William Frawley
Birthday:
26 February 1887, Burlington, Iowa, USA
Birth Name:
William Clement Frawley
Height:
171 cm
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 form...
Show more »
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. Show less «
To tell you the truth, I don't give much thought to television as a field of endeavor. It's a place - an art let's call it - where I'm makin...Show more »
To tell you the truth, I don't give much thought to television as a field of endeavor. It's a place - an art let's call it - where I'm making a livelihood. If something happens to television, I'll tend bar, something I enjoy doing. Show less «
[on his initial reaction to "I Love Lucy"] I didn't think the thing had a chance. We did the lines over and over again, and it was like eati...Show more »
[on his initial reaction to "I Love Lucy"] I didn't think the thing had a chance. We did the lines over and over again, and it was like eating stew every night - stale and not a bit funny. Show less «
[on Hollywood] The money was great, and you had a ball. I played in 96 pictures - maybe one or two good ones.
[on Hollywood] The money was great, and you had a ball. I played in 96 pictures - maybe one or two good ones.
William Frawley's Photos
Charlie Halloran
Billy Delaney
