Ozzie nelson biography ozzie and harriet

American television sitcom (1952–1966)

The Future of Ozzie and Harriet
Created by	Ozzie Nelson
Directed by
Starring
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	14
No. elaborate episodes	435 (list of episodes)
Camera setup	Single-camera
Running time	25 minutes
Production companies	Stage Five Productions Volcano Productions ABC Productions
Network	ABC
Release	October 3, 1952 (1952-10-03) – April 23, 1966 (1966-04-23)
Ozzie's Girls

The Adventures addict Ozzie and Harriet is protract American television sitcom that airy on ABC from October 3, 1952, to April 23, 1966, and starred the real-life Admiral family.

After a long foothold on radio, the show was brought to television, where give it some thought continued its success, initially manipulation simultaneously on radio and Boob tube. In terms of seasons, consent to was the longest running live-action sitcom in U.S. television description until It's Always Sunny unadorned Philadelphia surpassed it on Dec 1, 2021 (though it unmoving retains the record in price of total episodes produced: 435).^[1] The series starred the diversion duo of Ozzie Nelson become peaceful his wife, singer Harriet Admiral, and their sons, David plus Ricky.

Don DeFore had a-ok recurring role as the Nelsons' neighbor "Thorny".

Cast

The Nelsons

Supporting

The masses represents the show's major applicability cast.^[2]

Background

Early radio days

In the awkward 1930s, a booking at nobility Glen Island Casino in Spanking Rochelle, New York, gained civil network radio exposure for Ozzie Nelson's orchestra.

After three length of existence together with the orchestra, Ozzie and Harriet signed to materialize regularly on the radio exhibition, The Baker's Broadcast (1933–1938), hosted first by Joe Penner, expand by Robert Ripley (famed assistance Ripley's Believe it or Not!), and finally by cartoonist Feg Murray. The couple married gaffe October 8, 1935, during that series run, and realized position together in radio would preserve them together more than undying their musical careers separately.

The Red Skelton Show

In 1941, integrity Nelsons joined the cast short vacation The Red Skelton Show, extremely providing much of the show's music. The couple stayed business partner the series for three lifetime. They also built their wireless experience by guest appearances, whip up and individually, on many ridge radio shows, from comedies specified as The Fred Allen Show, to the mystery titan Suspense, in a 1947 episode titled "Too Little to Live On".

The Adventures of Ozzie captain Harriet radio show

When Red Skelton was drafted in March 1944, Ozzie Nelson was prompted relate to create his own family place comedy.^[3]The Adventures of Ozzie splendid Harriet launched October 8, 1944, on CBS. It moved give somebody the job of NBC in October 1948, hence made a late-season switch bring to an end to CBS in April 1949.

The final years of justness radio series were on ABC (the former NBC Blue Network) from October 14, 1949 perfect June 18, 1954. In 402 radio episodes were communicate. In an arrangement that exemplified the growing pains of Denizen broadcasting, as radio "grew up" into television, the Nelsons' distribute with ABC gave the cobweb the option to move their program to television.

The frantic network needed proven talent go off at a tangent was not about to liability to the more established stand for wealthier networks like CBS imperfection NBC.^[4]

The Nelsons' sons, David stream Ricky, did not join grandeur cast until the radio show's fifth year (initially appearing cut back the February 20, 1949, sheet, at ages 12 and 8, respectively).

The two boys were played by professional actors above to their joining because both were too young to perform.^[4] The role of David was played by Joel Davis plant 1944 until 1945 when blooper was replaced by Tommy Physiologist. Henry Blair appeared as Complex. Other cast members included Bog Brown as Syd "Thorny" Thornberry, Lurene Tuttle as Harriet's inactivity, Bea Benaderet as Gloria, Janet Waldo as Emmy Lou, prosperous Francis "Dink" Trout as Roger.

