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

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

My Three Sons

The Lucy Show

I Love Lucy

The Ed Sullivan Show

The Bob Hope Show

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

This Is Your Life

All Movies (115)

• I Love Lucy Christmas Special2016 · as Fred Mertz
• Lucille Ball: Finding Lucy2000 · as Self (archive footage)
• Safe at Home!1962 · as Bill Turner
• Lucy's Really Lost Moments1956 · as Fred Mertz
• The Dirty Look1954
• I Love Lucy: The Movie1953 · as Fred Mertz / Self
• Rancho Notorious1952 · as Baldy Gunder
• Rhubarb1951 · as Len Sickles
• The Lemon Drop Kid1951 · as Gloomy Willie
• Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Invisible Man1951 · as Det. Roberts
• Pretty Baby1950 · as Corcoran
• Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye1950 · as Byers
• Kill the Umpire1950 · as Jimmy O'Brien
• Blondie's Hero1950 · as Marty Greer
• East Side, West Side1949 · as Bill the Bartender
• The Lady Takes a Sailor1949 · as Oliver Harker
• Red Light1949 · as Hotel Night Clerk
• The Lone Wolf and His Lady1949 · as Inspector Crane
• Home in San Antone1949 · as O'Fleery
• Chicken Every Sunday1949 · as George Kirby
• The Girl from Manhattan1948 · as Mr. Bernouti
• Joe Palooka in Winner Take All1948 · as Knobby Walsh
• The Babe Ruth Story1948 · as Jack Dunn
• Good Sam1948 · as Tom
• Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven1948 · as Agent
• My Wild Irish Rose1947 · as William Scanlon
• Blondie's Anniversary1947 · as Sharkey the Loen Shark
• Monsieur Verdoux1947 · as Jean La Salle
• Down to Earth1947 · as Police Lieutenant
• Mother Wore Tights1947 · as Mr. Schneider
• I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now1947 · as Jim Mason
• Miracle on 34th Street1947 · as Charlie Halloran
• Crime Doctor's Man Hunt1946 · as Police Inspector Harry B. Manning
• The Inner Circle1946 · as Det. Lt. Webb
• Rendezvous with Annie1946 · as General Trent
• The Virginian1946 · as Honey Wiggen
• Ziegfeld Follies1945 · as Martin (segment "A Sweepstakes Ticket")
• Lady on a Train1945 · as Desk Sgt. Brennan
• Hitchhike to Happiness1945 · as Sandy Hill
• Flame of Barbary Coast1945 · as Wolf Wylie
• Lake Placid Serenade1944 · as Jiggers
• The Fighting Seabees1944 · as Eddie Powers
• Going My Way1944 · as Max Dolan, Publisher (uncredited)
• Whistling in Brooklyn1943 · as Detective Ramsey
• Larceny with Music1943 · as Mike Simms
• We've Never Been Licked1943 · as Traveling Salesman
• Gentleman Jim1942 · as Billy Delaney
• The Yankee Doodler1942
• Moonlight in Havana1942 · as Barney Crane
• Wildcat1942 · as Oliver Westbrook
• Give Out, Sisters1942 · as Harrison
• It Happened in Flatbush1942 · as Sam Sloan
• Roxie Hart1942 · as O'Malley
• Treat 'Em Rough1942 · as 'Hotfoot'
• Gangs Of The City1941 · as Bang
• Blondie in Society1941 · as Waldo Pincus
• The Bride Came C.O.D.1941 · as Sheriff McGee
• Cracked Nuts1941 · as James Mitchell
• Footsteps in the Dark1941 · as Det. 'Hoppy' Hopkins
• Six Lessons From Madame La Zonga1941 · as Chauncey Beheegan
• One Night in the Tropics1940 · as Roscoe
• Sandy Gets Her Man1940 · as Police Chief J. A. O'Hara
• Dancing on a Dime1940 · as Mac
• The Quarterback1940 · as Coach
• Rhythm on the River1940 · as Mr. Westlake
• Golden Gloves1940 · as Emory Balzar
• Untamed1940 · as Les Woodbury
• Those Were the Days!1940 · as Prisoner
• Opened by Mistake1940 · as Matt Kingsley
• The Farmer's Daughter1940 · as Scoop Trimble
• Stop, Look and Love1939 · as Joe Haller
• Night Work1939 · as Bruiser Brown
• Grand Jury Secrets1939 · as Bright Eyes
• Ex-Champ1939 · as Mushy Harrington
• Rose of Washington Square1939 · as Harry Long
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn1939 · as The 'Duke'
• Persons in Hiding1939 · as Alec Inglis
• St. Louis Blues1939 · as Major Martingale
• Ambush1939 · as Inspector J.L. Weber
• Sons of the Legion1938 · as Uncle Willie Lee
• Touchdown, Army1938 · as Jack Heffernan
• Professor Beware1938 · as Snoop Donlan
• Mad About Music1938 · as Dusty Turner
• Blossoms On Broadway1937 · as Francis X. Rush
• Something to Sing About1937 · as Hank Mayers
• Double or Nothing1937 · as John Pederson
• High, Wide and Handsome1937 · as Mac
• Rose Bowl1936 · as 'Soapy' Moreland
• The General Died at Dawn1936 · as Brighton
• Three Married Men1936 · as Bill Mullins
• The Princess Comes Across1936 · as Benton
• F-Man1936 · as Detective Rogan
• Desire1936 · as Mr. Gibson
• Strike Me Pink1936 · as Mr. Copple
• Beautiful Dreamer1935
• Ship Cafe1935 · as Briney O'Brien
• Harmony Lane1935 · as Edwin P. 'Ed' Christy
• It's a Great Life1935 · as Lt. McNulty
• Welcome Home1935 · as Painless
• College Scandal1935 · as Chief of Police Magoun
• Alibi Ike1935 · as Cap
• Hold 'Em Yale1935 · as Sunshine Joe
• Roberta1935 · as Bartender (uncredited)
• Car 991935 · as Training Sgt. Barrel
• Here Is My Heart1934 · as James Smith
• The Lemon Drop Kid1934 · as William Dunhill aka The Professor
• Shoot the Works1934 · as Larry Hale
• The Witching Hour1934 · as Jury Foreman
• The Crime Doctor1934 · as Fraser
• Bolero1934 · as Mike DeBaere
• Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen1934 · as Captain Murphy
• Hell and High Water1933 · as Milton J. Bunsey
• Moonlight and Pretzels1933 · as Mac
• Ventriloquist1927 · as 'Hoak' salesman
• Should Husbands Be Watched?1925 · as Beat Cop

All TV Shows (12)

• The Lucy Show1962 · as Trainer
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson1962 · as Self
• My Three Sons1960 · as Bub O'Casey
• Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse1958
• The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour1957 · as Fred Mertz
• The Gale Storm Show1956 · as Jim Comstock
• Letter to Loretta1953 · as Sam
• This Is Your Life1952 · as Self
• I Love Lucy1951 · as Fred Mertz
• The Bob Hope Show1950 · as Self
• The Ed Wynn Show1949 · as Self
• The Ed Sullivan Show1948 · as Self