| Harriet Nelson | |
|---|---|
in Follow the Fleet (1936) |
|
| Born | Peggy Lou Snyder July 18, 1909 Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. |
| Died | October 2, 1994 (aged 85) Laguna Beach, California, U.S. |
| Other names | Harriet Hilliard |
| Years active | 1932–1989 |
| Spouse | Ozzie Nelson (1935-1975) (his death) 2 children |
Harriet Nelson (July 18, 1909 – October 2, 1994) was an American singer and actress.[1] Nelson is best known for her role on the long-running sitcom The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.
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She was born Peggy Lou Snyder in Des Moines, Iowa[2] 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 and David, were featured continuously on the show.
In 1973, Ozzie and Harriet also appeared in the short-lived sitcom, Ozzie's Girls.
In the 1978, Harriet Nelson moved full-time to the Laguna Beach, California beach home the family had built in 1954.[3] She died of congestive heart failure on October 2, 1994.[2] 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.
For her contribution to the television industry, Harriet Nelson has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 | The Campus Mystery | Wanda Perry | |
| 1936 | Follow the Fleet | Connie Martin | |
| 1937 | New Faces of 1937 | Patricia "Pat" Harrington | |
| 1937 | The Life of the Party | Mitzi Martos | |
| 1938 | Cocoanut Grove | Linda Rogers | |
| 1941 | Sweetheart of the Campus | Harriet Hale | Alternative title: Broadway Ahead |
| 1941 | Confessions of Boston Blackie | Diane Parrish | |
| 1942 | Canal Zone | Susan Merrill | |
| 1942 | Juke Box Jenny | Genevieve Horton | |
| 1943 | Hi, Buddy | Gloria Bradley | |
| 1943 | The Falcon Strikes Back | Gwynne Gregory | |
| 1943 | Gals, Incorporated | Gwen Phillips | Alternative title: Gals, Inc. |
| 1943 | Honeymoon Lodge | Lorraine Logan | |
| 1943 | Swingtime Johnny | Linda | |
| 1944 | Hi, Good Lookin'! | Kelly Clark | |
| 1944 | 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 | 434 episodes |
| 1969–1973 | Love, American Style | 3 episodes | |
| 1972 | Night Gallery | Helena Millikan | Episode: "You Can Come Up Now, Mrs. Millikan/Smile, Please" |
| 1973 | Ozzie's Girls | Harriet Nelson | 24 episodes |
| 1976 | Once an Eagle | Harriet Nelson | Miniseries |
| 1976 | Smash-Up on Interstate 5 | June Pearson | Television movie |
| 1977 | NBC Special Treat | Elderly shopkeeper | Episode: "Five Finger Discount" |
| 1977 | The Love Boat | Henretta McDonald | Episode: "The Identical Problem/Julie's Old Flame/Jinx" |
| 1978 | Fantasy Island | Winnie McLaine | Episode: "The Over the Hill Caper/Poof! You're a Movie Star" |
| 1979 | Death Car on the Freeway | Mrs. Sheel | Television movie |
| 1979 | A Christmas for Boomer | Television movie | |
| 1981 | Aloha Paradise | Episode: "Best of Friends/Success/Nine Karats" | |
| 1982 | Happy Days | Marge | Episode: "Empty Nest" |
| 1982 | 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 | Episode: "The Man Who Came to Dinner Mystery" |