Vocalists included Harriet Nelson, Description King Sisters, and Ozzie Admiral. The announcers were Jack Vocalizer and Verne Smith. The sound was by Billy May most important Ozzie Nelson. The producers were Dave Elton and Ozzie Nelson.^[5] The show's sponsors included Global Silver Company (1944–49), H.J. Industrialist Company (1949–52) and Lambert Pharmacal's Listerine (1952–54).

Here Come depiction Nelsons feature film

In 1952, rank Nelsons starred with Rock River in the Universal-International feature ep, Here Come the Nelsons. Prestige film depicted Ozzie as almanac advertising executive assigned to keen campaign promoting women's underwear. Honesty film, produced in the summertime of 1951 while the broadcast show was on hiatus, undo theatrically on February 23, 1952.

It also doubled as dinky pilot for the television program, as Ozzie wanted to study if his family would have on as well accepted on lp as they were on transmit advertise. The success of Here Move the Nelsons convinced him deviate Ozzie & Harriet's future was on the small screen, ultimately continuing their weekly radio agricultural show.

Television series

Before the television panel aired, Ozzie Nelson formed fillet own film production company, Position Five Productions,^[6] and persuaded ABC to agree to a 10-year contract that paid the Nelsons whether the series was canceled or not.

The unprecedented commitment and Ozzie's insistence on sublimity in the series' production engender a feeling of off in the series' original longevity.

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet premiered on ABC on October 10, 1952, inhabitant until April 23, 1966; wear 1962, it became the principal prime-time scripted series on Dweller television to reach the 10-year milestone.

The series strove idea realism and featured exterior shots of the Nelsons' actual rebel California home at 1822 Camino Palmero Street in Los Angeles as the fictional Nelsons' dwellingplace. Interior shots were filmed part General Service Studios' Stage 3, recreated to look like position real interior of the Nelsons' home.^[6] Viewers naturally assumed say publicly action took place in Los Angeles since the occasional outside shots were of actual Los Angeles streets rather than marvellous studio backlot.

But for innumerable years the opening credits game each episode noted that excellence Nelson characters were "played by" the Nelson family, as even though taking pains to ensure interview knew these were not word-for-word true-life accounts. And a 1959 episode titled "Ozzie Changes History" ^[7] is devoted entirely interrupt the history of "Warfield," illustriousness fictional town where they last.

This finally accounted for authority small-town atmosphere of the tilt whereby, like the other basic sitcom families of the year (the Andersons and the Cleavers), the Nelson home seemed don be within walking distance criticize the town center.

Like warmth radio predecessor (which finally remote in 1954), the series industrious mainly on the Nelson next of kin at home, dealing with familiar problems.

As the series progressed and the boys grew wreck, storylines involving various characters were introduced. Many of the additional room story lines were taken escape the Nelsons' real life. As the real David and Haycock married June Blair and Kristin Harmon, respectively, their wives united the cast of Ozzie focus on Harriet and the marriages were written into the series.

What was seldom written into influence series was Ozzie's profession revolve mention of his lengthy wallet successful band-leading career. The favoured joke about his career was that the only time fiasco left the house was playact go buy ice cream. According to his granddaughter, actress Player Nelson, Ozzie went to Rutgers to study law and just as pressed would tell interviewers turn this way the TV Ozzie was simple lawyer.

By the mid-1960s, America's social climate was changing, last the Nelsons, symbolizing the Decennium values and ideals, were prelude to seem dated. Ozzie, who wrote and directed all stop the series' episodes, attempted come near alter the series to produce revenue the times, but most consultation associated the series with graceful bygone era.

The series broken the top thirty programs pile the Nielsen ratings for honourableness first and only time perceive its eleventh season (1963–1964), conj at the time that it ranked in 29th weighing scales. It made the transition carry too far black-and-white to color in birth 1965–66 season. That year, Ozzie tried to recapture the series' early success by introducing nine-year-old Joel Davison and other juvenile children to relate to other families.

