Personal Info
Known For:
Acting
Birthday:
February 25, 1887
Place of Birth:
Burlington, Iowa, USA
Social Media
William Frawley
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
| Year | Movie | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | I Love Lucy Christmas Special | Fred Mertz |
| 2000 | Lucille Ball: Finding Lucy | Self (archive footage) |
| 1962 | Safe at Home! | Bill Turner |
| 1956 | Lucy's Really Lost Moments | Fred Mertz |
| 1954 | The Dirty Look | |
| 1953 | I Love Lucy: The Movie | Fred Mertz |
| 1952 | Rancho Notorious | Baldy Gunder |
| 1951 | The Lemon Drop Kid | Gloomy Willie |
| 1951 | Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Invisible Man | Det. Roberts |
| 1951 | Rhubarb | Len Sickles |
| 1950 | Blondie's Hero | Marty Greer |
| 1950 | Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye | Byers |
| 1950 | Pretty Baby | Corcoran |
| 1950 | Kill the Umpire | Jimmy O'Brien |
| 1949 | Red Light | Hotel Night Clerk |
| 1949 | The Lady Takes a Sailor | Oliver Harker |
| 1949 | The Lone Wolf and His Lady | Inspector Crane |
| 1949 | Chicken Every Sunday | George Kirby |
| 1949 | East Side, West Side | Bill the Bartender |
| 1949 | Home in San Antone | O'Fleery |
| 1948 | The Babe Ruth Story | Jack Dunn |
| 1948 | Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven | Agent |
| 1948 | Good Sam | Tom |
| 1948 | Joe Palooka in Winner Take All | Knobby Walsh |
| 1948 | The Girl from Manhattan | Mr. Bernouti |
| 1947 | Blondie's Anniversary | Sharkey the Loen Shark |
| 1947 | Miracle on 34th Street | Charlie Halloran |
| 1947 | Mother Wore Tights | Mr. Schneider |
| 1947 | My Wild Irish Rose | William Scanlon |
| 1947 | Down to Earth | Police Lieutenant |
| 1947 | I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now | Jim Mason |
| 1947 | Monsieur Verdoux | Jean La Salle |
| 1946 | The Inner Circle | Det. Lt. Webb |
| 1946 | Crime Doctor's Man Hunt | Police Inspector Harry B. Manning |
| 1946 | The Virginian | Honey Wiggen |
| 1946 | Rendezvous with Annie | General Trent |
| 1945 | Lady on a Train | Desk Sgt. Brennan |
| 1945 | Flame of Barbary Coast | Wolf Wylie |
| 1945 | Hitchhike to Happiness | Sandy Hill |
| 1945 | Ziegfeld Follies | Martin (segment "A Sweepstakes Ticket") |
| 1944 | The Fighting Seabees | Eddie Powers |
| 1944 | Going My Way | Max Dolan, Publisher (uncredited) |
| 1944 | Lake Placid Serenade | Jiggers |
| 1943 | Whistling in Brooklyn | Detective Ramsey |
| 1943 | We've Never Been Licked | Traveling Salesman |
| 1943 | Larceny with Music | Mike Simms |
| 1942 | Gentleman Jim | Billy Delaney |
| 1942 | Roxie Hart | O'Malley |
| 1942 | Moonlight in Havana | Barney Crane |
| 1942 | Wildcat | Oliver Westbrook |
| 1942 | Treat 'Em Rough | 'Hotfoot' |
| 1942 | It Happened in Flatbush | Sam Sloan |
| 1942 | Give Out, Sisters | Harrison |
| 1942 | The Yankee Doodler | |
| 1941 | Blondie in Society | Waldo Pincus |
| 1941 | Footsteps in the Dark | Det. 'Hoppy' Hopkins |
| 1941 | The Bride Came C.O.D. | Sheriff McGee |
| 1941 | Cracked Nuts | James Mitchell |
| 1941 | Gangs Of The City | Bang |
