William Frawley

William Frawley

Known for
Acting
Born
February 25, 1887
Died
March 3, 1966 (aged 79)
Birthplace
Burlington, Iowa, USA

Biography

William Frawley was born in Burlington, Iowa. As a boy he sang at St. Paul's Catholic Church and played at the Burlington Opera House. His first job was as a stenographer for the Union Pacific Railroad. He did vaudeville with his brother Paul, then joined pianist Franz Rath in an act they took to San Francisco in 1910. Four years later he formed a light comedy act with his new wife Edna Louise Broedt, "Frawley and Louise", touring the Orpheum and Keith circuits until they divorced in 1927. He next moved to Broadway and then, in 1932, to Hollywood with Paramount. By 1951, when he contacted Lucille Ball about a part in her TV show I Love Lucy (1951), he had performed in over 100 films. His Fred Mertz role lasted until the show ended in 1960, after which he did a five-year stint on My Three Sons (1960). Poor health forced his retirement. He collapsed of a heart attack on March 3, 1966, aged 79, walking along Hollywood Boulevard after seeing a movie. He is buried in San Fernando Mission Cemetery.

Known For

Filmography

2016
I Love Lucy Christmas Special poster

I Love Lucy Christmas Special

Movie · as Fred Mertz

2000
Lucille Ball: Finding Lucy

Lucille Ball: Finding Lucy

Movie · as Self (archive footage)

1962
Safe at Home! poster

Safe at Home!

