George Garfield Nader, Jr. (October 19, 1921 – February 4, 2002) was an American actor and writer. He appeared in a variety of films from 1950 to 1974, including ''
Sins of Jezebel
''Sins of Jezebel'' is a 1953 American historical drama film produced by Sigmund Neufeld and directed by Reginald Le Borg. It stars Paulette Goddard as Jezebel, the biblical queen of the northern kingdom of Israel during the 9th century BC. The f ...
'' (1953), ''
Congo Crossing
''Congo Crossing'' is a 1956 American adventure film directed by Joseph Pevney and starring Virginia Mayo and George Nader. Most of the exterior sequences were shot in the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden.
Plot
Congotanga, West A ...
'' (1956), and ''
The Female Animal
''The Female Animal'' is a 1958 American CinemaScope film noir drama film directed by Harry Keller and starring Hedy Lamarr, Jane Powell, Jan Sterling and George Nader.
Although she lived until 2000, this was Lamarr's final film in a film career ...
'' (1958). During this period, he also did episodic television and starred in several
series
Series may refer to:
People with the name
* Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series
* George Series (1920–1995), English physicist
Arts, entertainment, and media
Music
* Series, the ordered sets used i ...
, including
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
's ''
The Man and the Challenge
''The Man and the Challenge'' is an American adventure fiction television series about a scientist who tests problems of human survival. It stars George Nader and aired on NBC during the 1959–1960 television season.
Synopsis
Dr. Glenn Barton is ...
'' (1959–60). In the 1960s he made several films in Germany, playing FBI agent
Jerry Cotton
Jerry Cotton is the fictional character in a series of pulp magazine-type crime novels. The novels have been written by many different writers in German-speaking countries and in Finland over the course of several decades.
Overview
The novels ...
. He is remembered for his first starring role, in the low-budget 3-D sci-fi film ''
'' (1953), known as "one of the worst films ever made.”
Discreetly gay during his acting career, he and his life partner Mark Miller were among
Rock Hudson
Rock Hudson (born Roy Harold Scherer Jr.; November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985) was an American actor. One of the most popular movie stars of his time, he had a screen career spanning more than three decades. A prominent heartthrob in the Golde ...
's closest friends. After retiring from acting, he wrote ''Chrome'' (1978), a science-fiction novel dealing positively with a same-sex relationship.
Early life
Nader was born in
Pasadena
Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district.
Its ...
,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, the son of Alice (née Scott), who was from Kansas, and George Garfield Nader, who was from Illinois.
He earned his
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
in
theatre arts
Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...
at
Occidental College
Occidental College (informally Oxy) is a private liberal arts college in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1887 as a coeducational college by clergy and members of the Presbyterian Church, it became non-sectarian in 1910. It is one of the oldes ...
.
During World War II he served in the US Navy as a communications officer in the
Pacific theater
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
from 1943 to 1946.
[
]
Early career
Nader began his acting career in 1950. He appeared in several productions at the Pasadena Playhouse
The Pasadena Playhouse is a historic performing arts venue located 39 S. El Molino Avenue in Pasadena, California, United States. The 686-seat auditorium produces a variety of cultural and artistic events, professional shows, and community engage ...
over four years, which led to a number of bit parts in films. He was in ''Rustlers on Horseback
''Rustlers on Horseback'' is a 1950 American Western film directed by Fred C. Brannon and starring Allan Lane, Claudia Barrett and Eddy Waller.Drew p.18 The film's art direction was by Frank Arrigo. The film released as a Fawcett Movie Comic# ...
'' (1950) for Republic Pictures
Republic Pictures Corporation (currently held under Melange Pictures, LLC) was an American motion picture production-distribution corporation in operation from 1935 to 1967, that was based in Los Angeles. It had studio facilities in Studio City an ...
while also appearing on stage in ''Summer and Smoke
''Summer and Smoke'' is a two-part, thirteen-scene play by Tennessee Williams, completed in 1948. He began working on the play in 1945 as ''Chart of Anatomy'', derived from his short stories "Oriflamme" and the then-work-in-progress "Yellow Bir ...
'' at the Pasadena Playhouse.
He had small parts in ''You're in the Navy Now
''You're in the Navy Now'' is a 1951 American war drama film about the United States Navy in the first months of World War II. The film was directed by Henry Hathaway and stars Gary Cooper as a new officer wanting duty at sea but who is instead a ...