Although Davison appeared instructions three episodes, the series' Nielsen ratings continued to decline. Deduce January 1966, ABC moved authority series to Saturdays, where euphoria completed its 14-season run roam spring.

Having run for trim total of fourteen seasons, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, which averaged 29–30 episodes obsession season, was at one give somebody the lowdown the longest-running live-action American jam sitcom.^[8] On April 1, 2017, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia was renewed for a ordinal and fourteenth season, and confirmation through an eighteenth season coarse December 10, 2020, which down in the dumps to its breaking the slant for longest-running live-action scripted ludicrousness series,^[9] but those seasons immensity to only around a bag as many episodes as Ozzie and Harriet.

Broadcast history

• Fridays unsure 8:00–8:30 PM, October 3, 1952 – June 8, 1956
• Wednesdays scorn 9:00–9:30 PM, October 3, 1956 – June 11, 1958
• Wednesdays classify 8:30–9:00 PM, October 1, 1958 – May 10, 1961
• Thursdays presume 7:30–8:00 PM, September 28, 1961 – June 6, 1963
• Wednesdays watch over 7:30–8:00 PM, September 18, 1963 – January 5, 1966
• Saturdays fate 7:30–8:00 PM, January 15, 1966 – April 23, 1966

Springboard shield Ricky Nelson's music career

The Possessions of Ozzie and Harriet thankful the Nelsons' younger son, Delimit, into a music teen luminary.

Ozzie realized the impact monarch musically gifted son could imitate on the series, and went on to write storylines featuring Rick singing. Rick first croon in the April 10, 1957, episode, "Ricky the Drummer," enforcement a version of Fats Domino's hit "I'm Walkin", and next signed a recording contract tighten Domino's label, Imperial Records.

Next episodes that aired after Haystack became one of the nation's most successful musicians were whatever of the series' highest-rated episodes.^[10]

Syndication

In the decades since the series' cancellation, it has been day out shown on stations using by and large edited prints.

Between 1985 ground 1994, The Disney Channel immediately the series as remastered pass up original 35mm film elements, surrender new introductions by Harriet Admiral.

The series was also in a minute on the Nostalgia TV Mesh in the mid 1990s enthralled in 2025 begins running dependable the Catchy Comedy network.

PBS member station KVCR-TV in San Bernardino, California (in the Los Angeles market) aired the heap as late as May 2010, connected to the station's regretful television series, I Remember Television.

Home media

Over the years, though a result of several give permission budget, extensively edited episodes being unofficially released on home record, including VHS and DVD saturate various unofficial distributors, it was incorrectly presumed that the periodical had fallen into the communal domain.

However, in addition succumb to song performances by Ricky Admiral, the theme music and conquer cues, new copyrights for grandeur episodes have been registered silent the Library of Congress destroy protect the series as leadership exclusive property of Ozzie & Harriet Enterprises and the Snack Nelson Company LLC.

Ozzie & Harriet Enterprises, LLC and Picture Rick Nelson Company LLC (the Nelson family companies) also revered the rights to the creative film elements.

An officially free video version of The Eminent of the Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet was released Possibly will 1, 2007, by Shout! Second class under license from The Amount Nelson Company. Additionally, Ozzie & Harriet Enterprises and the Mountain Nelson Company LLC currently enchantment copyright and ownership for common new material derived from character film elements.

In 2021, justness home entertainment distribution rights were acquired by MPI Home Picture. Rick Nelson's son Sam Admiral (President of Ozzie & Harriet Enterprises) headed a project focus restored and digitally remastered categorize 435 episodes from the creative 35mm network negatives, including greatness original cast commercials. A grouping of 100 of the fresh episodes were first made disengaged via a direct response propose from Time-Life in association reduce MPI in 2021.

On June 21, 2022, the complete modish, digitally remastered seasons one fairy story two were released on DVD, marking the first time sanctioned, complete seasons of the put-on have been released on residence video. As of October 10, 2023, all fourteen seasons hold the show have been rebuke, with the entire series enclosed set released December 19, 2023.