Movie · as Bill Turner

1962
The Lucy Show poster

The Lucy Show

TV · as Trainer · 1 ep

1962
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson poster

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

TV · as Self · 1 ep

1960
My Three Sons poster

My Three Sons

TV · as Bub O'Casey · 184 eps

1958
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse poster

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

TV · 6 eps

1957
The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour poster

The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour

TV · as Fred Mertz · 13 eps

1956
Lucy's Really Lost Moments poster

Lucy's Really Lost Moments

Movie · as Fred Mertz

1956
The Gale Storm Show poster

The Gale Storm Show

TV · as Jim Comstock · 1 ep

1954
The Dirty Look poster

The Dirty Look

Movie

1953
I Love Lucy: The Movie poster

I Love Lucy: The Movie

Movie · as Fred Mertz / Self

1953
Letter to Loretta poster

Letter to Loretta

TV · as Sam · 1 ep

1952
Rancho Notorious poster

Rancho Notorious

Movie · as Baldy Gunder

1952
This Is Your Life poster

This Is Your Life

TV · as Self · 1 ep

1951
The Lemon Drop Kid poster

The Lemon Drop Kid

Movie · as Gloomy Willie

1951
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Invisible Man poster

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Invisible Man

Movie · as Det. Roberts

1951
Rhubarb poster

Rhubarb

Movie · as Len Sickles

1951
I Love Lucy poster

I Love Lucy

TV · as Fred Mertz · 180 eps

1950
Blondie's Hero poster

Blondie's Hero

Movie · as Marty Greer

1950
Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye poster

Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye

Movie · as Byers

1950
Pretty Baby poster

Pretty Baby

Movie · as Corcoran

1950
Kill the Umpire poster

Kill the Umpire

Movie · as Jimmy O'Brien

1950
The Bob Hope Show poster

The Bob Hope Show

TV · as Self · 1 ep

1949
Red Light poster

Red Light

Movie · as Hotel Night Clerk

1949
The Lady Takes a Sailor poster

The Lady Takes a Sailor

Movie · as Oliver Harker

1949
The Lone Wolf and His Lady poster

The Lone Wolf and His Lady

Movie · as Inspector Crane

1949
Chicken Every Sunday poster

Chicken Every Sunday

Movie · as George Kirby

1949
East Side, West Side poster

East Side, West Side

Movie · as Bill the Bartender

1949
Home in San Antone poster

Home in San Antone

Movie · as O'Fleery

1949
The Ed Wynn Show

The Ed Wynn Show

TV · as Self · 1 ep

1948
The Babe Ruth Story poster

The Babe Ruth Story

Movie · as Jack Dunn

1948
Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven poster

Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven

Movie · as Agent

1948
Good Sam poster

Good Sam

Movie · as Tom

1948
Joe Palooka in Winner Take All poster

Joe Palooka in Winner Take All

Movie · as Knobby Walsh

1948
The Girl from Manhattan poster

The Girl from Manhattan

Movie · as Mr. Bernouti

1948
The Ed Sullivan Show poster

The Ed Sullivan Show

TV · as Self · 1 ep

1947
Blondie's Anniversary poster

Blondie's Anniversary

Movie · as Sharkey the Loen Shark

1947
Miracle on 34th Street poster

Miracle on 34th Street

Movie · as Charlie Halloran

1947
Mother Wore Tights poster

Mother Wore Tights

Movie · as Mr. Schneider

1947
My Wild Irish Rose poster

My Wild Irish Rose

Movie · as William Scanlon

1947
Down to Earth poster

Down to Earth

Movie · as Police Lieutenant

1947
I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now poster

I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now

Movie · as Jim Mason

1947
Monsieur Verdoux poster

Monsieur Verdoux

Movie · as Jean La Salle

1946
The Inner Circle poster

The Inner Circle

Movie · as Det. Lt. Webb

1946
Crime Doctor's Man Hunt poster

Crime Doctor's Man Hunt

Movie · as Police Inspector Harry B. Manning

1946
The Virginian poster

The Virginian

Movie · as Honey Wiggen

1946
Rendezvous with Annie poster

Rendezvous with Annie

Movie · as General Trent

1945
Lady on a Train poster

Lady on a Train

Movie · as Desk Sgt. Brennan

1945
Flame of Barbary Coast poster

Flame of Barbary Coast

Movie · as Wolf Wylie

1945
Hitchhike to Happiness poster

Hitchhike to Happiness

Movie · as Sandy Hill

1945
Ziegfeld Follies poster

Ziegfeld Follies

Movie · as Martin (segment "A Sweepstakes Ticket")

1944
The Fighting Seabees poster

The Fighting Seabees

Movie · as Eddie Powers

1944
Going My Way poster

Going My Way

Movie · as Max Dolan, Publisher (uncredited)

1944
Lake Placid Serenade poster

Lake Placid Serenade

Movie · as Jiggers

1943
Whistling in Brooklyn poster

Whistling in Brooklyn

Movie · as Detective Ramsey

1943
We've Never Been Licked poster

We've Never Been Licked

Movie · as Traveling Salesman

1943
Larceny with Music poster

Larceny with Music

Movie · as Mike Simms

1942
Gentleman Jim poster

Gentleman Jim

Movie · as Billy Delaney

1942
Roxie Hart poster

Roxie Hart

Movie · as O'Malley

1942
Moonlight in Havana poster

Moonlight in Havana

Movie · as Barney Crane

1942
Wildcat poster

Wildcat

Movie · as Oliver Westbrook

1942
Treat 'Em Rough

Treat 'Em Rough

Movie · as 'Hotfoot'

1942
It Happened in Flatbush poster

It Happened in Flatbush

Movie · as Sam Sloan

1942
Give Out, Sisters poster

Give Out, Sisters

Movie · as Harrison

1942
The Yankee Doodler poster

The Yankee Doodler

Movie

1941
Blondie in Society poster

Blondie in Society

Movie · as Waldo Pincus

1941
Footsteps in the Dark poster

Footsteps in the Dark

Movie · as Det. 'Hoppy' Hopkins

1941
The Bride Came C.O.D. poster

The Bride Came C.O.D.

Movie · as Sheriff McGee

1941
Cracked Nuts poster

Cracked Nuts

Movie · as James Mitchell

1941
Gangs Of The City

Gangs Of The City

Movie · as Bang

1941
Six Lessons From Madame La Zonga poster

Six Lessons From Madame La Zonga

Movie · as Chauncey Beheegan

1940
One Night in the Tropics poster

One Night in the Tropics

Movie · as Roscoe

1940
Rhythm on the River poster

Rhythm on the River

Movie · as Mr. Westlake

1940
Golden Gloves poster

Golden Gloves

Movie · as Emory Balzar

1940
Dancing on a Dime poster

Dancing on a Dime

Movie · as Mac

1940
Those Were the Days! poster

Those Were the Days!

