MovieChat Forums > I Love Lucy (1951) Discussion > William Frawley and Elizabeth Patterson

William Frawley and Elizabeth Patterson

posted 6 years ago by [email protected] (1732)
1 reply | jump to latest

While we all know that Lucy was in the movies before she starred in ILL (she was known
as "Queen of the B's"), the two performers I think of in "movie work" are Bill Frawley and
Elizabeth Patterson. Both did scores of supporting/bit roles before their break on this series.

Patterson is in one of my fave Christmas movies, "Remember the Night", with Barbara
Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray from 1940. She plays a spinster who lives with
MacMurray's mother, and tries to encourage a romance with Prosecutor Fred and
Jewel thief Stanwyck. A charming film, and a truly touching performance by Patterson.

Frawley did a ton of film roles, and he even has a key role in the 1947 Christmas classic,
"Miracle on 34th Street." Frawley also plays a "Fred Mertz" kind of character in the
1946 comedy /musical "Ziegfeld Follies." He plays a landlord who is paid the balance
of Fanny Brice's rent with a Sweepstakes ticket. Naturally, the sweepstakes ticket wins,
and Brice and her husband (Hume Cronyn) spend the entire segment trying to get the
ticket out of his pocket. Very, very funny.

Anyone else see these two prolific character actors in any movies??

[–] [email protected] (5507) 6 years ago

It's hard to remember specific movies, but I do remember watching old black and white films and saying, "Hey, it's Fred Mertz!"

I know I watched "The Lemon Drop Kid" starring Bob Hope, many years ago. William Frawley was in that.

He was also in "The Bride came C.O.D., a comedy starring Bette Davis. it wasn't one of her more popular films. But I liked it.
I remember him more from his TV roles, like Michael Francis "Bub" O'Casey on "My Three Sons."

Elizabeth Patterson? I may have seen her in some movie roles, but I just can't recall any specific movies.