Gene Nelson

Born

March 24, 1920

Died

September 16, 1996 (76 years old)

Known For

Acting

Place of Birth

Astoria, Oregon, USA

Gene Nelson was an American dancer, actor, screenwriter, and director. Born Leander Eugene Berg in Astoria, Oregon, he 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. 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.

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Murder, She Wrote

Murder, She Wrote

Louis Metcalf · (1 episode)

7.5

1984

S.O.B.

S.O.B.

Clive Lytell

5.9

1981

A Brand New Life

A Brand New Life

Harry

0.0

1973

Family Flight

Family Flight

Aircraft Carrier Captain

5.2

1972

The Streets of San Francisco

The Streets of San Francisco

(4 episodes)

6.9

1972

Ghost Story

Ghost Story

Steve · (1 episode)

7.1

1972

The Mod Squad

The Mod Squad

(1 episode)

6.3

1968

Ironside

Ironside

(1 episode)

6.8

1967

Burke's Law

Burke's Law

Rick Mason · (1 episode)

6.0

1963

Burke's Law

Burke's Law

Danny Swift · (1 episode)

6.0

1963

Thunder Island

Thunder Island

Billy Poole

4.9

1963

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

Self · (1 episode)

7.5

1962

The Mike Douglas Show

The Mike Douglas Show

Self · (1 episode)

5.4

1961

The Purple Hills

The Purple Hills

Gil Shepard

5.0

1961

20,000 Eyes

20,000 Eyes

Dan Warren

3.5

1961

The Detectives

The Detectives

(1 episode)

5.6

1959

Philip Marlowe

Philip Marlowe

(1 episode)

5.0

1959

Law of the Plainsman

Law of the Plainsman

Hardy O'Hara · (1 episode)

6.0

1959

Men Into Space

Men Into Space

(1 episode)

7.0

1959

The Bell Telephone Hour

Self · (3 episodes)

7.3

1959

Black Saddle

Black Saddle

Wickes · (1 episode)

6.0

1959

Rawhide

Rawhide

(0 episode)

7.2

1959

Bat Masterson

Bat Masterson

Whit Morrison · (1 episode)

6.1

1958

Maverick

Maverick

Jim Hazlit · (1 episode)

6.8

1957

Have Gun, Will Travel

Have Gun, Will Travel

(1 episode)

7.4

1957

The Steve Allen Show

The Steve Allen Show

Self - Dancer · (1 episode)

5.6

1956

The Rosemary Clooney Show

Self · (1 episode)

0.0

1956

Dial 999

Dial 999

Greg Carradine

4.6

1955

Timeslip

Timeslip

Mike Delaney

5.4

1955

Matinee Theater

Matinee Theater

(1 episode)

5.0

1955

Oklahoma!

Oklahoma!

Will Parker

6.6

1955

Gunsmoke

Gunsmoke

Hob Cannon · (1 episode)

6.6

1955

Gunsmoke

Gunsmoke

Foss · (1 episode)

6.6

1955

Gunsmoke

Gunsmoke

Hutch · (1 episode)

6.6

1955

The Millionaire

The Millionaire

Lt. Steven Q. Forrest · (1 episode)

5.0

1955

So This Is Paris

So This Is Paris

Al Howard

8.5

1954

Climax!

Climax!

Jess Shepard · (1 episode)

3.3

1954

Three Sailors and a Girl

Three Sailors and a Girl

Twitch

6.0

1953

Crime Wave

Crime Wave

Steve Lacey

7.1

1953

She's Back on Broadway

She's Back on Broadway

Gordon Evans

5.7

1953

General Electric Theater

General Electric Theater

(1 episode)

6.3

1953

She's Working Her Way Through College

She's Working Her Way Through College

Don Weston

5.1

1952

Hallmark Hall of Fame

Hallmark Hall of Fame

Robert · (1 episode)

8.6

1951

Starlift

Starlift

Gene Nelson

5.6

1951

Painting The Clouds With Sunshine

Painting The Clouds With Sunshine

Ted

4.5

1951

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

(1 episode)

7.3

1951

Lullaby of Broadway

Lullaby of Broadway

Tom Farnham

5.8

1951

The West Point Story

The West Point Story

Hal Courtland

5.8

1950

The Colgate Comedy Hour

The Colgate Comedy Hour

Self · (5 episodes)

6.8

1950

Tea for Two

Tea for Two

Tommy Trainor

6.0

1950

The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady

The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady

Doug Martin

5.0

1950

Your Show of Shows

Your Show of Shows

(1 episode)

6.3

1950

The Walls of Jericho

The Walls of Jericho

Legal Assistant

5.7

1948

Studio One

Studio One

Trout · (1 episode)

5.0

1948

Apartment for Peggy

Apartment for Peggy

Jerry (uncredited)

7.8

1948

The Ed Sullivan Show

The Ed Sullivan Show

Self · (2 episodes)

6.8

1948

I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now

I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now

Tommy Yale

5.0

1947

This Is the Army

This Is the Army

Soldier (uncredited)

5.8

1943

Everything Happens at Night

Everything Happens at Night

Skater

4.1

1939

Second Fiddle

Second Fiddle

Minor Role

4.9

1939