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