William Frawley

William Clement Frawley (February 26, 1887 – March 3, 1966) was an American stage entertainer and screen and television actor best known for playing landlord Fred Mertz in the famous American television sitcom I Love Lucy and Bub in the television comedy series My Three Sons. Frawley began his career in vaudeville in 1914 with his then 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 one hundred films over 35 years. Frawley had a reputation for being cantankerous and difficult, likely exacerbated by a drinking problem; he was once fired for punching another actor on the nose. When he got the call offering him the part of Fred Mertz on I Love Lucy, Desi Arnaz told him he would only get three chances before getting fired. Frawley died on March 3, 1966, from a heart attack.