| 1941 | Six Lessons From Madame La Zonga | Chauncey Beheegan |
| 1940 | One Night in the Tropics | Roscoe |
| 1940 | Rhythm on the River | Mr. Westlake |
| 1940 | Golden Gloves | Emory Balzar |
| 1940 | Dancing on a Dime | Mac |
| 1940 | Those Were the Days! | Prisoner |
| 1940 | The Farmer's Daughter | Scoop Trimble |
| 1940 | Untamed | Les Woodbury |
| 1940 | The Quarterback | Coach |
| 1940 | Sandy Gets Her Man | Police Chief J. A. O'Hara |
| 1940 | Opened by Mistake | Matt Kingsley |
| 1939 | Rose of Washington Square | Harry Long |
| 1939 | The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn | The 'Duke' |
| 1939 | Grand Jury Secrets | Bright Eyes |
| 1939 | Stop, Look and Love | Joe Haller |
| 1939 | Ambush | Inspector J.L. Weber |
| 1939 | Persons in Hiding | Alec Inglis |
| 1939 | St. Louis Blues | Major Martingale |
| 1939 | Night Work | Bruiser Brown |
| 1939 | Ex-Champ | Mushy Harrington |
| 1938 | Mad About Music | Dusty Turner |
| 1938 | Professor Beware | Snoop Donlan |
| 1938 | Sons of the Legion | Uncle Willie Lee |
| 1938 | Touchdown, Army | Jack Heffernan |
| 1937 | Double or Nothing | John Pederson |
| 1937 | Something to Sing About | Hank Mayers |
| 1937 | Blossoms On Broadway | Francis X. Rush |
| 1937 | High, Wide and Handsome | Mac |
| 1936 | The Princess Comes Across | Benton |
| 1936 | Rose Bowl | 'Soapy' Moreland |
| 1936 | Desire | Mr. Gibson |
| 1936 | Strike Me Pink | Mr. Copple |
| 1936 | Three Married Men | Bill Mullins |
| 1936 | F-Man | Detective Rogan |
| 1936 | The General Died at Dawn | Brighton |
| 1935 | Roberta | Bartender |
| 1935 | Welcome Home | Painless |
| 1935 | Alibi Ike | Cap |
| 1935 | College Scandal | Chief of Police Magoun |
| 1935 | Car 99 | Training Sgt. Barrel |
| 1935 | It's a Great Life | Lt. McNulty |
| 1935 | Harmony Lane | Edwin P. 'Ed' Christy |
| 1935 | Hold 'Em Yale | Sunshine Joe |
| 1935 | Ship Cafe | Briney O'Brien |
| 1935 | Beautiful Dreamer | |
| 1934 | The Crime Doctor | Fraser |
| 1934 | Here Is My Heart | James Smith |
| 1934 | Bolero | Mike DeBaere |
| 1934 | Shoot the Works | Larry Hale |
| 1934 | Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen | Captain Murphy |
| 1934 | The Witching Hour | Jury Foreman |
| 1934 | The Lemon Drop Kid | William Dunhill aka The Professor |
| 1933 | Moonlight and Pretzels | Mac |
| 1933 | Hell and High Water | Milton J. Bunsey |
| 1927 | Ventriloquist | 'Hoak' salesman |
| 1925 | Should Husbands Be Watched? | Beat Cop |
| Year | TV Show | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | The Lucy Show | Trainer |
| 1962 | The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | Self |
| 1960 | My Three Sons | Bub O'Casey |
| 1958 | Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse | |
| 1957 | The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour | Fred Mertz |
| 1956 | The Gale Storm Show | Jim Comstock |
| 1953 | Letter to Loretta | Sam |
| 1952 | This Is Your Life | Self |
| 1951 | I Love Lucy | Fred Mertz |
| 1950 | The Bob Hope Show | Self |
| 1949 | The Ed Wynn Show | Self |
| 1948 | The Ed Sullivan Show | Self |