BARRY NELSON BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:
Barry Nelson was born on April 16th, 1917 in San Francisco, California with the birth name Robert Haakon Nielson, born to Betsy and Trygve Nielsen. He is most well known for being the first actor to portray Ian Flemings character, "James Bond" in the American television adaptation of the novel, Casino Royal on, "Climax!" in 1954.
His family raised him in Oakland California and after graduating from high school he went on to study at the University of Berkley. It was during college that he developed an interest in acting and began appearing in a couple school productions. During one performance a scout with MGM took notice of his talents and approached Nelson to pursue the film industry.
When he earned his degree in 1941 he began appearing in such films as, "Shadow of the Thin Man" (1941) starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles and featured Donna Reed with Nelson, "Rio Rita" (1942) starring Abbott and Costello with Kathryn Grayson, John Carroll and Tom Conway, "A Yank on the Burma Road" (1942), "Bataan" (1943) starring Robert Taylor, Lloyd Nolan, Thomas Mitchell, Desi Arnaz and Robert Walker, "The Human Comedy" (1943) starring Mickey Rooney, Frank Morgan, James Craig, Marsha Hunt, Fay Bainter, Ray Collins, Van Johnson, Donna Reed and Jackie 'Butch' Jenkins, Robert Mitchum and Don DeFore and "A Guy Named Joe" (1943) starring Spencer Tracy, Irene Dunne, Van Johnson, Esther Williams, Ward Bond, Lionel Barrymore, James Gleason and Don DeFore .
He then took a brief break to serve during World War II but still appeared on Broadway in such productions as, "Winged Victory" (1943). Upon completing his military service and returning back to the industry, however film roles were not so easily being offered to him, therefore, the remainder of his career focused mainly on television and stage work.
He added appearances on such television series as, "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", "Twilight Zone", "The Hunter", "Ben Casey", "Climax!", "My Favorite Husband", "CBS Playhouse", "The F.B.I.", "Longstreet", "Circle of Fear", "Cannon", "Thriller" and "Salvage 1" starring Andy Griffith. Barry was even the star on his own adventure television series "Hudson's Bay" during the 1959-1960 season.
In addition to film and television credits, he maintained his love for performing live on he stage. Over he course of his career other stage credits included, "Seascape", "The Norman Conquests", "The Act", "Cactus Flower" and "The Fig Leaves Are Falling".
Towards the end of his career he did appear in a couple films such as, "Airport" (1970) with an allstar cast including Burt Lancaster, Dean Martin, Jean Seberg, Jacqueline Bisset, Van Heflin, Helen Hayes, George Kennedy, Maureen Stapleton, Dana Wynter, Lloyd Nolan, Barbara Hale and Gary Collins, and "Pete 'n' Tillie" (1972) co-starring with Walter Matthau, Carol Burnett and Geraldine Page. His final big screen performance was in the 1980 psychological thriller "The Shining" starring Academy Award winner Jack Nicholson. However, he still mainly focused on television with his most recent appearances being on the series, "The Love Boat", 'The Roppers", "Taxi", "Dallas" and his final performance in 1990 on, "The Monsters".
Barry Nelson retired in the 90's from the industry and lived with his second wife, Nansilee Hoy whom he wed in 1992. They remained together until he passed away at he age of eighty nine on April 7th, 2007 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. His remains are interred in the Greenwood Cemetery in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
Filmography
1990 Monsters
1988 J.J. Starbuck
1988 Murder, She Wrote
1983 Fantasy Island
1982 Magnum, P.I.
1981 Dallas
1981 Taxi
1981 Nero Wolfe
1980 The Shining
1980 Island Claws
1979 The Ropers
1979 The Love Boat
1979 Salvage 1
1978 David Cassidy - Man Undercover
1978 Greatest Heroes of the Bible
1978 Battlestar Galactica
1978 Kaz
1977 Washington: Behind Closed Doors
1977 Mason
1974 Fools, Females and Fun
1973 Thriller
1973 Cannon
1973 Circle of Fear
1972 Climb an Angry Mountain
1972 Pete 'n' Tillie
1972 Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law
1971 Longstreet
1971 My Wives Jane
1970 Airport
1969 The F.B.I.
1969 Love, American Style
1969 Seven in Darkness
1969 The Name of the Game
1968 CBS Playhouse
1967 Vacation Playhouse
1967 The Borgia Stick
1964 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
1964 Kraft Suspense Theatre
1964 Dr. Kildare
1964 Twilight Zone
1964 The Greatest Show on Earth
1964 Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
1963 Ben Casey
1963 Mary, Mary
1963 The DuPont Show of the Week
1960 The United States Steel Hour
1960 Zane Grey Theatre
1960 The DuPont Show with June Allyson
1959 Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1959 Hudson's Bay
1958 Lux Playhouse
1954-1958 Climax!
1956 The First Traveling Saleslady
1956 Producers' Showcase
1956 Screen Directors Playhouse
1953-1955 My Favorite Husband
1955 Schlitz Playhouse
1953 Willys Theatre Presenting Ben Hecht's Tales of the City
1952 The Hunter
1951 The Man with My Face
1950-1951 Suspense
1950 Pulitzer Prize Playhouse
1950 The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
1950 Starlight Theatre
1950 Robert Montgomery Presents
1948-1950 The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre
1949 The Ford Theatre Hour
1948 Command Decision
1948 Tenth Avenue Angelr
1947 Undercover Maisie
1947 The Beginning or the End
1947 A Crime Does Not Pay Subject: The Luckiest Guy in the World
1945 Time to Kill
1945 Airborne Lifeboat
1944 Winged Victory
1943 A Guy Named Joe
1943 Bataan
1943 The Human Comedy
1942 Eyes in the Night
1942 The Affairs of Martha
1942 Rio Rita
1942 Don't Talk
1942 Dr. Kildare's Victory
1942 A Yank on the Burma Road
1941 Johnny Eager
1941 Shadow of the Thin Man
