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)
Kill the Umpire
as Jimmy O'Brien
(1950)
Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye
as Byers
(1950)
Pretty Baby
as Corcoran
(1950)
Blondie's Hero
as Marty Greer
(1949)
Red Light
as Hotel Night Clerk
(1949)
The Lone Wolf and His Lady
as Inspector Crane
(1949)
East Side, West Side
as Bill the Bartender
(1949)
Chicken Every Sunday
as George Kirby
(1949)
The Lady Takes a Sailor
as Oliver Harker
(1949)
Home in San Antone
as O'Fleery
(1948)
Good Sam
as Tom
(1948)
Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven
as Agent
(1948)
The Girl from Manhattan
as Mr. Bernouti
(1948)
The Babe Ruth Story
as Jack Dunn
(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)
Down to Earth
as Police Lieutenant
(1947)
Mother Wore Tights
as Mr. Schneider
(1947)
I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now
as Jim Mason
(1947)
My Wild Irish Rose
as William Scanlon
(1947)
Blondie's Anniversary
as Sharkey the Loen Shark
(1946)
The Virginian
as Honey Wiggen
(1946)
The Inner Circle
as Det. Lt. Webb
(1946)
Rendezvous with Annie
as General Trent
(1946)
Crime Doctor's Man Hunt
as Police Inspector Harry B. Manning
(1945)
Flame of Barbary Coast
as Wolf Wylie
(1945)
Lady on a Train
as Desk Sgt. Brennan
(1945)
Ziegfeld Follies
as Martin (segment "A Sweepstakes Ticket")
(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)
Larceny with Music
as Mike Simms
(1943)
We've Never Been Licked
as Traveling Salesman
(1942)
Gentleman Jim
as Billy Delaney
(1942)
Roxie Hart
as O'Malley
(1942)
Give Out, Sisters
as Harrison
(1942)
Moonlight in Havana
as Barney Crane
(1942)
Wildcat
as Oliver Westbrook
(1942)
It Happened in Flatbush
as Sam Sloan
(1942)
Treat 'Em Rough
as 'Hotfoot'
(1942)
(1941)
Footsteps in the Dark
as Det. 'Hoppy' Hopkins
(1941)
The Bride Came C.O.D.
as Sheriff McGee
(1941)
Cracked Nuts
as James Mitchell
(1941)
Six Lessons From Madame La Zonga
as Chauncey Beheegan
(1941)
Blondie in Society
as Waldo Pincus
(1941)
Gangs Of The City
as Bang
(1940)
One Night in the Tropics
as Roscoe
(1940)
Golden Gloves
as Emory Balzar
(1940)
Untamed
as Les Woodbury
(1940)
Those Were the Days!
as Prisoner
(1940)
Dancing on a Dime
as Mac
(1940)
Rhythm on the River
as Mr. Westlake
(1940)
The Farmer's Daughter
as Scoop Trimble
(1940)
Opened by Mistake
as Matt Kingsley
(1940)
The Quarterback
as Coach
(1940)
Sandy Gets Her Man
as Police Chief J. A. O'Hara
(1939)
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
as The 'Duke'
(1939)
Rose of Washington Square
as Harry Long
(1939)
St. Louis Blues
as Major Martingale
(1939)
Ambush
as Inspector J.L. Weber
(1939)
Persons in Hiding
as Alec Inglis
(1939)
Night Work
as Bruiser Brown
(1939)
Ex-Champ
as Mushy Harrington
(1939)
Grand Jury Secrets
as Bright Eyes
(1939)
Stop, Look and Love
as Joe Haller
(1938)
Mad About Music
as Dusty Turner
(1938)
Professor Beware
as Snoop Donlan
(1938)
Touchdown, Army
as Jack Heffernan
(1938)
Sons of the Legion
as Uncle Willie Lee
(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)
Desire
as Mr. Gibson
(1936)
Strike Me Pink
as Mr. Copple
(1936)
The General Died at Dawn
as Brighton
(1936)
The Princess Comes Across
as Benton
(1936)
Three Married Men
as Bill Mullins
(1936)
Rose Bowl
as 'Soapy' Moreland
(1936)
F-Man
as Detective Rogan
(1935)
Roberta
as Bartender
(1935)
Car 99
as Training Sgt. Barrel
(1935)
Alibi Ike
as Cap
(1935)
Harmony Lane
as Edwin P. 'Ed' Christy
(1935)
College Scandal
as Chief of Police Magoun
(1935)
Welcome Home
as Painless
(1935)
Hold 'Em Yale
as Sunshine Joe
(1935)
It's a Great Life
as Lt. McNulty
(1935)
Ship Cafe
as Briney O'Brien
(1935)
(1934)
The Witching Hour
as Jury Foreman
(1934)
Shoot the Works
as Larry Hale
(1934)
Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen
as Captain Murphy
(1934)
Here Is My Heart
as James Smith
(1934)
The Crime Doctor
as Fraser
(1934)
The Lemon Drop Kid
as William Dunhill aka The Professor
(1934)
Bolero
as Mike DeBaere
(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