always has the money when an investment opportunity comes along (e.g., diner purchase, oil stocks). As a young man, Fred was in

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

with his friend Barney Kurtz, as the duo of "Mertz and Kurtz", known for "tap dancing, soft shoe and smart quips". Later, Fred continued in vaudeville with his wife, the former Ethel Potter. It is mentioned that he was once a

Golden Gloves The Golden Gloves of America is an organization that promotes annual competitions of amateur boxing in the United States, in which winners are awarded a belt and a ring, and the title of national champion. The organization currently owns 30 fr ...

boxer, and Fred wears a sweater from Golden Gloves 1909 in one episode. Eventually, Fred and Ethel retired from show business and bought a brownstone apartment building in New York City. In the early 1940s, Lucy and Ricky moved into the brownstone, and Fred, Ethel,

Lucy Lucy is an English language, English feminine given name derived from the Latin masculine given name Lucius with the meaning ''as of light'' (''born at dawn or daylight'', maybe also ''shiny'', or ''of light complexion''). Alternative spellings ar ...

, and Ricky quickly develop their friendship (the date of the Ricardos' tenancy changed during the duration of the series), with Fred and Ricky Ricardo becoming best friends, and Lucy and Ethel doing the same. Despite being retired from show business, Fred and Ethel guest on Ricky's show, if asked. When Ricky does something to upset Lucy, she plots revenge and drags Ethel into her plan, often against her will. Ethel often tells Fred, who tells Ricky, and the two come up with their own plan to get even with their wives. Occasionally, it is Ethel who is away and Fred who is dragged into Lucy's scheme. Usually, Fred expresses his exasperation with a phrase: "Oh, for corn's sake." The Fred Mertz character, the actor who portrayed him (William Frawley), and some of their costumes are memorialized in the Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center in

Jamestown, New York Jamestown is a city in southern Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 28,712 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Situated between Lake Erie to the north and the Allegheny National Forest to the south, Jamesto ...

(

Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedian, producer, and studio executive. She was recognized by ''Time (magazine), Time'' in 2020 as one of the most influential women of the 20th century for h ...

's real-life hometown).

Popular references

Fred was referenced in " The Apartment", a Season 2 episode of ''

Seinfeld ''Seinfeld'' ( ) is an American television sitcom created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, with a total of nine seasons consisting of List of Seinfeld episodes, 180 episodes. It ...

'', when Jerry Seinfeld felt insecure about a loud neighbor living above him. Fred and Ethel is referenced in "West Wing (S2, E11, The Leadership Breakfast)" by CJ at 35:29 when she calls Sam and Josh as 'Fred & Ethel'. Fred was referenced in episode 10 of '' Mission Hill'' when Andy, Jim and Posey visit a club called "I Murdered Fred Mertz".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mertz, Fred I Love Lucy characters Fictional World War I veterans Fictional characters from Indiana Television characters introduced in 1951 American male characters in sitcoms Fictional landlords