THIS IS YOUR LIFE: WILLIAM FRAWLEY

January 8, 1961

“This Is Your Life” was a documentary series broadcast on NBC radio from 1948 to 1952, and on NBC television from 1952 to 1961. It was originally hosted by its creator and producer Ralph Edwards. In the program, the host surprised guests and then took them through a retrospective of their lives in front of an audience, including appearances by colleagues, friends, and family. Edwards revived the show in 1971 and Joseph Campanella hosted a version in 1983. Edwards returned for various specials in the late 1980s. 

Ralph Edwards (Host) – played himself in the Lucille Ball film Seven Days Leave (1942). Edwards hosted 339 episodes of the original series, from April 1950 to August 1961. 

William Frawley (Guest of Honor) was born in 1887 and was already a Hollywood veteran when he was hired by Desi Arnaz in 1951 to play landlord Fred Mertz on “I Love Lucy.”  After the series concluded he joined the cast of “My Three Sons” (shot at Desilu) playing Bub Casey. His final screen appearance before his death in March 1966 was a cameo on “The Lucy Show”.

GUEST APPEARANCES (in alphabetical order)

Lucille Ball employed Frawley in 1951, despite his history of alcoholism. She became a friend of Frawley, employing him right up to his final days. Despite being a regular cast member of “I Love Lucy” for 9 years, Frawley and Lucille Ball rarely shared more than a few moments of screen time without Ricky or Fred present. The one exception is “Staten Island Ferry” (above). 

Tim Considine played Mike Douglas on “My Three Sons” between 1960 and 1965, appearing in every one of Frawley’s 165 episodes of the series. He was 20 years old when they first met. 

Don Fedderson was the Executive Producer of “My Three Sons.”

Edna Frawley was the ex-wife of William Frawley and his former vaudeville partner (as Edna Louise Mueller). They divorced in 1927. 

Don Grady played Robbie Douglas on “My Three Sons” between 1960 and 1972, appearing in every one of Frawley’s 165 episodes of the series. He was 16 years old when they first met. 

Fred Haney was the General Manager of the Los Angeles Angels. Frawley was an inveterate baseball fan. For years, Haney was one of the most popular baseball figures in Los Angeles. During the show, he presented Frawley with a lifetime baseball pass.

Erskine Johnson was a Hollywood gossip columnist who also appeared on the radio and in motion pictures. 

Eugenie Leontovich was a Russian-born actress and writer who starred on Broadway with Frawley in “Twentieth Century” in 1932. In 1958 she won a Tony Award. 

Stanley Livingston played Chip Douglas on “My Three Sons” between 1960 and 1972, appearing in every one of Frawley’s 165 episodes of the series. He was 10 years old when they first met. 

Fred MacMurray first appeared with Frawley in the films Car 99 (1935) and The Princess Comes Across (1936), before playing himself on “The Lucy Desi Comedy Hour” (above) in which the gang hunted Uranium in the desert.  MacMurray was the star of “My Three Sons” and appeared in all 165 of Frawley’s episodes. 

Walter Meyer was William Frawley’s agent.

TRIVIA

William Frawley was the only member of the “I Love Lucy” regular cast to be celebrated on “This Is Your Life.”

Although it is no surprise that Vivian Vance did not attend, it is rather surprising that Desi Arnaz is not on the guest list. Arnaz championed Frawley to the network and sponsor when they objected to hiring him due to his alcoholism.  

William Frawley received this honor while concurrently acting on “My Three Sons”.  In the episode that aired three days earlier (January 5, 1961), Bub had to go out of town and Mike is tasked to hire a temporary maid – except he hires a marriage broker (Anne Seymour) instead! In the episode that aired the following week, Bub (Frawley) thought he was being replaced by Steve’s cousin Sylvia (Mary Jackson). 

The names of the honorees was not disclosed before the broadcast.  In the cast of William Frawley, one newspaper hinted that the guest of honor was “a familiar face” – “a kind of next door neighbor character”. 

In addition to Frawley’s appearance on “This Is Your Life” on January 8, 1961, he was also seen in the afternoon rerun of “I Love Lucy.” 

In many markets, the episode was rerun on Sunday, January 15, 1961 and then again on August 16, 1961. 

On May 28, 1961, radio and TV writer Bob Thomas asked Ralph Edwards for his top five episodes of “This is Your Life.”  William Frawley’s tribute was NOT among them. But coincidentally, a separate article about William Frawley’s role as Bub on “My Three Sons” by Cynthia Lowry was printed alongside it. 

The Chicago Tribune for October 14, 1961 printed this letter to the editor.  Ball may have been referring to the “Lucy on Broadway” special that was planned, but never materialized. Frawley, Vance, and Arnaz were scripted to participate, should the project have been realized.