William Frawley
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.
Miracle on 34th Street
as Charlie HalloranKris Kringle, seemingly the embodiment of Santa Claus, is asked to portray the jolly old fellow...
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Going My Way
as Max Dolan (Publisher) (uncredited)Youthful Father Chuck O'Malley led a colorful life of sports, song, and romance before joining...
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Rancho Notorious
as Baldy GunderA man in search of revenge infiltrates a ranch, hidden in an inhospitable region, where its...
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Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Invisible Man
as Det. RobertsAs novice detectives, Bud and Lou come face to face with the Invisible Man.
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Gentleman Jim
as Billy DelaneyAs bare-knuckled boxing enters the modern era, brash extrovert Jim Corbett uses new rules and...
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Roberta
as BartenderFootball player John Kent tags along as Huck Haines and the Wabash Indianians travel to an...
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Monsieur Verdoux
as Jean La SalleThe film is about an unemployed banker, Henri Verdoux, and his sociopathic methods of attaining...
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Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye
as ByersRalph Cotter, a ruthless criminal, escapes violently from a farm prison. Then, he seduces a dead...
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The Fighting Seabees
as Eddie PowersConstruction workers in World War II in the Pacific are needed to build military sites, but the...
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The Virginian
as Honey WiggenArriving at Medicine Bow, eastern schoolteacher Molly Woods meets two cowboys, irresponsible...
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Lady on a Train
as Desk Sgt. BrennanWhile watching from her train window, Nikki Collins witnesses a murder in a nearby building....
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Ziegfeld Follies
as Martin (segment "A Sweepstakes Ticket")The late, great impresario Florenz Ziegfeld looks down from heaven and ordains a new revue in...
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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
as The 'Duke'Huckleberry Finn, a rambunctious boy adventurer chafing under the bonds of civilization, escapes...
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Good Sam
as TomSam Clayton has a good heart and likes to help out people in need. In fact, he likes to help...
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The Babe Ruth Story
as Jack DunnThe baseball player goes from wayward youth to Boston Red Sox pitcher to New York Yankees...
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Something to Sing About
as Hank MayersJames Cagney has a rare chance to show his song-and-dance-man roots in this low-budget tale of a...
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Pretty Baby
as CorcoranA young woman living in Manhattan pretends to be the mother of an infant in order to get a seat...
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Strike Me Pink
as Mr. CoppleMeek Eddie Pink becomes manager of an amusement park beset by mobsters.
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Desire
as Mr. GibsonMadeleine steals a string of pearls in Paris and uses American engineer Tom, who is driving on...
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Red Light
as Hotel Night ClerkNick Cherney, in prison for embezzling from Torno Freight Co., sees a chance to get back at...
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Down to Earth
as Police LieutenantUpset at a new Broadway musical mocking The Nine Muses, Greek goddess Terpsichore comes down to...
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Mother Wore Tights
as Mr. SchneiderIn this chronicle of a vaudeville family, Myrtle McKinley (class of 1900) goes to San Francisco...
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Roxie Hart
as O'MalleyA café in Chicago, 1942. On a rainy night, veteran reporter Homer Howard tells an increasing...
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The Bride Came C.O.D.
as Sheriff McGeeA financially-strapped charter pilot hires himself to an oil tycoon to kidnap his madcap...
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Rendezvous with Annie
as General TrentA homesick American soldier stationed in England during World War II makes an unauthorized trip...
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The General Died at Dawn
as BrightonChina, 1930s, during the ravaging civil war. General Pen entrusts O'Hara, an intrepid American...
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The Lemon Drop Kid
as Gloomy WillieWhen the Lemon Drop Kid accidentally cheats gangster Moose Moran out of his track winnings, the...
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Rhubarb
as Len SicklesRich, eccentric T.J. Banner adopts a feral cat who becomes an affectionate pet he names Rhubarb....
