[23] BBC Radio 4 broadcast a serialized version of the play in the UK in August 2020, as Lucy Loves Desi: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Sitcom, in which Stacy Keach portrayed Frawley, Anne Heche played Lucille Ball, and Wilmer Valderrama played Desi Arnaz. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. Fred Mertz was the Ricardos' landlord, and like Ethel he was a former vaudevillian, giving him a dual personality on the show as a bit of a grump but also encouraging of Lucy's showbiz ambitions. According to an interview with ESPN, he was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson's disease in January 2009, following his retirement from professional basketball. That didnt mean that he had gotten over the bad blood with Vivian Vance, though. I have been so honored to bring my shows to the public for the past 50 years.. Fred could be unpleasant, but also had redeeming qualities -- but actor William Frawley was a different story. 02/21 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Complete Season Nine / The Complete Season Ten Search Sitcoms Online:
did william frawley have parkinson's