Paul Frawley

Paul Frawley was an American stage and film actor.

Born 2 June 1889 to Irish-American parents in Burlington, Iowa, Frawley attended Creighton University. He began his career as part of a vaudeville act in the Midwest with his brother, William Frawley, who would later become best known as Fred Mertz on I Love Lucy.

Frawley spent many years performing on Broadway, usually cast in romantic and comedic leading roles. His first known performance occurring on 19 November 1917 in the musical review Odds and Ends of 1917. Notable shows in which he appeared include 1921's Irving Berlin's Music Box Revue (in which he introduced Berlin's song "Say It with Music"), the hit 1925 musical Sunny (libretto by Oscar Hammerstein II and Otto A. Harbach), the 1928 Gerswhin Brothers musical Treasure Girl, and 1929's Top Speed (in which he performed two numbers with Ginger Rogers). He worked on Broadway steadily until his last appearance on 7 November 1931, where he played the role of Tony Doyle in Here Goes the Bride.

Although William became the family star, it was Paul who had been projected for such success. Per biographers Rob Edelman and Audrey Kupferberg:

"... Paul Frawley was a slimmer and more handsome and graceful version of his brother. He was sweet-looking, with a high forehead and soft features, sloping eyebrows, full lips, and a shock of wavy hair. Paul also was destined to predate William as a Broadway musical performer. After making his way to New York in the late 1910s, he came to prominence singing in the Ziegfeld production Midnight Frolic, an ongoing revue at the fabled New Amsterdam Roof Theater, a splashy showcase created by renowned stage designer Joseph Urban. At the time, Paul was referred to as a 'singing juvenile.' ..."

Throughout his time on Broadway, Frawley was cast and portrayed in the media as a youthful, romantic actor, resulting in a significant following amongst moviegoing women. Press releases described him as "heavenly" in appearance. While this meant great success in the 1920s, it contributed to the end of his stage career, with Edelman and Kupferberg noting that:

"...he clearly was aging. By the time Paul appeared in Peter Arno's Here Goes the Bride on Broadway in 1931, he was past forty--and was now deemed too mature to play the youthful sweetheart. ... [M]ale ingenues are unable to sustain their stardom as they age."

After his time on Broadway, Frawley pursued a film career, with limited success. His most notable role was an uncredited one, appearing on camera as a reporter in 1937's Love Is News.

After the 1930s, Frawley had no significant acting career and sank into severe alcoholism, as did oldest brother Jay. (Brother William was likely dealing with alcoholism as well, though on a more functional level.) William, who ultimately became one of the most recognizable actors in the U.S., paid for his two brothers' lifetime care at St. John of God Hospital, a long-term care institution specifically for people with alcoholism. Again per Edelman and Kupferberg:

"... One might venture a guess that Paul, the former 'singing juvenile' of Broadway who frolicked onstage with Marilyn Miller and Gertrude Lawrence and Ginger Rogers, was unable to accept his obscurity once his fame faded. ..."

A 1955 article with the Burlington Hawk-Eye Gazette about his sister's visit back home said that Paul was living in Los Angeles, and that he was retired.

Frawley died 21 January 1973 in Los Angeles, California. He is buried at San Fernando Mission Cemetery in Mission Hills, California.

Sources

• Edelman, Rob and Audrey Kupferberg. Meet the Mertzes: The Life Stories of I Love Lucy's Other Couple, pp. 22, 26-30, 229-230. New York: St. Martin's, 2013.
• "Mary Frawley Here For Visit After 20 Years." The Burlington Hawk-Eye Gazette via NewspaperArchive, published 10 October 1955, p. 5. < link > Accessed 28 December 2021.
• "Paul Frawley." IMDb. < link > Accessed 29 December 2021.
• "Paul Frawley." Internet Broadway Database. < link > Accessed 28 December 2021.
• "William Frawley." Wikipedia, revision of 25 December 2021. < link > Accessed 28 December 2021.