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Footsteps in the Dark
as Det. 'Hoppy' HopkinsA high-society gent has a secret life - he writes murder mysteries and hangs out with the police...
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I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now
as Jim MasonA biopic of the career of Joe Howard (12 Feb.,1878 - 19 May, 1961), famous songwriter of the...
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The Inner Circle
as Det. Lt. WebbA fresh-faced young detective gets set up, framed for murder, and alibied by a smart blonde.
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Rose of Washington Square
as Harry LongRose Sargent, a Roaring '20s singer, becomes a Ziegfeld Follies star as her criminal husband...
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Flame of Barbary Coast
as Wolf WylieDuke Fergus falls for Ann 'Flaxen' Tarry in the Barbary Coast in turn-of-the-century San...
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Hitchhike to Happiness
as Sandy HillAn aspiring playwright gets a job in a New York City restaurant favored by celebrities in hopes...
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Alibi Ike
as CapIdiosyncratic new recruit Francis "Ike" Farrell tries to help the Cubs to the pennant with his...
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Crime Doctor's Man Hunt
as Police Inspector Harry B. ManningA criminal psychologist investigates the murder of a veteran with amnesia.
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St. Louis Blues
as Major MartingaleA Broadway musical comedy star tires of the same old grind and flees the city. She runs into the...
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Three Married Men
as Bill MullinsJennie Mullins and her fiancé Peter Cary are happily in love but their families are miserable...
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East Side, West Side
as Bill the BartenderA vain businessman puts strains on his happy marriage to a rich, beautiful socialite by allowing...
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Blondie in Society
as Waldo PincusDagwood brings home a pedigreed Great Dane which an important company client wants and which...
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One Night in the Tropics
as RoscoeJim "Lucky" Moore, an insurance salesman, comes up with a novel policy for his friend, Steve: a...
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Blondie's Anniversary
as Sharkey the Loen SharkBlondie finds a valuable watch that has been hidden by hubby Dagwood. She assumes that it's a...
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My Wild Irish Rose
as William ScanlonMusical biography of Irish 19th century tenor Chauncey Olcott.
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Double or Nothing
as John PedersonA philanthropist's will dictates that four people receive $5,000 apiece, with the stipulation...
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The Lady Takes a Sailor
as Oliver HarkerJennifer Smith heads a "Consumer Reports"-type company and her reputation for honesty is her...
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Blondie's Hero
as Marty GreerDagwood enters the Army Reserve and Blondie visits only to discover that he has caused all sorts...
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High, Wide and Handsome
as MacThe setting is a small town in 1870s Pennsylvania. Sally Waterson and her father have stopped in...
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Safe at Home!
as Bill TurnerA Florida boy (Bryan Russell) tells his Little League buddies that his father knows two New York...
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Cracked Nuts
as James MitchellA young man in a small town wins $5000 in a radio contest. He goes to New York City to propose...
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Golden Gloves
as Emory BalzarAn amateur boxer's girlfriend inspires him to face a ring pro entered by a gangster.
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Mad About Music
as Dusty TurnerA young woman at a girl's school in Switzerland makes up stories about and writes herself...
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Sons of the Legion
as Uncle Willie LeeSons of The Legion is a film about a group of young men looking to start a squadron in their...
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The Lone Wolf and His Lady
as Inspector CraneA newspaper man, and former jewel thief, is accused of gem theft.
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Persons in Hiding
as Alec InglisDuring a stick-up, a woman is excited by the criminal and joins him on his crime spree.
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Moonlight and Pretzels
as MacA song plugger is stranded in a small town. There he meets a girl who later helps him to put on...
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Grand Jury Secrets
as Bright EyesA newspaper reporter gets involved with shady stock promoters when he listens in on a jury room...
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Wildcat
as Oliver WestbrookWildcatter Johnny Maverick and his pal go to a town in oil country offering $25,000 to the...
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Untamed
as Les WoodburyA courageous doctor braves a fierce blizzard in the Canadian wilderness to save a remote...
