William frawley net worth
- •
William Frawley
Former vaudevillian William Frawley is known worldwide as Fred Mertz, the skinflint landlord and friend of the Ricardos, on the perpetually repeated classic TV sitcom "I Love Lucy" (CBS, 1951-1956). This was but one in a long line of gruff character roles, many of whom displayed a hidden soft side, that he played in more than 150 Hollywood films from 1931-1962.
The Iowa-born Frawley began his career in the heyday of vaudeville as a comic and singer. According to lore, he reportedly was the first performer to warble the now-American classic (and gag punchline) "Melancholy Baby." Although he made an isolated appearance in a 1916 silent ("Lord Loveland Discovers America"), Frawley remained a stage player until the 1930s. Already middle-aged when Hollywood beckoned, he immediately became a regular face in character roles in both A-list and B pictures at practically every studio. He was particularly memorable as The Duke opposite Mickey Rooney as "Huckleberry Finn" (1939), and the cigar chomping politico who tells the judge to let this Kris Kringle thing slide in "Mir
- •
William Frawley
American actor (1887–1966)
William Frawley | |
|---|---|
Frawley in 1951 | |
| Born | William Clement Frawley (1887-02-26)February 26, 1887 Burlington, Iowa, U.S. |
| Died | March 3, 1966(1966-03-03) (aged 79) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | San Fernando Mission Cemetery |
| Other names | Bill Frawley |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1914–1965 |
| Spouse | Edna Louise Broedt (m. 1914; div. 1927) |
William Clement Frawley (February 26, 1887 – March 3, 1966) was an American vaudevillian and actor best known for playing landlord Fred Mertz in the sitcom I Love Lucy. Frawley also played "Bub" O'Casey during the first five seasons of the sitcom My Three Sons and the political advisor to the Hon. Henry X. Harper (Gene Lockhart) in the film Miracle on 34th Street.
Frawley began his career in Vaudeville in 1914 with his wife, Edna Louise Broedt. Their comedy act, "Frawley and Louise", continued until their divorce in 1927. He performed on Broadway multiple times. In 1916,
- •
William Frawley: 15 Facts About the Beloved ‘I Love Lucy’ and ‘My Three Sons’ Star
If you were to look up the word “curmudgeon,” there’s no doubt that you’d come across a photo of actor William Frawley. And the truth is, his real-life persona directly fed into his two most famous television characters, Fred Mertz on one of classic TV’s biggest hits, I Love Lucy; and Michael Francis “Bub” O’Casey on the long-running Fred MacMurray show, My Three Sons.
At the same time, it was this part of his personality that ended up delighting audiences and kept him on the air pretty consistently between Lucy‘s debut in 1951 and his departure from My Three Sons in 1965. And yet despite these successes, there was so much more to his life and career than most people probably realize. To rectify that, check out the following 15 facts about William Frawley.
1. His mother believed the acting world equated sin
Born William Clement Frawley on February 26, 1887 in Burlington, Iowa, he sang in the choir of St. Paul’s Catholic Church, which led him to pursue roles in
Copyright ©popfray.pages.dev 2025