William Frawley
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
1887-02-25
Day of Death
1966-03-03 (79 years old)
Place of Birth
Burlington, Iowa, USA
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
Acting
(2016)
I Love Lucy Christmas Special
as Fred Mertz
(2000)
Lucille Ball: Finding Lucy
as Self (archive footage)
(1962)
Safe at Home!
as Bill Turner
(1956)
Lucy's Really Lost Moments
as Fred Mertz
(1954)
(1953)
I Love Lucy: The Movie
as Fred Mertz
(1952)
Rancho Notorious
as Baldy Gunder
(1951)
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Invisible Man
as Det. Roberts
(1951)
Rhubarb
as Len Sickles
(1951)
The Lemon Drop Kid
as Gloomy Willie
(1950)
Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye
as Byers
(1950)
Kill the Umpire
as Jimmy O'Brien
(1950)
Pretty Baby
as Corcoran
(1950)
Blondie's Hero
as Marty Greer
(1949)
Red Light
as Hotel Night Clerk
(1949)
East Side, West Side
as Bill the Bartender
(1949)
The Lady Takes a Sailor
as Oliver Harker
(1949)
Home in San Antone
as O'Fleery
(1949)
Chicken Every Sunday
as George Kirby
(1949)
The Lone Wolf and His Lady
as Inspector Crane
(1948)
Good Sam
as Tom
(1948)
The Girl from Manhattan
as Mr. Bernouti
(1948)
The Babe Ruth Story
as Jack Dunn
(1948)
Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven
as Agent
(1948)
Joe Palooka in Winner Take All
as Knobby Walsh
(1947)
Miracle on 34th Street
as Charlie Halloran
(1947)
Monsieur Verdoux
as Jean La Salle
(1947)
Mother Wore Tights
as Mr. Schneider
(1947)
Down to Earth
as Police Lieutenant
(1947)
Blondie's Anniversary
as Sharkey the Loen Shark
(1947)
My Wild Irish Rose
as William Scanlon
(1947)
I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now
as Jim Mason
(1946)
The Inner Circle
as Det. Lt. Webb
(1946)
The Virginian
as Honey Wiggen
(1946)
Rendezvous with Annie
as General Trent
(1946)
Crime Doctor's Man Hunt
as Police Inspector Harry B. Manning
(1945)
Lady on a Train
as Desk Sgt. Brennan
(1945)
Ziegfeld Follies
as Martin (segment "A Sweepstakes Ticket")
(1945)
Flame of Barbary Coast
as Wolf Wylie
(1945)
Hitchhike to Happiness
as Sandy Hill
(1944)
Going My Way
as Max Dolan, Publisher (uncredited)
(1944)
The Fighting Seabees
as Eddie Powers
(1944)
Lake Placid Serenade
as Jiggers
(1943)
Whistling in Brooklyn
as Detective Ramsey
(1943)
We've Never Been Licked
as Traveling Salesman
(1943)
Larceny with Music
as Mike Simms
(1942)
Gentleman Jim
as Billy Delaney
(1942)
Roxie Hart
as O'Malley
(1942)
Give Out, Sisters
as Harrison
(1942)
Treat 'Em Rough
as 'Hotfoot'
(1942)
Wildcat
as Oliver Westbrook
(1942)
(1942)
Moonlight in Havana
as Barney Crane
(1942)
It Happened in Flatbush
as Sam Sloan
(1941)
The Bride Came C.O.D.
as Sheriff McGee
(1941)
Footsteps in the Dark
as Det. 'Hoppy' Hopkins
(1941)
Blondie in Society
as Waldo Pincus
(1941)
Gangs Of The City
as Bang
(1941)
Six Lessons From Madame La Zonga
as Chauncey Beheegan
(1941)
Cracked Nuts
as James Mitchell
(1940)
One Night in the Tropics
as Roscoe
(1940)
Dancing on a Dime
as Mac
(1940)
Rhythm on the River
as Mr. Westlake
(1940)
Golden Gloves
as Emory Balzar
(1940)
The Farmer's Daughter
as Scoop Trimble
(1940)
The Quarterback
as Coach
(1940)
Opened by Mistake
as Matt Kingsley
(1940)
Those Were the Days!
as Prisoner
(1940)
Untamed
as Les Woodbury
(1940)
Sandy Gets Her Man
as Police Chief J. A. O'Hara
(1939)
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
as The 'Duke'
(1939)
St. Louis Blues
as Major Martingale
(1939)
Stop, Look and Love
as Joe Haller
(1939)
Ambush
as Inspector J.L. Weber
(1939)
Night Work
as Bruiser Brown
(1939)
Rose of Washington Square
as Harry Long
(1939)
Persons in Hiding
as Alec Inglis
(1939)
Grand Jury Secrets
as Bright Eyes
(1939)
Ex-Champ
as Mushy Harrington
(1938)
Mad About Music
as Dusty Turner
(1938)
Professor Beware
as Snoop Donlan
(1938)
Sons of the Legion
as Uncle Willie Lee
(1938)
Touchdown, Army
as Jack Heffernan
(1937)
Something to Sing About
as Hank Mayers
(1937)
High, Wide and Handsome
as Mac
(1937)
Double or Nothing
as John Pederson
(1937)
Blossoms On Broadway
as Francis X. Rush
(1936)
The General Died at Dawn
as Brighton
(1936)
Strike Me Pink
as Mr. Copple
(1936)
F-Man
as Detective Rogan
(1936)
Desire
as Mr. Gibson
(1936)
The Princess Comes Across
as Benton
(1936)
Rose Bowl
as 'Soapy' Moreland
(1936)
Three Married Men
as Bill Mullins
(1935)
Alibi Ike
as Cap
(1935)
Roberta
as Bartender
(1935)
College Scandal
as Chief of Police Magoun
(1935)
It's a Great Life
as Lt. McNulty
(1935)
Car 99
as Training Sgt. Barrel
(1935)
Hold 'Em Yale
as Sunshine Joe
(1935)
Harmony Lane
as Edwin P. 'Ed' Christy
(1935)
Ship Cafe
as Briney O'Brien
(1935)
Welcome Home
as Painless
(1935)
(1934)
The Witching Hour
as Jury Foreman
(1934)
The Crime Doctor
as Fraser
(1934)
Here Is My Heart
as James Smith
(1934)
Bolero
as Mike DeBaere
(1934)
Shoot the Works
as Larry Hale
(1934)
The Lemon Drop Kid
as William Dunhill aka The Professor
(1934)
Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen
as Captain Murphy
(1933)
Moonlight and Pretzels
as Mac
(1933)
Hell and High Water
as Milton J. Bunsey
(1927)
Ventriloquist
as 'Hoak' salesman
(1925)
Should Husbands Be Watched?
as Beat Cop