Person Biography:
Ralph Nelson was born in 1916 in New York City to a Norwegian-American family. He developed an interest in theater while attending high school and won an oratory contest sponsored by the New York Times in 1932. Nelson's interest in theater led him to Broadway, where he worked as an errand boy before making his stage debut in 1934. He went on to work with legendary performers such as Katharine Cornell, Leslie Howard, and the Lunts.
During World War II, Nelson joined the Army as an air cadet and was assigned to the stage company that put on Irving Berlin's "This Is the Army" on Broadway. He wrote an award-winning one-act play, "Mail Call," which was part of a Broadway showcase "Army Play by Play" in 1943. Nelson was eventually promoted to captain while serving as a flight instructor.
After the war, Nelson returned to Broadway and appeared in several productions, including the musicals "Cabaret" and "Follies." He also produced the musical "Look to the Lilies" in 1970. However, it was the visual media that beckoned, and Nelson transitioned to television as an actor before becoming a director.
Nelson's television career spanned over three decades, during which he directed over 1,000 TV presentations. He was a regular contributor to various omnibus showcases, including "Playhouse 90," "General Electric Theater," "Lux Theater," and "Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse." He also directed an episode of Rod Serling's "The Twilight Zone."
Nelson's film career was marked by his ability to tackle topical subjects, including racism. His most successful film was "Lilies of the Field" (1963),for which he received an Oscar nomination for Best Picture as producer. The film starred Sidney Poitier, who became the first African American male and only second black person overall to win a competitive acting Oscar.
Nelson's other notable films include "Father Goose" (1964) and "Charly" (1968),for which Cliff Robertson won an Oscar. He eventually returned to TV, finishing his directing career with "Christmas Lilies of the Field" (1979),a sequel to his 1963 hit.
Ralph Nelson died in 1987, leaving behind a legacy of work in both television and film. His son, Dr. Theodor "Ted" Holm Nelson, is a pioneer of information technology who invented the term "hypertext" in 1965.
