Gene Nelson

Director: Gene Nelson

Born: Mar 24, 1920 in Seattle, Washington
Died: Sep 16, 1996
Occupation: Director, Actor, Writer
Active: '50s-'70s
Major Genres: Musical, Comedy
Career Highlights: Oklahoma!, Your Cheatin' Heart, Crime Wave
First Major Screen Credit: Tea for Two (1950)

Biography

Nineteen-year-old Leander Berg billed himself as Gene Berg when he made his professional debut as a skater in Sonja Henie's LA-based ice show. He was still Gene Berg when, while serving in World War II, he was featured as a dancer in the 1942 Broadway revue This is the Army. It wasn't until the 1948 stage musical Lend an Ear that Gene Berg reemerged as Gene Nelson. Signed to a 20th Century-Fox contract in 1947, Nelson co-starred in several of that studio's Technicolor song-and-dance fests, then moved on to the musical unit at Warner Bros. His best-known filmusical assignment was as high-kickin' cowpoke Will Parker in the 1955 superproduction Oklahoma. After briefly attempting to establish himself in dramatic roles, Nelson turned to directing. He called the shots in several Sam Katzman productions of the 1960s, notably the Elvis Presley vehicles Kissin' Cousins (1963) and Harum Scarum (1965), and the 1965 Hank Williams Sr. biopic Your Cheatin' Heart. He also directed dozens of TV episodes, working on such weeklies as The Rifleman, The Donna Reed Show and Mod Squad. There was talk that a serious injury in the mid-1950s had forced Gene Nelson to forego dancing in favor of directing; if so, he was sufficiently recovered in the 1970s, displaying his still-impressive terpsichorean skills in the Broadway musicals Follies and Good News. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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Filmography: Gene Nelson

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Star Trek: The Gamesters of Triskelion

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Wikipedia: Gene Nelson

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This article is about the American entertainer. For the baseball player, see Gene Nelson (baseball).

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2008)

Gene Nelson
Born	Leander Eugene Berg March 24, 1920(1920-03-24) Seattle, Washington
Died	September 16, 1996 (aged 76) Los Angeles, California
Other name(s)	Gene Berg Eugene E. Nelson
Occupation	Actor, dancer, screenwriter, film and television director
Spouse(s)	Miriam Franklin (1941 - 1956) Marilyn Morgan (1958 - 1974) Jean Martin (July 1990 - ?)

Gene Nelson (March 24, 1920 - September 16, 1996) was an American dancer, actor, screenwriter, and director.

Biography

Born Leander Eugene Berg in Seattle, Washington, he was inspired to become a dancer by watching Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movies when he was a child. After serving in the Army during World War II, Nelson landed his first Broadway role in Lend an Ear, for which he received the Theatre World Award. He also appeared on stage in Follies, which garnered him a Tony Award nomination, and Good News.

Nelson's film acting credits include This is the Army (1943), I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now (1947), Gentlemen's Agreement (1947), Apartment for Peggy (1948), The Walls of Jericho (1948), The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady (1950), Tea for Two (1950), The West Point Story (1950), Lullaby of Broadway (1951), Painting the Clouds with Sunshine (1951), Starlift (1951), She's Working Her Way Through College (1952), She's Back on Broadway (1953), Three Sailors and a Girl (1953), Crime Wave(1954), So This is Paris (1954), Oklahoma! (1955), The Atomic Man (1956), The Way Out (1956), The Purple Hills (1961), 20,000 Eyes (1961), Thunder Island (1963), A Brand New Life (1972), Family Flight (1972), and S.O.B. (1981).

Nelson directed episodes of the original Star Trek, the first season of I Dream of Jeannie, and Gunsmoke. In 1959, he appeared with Keith Larsen and Buddy Ebsen in the NBC adventure series Northwest Passage as a young man trying to prove his innocence in a murder case.

Nelson also directed the 1965 Elvis Presley movie Harum Scarum.

In 1957, a horse fell on Nelson and fractured his pelvis. He legally changed his name in 1964. He died of cancer, aged 76, in Los Angeles, California. He was survived by three children, Douglas, Victoria and Chris.

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Result	Category	Film
1951	Golden Globe Award	Win	Most Promising Newcomer	Tea for Two
1965	Writers Guild of America Award	Nominated	Best Written American Musical	Kissin' Cousins (Shared with Gerald Drayson Adams)

External links

Gene Nelson at the Internet Broadway Database
Gene Nelson at the Internet Movie Database

Persondata
NAME	Nelson, Gene
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Berg, Leander Eugene
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Actor, dancer, screenwriter, director
DATE OF BIRTH	March 24, 1920
PLACE OF BIRTH	Seattle, Washington
DATE OF DEATH	September 16, 1996
PLACE OF DEATH	Los Angeles, California

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