American actor William Frawley had hopes of becoming a newspaperman but was sidetracked by a series of... (Learn more)
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A rabid New York Yankees baseball fan, Frawley had written into his "I Love Lucy" contract that he did not have work during The World Series if the Yankees were playing. Considering the 1950s New York Yankees were in eight of the 10 series during the decade, this did cause Desilu a few problems and Frawley does not appear in two "I Love Lucy" episodes due to this clause.
Frawley is said to have put himself in contention for the role of Fred Mertz on "I Love Lucy" by telephoning Lucille Ball and saying "Red. I hear you gotta TV series coming on. You got a part for me?"
Frawley was always happiest when he could sing on an "I Love Lucy" episode. Although Vivian Vance had also been a singer in musical comedy, Frawley insisted she could not carry a tune. It was one of the off-stage elements of friction between Mr. and Mrs. Fred Mertz.
Some say it was because of his drinking, but Frawley did not drive. Luckily, he lived in the El Royale apartments on Rossmore, in walking distance of all three locations where "I Love Lucy" was filmed during its run. Frawley's favorite watering hole was Nickodell's restaurant and bar, which was only a few yards away from the Paramount main gate.
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