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person_profile-Harriet Nelson

Harriet Nelson Died at age: 85

Actor | Producer

Fullname:

Harriet Nelson

Date of Birth:

Jul 18, 1909

Country of birth:

USA

Died:

Oct 02, 1994

Biography of

Harriet Nelson

    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.

Photos of

Harriet Nelson

Photos ( 3 Photos

Filmography of

Harriet Nelson

Found 22 Movies in total

The Kid with the 200 I.Q.

Prof. Conklin ( Actor )

... 1983

The First Time

Charlotte ( Actor )

... 1982

Death Car on the Freeway

Mrs. Sheel ( Actor )

... 1979

Smash-Up on Interstate 5

June Pearson ( Actor )

... 1976

The Movie Orgy

Self (archive footage) ( Actor )

... 1968

Hollywood My Home Town

Self (archive footage) ( Actor )

... 1965

Disneyland '59

Self ( Actor )

... 1959

Here Come the Nelsons

Harriet Nelson ( Actor )

... 1952

Take It Big

Jerry Clinton ( Actor )

... 1944

Hi, Good Lookin'!

Kelly Clark ( Actor )

... 1944

Honeymoon Lodge

Lorraine Logan aka Jenny Hockadayl ( Actor )

... 1943

Gals, Incorporated

Gwen Phillips (as Harriet Hilliard) ( Actor )

... 1943

The Falcon Strikes Back

Gwynne Gregory (as Harriet Hilliard) ( Actor )

... 1943

Hi, Buddy

Gloria Bradley ( Actor )

... 1943

Juke Box Jenny

Genevieve Horton ( Actor )

... 1942

Canal Zone

Susan Merrill ( Actor )

... 1942

Confessions of Boston Blackie

Diane Parrish ( Actor )

... 1941

Sweetheart of the Campus

Harriet Hale ( Actor )

... 1941

Cocoanut Grove

Linda Rogers ( Actor )

... 1938

The Life of the Party

Mitzi Martos ( Actor )

... 1937

New Faces of 1937

Patricia ( Actor )

... 1937

Follow the Fleet

Connie Martin ( Actor )

... 1936