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.

Miracle on 34th Street

7.4

Monsieur Verdoux

7.7

I Love Lucy

7.9

Going My Way

6.7

Rancho Notorious

6.5

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Invisible Man

6.4

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

7.4

Gentleman Jim

7.2

Ziegfeld Follies

6.1

The Fighting Seabees

6.2

Lady on a Train

6.5

Desire

6.7

The Lucy Show

7.0

Roberta

7.0

Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye

6.8

My Three Sons

6.5

The Bride Came C.O.D.

7.1

The Lemon Drop Kid

6.6

Roxie Hart

6.9

Down to Earth

6.0

East Side, West Side

7.0

Red Light

5.5

The Ed Sullivan Show

6.6

One Night in the Tropics

5.6

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

6.5

The Virginian

6.1

Good Sam

6.0

The General Died at Dawn

6.2

Flame of Barbary Coast

5.6

The Princess Comes Across

6.1

Something to Sing About

6.2

The Inner Circle

5.2

The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour

8.6

This Is Your Life

6.3

Footsteps in the Dark

6.9

Mother Wore Tights

5.3

Bolero

6.1

The Babe Ruth Story

5.8

Mad About Music

6.9

Rhubarb

5.5

Strike Me Pink

6.6

The Lady Takes a Sailor

4.3

Here Is My Heart

6.8

My Wild Irish Rose

6.0

I Love Lucy: The Movie

7.2

Kill the Umpire

6.3

Blondie in Society

7.4

Blondie's Anniversary

5.6

Double or Nothing

6.6

Letter to Loretta

6.2

Professor Beware

6.1

Crime Doctor's Man Hunt

5.8

Alibi Ike

5.8

Safe at Home!

3.8

Pretty Baby

6.0

It Happened in Flatbush

4.8

Harmony Lane

3.5

Six Lessons From Madame La Zonga

5.0

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

5.3

Blondie's Hero

6.3

Rose of Washington Square

5.7

Whistling in Brooklyn

6.3

The Lone Wolf and His Lady

4.7

Chicken Every Sunday

6.0

The Witching Hour

5.3

Dancing on a Dime

5.0

High, Wide and Handsome

6.3

The Farmer's Daughter

5.0

Untamed

4.3

The Bob Hope Show

7.0

The Crime Doctor

3.5

Rose Bowl

6.0

Rhythm on the River

7.0

Golden Gloves

5.0

Blossoms On Broadway

4.0

College Scandal

5.2

Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven

6.0

Persons in Hiding

3.5

Give Out, Sisters

5.0

Larceny with Music

4.0

Lucy's Really Lost Moments

6.5

The Gale Storm Show

5.5

The Dirty Look

5.0

Shoot the Works

5.0

Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen

5.0

Sons of the Legion

5.0

We've Never Been Licked

0.0

Car 99

5.0

Hitchhike to Happiness

5.0

Wildcat

6.0

Should Husbands Be Watched?

6.0

I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now

5.0

Rendezvous with Annie

6.0

Treat 'Em Rough

6.0

Stop, Look and Love

5.0

Ambush

5.0

Sandy Gets Her Man

4.0

The Yankee Doodler

5.0

Night Work

7.0

Ex-Champ

6.0

Joe Palooka in Winner Take All

6.0

Hold 'Em Yale

7.0

I Love Lucy Christmas Special

10.0

The Girl from Manhattan

5.0

The Ed Wynn Show

7.0

Welcome Home

0.0

Moonlight and Pretzels

0.0

Ventriloquist

0.0

Moonlight in Havana

0.0

Three Married Men

0.0

F-Man

0.0

Cracked Nuts

0.0

Those Were the Days!

0.0

Grand Jury Secrets

0.0

Gangs Of The City

0.0

Hell and High Water

0.0

It's a Great Life

0.0

Touchdown, Army

0.0

The Quarterback

0.0

St. Louis Blues

0.0

Home in San Antone

0.0

Lake Placid Serenade

0.0

Opened by Mistake

0.0

Ship Cafe

0.0

I Love Lucy: In Color

0.0