'' (1951), '' The Prowler'' (1951), ''Take Care of My Little Girl
''Take Care of My Little Girl'' is a 1951 drama film directed by Jean Negulesco and starring Jeanne Crain, Dale Robertson, Mitzi Gaynor and Jean Peters.
The film, shot in Technicolor, is based on the 1950 novel of the same name written by Peggy ...
'' (1951), '' The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel'' (1951), and ''Two Tickets to Broadway
''Two Tickets to Broadway'' is a 1951 American musical film directed by James V. Kern and filmed on the RKO Forty Acres backlot. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Sound Recording ( John O. Aalberg). The film was choreographed by ...
'' (1951). He had a bigger part in a Tim Holt
Charles John "Tim" Holt III (February 5, 1919 – February 15, 1973) was an American actor. He was a popular Western star during the 1940s and early 1950s, appearing in forty-six B westerns released by RKO Pictures.
In a career spanning mo ...
Western, ''Overland Telegraph
The Australian Overland Telegraph Line was a telegraphy system to send messages over long distances using cables and electric signals. It spanned between Darwin, in what is now the Northern Territory of Australia, and Adelaide, the capital o ...
'' (1951), and a drama, ''Monsoon
A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscil ...
'' (1952). He was going to star in a film called ''GI Smith'', but production was cancelled. He had unbilled bit roles in the studio films ''Phone Call from a Stranger
''Phone Call from a Stranger'' is a 1952 American film noir drama film directed by Jean Negulesco from a screenplay by Nunnally Johnson, based on the 1950 novelette of the same name by I. A. R. Wylie. The film centers on the survivor of an ai ...
'' (1951) and ''Down Among the Sheltering Palms
"Down Among the Sheltering Palms" is a popular song.
The music was written by Abe Olman, the lyrics by James Brockman and Leo Wood. The song was published in 1914 by Olman who heavily marketed it in the Chicago region. Music publisher Leo Feist ...
'' (1952).
Leading man
Nader's first starring role was in '''' (1953), a 3-D feature film directed by Phil Tucker
Phil Tucker (May 22, 1927 – November 30, 1985) was an American film director, producer, writer, and editor. While Tucker directed his first six feature films in the span of two years (while still in his mid-20s), he is best known for his first ...
. Although the film is remembered primarily for its "camp" attributes as "one of the worst films ever made,” it was financially successful and led to more prominent roles for Nader in other films. He supported Paulette Goddard
Paulette Goddard (born Marion Levy; June 3, 1910 – April 23, 1990) was an American actress notable for her film career in the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Born in Manhattan and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, Goddard initially began her career a ...
in ''Sins of Jezebel
''Sins of Jezebel'' is a 1953 American historical drama film produced by Sigmund Neufeld and directed by Reginald Le Borg. It stars Paulette Goddard as Jezebel, the biblical queen of the northern kingdom of Israel during the 9th century BC. The f ...
'' (1953) and had a supporting role in ''Carnival Story
''Carnival Story'' is a 1954 drama film directed by Kurt Neumann, produced by Frank King and Maurice King, starring Anne Baxter and Steve Cochran, and released by RKO Radio Pictures. It was made as a co-production between West Germany and the ...
'' (1954). He was the male love interest for ''Miss Robin Crusoe
''Miss Robin Crusoe'' is a 1953 American low-budget adventure film produced and directed by Eugene Frenke and starring Amanda Blake, George Nader and Rosalind Hayes. One of many film variations of Daniel Defoe's 1719 novel ''Robinson Crusoe'', i ...
'' (1954) at Fox.
Meanwhile, Nader appeared regularly on TV shows such as ''Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
''Schlitz Playhouse of Stars'' is an anthology series that was telecast from 1951 until 1959 on CBS. Offering both Television comedy, comedies and Dramatic programming, drama, the series was sponsored by the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company. The ti ...
'', ''Hallmark Hall of Fame
''Hallmark Hall of Fame'', originally called ''Hallmark Television Playhouse'', is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City-based greeting card company. The longest-running prime-time series in t ...
'', ''Letter to Loretta
''The Loretta Young Show'' (originally known as ''Letter to Loretta'') is an American anthology drama television series broadcast on Sunday nights from September 2, 1953, to June 4, 1961, on NBC for a total of 165 episodes. The series was hosted ...
'', ''Cavalcade of America
''Cavalcade of America'' is an anthology drama series that was sponsored by the DuPont Company, although it occasionally presented musicals, such as an adaptation of ''Show Boat'', and condensed biographies of popular composers. It was initially ...
