© Copyright Harutyunyan 2024

sunfilm-logo
Home/Harriet Nelson
Harriet Nelson‌

Gender

Female

Birthday

calendar1909-07-18

Popularity

star3.4

Harriet Nelson

Des Moines, Iowa, USA

Harriet Nelson

Des Moines, Iowa, USA

Gender

Female

Birthday

calendar1909-07-18

Popularity

star3.4

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.

Movie Credits

The Movie Orgy

The Movie Orgy‌
star6.2
calendar 1968

Follow the Fleet

Follow the Fleet‌
star6.8
calendar 1936

The Falcon Strikes Back

The Falcon Strikes Back‌
star5.6
calendar 1943

Confessions of Boston Blackie

Confessions of Boston Blackie‌
star6.1
calendar 1941

Harem Scarem

Harem Scarem‌
star0.0
calendar 1932

A Christmas for Boomer

A Christmas for Boomer‌
star0.0
calendar 1979

The Life of the Party

The Life of the Party‌
star5.2
calendar 1937

Here Come the Nelsons

Here Come the Nelsons‌
star6.0
calendar 1952

New Faces of 1937

New Faces of 1937‌
star4.0
calendar 1937

Cocoanut Grove

Cocoanut Grove‌
star0.0
calendar 1938

Death Car on the Freeway

Death Car on the Freeway‌
star5.3
calendar 1979

The First Time

The First Time‌
star4.0
calendar 1982

Sweetheart of the Campus

Sweetheart of the Campus‌
star5.0
calendar 1941

Hi, Good Lookin'!

Hi, Good Lookin'!‌
star5.7
calendar 1944

The Kid with the 200 I.Q.

The Kid with the 200 I.Q.‌
star5.0
calendar 1983

Hi, Buddy

Hi, Buddy‌
star7.0
calendar 1943

Honeymoon Lodge

Honeymoon Lodge‌
star0.0
calendar 1943

Swingtime Johnny

Swingtime Johnny‌
star9.0
calendar 1944

Take It Big

Take It Big‌
star0.0
calendar 1944

Canal Zone

Canal Zone‌
star5.5
calendar 1942

Juke Box Jenny

Juke Box Jenny‌
star0.0
calendar 1942

Gals, Incorporated

Gals, Incorporated‌
star0.0
calendar 1943

Smash-Up on Interstate 5

Smash-Up on Interstate 5‌
star5.4
calendar 1976

Ozzie Nelson and His Orchestra

Ozzie Nelson and His Orchestra‌
star5.2
calendar 1943

High School U.S.A.

High School U.S.A.‌
star4.2
calendar 1984

Disneyland '59

Disneyland '59‌
star6.5
calendar 1959

Tv Credits

Father Dowling Mysteries

Father Dowling Mysteries‌
star7.1
calendar 1989

Ozzie's Girls

Ozzie's Girls‌
star0.0
calendar 1973

The Love Boat

The Love Boat‌
star6.3
calendar 1977

Happy Days

Happy Days‌
star7.7
calendar 1974

The Merv Griffin Show

The Merv Griffin Show‌
star5.3
calendar 1962

This Is Your Life

This Is Your Life‌
star6.4
calendar 1952

Aloha Paradise

Aloha Paradise‌
star5.0
calendar 1981

The Barbara McNair Show

The Barbara McNair Show‌
star0.0
calendar 1969

Night Gallery

Night Gallery‌
star7.8
calendar 1970

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet‌
star6.0
calendar 1952

Dinah!

Dinah!‌
star6.0
calendar 1974

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson‌
star7.4
calendar 1962

Love, American Style

Love, American Style‌
star5.8
calendar 1969

What's My Line?

What's My Line?‌
star6.6
calendar 1950

Once an Eagle

Once an Eagle‌
star6.8
calendar 1976