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Historical records matching William Frawley
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About William Frawley
William Frawley was an American stage entertainer and screen and television actor best known for playing landlord Fred Mertz in the American television sitcom I Love Lucy and "Bub" O'Casey in the television comedy series My Three Sons.
Frawley began his career in vaudeville in 1914 with his wife, Edna Louise Broedt. Their comedy act, known as "Frawley and Louise," continued until their divorce in 1927. Frawley performed on Broadway multiple times and signed with Paramount Studios in 1916 to play in silent films. He appeared in more than 100 films over 35 years. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)
Birth
As with many actors, especially of his era, Frawley lied about his age, publicly claiming for nearly his entire adult life that he was born in 1893. Frawley had used the 1893 so consistently that a year before he died, he had to contact the Des Moines County District Count to request verification of his real birth year, 1887, in order to obtain a passport. Many secondary sources continue to use the 1893 date.
Unlike some other actors, Frawley did not try to hide his real age on legal or government documents. In 1917, while he was living at the Westminster Hotel at 342 South Main Street in downtown Los Angeles, he correctly listed his birthdate on his World War I draft registration card. In April 1942, while he was living at 1920 Ivar Street in Hollywood, he did the same on his World War II draft registration.
Death
Urban legend holds -- as do many websites -- that William Frawley died either walking down Hollywood Boulevard,(sometimes specified as the corner of Hollywood and Vine), or in the lobby of the Hollywood Knickerbocker Hotel. In some versions, he was leaving a theatre; in others, he was leaving a bar.
In reality, Frawley had a heart attack while walking down Hollywood Boulevard near Ivar Street (now Ivar Avenue). The Los Angeles Police Department said that he had left a movie theatre near the intersection of Hollywood and Vine, one half-block to the east of Ivar, and was waiting on the street for a friend. Frawley's nurse was with him and pulled him into the lobby of the Knickerbocker, where he had previously resided for years. He was then taken to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead.
He was buried Tuesday, 8 March 1966, with My Three Sons co-star Fred MacMurray serving as an active pallbearer, and Desi Arnaz, Gene Autry, James Cagney, Bing Crosby, Joe DiMaggio, William Demarest, Jack Dempsey, Bob Hope, Pat O'Brien, Casey Stengel, Spencer Tracy, John Wayne, Paul Whiteman, Sen. George Murphy (R-Calif.), and Los Angeles mayor Samuel W. Yorty as honorary pallbearers.
Sources
- Ancestry.com. California, U.S., Voter Registrations, 1900-1968 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2017.
- California State Library; Sacramento, California; Great Register of Voters, 1900-1968.
- Name: William Clement Frawley; Residence Date: 1918; Street Address: 127 Ellis; Residence Place: San Francisco, California, USA; Party Affiliation: Republican; Occupation: Actor.
- California State Library; Sacramento, California; Great Register of Voters, 1900-1968.
- Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.
- Registration State: California; Registration County: Los Angeles.
- Name: William C Frawley; Race: White; Marital Status: Married; Birth Date: 26 Feb 1887; Birth Place: Iowa, USA; Residence Date: 1917-1918; Street Address: Westminster Hotel; Residence Place: Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA; Draft Board: 17; Physical Build: Medium; Height: Medium; Hair Color: Light Brown; Eye Color: Blue.
- Registration State: California; Registration County: Los Angeles.
- Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
- The National Archives At St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; World War Ii Draft Cards (4th Registration) For the State of California; Record Group Title: Records of the Selective Service System; Record Group Number: 147.
- Name: William Clement Frawley; Gender: Male; Birth Date: 26 Feb 1887; Residence Place: Los Angeles, California, USA; Military Draft Date: 1942.
- The National Archives At St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; World War Ii Draft Cards (4th Registration) For the State of California; Record Group Title: Records of the Selective Service System; Record Group Number: 147.
- "Bearers Named For Funeral Of Bill Frawley." The Meriden Morning Record, published 8 March 1966, p. 8. < link > Accessed 29 December 2021.
- "Comics William Frawley, Alice Pearce Die Thursday." The Rome News-Tribune via MyHeritage, published 4 March 1966, p. 1. < link > Accessed 29 December 2021.
- Edelman, Rob and Audrey Kupferberg. Meet the Mertzes: The Life Stories of I Love Lucy's Other Couple. New York: St. Martin's, 2013.
- Main, Dick. "Actor William Frawley, 73, Dies on Street." The Los Angeles Times via Newspapers.com, published 4 March 1966, p. A3. < link > Accessed 28 December 2021.
- Meares, Hadley. "Off the Boulevard of Broken Dreams: The Knickerbocker Hotel's Haunted History." KCET, published 19 June 2015. < link > Accessed 28 December 2021.
- Pylant, James. "The Irish-American Roots of William Frawley ('Fred Mertz')." GenealogyMagazine.com, published 24 March 2015. < link > Accessed 29 December 2021.
- "William Frawley." The Toledo Blade via MyHeritage, published 4 March 1966, p. 14. < link > Accessed 29 December 2021.
- "William Frawley." Wikipedia, revision of 25 December 2021. < link > Accessed 28 December 2021.
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William Frawley's Timeline
| 1887 |
February 26, 1887
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Burlington, Des Moines County, Iowa, United States
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| 1966 |
March 3, 1966
Age 79
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in a hospital, Los Angeles County, California, United States
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March 8, 1966
Age 79
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San Fernando Mission Cemetery, 11160 Stranwood Avenue, Mission Hills, Los Angeles County, California, United States
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