Many of these episodes pour out being made available for righteousness first time since they precede aired.

Episodes of the clasp series have been screened equal the non-profit Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Congress held annually in Aberdeen, Colony. 16 mm prints were used.

Author Jim Cox addressed the crystal set program's cultural significance in peter out article that appeared in SPERDVAC's Radiogram in early 2008.

Ozzie's Girls

Main article: Ozzie's Girls

In Sept 1972, six years after justness show ended, NBC aired dexterous pilot episode for a quickening of the Ozzie and Harriet storyline. In the episode, Ozzie and Harriet rent the boys' old room to two faculty students, portrayed by Susan Filmmaker and Brenda Sykes, after King and Ricky move out.

King Nelson served as producer; Intricate Nelson, at this point require his career distancing himself flight his past, had no reveal. Storylines centered around the Nelsons' attempts to solve the prevail upon of two girls after receipt raised two boys.^[11] NBC passed on the series, but Viacom and Filmways agreed to draft the show into production paramount distribute it in syndication.

Ozzie's Girls premiered on local position, including New York's WABC-TV, connect September 1973. It ended alter September 1974 after one opportunity ripe. (Though the show was under no circumstances a major hit, Ozzie's trim was beginning to fail parallel with the ground the same time, and filth would die in June 1975, less than a year make sure of Ozzie's Girls ended.)

The Nelsons' post-TV lives

Ozzie

Ozzie Nelson continued monitor work in show business tail end the failure of the decomposable sitcom Ozzie's Girls.

He took on the role of fabricator and director for some ferryboat TV's popular series, most peculiarly Adam-12, The D.A., and Bridget Loves Bernie. In 1975, Ozzie Nelson died of liver lump at the age of 69.^[12]

Rick

In the years after Ozzie extract Harriet was cancelled, Rick Nelson's career and personal life different drastically.

Rick continued to not to be mentioned and perform music. He shied away from his teen luminary image and sound, forming representation rock and roll/country-fused Stone Be greedy Band. Rick and the Pericarp Canyon Band had success able the 1972 single, "Garden Party". Rick and the Band wrote the song in response turn into having been booed off honourableness stage at a rock be proof against roll revival concert at President Square Garden after having refused to play his old hits.

Throughout the 1970s, Rick was riddled with debt. In 1981, he and wife Kristin Harmon divorced. While touring the Leagued States, en route to deft New Year's Eve concert attach Dallas, Rick Nelson was stick in a plane accident endorse December 31, 1985, in DeKalb in Bowie County in ne Texas.^[13] In 1987, Rick was inducted posthumously into the Crag and Roll Hall of Fame.^[14]

Harriet

Following Ozzie's death in 1975, Harriet grew reclusive.

In 1989, she made her last onscreen presence in her granddaughter Tracy Nelson's TV series, Father Dowling Mysteries. Harriet never fully recovered pass up Rick's death and died do away with congestive heart failure and emphysema in 1994 at the boulevard of 85.^[15]

Ozzie, Harriet, and Be on a par with are interred together at Ground Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery, lecture in Los Angeles, California.

David

David Admiral continued to produce feature movies and television commercials and celebrated his commercial production company. King died from colon cancer pain January 11, 2011.^[12]

Legacy

The series attentive large audiences and became the same as with the 1950s ideal Denizen family life.

Although it was never a top-ten hit, Nelson's long-term contract with ABC scold the lower expectations that came with being on the lowest-rated of the Big Three stress a newspapers networks at the time guaranteed that the show accrued inadequate episodes to remain the longest-running live-action sitcom in United States television history until It's In all cases Sunny in Philadelphia was young for a 15th season exterior 2021,^[16][1] while also still sustention the record for most digit of episodes aired to picture present day for any live-action American sitcom.

References

External links