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.

Filmography

• 2016I Love Lucy Christmas Special — Fred Mertz
• 1962Safe at Home! — Bill Turner
• The Lucy Show — Trainer
• My Three Sons — Bub O'Casey
• Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
• The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour — Fred Mertz
• 1956Lucy's Really Lost Moments — Fred Mertz
• The Gale Storm Show — Jim Comstock
• 1954The Dirty Look
• 1953I Love Lucy: The Movie — Fred Mertz / Self
• Letter to Loretta — Sam
• 1952Rancho Notorious — Baldy Gunder
• 1951Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Invisible Man — Det. Roberts
• I Love Lucy — Fred Mertz
• 1951Rhubarb — Len Sickles
• 1951The Lemon Drop Kid — Gloomy Willie
• 1950Blondie's Hero — Marty Greer
• 1950Kill the Umpire — Jimmy O'Brien
• 1950Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye — Byers
• 1950Pretty Baby — Corcoran
• 1949Chicken Every Sunday — George Kirby
• 1949East Side, West Side — Bill the Bartender
• 1949Home in San Antone — O'Fleery
• 1949Red Light — Hotel Night Clerk
• 1949The Lady Takes a Sailor — Oliver Harker
• 1949The Lone Wolf and His Lady — Inspector Crane
• 1948Good Sam — Tom
• 1948Joe Palooka in Winner Take All — Knobby Walsh
• 1948Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven — Agent
• 1948The Babe Ruth Story — Jack Dunn
• 1948The Girl from Manhattan — Mr. Bernouti
• 1947Blondie's Anniversary — Sharkey the Loen Shark
• 1947Down to Earth — Police Lieutenant
• 1947I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now — Jim Mason
• 1947Miracle on 34th Street — Charlie Halloran
• 1947Monsieur Verdoux — Jean La Salle
• 1947Mother Wore Tights — Mr. Schneider
• 1947My Wild Irish Rose — William Scanlon
• 1946Crime Doctor's Man Hunt — Police Inspector Harry B. Manning
• 1946Rendezvous with Annie — General Trent
• 1946The Inner Circle — Det. Lt. Webb
• 1946The Virginian — Honey Wiggen
• 1945Flame of Barbary Coast — Wolf Wylie
• 1945Hitchhike to Happiness — Sandy Hill
• 1945Lady on a Train — Desk Sgt. Brennan
• 1945Ziegfeld Follies — Martin (segment "A Sweepstakes Ticket")
• 1944Going My Way — Max Dolan, Publisher (uncredited)
• 1944Lake Placid Serenade — Jiggers
• 1944The Fighting Seabees — Eddie Powers
• 1943Larceny with Music — Mike Simms
• 1943We've Never Been Licked — Traveling Salesman
• 1943Whistling in Brooklyn — Detective Ramsey
• 1942Gentleman Jim — Billy Delaney
• 1942Give Out, Sisters — Harrison
• 1942It Happened in Flatbush — Sam Sloan
• 1942Moonlight in Havana — Barney Crane
• 1942Roxie Hart — O'Malley
• 1942The Yankee Doodler
• 1942Treat 'Em Rough — 'Hotfoot'
• 1942Wildcat — Oliver Westbrook
• 1941Blondie in Society — Waldo Pincus
• 1941Cracked Nuts — James Mitchell
• 1941Footsteps in the Dark — Det. 'Hoppy' Hopkins
• 1941Gangs Of The City — Bang
• 1941Six Lessons From Madame La Zonga — Chauncey Beheegan
• 1941The Bride Came C.O.D. — Sheriff McGee
• 1940Dancing on a Dime — Mac
• 1940Golden Gloves — Emory Balzar
• 1940One Night in the Tropics — Roscoe
• 1940Opened by Mistake — Matt Kingsley
• 1940Rhythm on the River — Mr. Westlake
• 1940Sandy Gets Her Man — Police Chief J. A. O'Hara
• 1940The Farmer's Daughter — Scoop Trimble
• 1940The Quarterback — Coach
• 1940Those Were the Days! — Prisoner
• 1940Untamed — Les Woodbury
• 1939Ambush — Inspector J.L. Weber
• 1939Ex-Champ — Mushy Harrington
• 1939Grand Jury Secrets — Bright Eyes
• 1939Night Work — Bruiser Brown
• 1939Persons in Hiding — Alec Inglis
• 1939Rose of Washington Square — Harry Long
• 1939St. Louis Blues — Major Martingale
• 1939Stop, Look and Love — Joe Haller
• 1939The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn — The 'Duke'
• 1938Mad About Music — Dusty Turner
• 1938Professor Beware — Snoop Donlan
• 1938Sons of the Legion — Uncle Willie Lee
• 1938Touchdown, Army — Jack Heffernan
• 1937Blossoms On Broadway — Francis X. Rush
• 1937Double or Nothing — John Pederson
• 1937High, Wide and Handsome — Mac
• 1937Something to Sing About — Hank Mayers
• 1936Desire — Mr. Gibson
• 1936F-Man — Detective Rogan
• 1936Rose Bowl — 'Soapy' Moreland
• 1936Strike Me Pink — Mr. Copple
• 1936The General Died at Dawn — Brighton
• 1936The Princess Comes Across — Benton
• 1936Three Cheers for Love — Milton Shakespeare
• 1936Three Married Men — Bill Mullins
• 1935Alibi Ike — Cap
• 1935Beautiful Dreamer
• 1935Car 99 — Training Sgt. Barrel
• 1935College Scandal — Chief of Police Magoun
• 1935Harmony Lane — Edwin P. 'Ed' Christy
• 1935Hold 'Em Yale — Sunshine Joe
• 1935It's a Great Life — Lt. McNulty
• 1935Roberta — Bartender (uncredited)
• 1935Ship Cafe — Briney O'Brien
• 1935Welcome Home — Painless
• 1934Bolero — Mike DeBaere
• 1934Here Is My Heart — James Smith
• 1934Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen — Captain Murphy
• 1934Shoot the Works — Larry Hale
• 1934The Crime Doctor — Fraser
• 1934The Lemon Drop Kid — William Dunhill aka The Professor
• 1934The Witching Hour — Jury Foreman
• 1933Hell and High Water — Milton J. Bunsey
• 1933Moonlight and Pretzels — Mac
• 1927Ventriloquist — 'Hoak' salesman
• 1925Should Husbands Be Watched? — Beat Cop

Appearances as themselves (6)

• 2000Lucille Ball: Finding Lucy — Self (archive footage)
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson — Self
• This Is Your Life — Self
• The Bob Hope Show — Self
• The Ed Wynn Show — Self
• The Ed Sullivan Show — Self