Harriet Nelson
 |
Harriet Nelson | |
|---|---|
 in Follow the Fleet (1936) | |
| Born | Peggy Lou Snyder |
| Other names | Harriet Hilliard |
Harriet Nelson (July 18, 1909 – October 2, 1994) was an American singer and actress.
Biography
She was born Peggy Lou Snyder in Des Moines, Iowa, to Roy Hilliard Snyder and Hazel Dell McNutt. By 1932, she was performing in vaudeville when she met the saxophone-playing bandleader Ozzie Nelson. Nelson hired her to sing with the band, under the name Harriet Hilliard. They married three years later.
Hilliard had a respectable film career as a solo performer, apart from the band. RKO Radio Pictures signed her to a one-year contract in 1936, and she appeared in three feature films, the most famous being the Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers musical Follow the Fleet. She was very much in demand during the World War II years for leading roles in escapist musicals, comedies, and mysteries.
In Ozzie Nelson's book, he wrote that Harriet was quite popular during the short time at RKO and they wanted her to continue her solo film career, but decided that it was more important for her to continue with the band and subsequent radio show.
Although the couple occasionally appeared together in movies, either as a duo (in Honeymoon Lodge) or as separate characters (in Hi, Good Lookin'), they are best known for their broadcasting efforts. In 1944, the Nelsons began a domestic-comedy series for radio, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. It was highly popular and made a successful transition to television. It was one of the stalwarts of the ABC-TV schedule through 1966. The Nelsons' two sons, Ricky Nelson and David Nelson, were featured continuously on the show.
In 1973, Ozzie and Harriet also appeared in the syndicated sitcom, Ozzie's Girls.
Later years
In the 1980s Harriet Nelson lived in Laguna Beach, California. She died of congestive heart failure on October 2, 1994, at the age of 85.
She is interred with her husband and younger son Ricky (who died in a plane crash) in the Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.
For her contribution to the television industry, Harriet Nelson has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 | The Campus Mystery | Wanda Perry | |
| 1936 | Follow the Fleet | Connie Martin | |
| 1937 | New Faces of 1937 | Patricia "Pat" Harrington | |
| The Life of the Party | Mitzi Martos | ||
| 1938 | Cocoanut Grove | Linda Rogers | |
| 1941 | Sweetheart of the Campus | Harriet Hale | Alternative title: Broadway Ahead |
| Confessions of Boston Blackie | Diane Parrish | ||
| 1942 | Canal Zone | Susan Merrill | |
| Juke Box Jenny | Genevieve Horton | ||
| 1943 | Hi, Buddy | Gloria Bradley | |
| The Falcon Strikes Back | Gwynne Gregory | ||
| Gals, Incorporated | Gwen Phillips | Alternative title: Gals, Inc. | |
| Honeymoon Lodge | Lorraine Logan | ||
| Swingtime Johnny | Linda | ||
| 1944 | Hi, Good Lookin'! | Kelly Clark | |
| Take It Big | Jerry Clinton | ||
| 1952 | Here Come the Nelsons | Harriet | Alternative title: Meet the Nelsons |
| 1952-1966 | The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet | Harriet Nelson | TV, 223 episodes |
| 1969-1973 | Love, American Style | TV, 3 episodes | |
| 1972 | Night Gallery | Helena Millikan | TV, 1 episode |
| 1973 | Ozzie's Girls | Harriet Nelson | TV, 24 episodes |
| 1976 | Once an Eagle | Harriet Nelson | Miniseries |
| Smash-Up on Interstate 5 | June Pearson | Television movie | |
| 1977 | NBC Special Treat | Elderly shopkeeper | TV, 1 episode |
| The Love Boat | Henretta McDonald | ||
| 1978 | Fantasy Island | Winnie McLaine | TV, 1 episode |
| 1979 | Death Car on the Freeway | Mrs. Sheel | Television movie |
| A Christmas for Boomer | Television movie | ||
| 1981 | Aloha Paradise | TV, 1 episode | |
| 1982 | Happy Days | Marge | TV, 1 episode |
| The First Time | Charlotte | Television movie | |
| 1983 | The Kid with the 200 I.Q. | Professor Conklin | Television movie |
| 1987 | Time Out for Dad | Mary McLaughlin | Television movie |
| 1989 | Father Dowling Mysteries | Sister Agnes | TV, 1 episode |
External links
