Skip to content
William Frawley

Personal Information

Known ForActing
GenderMale
Born / DiedFeb 25, 1887 (Died at 79)
Zodiac Sign♓Pisces
Place of BirthBurlington, Iowa, USA
Career Span1925 – 1966
Known Credits121 Titles
Official Links
ActingPopularity Score 1.2

William Frawley

Also known as:Bill FrawleyWilliam Clement Frawley
Total Works

121

110 movies • 11 shows

Avg Rating

6.7 / 10

across rated releases

Box Office

—

worldwide gross

Global Reach

#1

TMDB star index

Biography

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.

Signature Roles & Milestones

Miracle on 34th Street
7.4
as Charlie Halloran
Monsieur Verdoux
7.7
Monsieur Verdoux
1947•movie
as Jean La Salle
I Love Lucy
7.9
I Love Lucy
1951•series
as Fred Mertz
Going My Way
6.7
Going My Way
1944•movie
as Max Dolan, Publisher (uncredited)

Full Filmography & Credits

Showing 121 titles featuring William Frawley

Miracle on 34th Street
7.4

as Charlie Halloran

Monsieur Verdoux
7.7
Monsieur Verdoux
1947•movie

as Jean La Salle

I Love Lucy
7.9
180 eps
I Love Lucy
1951•series

as Fred Mertz

Going My Way
6.7
Going My Way
1944•movie

as Max Dolan, Publisher (uncredited)

Rancho Notorious
6.5
Rancho Notorious
1952•movie

as Baldy Gunder

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
7.6
1 eps
Gentleman Jim
7.2
Gentleman Jim
1942•movie

as Billy Delaney

The Fighting Seabees
6.2

as Eddie Powers

Ziegfeld Follies
6.0
Ziegfeld Follies
1945•movie

as Martin (segment "A Sweepstakes Ticket")

Desire
7.0
Desire
1936•movie

as Mr. Gibson

Lady on a Train
6.6
Lady on a Train
1945•movie

as Desk Sgt. Brennan

The Lucy Show
7.1
1 eps
The Lucy Show
1962•series

as Trainer

Roberta
7.1
Roberta
1935•movie

as Bartender (uncredited)

Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye
6.8

as Byers

My Three Sons
6.6
184 eps
My Three Sons
1960•series

as Bub O'Casey

The Bride Came C.O.D.
7.0

as Sheriff McGee

The Lemon Drop Kid
6.6
The Lemon Drop Kid
1951•movie

as Gloomy Willie

Down to Earth
6.0
Down to Earth
1947•movie

as Police Lieutenant

Roxie Hart
7.0
Roxie Hart
1942•movie

as O'Malley

The Virginian
6.0
The Virginian
1946•movie

as Honey Wiggen

East Side, West Side
7.1

as Bill the Bartender

Red Light
5.9
Red Light
1949•movie

as Hotel Night Clerk

Flame of Barbary Coast
5.5

as Wolf Wylie

Good Sam
6.3
Good Sam
1948•movie

as Tom

One Night in the Tropics
5.8

as Roscoe

The General Died at Dawn
6.5

as Brighton

The Ed Sullivan Show
6.8
1 eps

as Self

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
6.7

as The 'Duke'

Something to Sing About
6.2

as Hank Mayers

The Princess Comes Across
6.2

as Benton

The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour
8.6
13 eps

as Fred Mertz

The Inner Circle
5.7
The Inner Circle
1946•movie

as Det. Lt. Webb

Footsteps in the Dark
7.0

as Det. 'Hoppy' Hopkins

This Is Your Life
6.5
1 eps
This Is Your Life
1952•series

as Self

Mother Wore Tights
5.7
Mother Wore Tights
1947•movie

as Mr. Schneider

Bolero
6.4
Bolero
1934•movie

as Mike DeBaere

Mad About Music
7.0
Mad About Music
1938•movie

as Dusty Turner

Rhubarb
5.8
Rhubarb
1951•movie

as Len Sickles

The Lady Takes a Sailor
5.7

as Oliver Harker

Blondie in Society
6.4
Blondie in Society
1941•movie

as Waldo Pincus

The Babe Ruth Story
6.1

as Jack Dunn

Double or Nothing
6.8
Double or Nothing
1937•movie

as John Pederson

Strike Me Pink
6.6
Strike Me Pink
1936•movie

as Mr. Copple

I Love Lucy: The Movie
7.7

as Fred Mertz / Self

Blondie's Anniversary
5.9

as Sharkey the Loen Shark

Professor Beware
6.0
Professor Beware
1938•movie

as Snoop Donlan

Rhythm on the River
6.9

as Mr. Westlake

Here Is My Heart
7.3
Here Is My Heart
1934•movie

as James Smith

My Wild Irish Rose
6.0
My Wild Irish Rose
1947•movie

as William Scanlon

Kill the Umpire
6.9
Kill the Umpire
1950•movie

as Jimmy O'Brien

Letter to Loretta
6.6
1 eps
Letter to Loretta
1953•series

as Sam

Rose of Washington Square
6.7

as Harry Long

Alibi Ike
6.2
Alibi Ike
1935•movie

as Cap

Safe at Home!
5.0
Safe at Home!
1962•movie

as Bill Turner

The Farmer's Daughter
5.3

as Scoop Trimble

Untamed
5.0
Untamed
1940•movie

as Les Woodbury

Harmony Lane
4.5
Harmony Lane
1935•movie

as Edwin P. 'Ed' Christy

Six Lessons From Madame La Zonga
5.8

as Chauncey Beheegan

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
6.3
6 eps
Blondie's Hero
6.8
Blondie's Hero
1950•movie