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The Princess Comes Across
as BentonA Swedish princess boards an ocean liner in Europe en route to an acting career in America and...
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I Love Lucy: The Movie
as Fred MertzThe film plays out, with three first-season episodes edited together into a single story: "The...
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Kill the Umpire
as Jimmy O'BrienEx-baseball player Bill Johnson, failing at many jobs when his ball-playing days are over,...
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It's a Great Life
as Lt. McNultyDesperate for work, Johnny Barclay leaves Ma and Grandpop to join the newly formed Civilian...
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Professor Beware
as Snoop DonlanEgyptologist, Dean Lambert, accused of car-theft, skips bail and begins a cross-country trek to...
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Lucy's Really Lost Moments
as Fred MertzThe legendary Lucille Ball as you've never seen her before! Laugh along with Lucy and Desi in...
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Rhythm on the River
as Mr. WestlakePopular songwriter Oliver Courtney has been getting by for years using one ghost writer for his...
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Ex-Champ
as Mushy HarringtonA former prizefighter tries to help his son pay off his gambling debts.
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The Witching Hour
as Jury ForemanJack Brookfield, a gambler with clairvoyant and hypnotic powers, is able to win at cards through...
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Those Were the Days!
as PrisonerAt a family gathering, an elderly man reflects on the follies of his youth during his freshman...
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Harmony Lane
as Edwin P. 'Ed' ChristyThe life and loves of composer Stephen Foster, from his early success through his decline,...
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Here Is My Heart
as James SmithA rich and famous singer disguises himself as a waiter in order to be near the woman he loves, a...
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Bolero
as Mike DeBaereThe complicated relationship between an ambitious, ruthless nightclub dancer and the woman he loves.
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Sandy Gets Her Man
as Police Chief J. A. O'HaraA young widow lets her baby be the deciding factor as to which eligible bachelor she should marry.
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Shoot the Works
as Larry HaleThe story of seedy sideshow barker Nicky, who uses everyone he meets to get ahead. Nicky isn't...
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The Crime Doctor
as FraserWhen he finds out that his wife is having an affair, a criminologist commits the perfect...
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Chicken Every Sunday
as George KirbyA woman takes in boarders to support her husband's harebrained financial schemes.
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Joe Palooka in Winner Take All
as Knobby WalshJoe is scheduled for the big fight as usual. This one has more fight sequences than plot.
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Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven
as AgentEddie Tayloe's grandfather leaves him six thousand dollars and the money belt it came in,...
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I Love Lucy Christmas Special
as uncreditedCelebrate the holidays with the I LOVE LUCY CHRISTMAS SPECIAL, a new one-hour special featuring...
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The Yankee Doodler
as uncreditedAncestors of music videos, YANKEE DOODLER, ROSIE THE RIVETER, and DEAR ARABELLA were made during...
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Blossoms On Broadway
as Francis X. RushA young singer hopes to become a success on Broadway.
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It Happened in Flatbush
as Sam SloanA washed up baseball player returns to Brooklyn to manage his old team but an old sports...
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The Quarterback
as CoachA comedy featuring Morris in a dual role as a dumb twin and a star football player, and a smart...
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Whistling in Brooklyn
as Detective RamseyRadio crime show host "The Fox" finds himself on the trail of a serial killer while a suspect...
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The Farmer's Daughter
as Scoop TrimbleBroadway producer Nickie North and press agent Scoop Trimble find an investor for their next...
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Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen
as Captain MurphyMiss Madeline Fane is a famous California screen star who has been devoted to her baby son...
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We've Never Been Licked
as Traveling SalesmanYoung Brad Craig enters the military school with a chip on his shoulder which upperclassmen...
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Opened by Mistake
as Matt KingsleyA wise-guy reporter and a tippling sportswriter acquire an unclaimed trunk with a corpse inside.
