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IMDbPro

William Frawley(1887-1966)

  • Actor
  • Soundtrack
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
William Frawley and Vivian Vance in I Love Lucy (1951)
A collection of five uncut, full-length colorized episodes on Lucille Ball's 'I Love Lucy'.
Play trailer0:31
I Love Lucy: A Colorized Celebration (2019)
5 Videos
99+ Photos
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.
BornFebruary 26, 1887
DiedMarch 3, 1966(79)
BornFebruary 26, 1887
DiedMarch 3, 1966(79)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • Nominated for 5 Primetime Emmys
    • 1 win & 6 nominations total

Photos136

Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, and William Frawley in Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951)
Ralph Dunn, William Frawley, and Paul Maxey in Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951)
Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, and William Frawley in Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951)
Fanny Brice and William Frawley in Ziegfeld Follies (1945)
Hume Cronyn, Fanny Brice, and William Frawley in Ziegfeld Follies (1945)
William Frawley, Frank McHugh, George McKay, and Jack Norton in Going My Way (1944)
William Frawley, George McKay, and Jack Norton in Going My Way (1944)
Desi Arnaz, Lucille Ball, William Frawley, and Vivian Vance in I Love Lucy (1951)
William Frawley and Jack Haley in F-Man (1936)
Mickey Rooney, Clara Blandick, Lynne Carver, Walter Connolly, William Frawley, Elisabeth Risdon, and Jo Ann Sayers in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1939)
Alan Hale and William Frawley in Footsteps in the Dark (1941)
William Bendix, William Frawley, and Eric Bergman in Kill the Umpire (1950)

Known for

Lucille Ball in I Love Lucy (1951)
I Love Lucy
8.5
TV Series
  • Fred Mertz
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Miracle on 34th Street
7.9
  • Charlie Halloran
  • 1947
James Cagney and Bette Davis in The Bride Came C.O.D. (1941)
The Bride Came C.O.D.
6.9
  • Sheriff McGee
  • 1941
Tim Considine, William Frawley, Don Grady, Stanley Livingston, and Fred MacMurray in My Three Sons (1960)
My Three Sons
7.1
TV Series
  • Michael Francis 'Bub' O'Casey
  • Bub

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Actor

  • The Lucy Show (1962)
    The Lucy Show
    • The Trainer (as Bill Frawley)
    • TV Series
    • 1965
  • Tim Considine, William Frawley, Don Grady, Stanley Livingston, and Fred MacMurray in My Three Sons (1960)
    My Three Sons
    • Michael Francis 'Bub' O'Casey
    • Bub
    • TV Series
    • 1960–1965
  • Robert Cummings and Julie Newmar in My Living Doll (1964)
    My Living Doll
    • Det. Gladwin
    • TV Series
    • 1964
  • Summer Playhouse
    • Cameo
    • TV Series
    • 1964
  • Safe at Home! (1962)
    Safe at Home!
    • Bill Turner
    • 1962
  • The Big Step
    • Lost Husband
    • 1961
  • No Place Like Home
    • TV Movie
    • 1960
  • The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour (1957)
    The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour
    • Fred Mertz
    • TV Series
    • 1957–1960
  • The Gale Storm Show: Oh! Susanna (1956)
    The Gale Storm Show: Oh! Susanna
    • Jim Comstock
    • TV Series
    • 1959
  • Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (1958)
    Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
    • Joe Grady
    • TV Series
    • 1959
  • Red Skelton in The Red Skelton Hour (1951)
    The Red Skelton Hour
    • Mr. Thomas
    • TV Series
    • 1958
  • Lucille Ball in I Love Lucy (1951)
    I Love Lucy
    • Fred Mertz
    • TV Series
    • 1951–1957
  • Lucy's Really Lost Moments (1956)
    Lucy's Really Lost Moments
    • 1956
  • John Bromfield and Maxie Rosenbloom in Damon Runyon Theater (1955)
    Damon Runyon Theater
    • Fatso Zimpf
    • TV Series
    • 1955
  • Shower of Stars (1954)
    Shower of Stars
    • Gabby Mullins
    • TV Series
    • 1955

