Last Sunday, 23 August 2020, beautiful blonde American actress and former model Lori Nelson (1933) passed away. She started acting at the age of 2 and was Miss Encino at age 17. Nelson played the lead in several Universal films of the 1950s and is best known for her roles in B-films like the 3D fantasyRevenge of the Creature (1955) and Day the World Ended (1955). After several years at Universal, she freelanced in films and TV. She was 87.
British postcard in the Celebrity Autograph Series by L.D. Ltd., London, no. 165. Photo: Universal-International.
Dixie Kay Nelson was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1933. Nelson was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R.A. Nelson. She began her career at the age of 2 appearing in local theatre productions. She was voted Santa Fe's most talented and beautiful child, and toured the state billed as 'Santa Fe's Shirley Temple'.
When Nelson was 4 years old, her family moved to Encino, California. At the age of 5, she won the title of 'Little Miss America'. During her childhood, she toured veteran's hospitals entertaining patients, acted in productions of little theatres, and modeled for photographers. At age 7, Nelson contracted rheumatic fever which left her bedridden for four years. After she recovered, she returned to pageants and won the title of Miss Encino at age 17.
After graduating from Canoga Park High School, Nelson worked as a model. In 1950, agent Milo O. Frank Jr. saw her performing in a little theatre production. He took the 17 years-old to Universal to meet with casting people. Nelson trained with the studio dramatic coach, enacted a scene for the front office, and ultimately was offered a seven-year contract.
Universal considered the names Dixie Walker and Dixie Nelson before settling on the screen name Lori Nelson. She made her film debut in the Western Bend of the River (Anthony Mann, 1952), starring James Stewart. Later that year, she appeared as Rosie Kettle in the comedy film Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair (Charles Barton, 1952), the fourth installment of Universal-International's Ma and Pa Kettle franchise starring Marjorie Main and Percy Kilbride.
This was followed by a supporting role in Francis Goes to West Point (Arthur Lubin, 1952) starring Donald O'Connor and Francis the talking mule (with the voice of Chill Wills). The following year she appeared in the romantic drama All I Desire (Douglas Sirk, 1953), starring Barbara Stanwyck. In 1955, Nelson guest-starred in two episodes of It's a Great Life and reprised her role as Rosie Kettle in Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki (Lee Sholem, 1955).
That same year, she co-starred in the Creature From the Black Lagoon sequel Revenge of the Creature (Jack Arnold, 1955) with John Agar. It marked Clint Eastwood's film debut. Her supporting roles in films also included the low-budget Sci-Fi story Day the World Ended (1955), directed by Roger Corman, and a big-budget Paramount Pictures Western spoof, Pardners (Norman Taurog, 1956), starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis in one of their final films together.
Nelson had a featured role in the Film Noir I Died a Thousand Times (Stuart Heisler, 1955), a remake of High Sierra (Raoul Walsh, 1954). She also starred in Destry (George Marshall, 1954), an almost scene-for-scene remake of Destry Rides Again (1939) with Marlene Dietrich and James Stewart and also directed by George Marshall.
French postcard by Editions P.I., Paris, no. 826, offered by Les Carbones Korès "Carboplane". Photo: Paramount Pictures, 1956.
Lori Nelson was one of the leads in Mohawk (Kurt Neumann, 1956), an 18th-century adventure story starring Scott Brady and Rita Gam. Nelson had top billing in the street-racing film Hot Rod Girl (Leslie H. Martinson, 1956), also starring Chuck Connors. The following year she co-starred opposite Mamie Van Doren as two sisters who are sentenced to work on a 'punishment' farm in Untamed Youth (Howard W. Koch, 1957).
On television, Nelson co-starred with Van Johnson and Claude Rains in the television film The Pied Piper of Hamelin (Bretaigne Windust, 1957), which aired on NBC as a Thanksgiving Day television special. She was cast in one of the three lead roles in the syndicated sitcom How to Marry a Millionaire (1957-1958), based on the 1953 film of the same name starring Marilyn Monroe, Betty Grable, and Lauren Bacall. Nelson starred as Greta Hanson, a brainy psychology major who works as an usher on a television game show. The series also starred Barbara Eden and Merry Anders.
Nelson opted to leave the series after the first season and her character was written out. After leaving the series, Nelson continued with guest roles on Wagon Train (1959), Tales of Wells Fargo (1959), The Tab Hunter Show (1960-1961), and Laramie (1961).
She took a ten-year break from acting in 1961 and returned with a guest role in the sitcom Family Affair (1971). Since then, Nelson worked sporadically. She made only three on-screen appearances in the 1990s including a role in the direct-to-video release Mom, Can I Keep Her? (1998). Her last role to date was in the ultra-low-budget Science-Fiction and horror-comedy fan-film The Naked Monster (Ted Newsom, 2005), in which she reprised her Revenge of the Creature role.
In the early 1950s, Nelson dated actor Tab Hunter. The relationship was fodder for gossip columnists at the time and there was speculation that the two would marry. In his 2005 autobiography, 'Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star', Hunter admitted he considered marrying Nelson but was still struggling to come to terms with his true sexuality. While Hunter was dating Nelson, he was also secretly involved with figure skater Ronald Robertson. The two eventually stopped dating but remained friendly. Hunter later cast Nelson in two guest-starring roles on his NBC sitcom The Tab Hunter Show.
In 1960, Nelson married composer Johnny Mann in Los Angeles. The couple had two daughters, Lori Susan and Jennifer, before divorcing in 1973. In 1983, Nelson married a police officer, Joseph J. Reiner. Lori Nelson passed away on Sunday 23 August 2020, aged 87. She had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease for several years and died at her home in the Porter Ranch section of Los Angeles.
