William Frawley

Acting · 1.0 popularity

Age

139

Movies

115

Born: February 25, 1887 – March 3, 1966
From: Burlington, Iowa, USA

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.

Works

115 films

Miracle on 34th Street

19477.4

Monsieur Verdoux

19477.7

Desire

19367.0

Touchdown, Army

19387.5

Going My Way

19446.7

Down to Earth

19476.0

The Virginian

19466.2

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

19396.7

Rancho Notorious

19526.5

The Fighting Seabees

19446.2

Good Sam

19486.3

I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now

19477.5

Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye

19506.8

Roxie Hart

19427.0

Ziegfeld Follies

19456.0

The Bride Came C.O.D.

19417.0

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Invisible Man

19516.3

Lady on a Train

19456.7

The Princess Comes Across

19366.2

Gentleman Jim

19427.2

The Inner Circle

19465.7

Double or Nothing

19376.7

One Night in the Tropics

19405.8

Flame of Barbary Coast

19455.5

Rose of Washington Square

19396.7

We've Never Been Licked

19436.5

Roberta

19357.1

Red Light

19495.9

Larceny with Music

19435.3

Hell and High Water

19337.0

The General Died at Dawn

19366.5

It's a Great Life

19359.0

Strike Me Pink

19366.6

Something to Sing About

19376.2

College Scandal

19356.8

My Wild Irish Rose

19476.0

The Lemon Drop Kid

19516.5

Chicken Every Sunday

19496.2

East Side, West Side

19497.1

Persons in Hiding

19393.8

Gangs Of The City

19417.0

Rhubarb

19515.8

The Babe Ruth Story

19486.1

Rhythm on the River

19406.9

Lucille Ball: Finding Lucy

20007.0

Joe Palooka in Winner Take All

19487.5

Cracked Nuts

19417.0

Shoot the Works

19346.7

Bolero

19346.4

It Happened in Flatbush

19425.4

Mother Wore Tights

19475.7

Give Out, Sisters

19426.0

The Witching Hour

19346.5

The Crime Doctor

19343.8

Blondie's Anniversary

19475.9

Blondie's Hero

19506.8

Opened by Mistake

19407.0

Hitchhike to Happiness

19457.0

Ex-Champ

19397.3

Rose Bowl

19367.0

Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven

19485.8

Ship Cafe

19358.0

Mad About Music

19387.0

Footsteps in the Dark

19417.0

Blondie in Society

19416.4

Whistling in Brooklyn

19437.0

Here Is My Heart

19347.3

Golden Gloves

19406.0

High, Wide and Handsome

19376.2

Wildcat

19425.7

The Lady Takes a Sailor

19495.7

Car 99

19357.5

Rendezvous with Annie

19467.0

Pretty Baby

19506.8

Lucy's Really Lost Moments

19566.5

Sons of the Legion

19387.5

The Lemon Drop Kid

19346.3

The Farmer's Daughter

19405.3

Crime Doctor's Man Hunt

19466.6

Kill the Umpire

19506.9

F-Man

19367.0

Professor Beware

19386.0

The Lone Wolf and His Lady

19496.0

St. Louis Blues

19397.3

The Quarterback

194010.0

I Love Lucy Christmas Special

201610.0

Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen

19346.0

Treat 'Em Rough

19428.0

Ambush

19396.0

Alibi Ike

19356.2

Night Work

19398.5

Six Lessons From Madame La Zonga

19415.8

The Yankee Doodler

19425.0

Lake Placid Serenade

194410.0

I Love Lucy: The Movie

19537.7

Untamed

19405.0

Sandy Gets Her Man

19406.5

Those Were the Days!

19408.0

The Girl from Manhattan

19486.3

Safe at Home!

19625.0

Moonlight in Havana

19429.0

Stop, Look and Love

19396.5

Dancing on a Dime

19405.0

Hold 'Em Yale

19357.0

Three Married Men

19368.0

Blossoms On Broadway

19374.8

Harmony Lane

19354.5

Grand Jury Secrets

19397.0

Welcome Home

19359.0

Should Husbands Be Watched?

19258.0

Beautiful Dreamer

1935

Home in San Antone

19497.0

The Dirty Look

19547.0

Moonlight and Pretzels

19339.0

Ventriloquist

1927