WILLIAM FRAWLEY BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

William Frawley was born on February 26th, 1887 in Burlington, Iowa with the middle name Clement, born to Michael A Frawley and Mary E. Brady.  From a young age he was already showing an interest in the performing arts singing with the boys choir at St. Paul's Catholic Church as well as at the Burlington Opera House.  He even gained more experience performing when he joined his brother on vaudeville and in 1910 he partnered up with Franz Rath, a pianist and they toured all over San Francisco.
 
He then formed a comedy act with his wife, Edna Louise Broedt called, "Frawley and Louise" and they toured together until their marriage ended in divorce in 1927.  Next Frawley broke into Broadway performing in a number of stage productions such as, "Merry, Merry" (1925) before he again made his next move in the industry relocating to Hollywood in 1932 and working on films with Paramount Studio's.
 
William Frawley became most well known for his role as landlord, Fred Mertz on the all time cult classic television show, "I Love Lucy" (1951-1957) also starring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz and Vivian Vance.  After this show came to an end in 1960 he added other credits to his resume such as, "My Three Sons" (1960) starring Fred MacMurray and "The Red Skelton Hour" (1958).
 
Prior to being cast on, "I Love Lucy", "Frawley had already appeared in over 100 films some of which were, "Moonlight and Pretzels" (1933), "Elmer, the Great" (1933), "Miracle on 34th Street" (1947) starring John Payne, Maureen O'Hara and a very young Natalie Wood and "Monsieur Verdoux" (1947) starring Charlie Chaplin.
 
He was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contribution to the Motion Picture Industry and was also inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in March 2012.  
 
Due to poor health, his final role was in 1965 making a cameo appearance on, "The Lucy Show", he then passed away just one year later at the age of seventy nine, on March 3rd, 1966 in Hollywood, California after suffering from a heart attack.  His remains are buried at San Fernando Mission Cemetery.

 
Filmography

1965   The Lucy Show 

1960-1965  My Three Sons

1964   My Living Doll

1964   Summer Playhouse 

1962   Safe at Home!

1960   No Place Like Home

1957-1960  The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour 

1959   The Gale Storm Show

1958-1959  Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse 

1958   The Red Skelton Hour 

1951-1957  I Love Lucy 

1956   I Love Lucy Christmas Show 

1955   Damon Runyon Theater 

1955   Shower of Stars 

1954   The Loretta Young Show

1954   The Buick-Berle Show 

1954   The Dirty Look
 
1952   Rancho Notorious

1951   Rhubarb 

1951   The Lemon Drop Kid 

1951   Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man 

1950   Pretty Baby 

1950   Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye 

1950   The Silver Theatre

1950   Kill the Umpire 

1950   Blondie's Hero 

1949   East Side, West Side

1949   The Lady Takes a Sailor

1949   Red Light 

1949   Home in San Antone 

1949   Your Show Time

1949   The Lone Wolf and His Lady

1949   Chicken Every Sunday

1948   The Girl from Manhattan

1948   Joe Palooka in Winner Take All

1948   Good Sam 

1948   The Babe Ruth Story

1948   Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven

1947   My Wild Irish Rose

1947   Blondie's Anniversary 

1947   Down to Earth 

1947   Mother Wore Tights 

1947   I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now

1947   Miracle on 34th Street

1947   Monsieur Verdoux

1947   Hit Parade of 1947 

1946   Crime Doctor's Man Hunt

1946   The Inner Circle

1946   Rendezvous with Annie 

1946   The Virginian 

1945   Ziegfeld Follies 

1945   Lady on a Train 

1945   Hitchhike to Happiness 

1945   Flame of Barbary Coast 

1944   Lake Placid Serenade 

1944   Minstrel Man 

1944   Going My Way 

1944   The Fighting Seabees

1943   Whistling in Brooklyn

1943   Larceny with Music

1943   We've Never Been Licked 

1942   Gentleman Jim 

1942   Moonlight in Havana 

1942   Wildcat

1942   Give Out, Sisters 

1942   It Happened in Flatbush

1942   Roxie Hart 

1942   Treat 'Em Rough

1942   The Yankee Doodler

1941   Public Enemies 

1941   Cracked Nuts 

1941   The Bride Came C.O.D.

1941   Blondie in Society

1941   Footsteps in the Dark

1941   Six Lessons from Madame La Zonga

1940   Sandy Gets Her Man

1940   Dancing on a Dime

1940   One Night in the Tropics

1940   The Quarterback

1940   Rhythm on the River 

1940   Golden Gloves 

1940   Untamed 

1940   Those Were the Days!

1940   Opened by Mistake 

1940   The Farmer's Daughter

1939   Stop, Look and Love

1939   Night Work 

1939   Grand Jury Secrets 

1939   Ex-Champ 

1939   Rose of Washington Square 

1939   The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

1939   Persons in Hiding

1939   St. Louis Blues 

1939   Ambush

1938   Touchdown, Army

1938   Sons of the Legion 

1938   Professor Beware 

1938   Mad About Music 

1937   Blossoms on Broadway 

1937   Something to Sing About

1937   Double or Nothing

1937   High, Wide, and Handsome

1936   Rose Bowl

1936   Three Married Men

1936   The General Died at Dawn

1936   Three Cheers for Love

1936   The Princess Comes Across 

1936   F-Man

1936   Desire

1936   Strike Me Pink 

1935   Ship Cafe 

1935   Harmony Lane 

1935   It's a Great Life 

1935   Welcome Home 

1935   College Scandal 

1935   Alibi Ike

1935   Hold 'Em Yale 

1935   Roberta 

1935   Car 99 

1934   Here Is My Heart 

1934   The Lemon Drop Kid 

1934   Shoot the Works 

1934   The Witching Hour 

1934   The Crime Doctor 

1934   Bolero

1934   Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen

1933   Hell and High Water 

1933   Moonlight and Pretzels

1929   Fancy That

1929   Turkey for Two

1925   Should Husbands Be Watched? 

1916   Persistent Percival

1916   Lord Loveland Discovers America