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