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Gene Nelson
Actor

Gene Nelson

24 Mar 1920Born
16 Sep 1996Died
76Age at death
91Credits

Biography

Gene Nelson was an American dancer, actor, screenwriter, and director. Born Leander Eugene Berg in Astoria, Oregon, his family moved to Seattle when he was a year old. He was inspired to become a dancer by watching Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers when he was a child. After serving in the Army during World War II during which he also performed in the musical This Is the Army, Nelson landed his first Broadway role in Lend an Ear, for which he received the Theatre World Award. He also appeared onstage in Follies, which garnered him a Tony Award nomination, and Good News.

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Nelson's longtime professional dance partner during the 1950s was actress JoAnn Dean Killingsworth.

Gene Nelson co-starred with Doris Day in "Lullaby of Broadway" in 1951. He played Will Parker in the film Oklahoma!

In 1959, he appeared in Northwest Passage as a young man trying to prove his innocence in a murder case. Nelson appeared on the March 17, 1960 episode of "You Bet Your Life", hosted by Groucho Marx. He and Groucho's daughter, Melinda, performed a dance number together.

Nelson directed eight episodes of The Rifleman in the 1961-62 season, the original Star Trek, the first season of I Dream of Jeannie, Gunsmoke, The Silent Force, and The San Pedro Beach Bums. He directed the Elvis Presley films Kissin' Cousins, which screenplay he wrote, and Harum Scarum. For the Kissin' Cousins screenplay he received a WGA award nomination for best written musical. He later taught in the Theater Arts Department at San Francisco State University in the late 1980s.

He starred as Buddy in the 1971 Broadway musical Follies, for which he received a 1972 Tony Award nomination for Featured Actor In A Musical. The production featured a score by Stephen Sondheim and was co-directed by Michael Bennett and Harold Prince.

For contribution to the motion picture industry, in 1990, Nelson was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Nelson's star is located at 7005 Hollywood Boulevard.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Gene Nelson, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.​

Known for

Filmography

The 80 most recent of 91 credits.

  1. 1984Murder, She WroteSeries: Louis Metcalf (1 episode)
  2. 1981S.O.B.Film: Clive Lytell
  3. 1979ShirleySeries: Director (1 episode)
  4. 1979EischiedSeries: Director (1 episode)
  5. 1979Salvage 1Series: Director (1 episode)
  6. 1978The American GirlsSeries: Director (1 episode)
  7. 1978Fantasy IslandSeries: Director (1 episode)
  8. 1977The San Pedro Beach BumsSeries: Director (3 episodes)
  9. 1976Quincy, M.E.Series: Director (1 episode)
  10. 1975Starsky & HutchSeries: Director (2 episodes)
  11. 1975The Invisible ManSeries: Director (1 episode)
  12. 1974Get Christie Love!Series: Director (1 episode)
  13. 1973The LettersFilm: Director
  14. 1973A Brand New LifeFilm: Harry
  15. 1973Barnaby JonesSeries: Director (1 episode)
  16. 1972Family FlightFilm: Aircraft Carrier Captain
  17. 1972The Streets of San FranciscoSeries (4 episodes)
  18. 1972Ghost StorySeries: Steve (1 episode)
  19. 1972The RookiesSeries: Director (7 episodes)
  20. 1971CannonSeries: Director (2 episodes)
  21. 1970The Silent ForceSeries: Director (1 episode)
  22. 1969Wake Me When the War Is OverFilm: Director
  23. 1969Hawaii Five-OSeries: Director (1 episode)
  24. 1968BlondieSeries: Director (6 episodes)
  25. 1968The Mod SquadSeries: Director (1 episode)
  26. 1968LancerSeries: Director (2 episodes)
  27. 1967The Cool OnesFilm: Director
  28. 1967IronsideSeries: Director (1 episode)
  29. 1966Felony SquadSeries: Director (2 episodes)
  30. 1966Star TrekSeries: Director (1 episode)
  31. 1966Where's Everett?Film: Director
  32. 1965Harum ScarumFilm: Director
  33. 1965The F.B.I.Series: Director (6 episodes)
  34. 1965I Dream of JeannieSeries: Director (8 episodes)
  35. 1965LaredoSeries: Director (1 episode)
  36. 1965F TroopSeries: Director (1 episode)
  37. 1964Your Cheatin' HeartFilm: Director
  38. 1964Gilligan's IslandSeries: Director (1 episode)
  39. 196412 O'Clock HighSeries: Director (1 episode)
  40. 1964Kissin' CousinsFilm: Director, Screenplay
  41. 1964DestrySeries: Director (1 episode)
  42. 1964ArchieFilm: Director
  43. 1963Burke's LawSeries: Rick Mason, Danny Swift, Director (1 episode)
  44. 1963The Farmer's DaughterSeries: Director (7 episodes)
  45. 1963Thunder IslandFilm: Billy Poole
  46. 1963Hootenanny Hoot!Film: Director
  47. 1963Vacation PlayhouseSeries: Director (1 episode)
  48. 1962Hand of DeathFilm: Director
  49. 1961The Purple HillsFilm: Gil Shepard
  50. 196120,000 EyesFilm: Dan Warren
  51. 1960The Andy Griffith ShowSeries: Director (2 episodes)
  52. 1959The DetectivesSeries (1 episode)
  53. 1959Philip MarloweSeries (1 episode)
  54. 1959Law of the PlainsmanSeries: Hardy O'Hara (1 episode)
  55. 1959Men Into SpaceSeries (1 episode)
  56. 1959Black SaddleSeries: Wickes (1 episode)
  57. 1959RawhideSeries
  58. 1958Bat MastersonSeries: Whit Morrison (1 episode)
  59. 1958The RiflemanSeries: Director (8 episodes)
  60. 1958The Donna Reed ShowSeries: Director (18 episodes)
  61. 1957MaverickSeries: Jim Hazlit (1 episode)
  62. 1957Have Gun, Will TravelSeries (1 episode)
  63. 1955Dial 999Film: Greg Carradine
  64. 1955TimeslipFilm: Mike Delaney
  65. 1955Matinee TheaterSeries (1 episode)
  66. 1955Oklahoma!Film: Will Parker
  67. 1955GunsmokeSeries: Hob Cannon, Foss, Hutch (1 episode)
  68. 1955The MillionaireSeries: Lt. Steven Q. Forrest (1 episode)
  69. 1954So This Is ParisFilm: Al Howard
  70. 1954Climax!Series: Jess Shepard (1 episode)
  71. 1953Three Sailors and a GirlFilm: Twitch
  72. 1953Crime WaveFilm: Steve Lacey
  73. 1953She's Back on BroadwayFilm: Gordon Evans
  74. 1953General Electric TheaterSeries (1 episode)
  75. 1952She's Working Her Way Through CollegeFilm: Don Weston
  76. 1951Hallmark Hall of FameSeries: Robert (1 episode)
  77. 1951StarliftFilm: Gene Nelson
  78. 1951Painting the Clouds with SunshineFilm: Ted
  79. 1951Schlitz Playhouse of StarsSeries (1 episode)
  80. 1951Lullaby of BroadwayFilm: Tom Farnham

Biography and credits from TMDB. This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.