WILIAM FRAWLEY
Information From IMDb
Date of birth
26 February 1887
Burlington, Iowa, USA
Date of death
3 March 1966
Hollywood, California, USA. (heart attack)
Birth name
William Clement Frawley
Nickname
Bill
Height
5' 5" (1.65 m)
Spouse
Edna Louise Broedt (1914 - 1927) (divorced)
Trivia
Interred at San Fernando Mission Cemetery, Mission Hills, California, USA.
Never felt comfortable with the out-of-sequence filming method used on "My Three Sons" after doing "I Love Lucy" in sequence for years.
Both he and Vivian Vance had nothing but contempt for each other during the run of "I Love Lucy", which is probably what filtered into their TV characters and made them work so beautifully. The two co-stars were given the opportunity to move into their own "Fred and Ethel" spin-off once "Lucy" had run its course in 1959. Despite his animosity towards her, Frawley saw a lucrative opportunity and was quite game, but Ms. Vance nixed the idea, having no interest in ever working with Frawley again. Vance got her own series "Guestward Ho!", which failed. Frawley hit it big as Bub on "My Three Sons".
Possessed of a fine singing voice in his younger days, it was supposedly Frawley, not Al Jolson, who introduced the song "My Mammy" to vaudeville audiences.
By almost all accounts, Frawley's off-screen personality was not all that much different from his on-screen one. A notorious misanthrope, with one brief failed marriage behind him and a fondness for the bottle, he lived in the same spare bachelor apartment for most of his years in Hollywood.
When hiring Frawley for the role of Fred Mertz on "I Love Lucy," Desi Arnaz made it clear to him that, if he showed up drunk for work more than once, he would not only be fired from the program but blacklisted throughout the entertainment industry. Frawley, whom no one would hire at that point because of a combination of his general disposition and fondness for the bottle, readily agreed. He never showed up drunk on the set at all, and, in fact, Arnaz became one of his very few close friends. When Frawley died, Arnaz took out a full-page ad in the trade papers, consisting of Frawley's picture, edged in black, and three words: "Buenos noches, amigo!"
Despite the fact that they played husband and wife on _"I Love Lucy" (1951)_ , Frawley and Vivian Vance disliked each other intensely. Part of it was the real life age difference between the two (Frawley was twenty-two years Vance's senior), but essentially, it was a clash of two driving, strong personalities. Vance and her second husband were dining out when they heard Frawley had died. Upon receiving the news, Vance reportedly shouted, "Champagne for everybody!"
Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith, pg. 168-169. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387
Fired from 'She's My Baby' (1928) for punching Clifton Webb in the nose.
Best remembered as Ricky and Lucy's landlord and friend, Fred Mertz, from "I Love Lucy".
Mini biography
William Frawley was born in Burlington, Iowa. As a boy he sang at St. Pauls' 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. After four years, in 1914 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, 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." Poor health forced his retirement. He collapsed of a heart attack on March 3, 1966, aged seventy-nine, walking along Hollywood Boulevard after seeing a movie. He is buried in San Fernando Mission Cemetary.
IMDb mini-biography by Ed Stephan
Mini Biography-2
from Leonard Maltin's Movie Encyclopedia:
Burly, balding, and gravel-voiced, this one-time vaudevillian is best known for playing Fred Mertz, landlord to Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz in the legendary 1950s sitcom "I Love Lucy," but he was also a prolific character actor who appeared in more than 150 feature films from 1931 through 1962, usually but not always in comedic roles. He went on to play the peculiar role of "Bub," houseboy to Fred MacMurray in the pop ular 1960s sitcom "My Three Sons," until his death.
Copyright © 1994 Leonard Maltin, used by arrangement with Signet, a division of Penguin Putnam, Inc.
