Harriet Nelson, Acting - KorPlix:Korean Person Archives

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Harriet Nelson
Acting

Harriet Nelson
Known For
Acting
Birthday
1909-07-18,Des Moines, Iowa, USA
Gender
Female
Biography
Harriet Nelson will always have a secure place alongside Barbara Billingsley and Jane Wyatt in the "TV's Golden Age Mom Hall of Fame." For fourteen years, she, husband Ozzie Nelson, and their two boys, David Nelson and Ricky Nelson, were the quintessential role models of the '50s ideal nuclear family. Harriet, the daughter of actors, was practically born in a trunk. She made her debut amid the footlights at age 6 weeks with her parents. The Iowa beauty attended St. Agnes Academy in her early years. Quite a dazzler in her youth, she was playing vaudeville when she attracted the attention of saxophone-playing Ozzie Nelson and was hired by him as vocalist for his orchestra in 1932. They married three years later. Harriet had a bold, sassy edge to her that proved a perfect counterpoint to Ozzie's genial, stumbling personality in their off-the-cuff routines. During the '40s, they were regulars on Red Skelton's radio show and even took over the comic's time slot when Red was drafted into the army. As Harriet Hilliard, she moved to leading lady status in a number of cool, snazzy war-era musicals, the most notable as "second lead" to Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in Follow the Fleet (1936). Other minor efforts included Cocoanut Grove (1938), Sweetheart of the Campus (1941) with Ozzie, Juke Box Jenny (1942), and Honeymoon Lodge (1943), also with Ozzie. Breezy, tuneful films, but nothing to write home about. Once Harriet partnered with Ozzie in their own radio series "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" in 1944, the family-oriented woman's career became unequivocally bound to his. They extended their devoted radio audience to TV (1952-1966). The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet (1952), which now included both their sons, made household names of the entire clan. David followed in his father's footsteps as director/producer, while Ricky turned pop teen idol with such hits as "Hello, Mary Lou" and "Travelin' Man," songs that were introduced on the show. Following the show's long run, Ozzie and Harriet lay back a bit and settled in Laguna Beach, California, touring occasionally on stage. A second series entitled Ozzie's Girls (1973) lasted only one season. Following Ozzie's death in 1975, Harriet turned somewhat reclusive, save for a few mini-movies or guest spots. She never fully recovered from son Ricky's death in a plane crash in 1985. She was the doting grandmother of actress Tracy Nelson and of twin rockers Matthew Nelson and Gunnar Nelson, who were simply called "Nelson." A heavy smoker most of her life, she never smoked in public, feeling it did not befit her "perfect mom" image. She died of emphysema and congestive heart failure in 1994.

Filmography

6.647

The Movie Orgy
1968-01-01

Follow the Fleet

6.84

Follow the Fleet
1936-02-20

The Falcon Strikes Back

5.6

The Falcon Strikes Back
1943-04-01

Confessions of Boston Blackie

6.357

Confessions of Boston Blackie
1941-12-08

0

Harem Scarem
1932-04-10

A Christmas for Boomer

10

A Christmas for Boomer
1979-12-06

The Life of the Party

6.2

The Life of the Party
1937-09-03

Here Come the Nelsons

7

Here Come the Nelsons
1952-02-23

New Faces of 1937

5.333

New Faces of 1937
1937-07-02

9

Cocoanut Grove
1938-05-20

Death Car on the Freeway

5.222

Death Car on the Freeway
1979-09-24

4

The First Time
1982-11-08

Sweetheart of the Campus

5.75

Sweetheart of the Campus
1941-06-26

Hi, Good Lookin'!

6.5

Hi, Good Lookin'!
1944-03-22

The Kid with the 200 I.Q.

5.6

The Kid with the 200 I.Q.
1983-02-06

7.75

Hi, Buddy
1943-02-26

Honeymoon Lodge

8

Honeymoon Lodge
1943-07-23

Swingtime Johnny

9

Swingtime Johnny
1944-02-04

9

Take It Big
1944-06-09

6

Canal Zone
1942-03-19

7

Juke Box Jenny
1942-03-27

Gals, Incorporated

10

Gals, Incorporated
1943-07-09

Smash-Up on Interstate 5

5.6

Smash-Up on Interstate 5
1976-02-02

Ozzie Nelson and His Orchestra

6.3

Ozzie Nelson and His Orchestra
1943-03-27

High School U.S.A.

4.2

High School U.S.A.
1984-05-26

7.333

Disneyland '59
1959-06-15

The Campus Mystery

7

The Campus Mystery
1932-07-01

Father Dowling Mysteries

7.423

Father Dowling Mysteries
1989-01-20

6.75

Ozzie's Girls
1973-09-15

6.3

The Love Boat
1977-09-24

7.628

Happy Days
1974-01-15

The Merv Griffin Show

6.6

The Merv Griffin Show
1962-10-01

This Is Your Life

6.5

This Is Your Life
1952-10-01

7

Aloha Paradise
1981-02-25

The Barbara McNair Show

0

The Barbara McNair Show
1969-09-13

7.788

Night Gallery
1970-12-16

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet

6.156

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
1952-10-03

7

Dinah!
1974-10-21

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

7.533

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962-10-01

Love, American Style

6.105

Love, American Style
1969-09-29

What's My Line?

7.034

What's My Line?
1950-02-02

6.8

Once an Eagle
1976-12-02

Love, American Style

6.105

Love, American Style
1969-09-29

Love, American Style

6.105

Love, American Style
1969-09-29

6.479

Fantasy Island
1978-01-28