Don Nelson (screenwriter)

Don Nelson
Born
Donald Richard Nelson

(1927-01-20)January 20, 1927
Hackensack, New Jersey, United States
DiedSeptember 10, 2013(2013-09-10) (aged 86)
Studio City, California, United States
Occupation(s)US Navy, jazz musician and composer, screenwriter, film producer
Spouses
  • Barbara June Eiler
Connie Harper
​
(divorced)​
  • Marilyn Nelson
Children2
RelativesAlfred Nelson (brother & dentist)
Ozzie Nelson (brother)
Harriet Hilliard (sister-in-law)
David Nelson (nephew)
Ricky Nelson (nephew)
Tracy Nelson (grand-niece)
Matthew Nelson (grand-nephew)
Gunnar Nelson (grand-nephew)

Don Nelson (January 20, 1927 – September 10, 2013) was an American screenwriter, film producer and jazz musician.[1] He is best known for his work on the American situation comedy The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, for which he wrote from 1952 to 1966. The series starred his elder brother Ozzie Nelson, his sister-in-law Harriet Nelson and his nephews David Nelson and Ricky Nelson.

Nelson was born in Hackensack, New Jersey, and raised in Tenafly, New Jersey.[2]

Nelson worked for several famous entertainment businesses, including Universal Studios and Fox Studios; he also co-wrote four films for Disney Studios[3] and wrote for the 1968–1970 CBS situation comedy The Good Guys, starring Bob Denver, Herb Edelman, and Joyce Van Patten.[4] During the late 1950s, Nelson started a musical career which lasted over four decades. He had worked with Johnny Varro and was also a member of two Jazz bands. Nelson died at his home in Studio City, California due to Parkinson's disease.[5]

  1. ^ Barnes, Mike (12 September 2013). "'Ozzie and Harriet' Writer Don Nelson Dies at 86". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  2. ^ Kelly, Devin. "Don Nelson dies at 86; writer for Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet;Screenwriter Don Nelson, younger brother of Ozzie Nelson, contributed to more than 200 episodes of the popular TV show Ozzie and Harriet. He was also a jazz singer and saxophonist.", Los Angeles Times, September 11, 2013. Accessed May 11, 2017. "Donald Richard Nelson was born Jan. 20, 1927, in Hackensack, N.J., and grew up in the nearby borough of Tenafly."
  3. ^ "Writer, producer Don Nelson dies at age 86". The Celebrity Cafe. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  4. ^ IMDB The Good Guys (1968–1970) Episode List Season 1
  5. ^ Kelly, Devin (12 September 2013). "Screenwriter Don Nelson dies at 86". Washington Post. Retrieved 14 September 2013.