Filmography
Actor
1. "The Lucy Show"
... aka The Lucille Ball Show (USA: first title)
- Lucy and the Countess Have a Horse Guest (1965) TV Episode .... Maintenance Man
2. "My Living Doll"
- Doctor Is In (1964) TV Episode .... Detective Gladwin
3. "Summer Playhouse"
- The Apartment House (1964) TV Episode .... Cameo
4. Safe at Home! (1962) .... Bill Turner
5. "My Three Sons" (1960) TV Series .... Michael Francis "Bub" O'Casey (1960-1965)
6. No Place Like Home (1960) (TV)
7. "The Gale Storm Show"
... aka Oh! Susanna
- The Card Shark (1959) TV Episode .... Jim Comstock
8. "Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse"
... aka Desilu Playhouse
- Lucy's Summer Vacation (1959) TV Episode .... Fred Mertz
- Lucy Wants a Career (1959) TV Episode .... Fred Mertz
- The Comeback (1959) TV Episode .... Joe Grady
- Lucy Makes Room for Danny (1958) TV Episode .... Fred Mertz
- Lucy Goes to Mexico (1958) TV Episode .... Fred Mertz
9. "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour" (1957) TV Series .... Fred Mertz
... aka The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show
... aka We Love Lucy (USA: syndication title)
10. I Love Lucy Christmas Show (1956) (TV) .... Fred Mertz
11. "Damon Runyon Theater"
- Bunny on the Beach (1955) TV Episode
12. "Shower of Stars"
... aka Chrysler Shower of Stars
- High Pitch (1955) TV Episode
13. "Letter to Loretta"
... aka The Loretta Young Show (USA: new title)
... aka The Loretta Young Theatre (USA: rerun title)
- Dear Madge (1954) TV Episode .... Sam
14. The Dirty Look (1954)
15. "I Love Lucy" .... Fred Mertz
... aka Lucy in Connecticut (USA: rerun title)
... aka The Lucy Show (USA: rerun title)
... aka The Sunday Lucy Show (USA: rerun title)
... aka The Top Ten Lucy Show (USA: rerun title)
- Sales Resistance (1953) TV Episode .... Fred Mertz
- Lucy Does a TV Commercial (1952) TV Episode .... Fred Mertz
16. I Love Lucy (1953) .... Fred Mertz/Himself
17. Rancho Notorious (1952) .... Baldy Gunder
18. Rhubarb (1951) .... Len Sickles
19. The Lemon Drop Kid (1951) .... Gloomy Willie
20. Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951) .... Det. Roberts
... aka Meet the Invisible Man
21. Pretty Baby (1950) .... Corcoran
22. Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (1950) .... Byers
23. "The Silver Theater"
- The First Hundred Years (1950) TV Episode
- Papa Romani (1950) TV Episode
24. Kill the Umpire (1950) .... Jimmy O'Brien
25. Blondie's Hero (1950) .... Marty Greer
26. East Side, West Side (1949) .... Bill the Bartender
27. The Lady Takes a Sailor (1949) .... Oliver Harker
28. Red Light (1949) .... Hotel Clerk
29. Home in San Antone (1949) .... O'Fleery
... aka Harmony Inn (UK)
30. "Your Show Time"
- The Lady or the Tiger (1949) TV Episode
31. The Lone Wolf and His Lady (1949) .... Inspector J.D. Crane
32. Chicken Every Sunday (1949) .... George Kirby
33. The Girl from Manhattan (1948) .... Mr. Bernouti
34. Joe Palooka in Winner Take All (1948) .... Knobby Walsh
... aka Winner Take All (UK)
35. The Babe Ruth Story (1948) .... Jack Dunn
36. Good Sam (1948) .... Tom Moore
37. Texas, Brooklyn and Heaven (1948) .... Agent
... aka The Girl from Texas (UK)
38. My Wild Irish Rose (1947) .... William Scanlon
39. Blondie's Anniversary (1947) .... Sharkey, the Loan Shark
40. Down to Earth (1947) .... Police Lieutenant
41. Mother Wore Tights (1947) .... Mr. Schneider
42. I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now (1947) .... Jim Mason
43. Miracle on 34th Street (1947) .... Charlie Halloran
... aka The Big Heart (UK)
44. Monsieur Verdoux (1947) .... Jean La Salle
45. Hit Parade of 1947 (1947) .... Harry Holmes
... aka High and Happy (USA: TV title)
46. Crime Doctor's Man Hunt (1946) .... Police Inspector Harry B. Manning
47. The Inner Circle (1946) .... Det. Lt. Webb
48. Rendezvous with Annie (1946) .... Gen. Trent
... aka Corporal Dolan AWOL (UK)
... aka Corporal Dolan Goes A.W.O.L. (USA: reissue title)
49. The Virginian (1946) .... Honey Wiggen
50. Ziegfeld Follies (1946) .... Mr. Martin
51. Lady on a Train (1945) .... Desk Sgt. Brennan
52. Hitchhike to Happiness (1945) .... Sandy Hill
53. Flame of Barbary Coast (1945) .... Wolf Wylie
... aka Flame of the Barbary Coast (UK)
54. Lake Placid Serenade (1944) .... Jiggers
... aka Winter Serenade (USA: reissue title)
55. Minstrel Man (1944)
56. Going My Way (1944) (uncredited) .... Max, the Publisher
57. The Fighting Seabees (1944) .... Eddie Powers
... aka Donovan's Army
58. Whistling in Brooklyn (1943) .... Det. Ramsey
59. Larceny with Music (1943) .... Mike Simms
60. We've Never Been Licked (1943) .... Traveling Salesman
