Harriet Nelson


Harriet Nelson was an American singer and actress. Nelson is best known for her role on the sitcom The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.

Early life and career

Nelson was born Peggy Lou Snyder in Des Moines, Iowa, the daughter of Hazel Dell née McNutt and Roy Hilliard Snyder. She appeared on the vaudeville stage when she was three years old and made her debut on Broadway in her teens.
She frequented the Cotton Club, began smoking at age thirteen, was briefly married to an abusive comedian and lived what has been described as "a high-flying life". She wed the comedian, Roy Sedley, in 1930. They separated a year later, and the marriage was annulled in 1933. She left high school before graduating and joined the Corps de Ballet at the Capitol Theater, later dancing in the Harry Carroll Revue and working as a straight woman for comedians Ken Murray and Bert Lahr. By 1932, she was still 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 her short time at RKO, and that he and she wanted her to continue her solo film career; but they 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 or as separate characters, 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 from 1952 to 1966. The Nelsons' two sons, Ricky and David, were featured continuously on the show. Peter Jones, director of the television documentary Ozzie and Harriet: The Adventures of America's Favorite Family, has described Harriet Nelson: "She was a bombshell. She liked gay people. She liked a good off-color joke. She enjoyed her cocktails at night. She had the talent to go on and be a big star, but she made that decision to be Ozzie's wife."
In 1973, Ozzie and Harriet also appeared in the sitcom Ozzie's Girls.
In 2009, Harriet was included in Yahoo!'s Top 10 TV Moms from Six Decades of Television for the time period 1952-1966.

Personal life

She married bandleader Ozzie Nelson in 1935. They had two sons, David and Eric. The couple remained married until Ozzie's death from liver cancer in 1975. Her grandchildren include actress Tracy Nelson and musicians Matthew and Gunnar Nelson. She was also the mother-in-law of Kristin Harmon and June Blair.

Later years and death

In 1978, Harriet Nelson moved full-time to the Laguna Beach, California, beach home the family had built in 1954. She died of congestive heart failure on October 2, 1994. She is interred with her husband and younger son Ricky in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills 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.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1932The Campus MysteryWanda Perry
1936Follow the FleetConnie Martin
1937New Faces of 1937Patricia "Pat" Harrington
1937The Life of the PartyMitzi Martos
1938Cocoanut GroveLinda Rogers
1941Sweetheart of the CampusHarriet HaleAlternative title: Broadway Ahead
1941Confessions of Boston BlackieDiane Parrish
1942Canal ZoneSusan Merrill
1942Juke Box JennyGenevieve Horton
1943Hi, BuddyGloria Bradley
1943The Falcon Strikes BackGwynne Gregory
1943Gals, IncorporatedGwen PhillipsAlternative title: Gals, Inc.
1943Honeymoon LodgeLorraine Logan
1943Swingtime JohnnyLinda
1944Hi, Good Lookin'!Kelly Clark
1944Take It BigJerry Clinton
1952Here Come the NelsonsHarrietAlternative title: Meet the Nelsons
1952-1966The Adventures of Ozzie and HarrietHarriet Nelson434 episodes
1969-1973Love, American Style3 episodes
1972Night GalleryHelena MillikanEpisode: "You Can Come Up Now, Mrs. Millikan/Smile, Please"
1973Ozzie's GirlsHarriet Nelson24 episodes
1976Once an EagleHarriet NelsonMiniseries
1976Smash-Up on Interstate 5June PearsonTelevision movie
1977NBC Special TreatElderly shopkeeperEpisode: "Five Finger Discount"
1977The Love BoatHenretta McDonaldEpisode: "The Identical Problem/Julie's Old Flame/Jinx"
1978Fantasy IslandWinnie McLaineEpisode: "The Over the Hill Caper/Poof! You're a Movie Star"
1979Death Car on the FreewayMrs. SheelTelevision movie
1979A Christmas for BoomerTelevision movie
1981Aloha ParadiseEpisode: "Best of Friends/Success/Nine Karats"
1982Happy DaysMargeEpisode: "Empty Nest"
1982The First TimeCharlotteTelevision movie
1983The Kid with the 200 I.Q.Professor ConklinTelevision movie
1987Time Out for DadMary McLaughlinTelevision movie
1989Father Dowling MysteriesSister AgnesEpisode: "The Man Who Came to Dinner Mystery",