Barry Nelson

Infobox actor
name = Barry Nelson


caption = Nelson in "Casino Royale".
birthname = Robert Haakon Nielsen
birthdate = birth date|1917|4|16|mf=y
birthplace = San Francisco, California, United States
deathdate = Death date and age|2007|4|7|1917|4|16
deathplace = Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States
spouse = Teresa Celli
(divorced)
Nansilee Hoy
(1992-2007) (his death)

Barry Nelson (April 16, 1917 – April 7, 2007)cite web|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/13/AR2007041301701.html|title=Actor Barry Nelson Dies at 89|publisher=The Associated Press|date=2007-04-13|last=Risling|first=Greg|accessdate=2007-04-13] was an American actor, noted as the first actor to portray Ian Fleming's secret agent James Bond.

Biography

Early life

Nelson was born Robert Haakon Nielsen in San Francisco, California, of Norwegian ancestry, the son of Betsy (née Christophsen) and Trygve Nielsen. [ [http://www.filmreference.com/film/10/Barry-Nelson.html Barry Nelson Biography (1925-) ] ] He began acting in school at the age of fifteen, playing an 80-year-old man.Fact|date=February 2008 He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 1941 and, because of his theatrical efforts in school, was almost immediately signed to a motion picture contract by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios.

Career

Nelson made his screen debut in the role as Paul Clark in "Shadow of the Thin Man" (1941) starring William Powell and Myrna Loy, with Donna Reed.cite web|url=http://www.thenewstribune.com/358/story/38811.html|title=First Bond starred on Broadway with Bacall, Minnelli, Bel Geddes|publisher=Los Angeles Times|date=2007-04-14|last=McLellan|first=Dennis|accessdate=2007-04-14] He followed that with his role as Lew Rankin in the film noir crime/drama "Johnny Eager" (1942) starring Robert Taylor and Lana Turner.cite web|url=http://www.metro.co.uk/fame/article.html?in_article_id=45258&in_page_id=7&in_a_source=|title=First James Bond star dies aged 89|publisher=Metro|date=2007-04-14|accessdate=2007-04-14]

During his military service in World War II, Nelson debuted on the Broadway stage in one of the leading roles, Bobby Grills, in Moss Hart's play "Winged Victory" (1943).cite web|url=http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?id=15762|title=Barry Nelson|publisher=Internet Broadway Database|accessdate=2007-04-14] His next Broadway appearance was as Peter Sloan in Hart's "Light Up the Sky" (1948), which was a first-rate success. He went on to appear on Broadway with Barbara Bel Geddes in the original Broadway production of "The Moon is Blue"; he was the last surviving original cast member of the production. During the play's run he also starred in a CBS half-hour drama called "The Hunter", premiering in July 1952. He played Bart Adams, a wealthy young American whose business activities involved him in a series of adventures.He also appeared opposite Lauren Bacall in the Abe Burrows comedy "Cactus Flower" in 1965. Another Broadway role, that of Gus Hammer in "The Rat Race" (1949), kept Nelson away from the movies again, but after it closed he starred in the dual roles as Chick Graham and Bert Rand in "The Man with My Face" (1951), which was produced by Ed Gardner of radio fame.

He was the first actor (and, to date, the only American) to play James Bond on screen, in a 1954 adaptation of Ian Fleming's novel "Casino Royale" on the TV anthology series "Climax!" (preceding Sean Connery's interpretation in "Dr. No" by eight years). Reportedly this was considered a pilot for a possible James Bond television series, though it's not known if Nelson intended to continue playing the character. Nelson played James Bond as an American named "Jimmy Bond".

The program also featured Peter Lorre as the primary villain; Nelson later noted Lorre was the reason he took the role. Originally broadcast live, the production was believed lost to time until a kinescope emerged in the 1980s. It was subsequently released to home video, and is currently available on DVD as a bonus feature with the 1967 film adaptation of the novel.

Nelson's additional television credits include guest appearances on "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", "Ben Casey", "The Twilight Zone" and "Dr. Kildare". He appeared regularly on TV in the 1960s. He was one of the "What's My Line?" mystery guests and later served as a guest panelist on that popular CBS quiz show. Nelson appeared in both the stage and screen versions of "Mary, Mary". In 1978, he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his role as Dan Connors in "The Act" (1977) with Liza Minnelli. His final appearance on Broadway was as Julian Marsh in "42nd Street" (1986). William Goldman, in his 1968 book "The Season", called Nelson a consummately professional actor.

"He was a very naturalistic, believable actor," said his agent, Francis Delduca. "He was good at both comedy and the serious stuff."

Among his other film credits were "Airport" and "The Shining" (as the hotel manager who interviews Jack Nicholson for a job opening), and he also appeared on such TV shows as "Murder, She Wrote", "Dallas" and "Magnum, P.I." More recently, Nelson and his second wife spent a lot of time travelling. He planned to write a couple of books about his time on stage and in Hollywood.

Personal life

Nelson had two wives, actress Teresa Celli, married in 1951 and later divorced, and Nansilee ("Nansi") Hoy, to whom he was married until his death. Nelson and his second wife divided their time between homes in New York and France. [cite web|url=http://commanderbond.net/article/4235|title=Barry Nelson (1920-2007)|publisher=CommanderBond.net|accessdate=2007-04-14|last=Zydel|first=Devin|date=2007-04-13] Until his death, Nelson could be seen publicly at American Civil War shows across America. He was a close friend of tenor Mario Lanza.

According to his widow Nansi, Barry Nelson died on April 7, 2007, while traveling in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, nine days before his 90th birthday. The cause of death was not disclosed.

Filmography

* "Shadow of the Thin Man" (1941) (MGM) ... Paul Clark
* "Johnny Eager" (1942) (MGM) ... Lew Rankin
* "Dr. Kildare's Victory" (MGM) (1942) ... Samuel Z. Cutter
* "The Affairs of Martha" (MGM) (1942) ... Danny O'Brien
* "The Human Comedy" (1943) (MGM) ... Fat, first soldier
* "Bataan" (1943) (MGM) ... F.X. Matowski
* "A Guy Named Joe" (1943) (MGM) ... Dick Rumney
* "The Man with My Face" (1951) (United Artists) ... Charles "Chick" Graham/Albert "Bert" Rand
* "Airport" (1970) (Universal) ... Capt. Anson Harris
* "Pete 'n' Tillie" (1972) (Universal) ... Burt
* "The Shining" (1980) (Warner Bros.) ... Stuart Ullman

References

External links

*imdb|0625167
*ibdb|15762
* [http://www.tv.com/barry-nelson/person/796/summary.html Barry Nelson at TV.com]
* [http://www.mi6.co.uk/sections/articles/obituary_nelson.php3 Barry Nelson obituary at MI6.co.uk]

sequence
prev=None
next=David Niven
1967
list=Unofficial "James Bond" actor
1954

Persondata
NAME= Nelson, Barry
ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Nielsen, Robert Haakon
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Actor
DATE OF BIRTH= 1917-4-16
PLACE OF BIRTH= San Francisco, California, United States
DATE OF DEATH= 2007-4-7
PLACE OF DEATH= Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States