Well now, lemme tell ya about William Frawley, the fella who played “Bub” on My Three Sons. You might be wonderin’ why he up and left the show, well it wasn’t ‘cause he wanted to, I’ll tell ya that much. Back in 1964, poor ol’ William Frawley, he was in bad shape. His health just wasn’t holdin’ up no more, and the folks over at Desilu Studios said it was too risky to keep him on, what with his health and all. They also said it’d be too expensive to insure him—times were tough, you know.
So, they had to find someone else to play his part, and that’s when they brought in William Demarest to take over as “Uncle Charley.” Now, I ain’t gonna sugarcoat it, William Frawley didn’t much care for ol’ William Demarest. They didn’t exactly get along in real life, and I reckon that made it even harder for Frawley to leave the show. He really enjoyed bein’ on My Three Sons, and I’m sure it broke his heart to step away from it.
You see, Frawley had been in the business for a long time. He’d worked in vaudeville and had a whole career before he got famous for playin’ Fred Mertz on I Love Lucy. He had a good run there, but when that show ended in 1960, he wasn’t ready to give up just yet. He joined My Three Sons and played Bub O’Casey for five years, but health problems just kept gettin’ worse. By 1964, he wasn’t able to keep up with the demands of the show. His heart wasn’t in it anymore, and eventually, he had to leave.
Even though he hated to go, the folks at the studio had to make a change. So, they brought in Demarest, who was a bit grouchier than Frawley, and that kinda changed the dynamic of the show. But Frawley didn’t just leave quietly. Oh no, he had a lot of pride in his work, and I bet he didn’t like bein’ replaced like that, especially by someone he didn’t get along with.
What’s more, Frawley didn’t even live long enough to see how My Three Sons kept goin’ after his departure. He passed away just a couple years later, in 1966, at the age of 79. His death, well, it was a sad end to a long career in show business.
Now, if you’re watchin’ the reruns today, you might not even notice the change in Uncle Charley, but I reckon folks back then sure did. Frawley’s departure left a big ol’ hole in the show, and though Demarest did his best, it just wasn’t the same. But that’s the way things go in showbiz, ain’t it? You just keep on truckin’ until it’s time to hang up your boots.
If you ever wonder why Frawley had to leave, just remember it wasn’t ’cause he wanted to. It was his health, and sometimes, no matter how much you love somethin’, your body just won’t let ya keep goin’. It’s a shame, really, but that’s life. And that’s the story of why William Frawley left My Three Sons. Ain’t no fairy tale, but it’s the truth.
Tags：[William Frawley, My Three Sons, Uncle Charley, William Demarest, Desilu Studios, TV History, Frawley health problems, 1960s sitcoms]