as Marty Greer

Crime Doctor's Man Hunt
6.6

as Police Inspector Harry B. Manning

Pretty Baby
6.8
Pretty Baby
1950•movie

as Corcoran

The Lone Wolf and His Lady
6.0

as Inspector Crane

Chicken Every Sunday
6.2

as George Kirby

Blossoms On Broadway
4.8

as Francis X. Rush

Dancing on a Dime
5.0
Dancing on a Dime
1940•movie

as Mac

High, Wide and Handsome
6.2

as Mac

It Happened in Flatbush
5.4

as Sam Sloan

The Bob Hope Show
7.0
1 eps
The Bob Hope Show
1950•series

as Self

The Crime Doctor
3.8
The Crime Doctor
1934•movie

as Fraser

Whistling in Brooklyn
7.0

as Detective Ramsey

The Witching Hour
6.5
The Witching Hour
1934•movie

as Jury Foreman

Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven
5.8

as Agent

Persons in Hiding
3.8
Persons in Hiding
1939•movie

as Alec Inglis

Rose Bowl
7.0
Rose Bowl
1936•movie

as 'Soapy' Moreland

Golden Gloves
6.0
Golden Gloves
1940•movie

as Emory Balzar

Shoot the Works
6.7
Shoot the Works
1934•movie

as Larry Hale

College Scandal
6.8
College Scandal
1935•movie

as Chief of Police Magoun

Wildcat
5.7
Wildcat
1942•movie

as Oliver Westbrook

Ambush
6.0
Ambush
1939•movie

as Inspector J.L. Weber

Give Out, Sisters
6.0
Give Out, Sisters
1942•movie

as Harrison

Larceny with Music
5.3
Larceny with Music
1943•movie

as Mike Simms

St. Louis Blues
7.3
St. Louis Blues
1939•movie

as Major Martingale

The Lemon Drop Kid
6.3
The Lemon Drop Kid
1934•movie

as William Dunhill aka The Professor

Ex-Champ
7.3
Ex-Champ
1939•movie

as Mushy Harrington

The Girl from Manhattan
6.3

as Mr. Bernouti

The Gale Storm Show
6.7
1 eps
The Gale Storm Show
1956•series

as Jim Comstock

The Dirty Look
7.0
The Dirty Look
1954•movie
Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen
6.0

as Captain Murphy

Sons of the Legion
7.5
Sons of the Legion
1938•movie

as Uncle Willie Lee

Car 99
7.5
Car 99
1935•movie

as Training Sgt. Barrel

We've Never Been Licked
6.5

as Traveling Salesman

Hitchhike to Happiness
7.0

as Sandy Hill

Should Husbands Be Watched?
8.0

as Beat Cop

Those Were the Days!
8.0

as Prisoner

I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now
7.5

as Jim Mason

Rendezvous with Annie
7.0

as General Trent

8.0
Treat 'Em Rough
1942•movie

as 'Hotfoot'

Stop, Look and Love
6.5

as Joe Haller

Touchdown, Army
7.5
Touchdown, Army
1938•movie

as Jack Heffernan

Sandy Gets Her Man
6.5
Sandy Gets Her Man
1940•movie

as Police Chief J. A. O'Hara

Lucy's Really Lost Moments
6.5

as Fred Mertz

Night Work
8.5
Night Work
1939•movie

as Bruiser Brown

Joe Palooka in Winner Take All
7.5

as Knobby Walsh

Hold 'Em Yale
7.0
Hold 'Em Yale
1935•movie

as Sunshine Joe

Welcome Home
9.0
Welcome Home
1935•movie

as Painless

Moonlight and Pretzels
9.0

as Mac

Moonlight in Havana
9.0

as Barney Crane

Three Married Men
8.0
Three Married Men
1936•movie

as Bill Mullins

F-Man
7.0
F-Man
1936•movie

as Detective Rogan

Cracked Nuts
7.0
Cracked Nuts
1941•movie

as James Mitchell

Grand Jury Secrets
7.0
Grand Jury Secrets
1939•movie

as Bright Eyes

It's a Great Life
9.0
It's a Great Life
1935•movie

as Lt. McNulty

The Quarterback
10.0
The Quarterback
1940•movie

as Coach

Home in San Antone
7.0
Home in San Antone
1949•movie

as O'Fleery

Lake Placid Serenade
10.0

as Jiggers

The Yankee Doodler
5.0
The Yankee Doodler
1942•movie
Opened by Mistake
7.0
Opened by Mistake
1940•movie

as Matt Kingsley

I Love Lucy Christmas Special
10.0

as Fred Mertz

Ship Cafe
8.0
Ship Cafe
1935•movie

as Briney O'Brien