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
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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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Monsieur Verdoux
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Going My Way
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Rancho Notorious
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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
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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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The Babe Ruth Story
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Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye
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Ziegfeld Follies
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I Love Lucy: The Movie
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Lucy's Really Lost Moments
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Roberta
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Pretty Baby
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Flame of Barbary Coast
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The Lemon Drop Kid
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One Night in the Tropics
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I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now
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Three Married Men
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Good Sam
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Lady on a Train
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Desire
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Footsteps in the Dark
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East Side, West Side
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Mad About Music
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Cracked Nuts
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Roxie Hart
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Here Is My Heart
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Wildcat
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The Bride Came C.O.D.
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The General Died at Dawn
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College Scandal
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The Witching Hour
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Golden Gloves
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Red Light
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Safe at Home!
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Those Were the Days!
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Rose Bowl
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Car 99
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Ex-Champ
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Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven
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Harmony Lane
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Kill the Umpire
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Double or Nothing
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Hitchhike to Happiness
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The Virginian
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Alibi Ike
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The Fighting Seabees
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The Princess Comes Across
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Down to Earth
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St. Louis Blues
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Ambush
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We've Never Been Licked
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Should Husbands Be Watched?
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Mother Wore Tights
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Joe Palooka in Winner Take All
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Strike Me Pink
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Crime Doctor's Man Hunt
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Untamed
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Rhubarb
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High, Wide and Handsome
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My Wild Irish Rose
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Something to Sing About
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The Girl from Manhattan
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Persons in Hiding
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Professor Beware
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The Inner Circle
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The Farmer's Daughter
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Opened by Mistake
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Rhythm on the River
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Chicken Every Sunday
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The Lone Wolf and His Lady
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The Crime Doctor
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The Quarterback
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Whistling in Brooklyn
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Dancing on a Dime
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It's a Great Life
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The Lemon Drop Kid
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Six Lessons From Madame La Zonga
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It Happened in Flatbush
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Blondie's Anniversary
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Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen
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I Love Lucy Christmas Special
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Night Work
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Sons of the Legion
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Blondie in Society
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Grand Jury Secrets
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Rendezvous with Annie
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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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Rose of Washington Square
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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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Moonlight and Pretzels
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Stop, Look and Love
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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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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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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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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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Blossoms On Broadway
as Francis X. RushA young singer hopes to become a success on Broadway.
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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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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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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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Lake Placid Serenade
as JiggersOn a peaceful, pre-war winter in Czechoslovakia, the genial godfather, Jaroslav Haschek, of Vera...
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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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Give Out, Sisters
as HarrisonThe Andrews Sisters headline this musical. They play the lead act at a popular nightclub. The...
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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 Yankee Doodler
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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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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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I Love Lucy
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My Three Sons
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The Ed Sullivan Show
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This Is Your Life
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The Bob Hope Show
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Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
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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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