1887-02-25 Burlington, Iowa, USA
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.
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I Love Lucy Christmas Special | Fred Mertz | 2016-12-02 |
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Lucille Ball: Finding Lucy | Self (archive footage) | 2000-12-03 |
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Safe at Home! | Bill Turner | 1962-04-13 |
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Lucy's Really Lost Moments | Fred Mertz | 1956-01-01 |
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The Dirty Look | 1954-01-01 | |
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I Love Lucy: The Movie | Fred Mertz | 1953-01-01 |
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Rancho Notorious | Baldy Gunder | 1952-04-10 |
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Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Invisible Man | Det. Roberts | 1951-04-12 |
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The Lemon Drop Kid | Gloomy Willie | 1951-04-02 |
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Rhubarb | Len Sickles | 1951-08-29 |
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Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye | Byers | 1950-08-19 |
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Pretty Baby | Corcoran | 1950-09-16 |
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Blondie's Hero | Marty Greer | 1950-03-09 |
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Kill the Umpire | Jimmy O'Brien | 1950-04-27 |
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The Lady Takes a Sailor | Oliver Harker | 1949-12-16 |
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Chicken Every Sunday | George Kirby | 1949-01-18 |
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The Lone Wolf and His Lady | Inspector Crane | 1949-08-11 |
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East Side, West Side | Bill the Bartender | 1949-12-22 |
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Home in San Antone | O'Fleery | 1949-04-14 |
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Red Light | Hotel Night Clerk | 1949-09-30 |
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Good Sam | Tom | 1948-09-01 |
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Joe Palooka in Winner Take All | Knobby Walsh | 1948-09-19 |
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Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven | Agent | 1948-07-16 |
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The Babe Ruth Story | Jack Dunn | 1948-09-16 |
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The Girl from Manhattan | Mr. Bernouti | 1948-10-01 |
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Monsieur Verdoux | Jean La Salle | 1947-09-26 |
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Blondie's Anniversary | Sharkey the Loen Shark | 1947-12-18 |
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Mother Wore Tights | Mr. Schneider | 1947-08-20 |
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I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now | Jim Mason | 1947-07-31 |
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Miracle on 34th Street | Charlie Halloran | 1947-06-04 |
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My Wild Irish Rose | William Scanlon | 1947-12-24 |
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Down to Earth | Police Lieutenant | 1947-08-21 |
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The Virginian | Honey Wiggen | 1946-05-05 |
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The Inner Circle | Det. Lt. Webb | 1946-08-07 |
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Crime Doctor's Man Hunt | Police Inspector Harry B. Manning | 1946-10-24 |
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Rendezvous with Annie | General Trent | 1946-07-22 |
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Hitchhike to Happiness | Sandy Hill | 1945-07-16 |
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Ziegfeld Follies | Martin (segment "A Sweepstakes Ticket") | 1945-08-26 |
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Lady on a Train | Desk Sgt. Brennan | 1945-08-03 |
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Flame of Barbary Coast | Wolf Wylie | 1945-05-28 |
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Lake Placid Serenade | Jiggers | 1944-12-23 |
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The Fighting Seabees | Eddie Powers | 1944-01-27 |
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Going My Way | Max Dolan, Publisher (uncredited) | 1944-01-01 |
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Whistling in Brooklyn | Detective Ramsey | 1943-12-01 |
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We've Never Been Licked | Traveling Salesman | 1943-07-29 |
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Larceny with Music | Mike Simms | 1943-09-10 |
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Give Out, Sisters | Harrison | 1942-09-01 |
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Wildcat | Oliver Westbrook | 1942-09-03 |
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Roxie Hart | O'Malley | 1942-02-20 |
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Moonlight in Havana | Barney Crane | 1942-10-16 |
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Treat 'Em Rough | 'Hotfoot' | 1942-01-30 |
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The Yankee Doodler | 1942-11-08 | |
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Gentleman Jim | Billy Delaney | 1942-11-14 |
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It Happened in Flatbush | Sam Sloan | 1942-05-28 |
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The Bride Came C.O.D. | Sheriff McGee | 1941-07-12 |
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Footsteps in the Dark | Det. 'Hoppy' Hopkins | 1941-03-08 |
