What entertainment field were Fred and Ethel Mertz formerly in?

Fred and Ethel Mertz were formerly in vaudeville.

Before settling into life as Lucy and Ricky Ricardo’s landlords, the Mertzes had performed in vaudeville, the variety-entertainment circuit that flourished in North America from the late nineteenth century through the early twentieth century. Their background explains why both can sing, dance, and perform comfortably onstage.

Fred is portrayed as a seasoned vaudevillian who toured with acts involving tap dancing, soft shoe, and comic dialogue. Ethel also had a performance career, including singing and acting. Although they are retired from show business when the series begins, their old skills repeatedly return to the plot whenever Lucy needs a partner or Ricky puts on a production.

The answer is sometimes confused with radio or burlesque because those were also important entertainment forms of the period. Vaudeville is the specific field identified with the Mertzes’ earlier career, and it is one reason the couple serves as a humorous contrast to Lucy’s frustrated ambition to become a performer.