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
| Birth Location | Burlington, Iowa, USA |
|---|---|
| Born | 1887-02-25 |
| Died | 1966-03-03 |
Movies
Safe at Home!
as Bill Turner
1962
Lucy's Really Lost Moments
as Fred Mertz
1956
1954
I Love Lucy: The Movie
as Fred Mertz
1953
Rancho Notorious
as Baldy Gunder
1952
Rhubarb
as Len Sickles
1951
Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man
as Det. Roberts
1951
The Lemon Drop Kid
as Gloomy Willie
1951
Pretty Baby
as Corcoran
1950
Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye
as Byers
1950
Kill the Umpire
as Jimmy O'Brien
1950
Blondie's Hero
as Marty Greer
1950
East Side, West Side
as Bill the Bartender
1949
The Lady Takes a Sailor
as Oliver Harker
1949
Red Light
as Hotel Night Clerk
1949
The Lone Wolf and His Lady
as Inspector Crane
1949
Home in San Antone
as O'Fleery
1949
Chicken Every Sunday
as George Kirby
1949
The Girl from Manhattan
as Mr. Bernouti
1948
Joe Palooka in Winner Take All
as Knobby Walsh
1948
The Babe Ruth Story
as Jack Dunn
1948
Good Sam
as Tom
1948
Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven
as Agent
1948
My Wild Irish Rose
as William Scanlon
1947
Blondie's Anniversary
as Sharkey the Loen Shark
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
Miracle on 34th Street
as Charlie Halloran
1947
Crime Doctor's Man Hunt
as Police Inspector Harry B. Manning
1946
The Inner Circle
as Det. Lt. Webb
1946
Rendezvous with Annie
as General Trent
1946
The Virginian
as Honey Wiggen
1946
Ziegfeld Follies
as Mr. Martin (segment A Sweepstakes Ticket)
1945
Lady on a Train
as Desk Sgt. Brennan
1945
Hitchhike to Happiness
as Sandy Hill
1945
Flame of Barbary Coast
as Wolf Wylie
1945
Lake Placid Serenade
as Jiggers
1944
Going My Way
as Max Dolan (Publisher) (uncredited)
1944
The Fighting Seabees
as Eddie Powers
1944
Whistling in Brooklyn
as Detective Ramsey
1943
Larceny with Music
as Mike Simms
1943
We've Never Been Licked
as Traveling Salesman
1943
Gentleman Jim
as Billy Delaney
1942
1942
Moonlight in Havana
as Barney Crane
1942
Wildcat
as Oliver Westbrook
1942
Give Out, Sisters
as Harrison
1942
It Happened in Flatbush
as Sam Sloan
1942
Roxie Hart
as O'Malley
1942
Treat 'Em Rough
as 'Hotfoot'
1942
Gangs Of The City
as Bang
1941
Blondie in Society
as Waldo Pincus
1941
The Bride Came C.O.D.
as Sheriff McGee
1941
Cracked Nuts
as James Mitchell
1941
Footsteps in the Dark
as Det. 'Hoppy' Hopkins
1941
Six Lessons From Madame La Zonga
as Chauncey Beheegan
1941
One Night in the Tropics
as Roscoe
1940
Sandy Gets Her Man
as Police Chief J. A. O'Hara
1940
Dancing on a Dime
as Mac
1940
The Quarterback
as Coach
1940
Rhythm on the River
as Mr. Westlake
1940
Golden Gloves
as Emory Balzar
1940
Untamed
as Les Woodbury
1940
Those Were the Days!
as Prisoner
1940
Opened by Mistake
as Matt Kingsley
1940
The Farmer's Daughter
as Scoop Trimble
1940
Stop, Look and Love
as Joe Haller
1939
Night Work
as Bruiser Brown
1939
Grand Jury Secrets
as Bright Eyes
1939
Ex-Champ
as Mushy Harrington
1939
Rose of Washington Square
as Harry Long
1939
Persons in Hiding
as Alec Inglis
1939
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
as The 'Duke'
1939
St. Louis Blues
as Major Martingale
1939
Ambush
as Inspector J.L. Weber
1939
Sons of the Legion
as Uncle Willie Lee
1938
Touchdown, Army
as Jack Heffernan
1938
Professor Beware
as Snoop Donlan
1938
Mad About Music
as Dusty Turner
1938
Blossoms On Broadway
as Francis X. Rush
1937
Something to Sing About
as Hank Mayers
1937
Double or Nothing
as John Pederson
1937
High, Wide and Handsome
as Mac
1937
Rose Bowl
as 'Soapy' Moreland
1936
The General Died at Dawn
as Brighton
1936
Three Married Men
as Bill Mullins
1936
The Princess Comes Across
as Benton
1936
F-Man
as Detective Rogan
1936
Desire
as Mr. Gibson
1936
Strike Me Pink
as Mr. Copple
1936
Ship Cafe
as Briney O'Brien
1935
Harmony Lane
as Edwin P. 'Ed' Christy
1935
It's a Great Life
as Lt. McNulty
1935
Welcome Home
as Painless
1935
College Scandal
as Chief of Police Magoun
1935
Alibi Ike
as Cap
1935
Hold 'Em Yale
as Sunshine Joe
1935
Roberta
as Bartender
1935
Car 99
as Training Sgt. Barrel
1935
Here Is My Heart
as James Smith
1934
The Lemon Drop Kid
as William Dunhill aka The Professor
1934
Shoot the Works
as Larry Hale
1934
The Witching Hour
as Jury Foreman
1934
The Crime Doctor
as Fraser
1934
Bolero
as Mike DeBaere
1934
Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen
as Captain Murphy
1934
Moonlight and Pretzels
as Mac
1933
Ventriloquist
as 'Hoak' salesman
1927
Should Husbands Be Watched?
as Beat Cop
1925
Hell and High Water
as Milton J. Bunsey
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William Frawley hasn't worked on any movies or TV shows