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Six Lessons From Madame La Zonga | Chauncey Beheegan | 1941-01-17 |
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Gangs Of The City | Bang | 1941-10-30 |
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Cracked Nuts | James Mitchell | 1941-07-02 |
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Blondie in Society | Waldo Pincus | 1941-07-17 |
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Opened by Mistake | Matt Kingsley | 1940-05-10 |
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Sandy Gets Her Man | Police Chief J. A. O'Hara | 1940-11-08 |
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The Quarterback | Coach | 1940-10-15 |
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The Farmer's Daughter | Scoop Trimble | 1940-03-29 |
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Those Were the Days! | Prisoner | 1940-07-14 |
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Untamed | Les Woodbury | 1940-07-24 |
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Dancing on a Dime | Mac | 1940-11-01 |
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One Night in the Tropics | Roscoe | 1940-11-15 |
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Rhythm on the River | Mr. Westlake | 1940-08-28 |
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Golden Gloves | Emory Balzar | 1940-08-02 |
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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn | The 'Duke' | 1939-02-10 |
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Ambush | Inspector J.L. Weber | 1939-01-20 |
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Persons in Hiding | Alec Inglis | 1939-02-10 |
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Stop, Look and Love | Joe Haller | 1939-09-22 |
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St. Louis Blues | Major Martingale | 1939-02-03 |
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Rose of Washington Square | Harry Long | 1939-05-05 |
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Ex-Champ | Mushy Harrington | 1939-05-11 |
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Grand Jury Secrets | Bright Eyes | 1939-06-23 |
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Night Work | Bruiser Brown | 1939-08-04 |
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Touchdown, Army | Jack Heffernan | 1938-08-04 |
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Professor Beware | Snoop Donlan | 1938-07-29 |
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Sons of the Legion | Uncle Willie Lee | 1938-09-18 |
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Mad About Music | Dusty Turner | 1938-02-27 |
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High, Wide and Handsome | Mac | 1937-07-21 |
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Blossoms On Broadway | Francis X. Rush | 1937-11-19 |
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Double or Nothing | John Pederson | 1937-09-17 |
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Something to Sing About | Hank Mayers | 1937-09-30 |
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The General Died at Dawn | Brighton | 1936-11-17 |
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The Princess Comes Across | Benton | 1936-05-22 |
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Rose Bowl | 'Soapy' Moreland | 1936-11-30 |
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Desire | Mr. Gibson | 1936-04-11 |
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Strike Me Pink | Mr. Copple | 1936-01-24 |
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F-Man | Detective Rogan | 1936-05-02 |
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Three Married Men | Bill Mullins | 1936-09-24 |
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Car 99 | Training Sgt. Barrel | 1935-03-02 |
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College Scandal | Chief of Police Magoun | 1935-06-21 |
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Alibi Ike | Cap | 1935-06-15 |
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Hold 'Em Yale | Sunshine Joe | 1935-04-27 |
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Welcome Home | Painless | 1935-08-09 |
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Beautiful Dreamer | 1935-12-12 | |
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Roberta | Bartender | 1935-03-07 |
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Harmony Lane | Edwin P. 'Ed' Christy | 1935-10-22 |
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Ship Cafe | Briney O'Brien | 1935-11-09 |
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It's a Great Life | Lt. McNulty | 1935-10-04 |
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The Crime Doctor | Fraser | 1934-03-14 |
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Bolero | Mike DeBaere | 1934-02-23 |
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Here Is My Heart | James Smith | 1934-12-28 |
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The Witching Hour | Jury Foreman | 1934-04-26 |
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The Lemon Drop Kid | William Dunhill aka The Professor | 1934-09-27 |
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Shoot the Works | Larry Hale | 1934-07-18 |
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Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen | Captain Murphy | 1934-01-12 |
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Hell and High Water | Milton J. Bunsey | 1933-12-16 |
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Moonlight and Pretzels | Mac | 1933-08-01 |
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Ventriloquist | 'Hoak' salesman | 1927-01-01 |
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Should Husbands Be Watched? | Beat Cop | 1925-03-14 |
