2/26 – Happy Birthday, William Frawley

William Frawley

Fred Mertz is in da house!!

William Frawley was a veteran television actor of over 100 film works.  But he is best known for two television roles. He was Fred Mertz on I Love Lucy and Bub on My Three Sons.

He can be seen in the classic Miracle on 34th Street and the near classic, dark comedy by Charlie Chaplin Monsieur Verdoux.

He also had the honor of being in Abbot and Costello Meet the Invisible Man.

His career was waning when he landed the role of the landlord on I Love Lucy.  His scrapes with his co-star Vivian Vance were legendary.  Of her, Frawley once said, “She is one of the finest girls to come out of Kansas, but I often wish she’d go back there.”

In his contract it was stipulated that if the Yankees were in the World Series, he did not have to work.  This caused him to miss shooting different episodes more than once.  We here at ComedyGuys.com have that same kind of deal with our bosses about the Cowboys.  We haven’t missed a day in YEARS!

Little Known Fact: William had a fine singing voice and was the first to sing some songs that are today standards.  In 1958 he released the  LP Bill Frawley Sings the Old Ones.  He was the man who introduced the song “Carolina in the Morning”  and “My Melancholy Baby”.  The old standard joke of a drunk demanding the singer sing “My Melancholy Baby” is based on a true event in the career of Bill.