Classic Entertainment Autographs

Cat. #001409031: WILLIAM FRAWLEY

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Exceptionally rare and quite astounding vintage 10x13-inch glossy black and white portrait, boldly signed in green fountain pen in the 1930s. In good condition for its age, with three border pin holes and tiny bit of paper loss to the top left-hand corner tip. We have encountered three or four autographed photographs of Frawley across 35 years, but never one as large and desirable as this one. Cranky William Frawley had memorable roles in films like Bolero (1934), The Crime Doctor (1934), Roberta (1935), The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1939), Gentleman Jim (1942), Going My Way (1944), Miracle on 34th Street (1947), The Babe Ruth Story (1948), East Side, West Side (1949), The Lemon Drop Kid (1951), and the horror-themed comedy Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951). It was, however, in the then-burgeoning medium of television that he found his most lasting fame, unforgettable as snarky, hotheaded Fred Mertz on "I Love Lucy" (1951-1957) and Grandpa Bub on "My Three Sons" (1960-1965).