
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.

Waldo Pincus
Blondie in Society

Sharkey the Loen Shark
Blondie's Anniversary

Marty Greer
Blondie's Hero

Desk Sgt. Brennan
Lady on a Train

Eddie Powers
The Fighting Seabees

Bartender (uncredited)
Roberta

Benton
The Princess Comes Across

Gloomy Willie
The Lemon Drop Kid

Charlie Halloran
Miracle on 34th Street

Hotel Night Clerk
Red Light

Det. Roberts
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Invisible Man

Painless
Welcome Home

Wolf Wylie
Flame of Barbary Coast

Baldy Gunder
Rancho Notorious

Roscoe
One Night in the Tropics

Len Sickles
Rhubarb

Jack Dunn
The Babe Ruth Story

Billy Delaney
Gentleman Jim

Harry Long
Rose of Washington Square

Dusty Turner
Mad About Music

Det. 'Hoppy' Hopkins
Footsteps in the Dark

Fraser
The Crime Doctor

Byers
Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye

Det. Lt. Webb
The Inner Circle

'Soapy' Moreland
Rose Bowl

Snoop Donlan
Professor Beware

Detective Ramsey
Whistling in Brooklyn

John Pederson
Double or Nothing

Hank Mayers
Something to Sing About

O'Malley
Roxie Hart

Police Inspector Harry B. Manning
Crime Doctor's Man Hunt

The 'Duke'
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Mr. Gibson
Desire

Honey Wiggen
The Virginian

Mr. Schneider
Mother Wore Tights

Mac
Moonlight and Pretzels

Mr. Westlake
Rhythm on the River

Emory Balzar
Golden Gloves

Mr. Copple
Strike Me Pink

The Dirty Look

Cap
Alibi Ike

Oliver Harker
The Lady Takes a Sailor

Bill Turner
Safe at Home!

James Smith
Here Is My Heart

Corcoran
Pretty Baby

Inspector Crane
The Lone Wolf and His Lady

'Hoak' salesman
Ventriloquist

Mike DeBaere
Bolero

George Kirby
Chicken Every Sunday

Francis X. Rush
Blossoms On Broadway

Larry Hale
Shoot the Works

Barney Crane
Moonlight in Havana

Captain Murphy
Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen

Uncle Willie Lee
Sons of the Legion

Jury Foreman
The Witching Hour

Bill Mullins
Three Married Men

Chief of Police Magoun
College Scandal

Mac
Dancing on a Dime

Traveling Salesman
We've Never Been Licked

Training Sgt. Barrel
Car 99

Agent
Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven

Sandy Hill
Hitchhike to Happiness

Oliver Westbrook
Wildcat

Detective Rogan
F-Man

Sheriff McGee
The Bride Came C.O.D.

William Scanlon
My Wild Irish Rose

Beat Cop
Should Husbands Be Watched?

Mac
High, Wide and Handsome

James Mitchell
Cracked Nuts

Police Lieutenant
Down to Earth

Prisoner
Those Were the Days!

Jim Mason
I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now

Bright Eyes
Grand Jury Secrets

Scoop Trimble
The Farmer's Daughter

Bang
Gangs Of The City

Les Woodbury
Untamed

Milton J. Bunsey
Hell and High Water

Max Dolan, Publisher (uncredited)
Going My Way

General Trent
Rendezvous with Annie

Lt. McNulty
It's a Great Life

'Hotfoot'
Treat 'Em Rough

Jean La Salle
Monsieur Verdoux

Sam Sloan
It Happened in Flatbush

Edwin P. 'Ed' Christy
Harmony Lane

Joe Haller
Stop, Look and Love

Inspector J.L. Weber
Ambush

Alec Inglis
Persons in Hiding

Jack Heffernan
Touchdown, Army

Coach
The Quarterback

Chauncey Beheegan
Six Lessons From Madame La Zonga

Harrison
Give Out, Sisters

Mike Simms
Larceny with Music

Major Martingale
St. Louis Blues

Bill the Bartender
East Side, West Side

Fred Mertz
I Love Lucy: The Movie

O'Fleery
Home in San Antone

Tom
Good Sam

Jiggers
Lake Placid Serenade

Jimmy O'Brien
Kill the Umpire

William Dunhill aka The Professor
The Lemon Drop Kid

Brighton
The General Died at Dawn

Police Chief J. A. O'Hara
Sandy Gets Her Man

Fred Mertz
Lucy's Really Lost Moments

The Yankee Doodler

Bruiser Brown
Night Work

Mushy Harrington
Ex-Champ

Knobby Walsh
Joe Palooka in Winner Take All

Martin (segment "A Sweepstakes Ticket")
Ziegfeld Follies

Matt Kingsley
Opened by Mistake

Sunshine Joe
Hold 'Em Yale

Fred Mertz
I Love Lucy Christmas Special

Briney O'Brien
Ship Cafe

Mr. Bernouti
The Girl from Manhattan

Self (archive footage)
Lucille Ball: Finding Lucy

Beautiful Dreamer
Known For
Acting
Known Credits
115
Gender
Male
Birthday
1887-02-25
Place of Birth
Burlington, Iowa, USA
Also Known As
Bill Frawley