William Frawley
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- February 25, 1887
- Died
- March 3, 1966
- Birthplace
- Burlington, Iowa, USA
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.
Filmography
I Love Lucy Christmas Special 2016
as Fred Mertz
- Lucille Ball: Finding Lucy
Lucille Ball: Finding Lucy 2000
as Self (archive footage)
Safe at Home! 1962
as Bill Turner
Lucy's Really Lost Moments 1956
as Fred Mertz
The Dirty Look 1954
Actor
I Love Lucy: The Movie 1953
as Fred Mertz / Self
Rancho Notorious 1952
as Baldy Gunder
Rhubarb 1951
as Len Sickles
The Lemon Drop Kid 1951
as Gloomy Willie
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Invisible Man 1951
as Det. Roberts
Pretty Baby 1950
as Corcoran
Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye 1950
as Byers
Kill the Umpire 1950
as Jimmy O'Brien
Blondie's Hero 1950
as Marty Greer
East Side, West Side 1949
as Bill the Bartender
The Lady Takes a Sailor 1949
as Oliver Harker
Red Light 1949
as Hotel Night Clerk
The Lone Wolf and His Lady 1949
as Inspector Crane
Home in San Antone 1949
as O'Fleery
Chicken Every Sunday 1949
as George Kirby
The Girl from Manhattan 1948
as Mr. Bernouti
Joe Palooka in Winner Take All 1948
as Knobby Walsh
The Babe Ruth Story 1948
as Jack Dunn
Good Sam 1948
as Tom
Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven 1948
as Agent
My Wild Irish Rose 1947
as William Scanlon
Blondie's Anniversary 1947
as Sharkey the Loen Shark
Monsieur Verdoux 1947
as Jean La Salle
Down to Earth 1947
as Police Lieutenant
Mother Wore Tights 1947
as Mr. Schneider
I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now 1947
as Jim Mason
Miracle on 34th Street 1947
as Charlie Halloran
Crime Doctor's Man Hunt 1946
as Police Inspector Harry B. Manning
The Inner Circle 1946
as Det. Lt. Webb
Rendezvous with Annie 1946
as General Trent
The Virginian 1946
as Honey Wiggen
Ziegfeld Follies 1945
as Martin (segment "A Sweepstakes Ticket")
Lady on a Train 1945
as Desk Sgt. Brennan
Hitchhike to Happiness 1945
as Sandy Hill
Flame of Barbary Coast 1945
as Wolf Wylie
Lake Placid Serenade 1944
as Jiggers
The Fighting Seabees 1944
as Eddie Powers
Going My Way 1944
as Max Dolan, Publisher (uncredited)
Whistling in Brooklyn 1943
as Detective Ramsey
Larceny with Music 1943
as Mike Simms
We've Never Been Licked 1943
as Traveling Salesman
Gentleman Jim 1942
as Billy Delaney
The Yankee Doodler 1942
Actor
Moonlight in Havana 1942
as Barney Crane
Wildcat 1942
as Oliver Westbrook
Give Out, Sisters 1942
as Harrison
It Happened in Flatbush 1942
as Sam Sloan
Roxie Hart 1942
as O'Malley
- Treat 'Em Rough
Treat 'Em Rough 1942
as 'Hotfoot'
- Gangs Of The City
Gangs Of The City 1941
as Bang
Blondie in Society 1941
as Waldo Pincus
The Bride Came C.O.D. 1941
as Sheriff McGee
Cracked Nuts 1941
as James Mitchell
Footsteps in the Dark 1941
as Det. 'Hoppy' Hopkins
Six Lessons From Madame La Zonga 1941
as Chauncey Beheegan
One Night in the Tropics 1940
as Roscoe
Sandy Gets Her Man 1940
as Police Chief J. A. O'Hara
Dancing on a Dime 1940
as Mac
The Quarterback 1940
as Coach
Rhythm on the River 1940
as Mr. Westlake
Golden Gloves 1940
as Emory Balzar
Untamed 1940
as Les Woodbury
Those Were the Days! 1940
as Prisoner
Opened by Mistake 1940
as Matt Kingsley
The Farmer's Daughter 1940
as Scoop Trimble
Stop, Look and Love 1939
as Joe Haller
Night Work 1939
as Bruiser Brown
Grand Jury Secrets 1939
as Bright Eyes
Ex-Champ 1939
as Mushy Harrington
Rose of Washington Square 1939
as Harry Long
Persons in Hiding 1939
as Alec Inglis
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn 1939
as The 'Duke'
St. Louis Blues 1939
as Major Martingale
Ambush 1939
as Inspector J.L. Weber
Sons of the Legion 1938
as Uncle Willie Lee
Touchdown, Army 1938
as Jack Heffernan
Professor Beware 1938
as Snoop Donlan
Mad About Music 1938
as Dusty Turner
Blossoms On Broadway 1937
as Francis X. Rush
Something to Sing About 1937
as Hank Mayers
Double or Nothing 1937
as John Pederson
High, Wide and Handsome 1937
as Mac
Rose Bowl 1936
as 'Soapy' Moreland
The General Died at Dawn 1936
as Brighton
Three Married Men 1936
as Bill Mullins
- Three Cheers for Love
Three Cheers for Love 1936
as Milton Shakespeare
The Princess Comes Across 1936
as Benton
F-Man 1936
as Detective Rogan
Desire 1936
as Mr. Gibson
Strike Me Pink 1936
as Mr. Copple
- Beautiful Dreamer
Beautiful Dreamer 1935
Actor
Ship Cafe 1935
as Briney O'Brien
Harmony Lane 1935
as Edwin P. 'Ed' Christy
It's a Great Life 1935
as Lt. McNulty
Welcome Home 1935
as Painless
College Scandal 1935
as Chief of Police Magoun
Alibi Ike 1935
as Cap
Hold 'Em Yale 1935
as Sunshine Joe
Roberta 1935
as Bartender (uncredited)
Car 99 1935
as Training Sgt. Barrel
Here Is My Heart 1934
as James Smith
The Lemon Drop Kid 1934
as William Dunhill aka The Professor
Shoot the Works 1934
as Larry Hale
The Witching Hour 1934
as Jury Foreman
The Crime Doctor 1934
as Fraser
Bolero 1934
as Mike DeBaere
Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen 1934
as Captain Murphy
- Hell and High Water
Hell and High Water 1933
as Milton J. Bunsey
Moonlight and Pretzels 1933
as Mac
- Ventriloquist
Ventriloquist 1927
as 'Hoak' salesman
Should Husbands Be Watched? 1925
as Beat Cop
Credits from TMDB.