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1-7 of 7
- Actor
- Director
- Producer
This preeminent sitcom dad of the 50s had already started things off studying law when he decided to put together a dance band in the 20s on the sly. The band was so successful that he never looked back -- his love for entertaining completely took over. The New Jersey-born performer made a living for a time playing hotels and casinos on the East coast, capitalizing on an easy-going singing style. In 1932 Harriet Nelson came aboard as lead vocalist of his band and their easy rapport together provided some marvelous spontaneous comedy relief that clicked with audiences. They married in 1935 and soon extended their popularity to radio (with Red Skelton, among others) and a few WWII musical films such as Sweetheart of the Campus (1941), Strictly in the Groove (1942), Honeymoon Lodge (1943) and Take It Big (1944). Determined to maintain a strong family unit as their family grew, they integrated their two careers into one and seldom worked apart after this.
They were a huge hit together with the family radio program "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" in 1944 with two young actors playing their sons. When the show transferred to TV in 1952, their real-life sons, David Nelson and Ricky Nelson, were incorporated. This landmark show lasted 14 years, a record unbroken for what is considered America's first "reality" TV sitcom. Although Ozzie's dad character came off stammering, hesitant and slightly absent-minded, which meshed perfectly with Harriet's smart, wisecracking appeal, he was anything but offstage. A dynamo and workaholic as well as shrewd businessman, he supervised his show completely as producer, director, and editor. He virtually put son Ricky on the map as a pop singing idol via his sitcom, incorporating the boy's musical talents into various plots.
Ozzie's interests invariably spread to other aspects of show business as well. He and Harriet occasionally toured together on the theater stage in such light-hearted vehicles as "The Marriage-Go-Round." Later on he took on the role of producer and director for some of TV's more popular shows. Older son David followed in his father's footsteps as a producer and director. In the early 70s Ozzie and Harriet attempted another TV series entitled Ozzie's Girls (1973), which was syndicated to local stations, but the show had an outdated feel to it and lasted a mere season. One of his very few failures. Ozzie died in Laguna Beach, California of liver cancer in 1975 at age 69.- Writer
- Additional Crew
- Actor
British novelist, playwright, poet and art critic James Laver was born in Liverpool, England, in 1900. At age 12 he won a scholarship to the Liverpool Institute. In 1917, at age 18, he enlisted in the Royal Army as a lieutenant. He was posted to the French front, but didn't see any combat, as the Armistice was signed two days after he got there. He stayed in France for another year, then returned to England and his studies at Oxford, graduating in 1921. The next year he was hired by the Victoria and Albert Museum and placed as second in charge of its art print room. It was there that he began writing art criticism and poems, and even began producing plays for amateur dramatic societies.
In 1928 he married actress Veronica Turleigh. In 1937 he was promoted to head of the museum's print room, and began the process of examining and cataloging all of the museum's prints. He also taught English at the Working Men's College, and was later appointed art director. He has turned out a prolific amount of writing, on everything from 19th-century French fashions to biographies to books of poetry.- Sound Department
William H. Lynch was born on 10 March 1905 in Nevada, USA. William H. is known for Destination Moon (1950), Machine Gun Mama (1944) and A Scandal in Paris (1946). William H. died on 3 June 1975 in Ventura, California, USA.- Additional Crew
- Actor
Felix Wayne was born on 19 August 1896 in Vienna, Austria-Hungary [now Austria]. He was an actor, known for Holiday in Mexico (1946) and The Unfinished Dance (1947). He died on 3 June 1975 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Hetty Berger was born on 16 November 1920 in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands. She was an actress, known for Tim Tatoe (1966), Memorandum van een dokter (1963) and Treinreis naar de toekomst (1964). She died on 3 June 1975 in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands.
- Fahri Celal Göktulga was born on 20 May 1895 in Constantinople, Ottoman Empire [now Istanbul, Turkey]. He was a writer, known for Çanakkale Arslanlari (1964). He died on 3 June 1975 in Istanbul, Turkey.
- Producer
- Writer
Ralph J. Gleason was born on 1 March 1917 in New York City, New York, USA. He was a producer and writer, known for NET Playhouse (1964), Payday (1973) and Duke Ellington: Love You Madly (1967). He was married to Jean Rayburn. He died on 3 June 1975 in Berkeley, California, USA.