British postcard in the Greetings series. Photo: Universal-International.
Sources: Tom Weaver (IMDb), The Hollywood Reporter, Wikipedia, and IMDb.
British postcard in the Celebrity Autograph Series by L.D. Ltd., London, no. 165. Photo: Universal-International.
Santa Fe's most talented and beautiful child
Dixie Kay Nelson was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1933. Nelson was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R.A. Nelson. She began her career at the age of 2 appearing in local theatre productions. She was voted Santa Fe's most talented and beautiful child, and toured the state billed as 'Santa Fe's Shirley Temple'.
When Nelson was 4 years old, her family moved to Encino, California. At the age of 5, she won the title of 'Little Miss America'. During her childhood, she toured veteran's hospitals entertaining patients, acted in productions of little theatres, and modeled for photographers. At age 7, Nelson contracted rheumatic fever which left her bedridden for four years. After she recovered, she returned to pageants and won the title of Miss Encino at age 17.
After graduating from Canoga Park High School, Nelson worked as a model. In 1950, agent Milo O. Frank Jr. saw her performing in a little theatre production. He took the 17 years-old to Universal to meet with casting people. Nelson trained with the studio dramatic coach, enacted a scene for the front office, and ultimately was offered a seven-year contract.
Universal considered the names Dixie Walker and Dixie Nelson before settling on the screen name Lori Nelson. She made her film debut in the Western Bend of the River (Anthony Mann, 1952), starring James Stewart. Later that year, she appeared as Rosie Kettle in the comedy film Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair (Charles Barton, 1952), the fourth installment of Universal-International's Ma and Pa Kettle franchise starring Marjorie Main and Percy Kilbride.
This was followed by a supporting role in Francis Goes to West Point (Arthur Lubin, 1952) starring Donald O'Connor and Francis the talking mule (with the voice of Chill Wills). The following year she appeared in the romantic drama All I Desire (Douglas Sirk, 1953), starring Barbara Stanwyck. In 1955, Nelson guest-starred in two episodes of It's a Great Life and reprised her role as Rosie Kettle in Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki (Lee Sholem, 1955).
That same year, she co-starred in the Creature From the Black Lagoon sequel Revenge of the Creature (Jack Arnold, 1955) with John Agar. It marked Clint Eastwood's film debut. Her supporting roles in films also included the low-budget Sci-Fi story Day the World Ended (1955), directed by Roger Corman, and a big-budget Paramount Pictures Western spoof, Pardners (Norman Taurog, 1956), starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis in one of their final films together.
Nelson had a featured role in the Film Noir I Died a Thousand Times (Stuart Heisler, 1955), a remake of High Sierra (Raoul Walsh, 1954). She also starred in Destry (George Marshall, 1954), an almost scene-for-scene remake of Destry Rides Again (1939) with Marlene Dietrich and James Stewart and also directed by George Marshall.
French postcard by Editions P.I., Paris, no. 826, offered by Les Carbones Korès "Carboplane". Photo: Paramount Pictures, 1956.
The untamed sister of Mamie van Doren
Lori Nelson was one of the leads in Mohawk (Kurt Neumann, 1956), an 18th-century adventure story starring Scott Brady and Rita Gam. Nelson had top billing in the street-racing film Hot Rod Girl (Leslie H. Martinson, 1956), also starring Chuck Connors. The following year she co-starred opposite Mamie Van Doren as two sisters who are sentenced to work on a 'punishment' farm in Untamed Youth (Howard W. Koch, 1957).
On television, Nelson co-starred with Van Johnson and Claude Rains in the television film The Pied Piper of Hamelin (Bretaigne Windust, 1957), which aired on NBC as a Thanksgiving Day television special. She was cast in one of the three lead roles in the syndicated sitcom How to Marry a Millionaire (1957-1958), based on the 1953 film of the same name starring Marilyn Monroe, Betty Grable, and Lauren Bacall. Nelson starred as Greta Hanson, a brainy psychology major who works as an usher on a television game show. The series also starred Barbara Eden and Merry Anders.
Nelson opted to leave the series after the first season and her character was written out. After leaving the series, Nelson continued with guest roles on Wagon Train (1959), Tales of Wells Fargo (1959), The Tab Hunter Show (1960-1961), and Laramie (1961).
She took a ten-year break from acting in 1961 and returned with a guest role in the sitcom Family Affair (1971). Since then, Nelson worked sporadically. She made only three on-screen appearances in the 1990s including a role in the direct-to-video release Mom, Can I Keep Her? (1998). Her last role to date was in the ultra-low-budget Science-Fiction and horror-comedy fan-film The Naked Monster (Ted Newsom, 2005), in which she reprised her Revenge of the Creature role.
In the early 1950s, Nelson dated actor Tab Hunter. The relationship was fodder for gossip columnists at the time and there was speculation that the two would marry. In his 2005 autobiography, 'Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star', Hunter admitted he considered marrying Nelson but was still struggling to come to terms with his true sexuality. While Hunter was dating Nelson, he was also secretly involved with figure skater Ronald Robertson. The two eventually stopped dating but remained friendly. Hunter later cast Nelson in two guest-starring roles on his NBC sitcom The Tab Hunter Show.
In 1960, Nelson married composer Johnny Mann in Los Angeles. The couple had two daughters, Lori Susan and Jennifer, before divorcing in 1973. In 1983, Nelson married a police officer, Joseph J. Reiner. Lori Nelson passed away on Sunday 23 August 2020, aged 87. She had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease for several years and died at her home in the Porter Ranch section of Los Angeles.
British postcard in the Greetings series. Photo: Universal-International.
Sources: Tom Weaver (IMDb), The Hollywood Reporter, Wikipedia, and IMDb.
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