Did you know that William Frawley had a stipulation in his I Love Lucy contract that said he couldn’t work when the Brooklyn Dodgers were playing in the World Series, and that the veteran vaudevillian performer had been working in the entertainment industry for four decades before taking on the iconic role of Fred Mertz? When Desi Arnaz pitched William Frawley to the studio for the role of Fred Mertz in I Love Lucy, the studio heads were initially hesitant. William had a poor reputation in the industry as a result of his excessive drinking and rude behavior, and they feared that he might prove to be a loose cannon on the show’s set. Desi could see where they were coming from, but his gut instinct that William was the right choice for the job eventually won out.
▬Contents of this video▬ 00:00 - Intro 00:26 - William Frawley Was a Veteran Performer Before Receiving the Role of Fred Mertz 00:52 - William’s Weird Contractual Stipulations 01:53 - William Loved Sports More Than Booze 02:34 - William Wasn’t Said to Have Been the Best Guy 03:43 - William Knew How to Hold His Liquor… Except in His Hands 04:45 - William Frawley’s Long Life Before I Love Lucy 06:01 - William’s Hollywood Days and His Later Life 06:47 - Outro
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William’s hiring onto I Love Lucy came with a few stipulations, including that the actor had to cut back on drinking and that he had to be given time off should the Brooklyn Dodgers be performing in the World Series. Of course, the latter was William’s idea, as he had always been a huge sports fan. Though most would have a hard time arguing that William wasn’t the choice to play Fred Mertz, it seems that the actor wasn’t all that truthful about his promise to cut back on his alcohol intake in order to get the role. However, the trained performer had a clever way of hiding his symptoms. Join Facts Verse as we explore why William Frawley hid his hands in ever scene of I Love Lucy.
Why William Frawley Hid His Hands in Every Scene of I Love Lucy
By: Facts Verse Title: Why William Frawley Hid His Hands in Every Scene of I Love Lucy Sourced From: www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlOfiwk5f7M
