William Frawley
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- 25 February 1887 · Burlington, Iowa, USA
- Died
- 3 March 1966
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 116
- 2016I Love Lucy Christmas Special as Fred Mertz
- 2000Lucille Ball: Finding Lucy as Self (archive footage)
- 1962Safe at Home! as Bill Turner
- 1956Lucy's Really Lost Moments as Fred Mertz
- 1954The Dirty Look
- 1953I Love Lucy: The Movie as Fred Mertz / Self
- 1952Rancho Notorious as Baldy Gunder
- 1951Rhubarb as Len Sickles
- 1951The Lemon Drop Kid as Gloomy Willie
- 1951Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Invisible Man as Det. Roberts
- 1950Pretty Baby as Corcoran
- 1950Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye as Byers
- 1950Kill the Umpire as Jimmy O'Brien
- 1950Blondie's Hero as Marty Greer
- 1949East Side, West Side as Bill the Bartender
- 1949The Lady Takes a Sailor as Oliver Harker
- 1949Red Light as Hotel Night Clerk
- 1949The Lone Wolf and His Lady as Inspector Crane
- 1949Home in San Antone as O'Fleery
- 1949Chicken Every Sunday as George Kirby
- 1948The Girl from Manhattan as Mr. Bernouti
- 1948Joe Palooka in Winner Take All as Knobby Walsh
- 1948The Babe Ruth Story as Jack Dunn
- 1948Good Sam as Tom
- 1948Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven as Agent
- 1947My Wild Irish Rose as William Scanlon
- 1947Blondie's Anniversary as Sharkey the Loen Shark
- 1947Monsieur Verdoux as Jean La Salle
- 1947Down to Earth as Police Lieutenant
- 1947Mother Wore Tights as Mr. Schneider
- 1947I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now as Jim Mason
- 1947Miracle on 34th Street as Charlie Halloran
- 1946Crime Doctor's Man Hunt as Police Inspector Harry B. Manning
- 1946The Inner Circle as Det. Lt. Webb
- 1946Rendezvous with Annie as General Trent
- 1946The Virginian as Honey Wiggen
- 1945Ziegfeld Follies as Martin (segment "A Sweepstakes Ticket")
- 1945Lady on a Train as Desk Sgt. Brennan
- 1945Hitchhike to Happiness as Sandy Hill
- 1945Flame of Barbary Coast as Wolf Wylie
- 1944Lake Placid Serenade as Jiggers
- 1944The Fighting Seabees as Eddie Powers
- 1944Going My Way as Max Dolan, Publisher (uncredited)
- 1943Whistling in Brooklyn as Detective Ramsey
- 1943Larceny with Music as Mike Simms
- 1943We've Never Been Licked as Traveling Salesman
- 1942Gentleman Jim as Billy Delaney
- 1942The Yankee Doodler
- 1942Moonlight in Havana as Barney Crane
- 1942Wildcat as Oliver Westbrook
- 1942Give Out, Sisters as Harrison
- 1942It Happened in Flatbush as Sam Sloan
- 1942Roxie Hart as O'Malley
- 1942Treat 'Em Rough as 'Hotfoot'
- 1941Gangs Of The City as Bang
- 1941Blondie in Society as Waldo Pincus
- 1941The Bride Came C.O.D. as Sheriff McGee
- 1941Cracked Nuts as James Mitchell
- 1941Footsteps in the Dark as Det. 'Hoppy' Hopkins
- 1941Six Lessons From Madame La Zonga as Chauncey Beheegan
- 1940One Night in the Tropics as Roscoe
- 1940Sandy Gets Her Man as Police Chief J. A. O'Hara
- 1940Dancing on a Dime as Mac
- 1940The Quarterback as Coach
- 1940Rhythm on the River as Mr. Westlake
- 1940Golden Gloves as Emory Balzar
- 1940Untamed as Les Woodbury
- 1940Those Were the Days! as Prisoner
- 1940Opened by Mistake as Matt Kingsley
- 1940The Farmer's Daughter as Scoop Trimble
- 1939Stop, Look and Love as Joe Haller
- 1939Night Work as Bruiser Brown
- 1939Grand Jury Secrets as Bright Eyes
- 1939Ex-Champ as Mushy Harrington
- 1939Rose of Washington Square as Harry Long
- 1939The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as The 'Duke'
- 1939Persons in Hiding as Alec Inglis
- 1939St. Louis Blues as Major Martingale
- 1939Ambush as Inspector J.L. Weber
- 1938Sons of the Legion as Uncle Willie Lee
- 1938Touchdown, Army as Jack Heffernan
- 1938Professor Beware as Snoop Donlan
- 1938Mad About Music as Dusty Turner
- 1937Blossoms On Broadway as Francis X. Rush
- 1937Something to Sing About as Hank Mayers
- 1937Double or Nothing as John Pederson
- 1937High, Wide and Handsome as Mac
- 1936Rose Bowl as 'Soapy' Moreland
- 1936The General Died at Dawn as Brighton
- 1936Three Married Men as Bill Mullins
- 1936Three Cheers for Love as Milton Shakespeare
- 1936The Princess Comes Across as Benton
- 1936F-Man as Detective Rogan
- 1936Desire as Mr. Gibson
- 1936Strike Me Pink as Mr. Copple
- 1935Beautiful Dreamer
- 1935Ship Cafe as Briney O'Brien
- 1935Harmony Lane as Edwin P. 'Ed' Christy
- 1935It's a Great Life as Lt. McNulty
- 1935Welcome Home as Painless
- 1935College Scandal as Chief of Police Magoun
- 1935Alibi Ike as Cap
- 1935Hold 'Em Yale as Sunshine Joe
- 1935Roberta as Bartender (uncredited)
- 1935Car 99 as Training Sgt. Barrel
- 1934Here Is My Heart as James Smith
- 1934The Lemon Drop Kid as William Dunhill aka The Professor
- 1934Shoot the Works as Larry Hale
- 1934The Witching Hour as Jury Foreman
- 1934The Crime Doctor as Fraser
- 1934Bolero as Mike DeBaere
- 1934Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen as Captain Murphy
- 1933Hell and High Water as Milton J. Bunsey
- 1933Moonlight and Pretzels as Mac
- 1927Ventriloquist as 'Hoak' salesman
- 1925Should Husbands Be Watched? as Beat Cop