William Frawley
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.
Acted in
I Love Lucy Christmas Special
2016
The Lucy Show
1962
as Trainer
Safe at Home!
1962
as Bill Turner
My Three Sons
1960
as Bub O'Casey
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
1958
The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour
1957
as Fred Mertz
The Gale Storm Show
1956
as Jim Comstock
Lucy's Really Lost Moments
1956
as Fred Mertz
The Dirty Look
1954
Letter to Loretta
1953
as Sam
I Love Lucy: The Movie
1953
as Fred Mertz
This Is Your Life
1952
as Self
Rancho Notorious
1952
as Baldy Gunder
I Love Lucy
1951
as Fred Mertz
Rhubarb
1951
as Len Sickles
Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man
1951
as Det. Roberts
The Lemon Drop Kid
1951
as Gloomy Willie
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
The Ed Wynn Show
1949
as Self
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
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
1942
as 'Hotfoot'
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
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
1939
as The 'Duke'
Persons in Hiding
1939
as Alec Inglis
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
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
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
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
1933
as Milton J. Bunsey
Moonlight and Pretzels
1933
as Mac
Ventriloquist
1927
as 'Hoak' salesman
Should Husbands Be Watched?
1925
as Beat Cop