Born 1936 (age 74) · New York City, New York, USA
Appears in 34 titles

David Oswald Nelson (October 24, 1936 – January 11, 2011) was an American actor. He was the elder son of entertainment couple Harriet Hilliard Nelson and Ozzie Nelson and the older brother of musician Ricky Nelson. Nelson's acting career started in 1949 when he and his brother began playing themselves on his parents' radio series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, which lasted until 1954. His film debut came in Here Come the Nelsons, released in 1952. Also in 1952 Nelson continued playing himself on the television version of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, which ran until 1966.Starting in the early 1960s, he directed about a dozen episodes of the show. From the 1970s through 1990 Nelson had roles in Smash-Up on Interstate 5, Up In Smoke, The Love Boat, High School U.S.A., and A Family for Joe. Nelson's last film appearance was in John Waters' 1990 film Cry-Baby. Nelson died on January 11, 2011, in Century City, California, of complications of colon cancer.

Filmography

Cry-Baby
6.5
Cry-Baby
1990
as Wanda's Father
Up in Smoke
6.7
Up in Smoke
1978
as Roxy Doorman
Day of the Outlaw
6.8
Day of the Outlaw
1959
as Gene, Bruhn's Gang
Peyton Place
6.8
Peyton Place
1957
as Ted Carter
High School U.S.A.
5.5
High School U.S.A.
1983
as Mr. Krinsky, Janitor
The Movie Orgy
6.6
The Movie Orgy
1968
as Self (archive footage)
The Big Circus
6.6
The Big Circus
1959
as Tommy Gordon
-30-
6.0
-30-
1959
as Earl Collins
The Courtyard
4.7
The Courtyard
1995
as Cop
Smash-Up on Interstate 5
5.6
Smash-Up on Interstate 5
1976
as Berman
Off the Mark
3.9
Off the Mark
1987
as Current Resident
The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker
7.1
The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker
1959
as Henry Pennypacker
The Big Show
5.8
The Big Show
1961
as Eric Solden
Swing Out, Sweet Land
6.4
Swing Out, Sweet Land
1970
as Union Soldier
Sonic Boom
5.6
Sonic Boom
1974
as Co-Pilot
In Search of Historic Jesus
5.5
In Search of Historic Jesus
1979
as Leper
Disneyland '59
7.3
Disneyland '59
1959
as Self
Here Come the Nelsons
7.0
Here Come the Nelsons
1952
as David Nelson
Love and Kisses
9.0
Love and Kisses
1965
as Cameo Appearance
An LA Christmas Story
as Comedy Club Patron