Movie · as Prisoner

1940
The Farmer's Daughter poster

The Farmer's Daughter

Movie · as Scoop Trimble

1940
Untamed poster

Untamed

Movie · as Les Woodbury

1940
The Quarterback poster

The Quarterback

Movie · as Coach

1940
Sandy Gets Her Man poster

Sandy Gets Her Man

Movie · as Police Chief J. A. O'Hara

1940
Opened by Mistake poster

Opened by Mistake

Movie · as Matt Kingsley

1939
Rose of Washington Square poster

Rose of Washington Square

Movie · as Harry Long

1939
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn poster

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Movie · as The 'Duke'

1939
Grand Jury Secrets poster

Grand Jury Secrets

Movie · as Bright Eyes

1939
Stop, Look and Love poster

Stop, Look and Love

Movie · as Joe Haller

1939
Ambush poster

Ambush

Movie · as Inspector J.L. Weber

1939
Persons in Hiding poster

Persons in Hiding

Movie · as Alec Inglis

1939
St. Louis Blues poster

St. Louis Blues

Movie · as Major Martingale

1939
Night Work poster

Night Work

Movie · as Bruiser Brown

1939
Ex-Champ poster

Ex-Champ

Movie · as Mushy Harrington

1938
Mad About Music poster

Mad About Music

Movie · as Dusty Turner

1938
Professor Beware poster

Professor Beware

Movie · as Snoop Donlan

1938
Sons of the Legion poster

Sons of the Legion

Movie · as Uncle Willie Lee

1938
Touchdown, Army poster

Touchdown, Army

Movie · as Jack Heffernan

1937
Double or Nothing poster

Double or Nothing

Movie · as John Pederson

1937
Something to Sing About poster

Something to Sing About

Movie · as Hank Mayers

1937
Blossoms On Broadway poster

Blossoms On Broadway

Movie · as Francis X. Rush

1937
High, Wide and Handsome poster

High, Wide and Handsome

Movie · as Mac

1936
The Princess Comes Across poster

The Princess Comes Across

Movie · as Benton

1936
Rose Bowl poster

Rose Bowl

Movie · as 'Soapy' Moreland

1936
Desire poster

Desire

Movie · as Mr. Gibson

1936
Strike Me Pink poster

Strike Me Pink

Movie · as Mr. Copple

1936
Three Married Men poster

Three Married Men

Movie · as Bill Mullins

1936
F-Man poster

F-Man

Movie · as Detective Rogan

1936
The General Died at Dawn poster

The General Died at Dawn

Movie · as Brighton

1936
Three Cheers for Love

Three Cheers for Love

Movie · as Milton Shakespeare

1935
Roberta poster

Roberta

Movie · as Bartender (uncredited)

1935
Welcome Home poster

Welcome Home

Movie · as Painless

1935
Alibi Ike poster

Alibi Ike

Movie · as Cap

1935
College Scandal poster

College Scandal

Movie · as Chief of Police Magoun

1935
Car 99 poster

Car 99

Movie · as Training Sgt. Barrel

1935
It's a Great Life poster

It's a Great Life

Movie · as Lt. McNulty

1935
Harmony Lane poster

Harmony Lane

Movie · as Edwin P. 'Ed' Christy

1935
Hold 'Em Yale poster

Hold 'Em Yale

Movie · as Sunshine Joe

1935
Ship Cafe poster

Ship Cafe

Movie · as Briney O'Brien

1935
Beautiful Dreamer

Beautiful Dreamer

Movie

1934
The Crime Doctor poster

The Crime Doctor

Movie · as Fraser

1934
Here Is My Heart poster

Here Is My Heart

Movie · as James Smith

1934
Bolero poster

Bolero

Movie · as Mike DeBaere

1934
Shoot the Works poster

Shoot the Works

Movie · as Larry Hale

1934
Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen poster

Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen

Movie · as Captain Murphy

1934
The Witching Hour poster

The Witching Hour

Movie · as Jury Foreman

1934
The Lemon Drop Kid poster

The Lemon Drop Kid

Movie · as William Dunhill aka The Professor

1933
Moonlight and Pretzels poster

Moonlight and Pretzels

Movie · as Mac

1933
Hell and High Water

Hell and High Water

Movie · as Milton J. Bunsey

1927
Ventriloquist

Ventriloquist

Movie · as 'Hoak' salesman

1925
Should Husbands Be Watched? poster

Should Husbands Be Watched?

Movie · as Beat Cop