Soundtrack

  • I Love Lucy's 50th Anniversary Special (2001)
    I Love Lucy's 50th Anniversary Special
    • performer: "Carolina in the Morning" (uncredited)
    • TV Special
    • 2001
  • The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show (1956)
    The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show
    • performer: "Song and Dance Man", "Carolina in the Morning" (uncredited)
    • TV Series
    • 1957
  • Lucille Ball in I Love Lucy (1951)
    I Love Lucy
    • performer: "Mademoiselle from Armentières"
    • performer: "California, Here I Come"
    • performer: "Oh By Jingo!" ...
    • TV Series
    • 1951–1956
  • Ed Sullivan in The Ed Sullivan Show (1948)
    The Ed Sullivan Show
    • performer: "Hullabaloo"
    • TV Series
    • 1954
  • Gary Cooper and Ann Sheridan in Good Sam (1948)
    Good Sam
    • performer: "There's No Place Like Home (Home, Sweet Home)" (uncredited)
    • 1948
  • John Wayne and Susan Hayward in The Fighting Seabees (1944)
    The Fighting Seabees
    • performer: "Ireland Must Be Heaven, for My Mother Came from There" (uncredited)
    • 1944
  • Randolph Scott, Irene Dunne, and Dorothy Lamour in High, Wide and Handsome (1937)
    High, Wide and Handsome
    • performer: "Will You Marry Me Tomorrow, Maria ?"
    • 1937
  • Ship Cafe (1935)
    Ship Cafe
    • performer: "I Won't Take No for an Answer"
    • 1935
  • Adrienne Ames, Douglass Montgomery, and Evelyn Venable in Harmony Lane (1935)
    Harmony Lane
    • performer: "The Old Folks at Home", "Why No One to Love"
    • 1935
  • William Frawley in Fancy That (1929)
    Fancy That
    • performer: "Dearest One"
    • Short
    • 1929

Videos5

Lucille Ball's Lasting Legacy & Her Biopic Details
Clip 4:15
Lucille Ball's Lasting Legacy & Her Biopic Details
Trailer
Trailer 0:31
Trailer
Gentleman Jim
Trailer 1:44
Gentleman Jim
I Love Lucy: The Complete Series
Trailer 1:18
I Love Lucy: The Complete Series
I Love Lucy
Trailer 2:30
I Love Lucy

Personal details

Edit
  • Alternative name
    • Bill Frawley
  • Height
    • 5′ 9″ (1.75 m)
  • Born
    • February 26, 1887
    • Burlington, Iowa, USA
  • Died
    • March 3, 1966
    • Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA(heart attack)
  • Spouse
    • Edna FrawleyNovember 1, 1914 - 1927 (divorced)
  • Parents
      Michael Arthur Frawley
  • Other works
    Unsold pilot: Co-starred w/Eddie Foy Jr. and Florence Halop in a pilot for a sitcom to be called "Fit as a FIddle", about a dance academy.
  • Publicity listings
    • 1 Print Biography
    • 3 Portrayals
    • 6 Articles

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    When he died in 1966, his gross estate totaled $92,446, and his assets were on track to grow after he died. He had a residual deal for I Love Lucy (1951) which was unique to performers of the day: he was to be paid in perpetuity. His estate and heirs were paid for decades for rerun revenues.
  • Quotes
    To tell you the truth, I don't give much thought to television as a field of endeavor. It's a place - an art let's call it - where I'm making a livelihood. If something happens to television, I'll tend bar, something I enjoy doing.
  • Trademarks
      Played numerous sarcastic characters throughout his career.
  • Nickname
    • Bill
  • Salaries
      I Love Lucy
      (1951)
      $450 weekly (1951)

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