William Frawley
114 movies · 7 TV shows
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- Feb 25, 1887
- Died
- Mar 3, 1966 (age 79)
- Place of birth
- Burlington, Iowa, USA
- 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.
Profiles IMDb
Known for
-
★ 7.4 Miracle on 34th Street
1947 · Film
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★ 7.7 Monsieur Verdoux
1947 · Film
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★ 7.9 I Love Lucy
1951 · TV
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★ 6.7 Going My Way
1944 · Film
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★ 6.5 Rancho Notorious
1952 · Film
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★ 6.3 Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Invisible Man
1951 · Film
-
★ 7.2 Gentleman Jim
1942 · Film
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★ 6.2 The Fighting Seabees
1944 · Film
William Frawley: movies and TV shows
Acting (121)
- 2016 I Love Lucy Christmas Special
as Fred Mertz
- 1962
- 1962 Safe at Home!
as Bill Turner
- 1960
- 1958
- 1957
- 1956
- 1956 Lucy's Really Lost Moments
as Fred Mertz
- 1954
- 1953
- 1952 Rancho Notorious
as Baldy Gunder
- 1951
- 1951 Rhubarb
as Len Sickles
- 1951 The Lemon Drop Kid
as Gloomy Willie
- 1951 Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Invisible Man
as Det. Roberts
- 1950 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
- 1949 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
- 1948 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
- 1947 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
- 1946 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
- 1945 Ziegfeld Follies
as 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
- 1944 Lake Placid Serenade
as Jiggers
- 1944 The Fighting Seabees
as Eddie Powers
- 1944 Going My Way
as Max Dolan, Publisher (uncredited)
- 1943 Whistling in Brooklyn
as Detective Ramsey
- 1943 Larceny with Music
as Mike Simms
- 1943 We've Never Been Licked
as Traveling Salesman
- 1942 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'
- 1941 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
- 1940 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
- 1939 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 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
as The 'Duke'
- 1939 Persons in Hiding
as Alec Inglis
- 1939 St. Louis Blues
as Major Martingale
- 1939 Ambush
as Inspector J.L. Weber
- 1938 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
- 1937 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
- 1936 Rose Bowl
as 'Soapy' Moreland
- 1936 The General Died at Dawn
as Brighton
- 1936 Three Married Men
as Bill Mullins
- 1936 Three Cheers for Love
as Milton Shakespeare
- 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
- 1935
- 1935 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 (uncredited)
- 1935 Car 99
as Training Sgt. Barrel
- 1934 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
- 1933 Hell and High Water
as Milton J. Bunsey
- 1933 Moonlight and Pretzels
as Mac
- 1927 Ventriloquist
as 'Hoak' salesman
- 1925 Should Husbands Be Watched?
as Beat Cop
Talk shows and appearances (7)
- 2000
- 1962 The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1 episode
- 1953
- 1952 This Is Your Life
1 episode
- 1950 The Bob Hope Show
1 episode
- 1949 The Ed Wynn Show
1 episode
- 1948 The Ed Sullivan Show
1 episode