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Ambush
as Inspector J.L. WeberFour bandits swoop down on a California bank and flee with $98,000, leaving a truck as the only...
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Rose Bowl
as 'Soapy' MorelandPaddy O'Riley and Ossie Merrill, Bellport high school football heroes, enroll in distant...
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Should Husbands Be Watched?
as Beat CopMr. Jump has come into some money and informs his wife that they can now hire a maid and won't...
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The Girl from Manhattan
as Mr. BernoutiA small-town girl who's made it big in New York as a fashion model returns home, only to find...
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Car 99
as Training Sgt. BarrelA story of the Michigan State Police and the strong sense of loyalty and duty it instills in its...
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Six Lessons From Madame La Zonga
as Chauncey BeheeganThe brash, opinionated owner of a nightclub manages to drive everybody crazy on a boat trip to...
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Hold 'Em Yale
as Sunshine JoeA pretty young socialite falls for a charming but shady hustler, who abandons her when he finds...
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F-Man
as Detective RoganJohnny Dime has aspiration of becoming a "G-Man" , gums up the work of Rogan, an actual...
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Dancing on a Dime
as MacDirector Ted Brooks and comedians Jack Norcross, Dandy Joslyn and Phil Miller are part of a...
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Lake Placid Serenade
as JiggersOn a peaceful, pre-war winter in Czechoslovakia, the genial godfather, Jaroslav Haschek, of Vera...
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Give Out, Sisters
as HarrisonThe Andrews Sisters headline this musical. They play the lead act at a popular nightclub. The...
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College Scandal
as Chief of Police MagounJulie Fresnel is a co-ed at Redgate University and her father, Dr. Henri Fresnel, is the new...
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Moonlight in Havana
as Barney CraneA talented baseball player discovers he can only sing beautifully when he has a cold, leading a...
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Welcome Home
as PainlessA con artist attends a reunion in his hometown and discovers that his former classmates are...
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The Lemon Drop Kid
as William Dunhill aka The ProfessorThe Lemon Drop Kid is a fast-talking racetrack bum who swindles $100 from an old, ailing man. He...
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Stop, Look and Love
as Joe HallerDaughter has trouble holding onto boyfriends because of her critical mother until understanding...
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Night Work
as Bruiser BrownThe Fitch family is managing an apartment building when the grandfather of their adopted son...
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Home in San Antone
as O'FleeryPosing as unemployed musicians, Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys, are being helped by Ted...
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Larceny with Music
as Mike SimmsA former bootlegger is now the prosperous owner of a popular nightclub. A hustling promoter...
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The Dirty Look
as uncreditedThe Dirty Look is a 1954 comedy-short film, directed by Robert Altman, with Leonard Belove and...
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The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
as SelfThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under The Tonight...
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My Three Sons
as Bub O'CaseyA widower and aeronautical engineer named Steven Douglas raises three sons with the help of his...
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I Love Lucy
as Fred MertzCuban Bandleader Ricky Ricardo would be happy if his wife Lucy would just be a housewife....
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The Lucy Show
as TrainerThe Lucy Show is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from 1962–68. It was Lucille Ball's...
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The Ed Sullivan Show
as SelfThe Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June...
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The Bob Hope Show
as SelfThe Bob Hope Show hosted by Bob Hope, debuted on April 9, 1950. During the 1952-1953 season, NBC...
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Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
as uncreditedWestinghouse Desilu Playhouse is an American television anthology series produced by Desilu...
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This Is Your Life
as SelfThis Is Your Life is an American television documentary series broadcast on NBC, originally...
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The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour
as Fred MertzThe Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour is a collection of thirteen one-hour specials airing occasionally from...
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Letter to Loretta
as SamLetter to Loretta is an American anthology drama series telecast on NBC from September 1953 to...
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I Love Lucy: Colorized Collection
as Fred MertzIn 1951, film actress Lucille Ball and her musician husband Desi Arnaz spent $5,000 to produce a...
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