David Nelson, the last surviving member of the Nelsons TV family, died of colon cancer on 11th January. He took his last breath at his residence -in the Century City area of Los Angeles, California. He was 74 and was survived by his second wife Yvonne,36, four sons and a daughter, seven grandchildren, three nephews namely Matthew, Gunnar and Sam.
The radio show "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet", commenced in 1952, continued on ABC for 320 episodes from 1952 to 1966. During later years, David also directed some of the episodes of the show. Apart from the radio show, he directed and produced several films, serials, and programs during the 1970s and 1980s.
David had started his solo acting career with the flick ‘Peyton Place’ in 1957 and appeared in various TV roles. Later, he made his debut into film industry and acted in some films. Even during 1990’s, he made his appearance in some movies such as "Cry-Baby". In 2006, David was felicitated with a TV Land Award for "Ozzie and Harriet" and received a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame star.
Born in New York, David attended the University of Southern California and later joined parents on the small screen. His Rick, who was in his teens by then, too joined him on the show. His first wife Harriet Hilliard was a famous singer and his younger brother Rick, who died in a plane crash in 1985, too was an artiste. David acted with Hilliard in "Smash-Up on Interstate 5" in 1976.
Some of the films that brought him fame are listed here:
- Peyton Place(1957)
- The Big Circus and Love and Kisses
- The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker (1959)
- Day of the Outlaw (1962)
- The Big Show (l965)
- Love and Kisses (1978)
.
Some his popular small screen ventures:
- The Love Boat
- Hondo
- A Family for Joe
- Swing out Sweet Land
- High School USA
Apart from "Ozzie and Harriet", some of his popular direction ventures are:
- O.K. Crackerby
- Adam-12
- Ozzie's Girls
Some of his popular production ventures are:
- Ozzie's Girls
- Last Plane Out
- Easy to Be Free
- The Big Circus