... aka Fighting Command (USA: reissue title)
... aka Texas to Tokyo (UK)
61. Gentleman Jim (1942) .... Billy Delaney
62. Moonlight in Havana (1942) .... Barney Crane
63. Wildcat (1942) .... Oliver Westbrook
64. Give Out, Sisters (1942) .... Harrison
65. It Happened in Flatbush (1942) .... Sam Sloan
66. Roxie Hart (1942) .... O'Malley
67. Treat 'Em Rough (1942) .... Hotfoot
68. Public Enemies (1941) .... Bang
... aka Gangs of the City (USA: reissue title (TV title))
69. Cracked Nuts (1941) .... James Mitchell
70. The Bride Came C.O.D. (1941) .... Sheriff McGee
71. Blondie in Society (1941) .... Waldo Pincus
... aka Henpecked (UK)
72. Footsteps in the Dark (1941) .... Det. 'Hoppy' Hopkins
73. Six Lessons from Madame La Zonga (1941) .... Beheegan
74. Sandy Gets Her Man (1940) .... Police Chief J. A. O'Hara
75. Dancing on a Dime (1940) .... Mac
76. One Night in the Tropics (1940) .... Roscoe
77. The Quarterback (1940) .... Coach
78. Rhythm on the River (1940) .... Mr. Westlake
79. Golden Gloves (1940) .... Emory Balzar
80. Untamed (1940) .... Les Woodbury
81. Those Were the Days! (1940) (uncredited) .... Prisoner
... aka At Good Old Siwash
... aka Good Old Schooldays (UK)
82. Opened by Mistake (1940) .... Matt Kingsley
83. The Farmer's Daughter (1940) .... Scoop Trimble
84. Stop, Look and Love (1939) .... Joe Haller
85. Night Work (1939) .... Bruiser Brown, the Family Friend
86. Grand Jury Secrets (1939) .... Bright Eyes
87. Ex-Champ (1939) .... Mushy Harrington
... aka Golden Gloves (UK)
88. Rose of Washington Square (1939) .... Harry Long
89. Persons in Hiding (1939) .... Alec Inglis
90. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1939) .... The 'Duke'
... aka Huckleberry Finn (USA: TV title)
91. St. Louis Blues (1939) .... Maj. Martingale
... aka Best of the Blues
92. Ambush (1939) .... Inspector J.L. Weber
93. Touchdown, Army (1938) .... Jack Heffernan
... aka Generals of Tomorrow (UK)
94. Sons of the Legion (1938) .... Uncle Willie Lee
95. Professor Beware (1938) .... Snoop Donlan
96. Mad About Music (1938) .... Dusty Turner
97. Blossoms on Broadway (1937) .... Frances X. Rush
98. Something to Sing About (1937) .... Hank Meyers
... aka Battling Hoofer (USA: recut version)
99. Double or Nothing (1937) .... John Pederson
100. High, Wide, and Handsome (1937) .... Mac
101. Rose Bowl (1936) .... Soapy Moreland
... aka O'Riley's Luck (UK)
102. The General Died at Dawn (1936) .... Brighton
103. Three Cheers for Love (1936) .... Milton Shakespeare
104. The Princess Comes Across (1936) .... Benton
105. F-Man (1936) .... Detective Rogan
106. Desire (1936) .... Mr. Gibson
... aka The Pearl Necklace
107. Strike Me Pink (1936) .... Mr. Copple
108. Three Married Men (1936) .... Bill Mullins
109. Ship Cafe (1935) .... Briney O'Brien
110. Harmony Lane (1935) .... E.P. 'Ed' Christy
111. It's a Great Life (1935) .... Lt. McNulty
112. Welcome Home (1935) .... Painless
113. College Scandal (1935) .... Chief of Police Magoun
... aka The Clock Strikes 8 (UK)
114. Alibi Ike (1935) .... Cap
115. Hold 'Em Yale (1935) .... Sunshine Joe
... aka Uniform Lovers (UK)
116. Roberta (1935) (uncredited) .... Bartender
117. Car 99 (1935) .... Training Sgt. Barrel
118. Here Is My Heart (1934) .... James Smith
119. The Lemon Drop Kid (1934) .... William Dunhill aka The Professor
120. Shoot the Works (1934) .... Larry Hale
... aka Thank Your Stars (UK)
121. The Witching Hour (1934) .... Jury Foreman
122. The Crime Doctor (1934) .... Fraser
123. Bolero (1934) .... Mike DeBaere
124. Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen (1934) .... Captain Murphy
... aka Kidnapped (UK)
... aka Miss Fane's Baby
125. Hell and High Water (1933) .... Milton J. Bunsey
... aka Cap'n Jericho (UK)
126. Moonlight and Pretzels (1933) .... Mack
... aka Moonlight and Melody (UK)
127. Fancy That (1929) .... Percy
128. Turkey for Two (1929)
129. Should Husbands Be Watched? (1925) .... Beat Cop
130. Lord Loveland Discovers America (1916) .... Tony Kidd
Himself
1. "This Is Your Life"
- William Frawley (1961) TV Episode .... Himself
2. "Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse"
... aka Desilu Playhouse
- The Desilu Revue (1959) TV Episode .... Himself
3. "The Bob Hope Show"
- Episode dated 2 October 1956 (1956) TV Episode .... Himself
4. "Toast of the Town"
... aka The Ed Sullivan Show (new title)
- Episode #8.4 (1954) TV Episode .... Himself
5. Better Football (1954) .... Himself
Archive Footage
1. Hollywood's Magical Island: Catalina (2003) (uncredited) .... Himself
2. I Love Lucy's 50th Anniversary Special (2001) (TV) .... Himself
3. Finding Lucy (2000) (TV) .... Himself