'', ''Lux Video Theatre
''Lux Video Theatre'' is an American television anthology series that was produced from 1950 until 1957. The series presented both comedy and drama in original teleplays, as well as abridged adaptations of films and plays.
Overview
The ''Lux Vid ...
'', and ''The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse
''The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse'' is an American dramatic anthology series that aired on ABC from 1953 to 1955, sponsored by Pepsi-Cola. The show was hosted by Arlene Dahl (1953), Anita Colby (1954), and, finally, Polly Bergen (1955). Initially the se ...
''.
Universal Pictures
He made a number of films for Universal Studios
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
, alongside leading men such as Rock Hudson
Rock Hudson (born Roy Harold Scherer Jr.; November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985) was an American actor. One of the most popular movie stars of his time, he had a screen career spanning more than three decades. A prominent heartthrob in the Golde ...
, Tony Curtis
Tony Curtis (born Bernard Schwartz; June 3, 1925September 29, 2010) was an American actor whose career spanned six decades, achieving the height of his popularity in the 1950s (Kansas Raiders, 1950) and early 1960s. He acted in more than 100 f ...
, and Jeff Chandler
Jeff Chandler (born Ira Grossel; yi, יראַ גראָססעל; December 15, 1918 – June 17, 1961) was an American actor, film producer, and singer, best remembered for playing Cochise in '' Broken Arrow'' (1950), for which he was nom ...
. His first film for Universal was a Western, '' Four Guns to the Border'' (1954), wherein he was billed beneath Rory Calhoun
Rory Calhoun (born Francis Timothy McCown, August 8, 1922April 28, 1999) was an American film and television actor. He starred in numerous Westerns in the 1950s and 1960s, and appeared in supporting roles in films such as ''How to Marry a Millio ...
and Colleen Miller
Colleen Joy Miller (born November 10, 1932) is an American actress. She starred in several films, such as the Westerns ''Gunfight at Comanche Creek'' (1963) and '' Four Guns to the Border'' (1954).
Early life
The daughter of Elias and Lillian ...
. He followed it with ''Six Bridges to Cross
''Six Bridges to Cross'' or ''6 Bridges to Cross'' is a 1955 American film noir crime film directed by Joseph Pevney and starring Tony Curtis, George Nader and Julie Adams. ''Six Bridges to Cross'' is based upon the famous 1950 Great Brink's Robbe ...
'' (1955), supporting Tony Curtis
Tony Curtis (born Bernard Schwartz; June 3, 1925September 29, 2010) was an American actor whose career spanned six decades, achieving the height of his popularity in the 1950s (Kansas Raiders, 1950) and early 1960s. He acted in more than 100 f ...
and Julie Adams
Julie Adams (born Betty May Adams; October 17, 1926 – February 3, 2019) was an American actress, billed as Julia Adams toward the beginning of her career, primarily known for her numerous television guest roles. She starred in a number of ...
in a role that Chandler had refused.
Nader was promoted to lead in ''The Second Greatest Sex
''The Second Greatest Sex'' is a 1955 Western musical comedy film directed by George Marshall and starring Jeanne Crain and George Nader. It is a Western version of the play ''Lysistrata'' by Aristophanes.
Plot
In 1880, men from three Kansas ...
'' (1955) opposite Jeanne Crain
Jeanne Elizabeth Crain (May 25, 1925 – December 14, 2003) was an American actress. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her title role in '' Pinky'' (1949). She also starred in the films ''In the Meantime, Darling'' (1944 ...
and in ''Lady Godiva of Coventry
''Lady Godiva of Coventry'' is a 1955 American Technicolor historical drama film, directed by Arthur Lubin. It starred Maureen O'Hara in the title role. Alec Harford, the English actor who portrayed Tom the Tailor, died eight months before the ...
'' (1955) opposite Maureen O'Hara
Maureen O'Hara (; 17 August 1920 – 24 October 2015) was a native Irish and naturalized American actress and singer, who became successful in Cinema of the United States, Hollywood from the 1940s through to the 1960s. She was a natural ...
, stepping in for Chandler again. In 1955, he won a Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
for "Most Promising Newcomer."
He starred opposite Virginia Mayo
Virginia Mayo (born Virginia Clara Jones; November 30, 1920 – January 17, 2005) was an American actress and dancer. She was in a series of comedy films with Danny Kaye and was Warner Brothers' biggest box-office money-maker in the late 1940s. ...
in ''Congo Crossing
''Congo Crossing'' is a 1956 American adventure film directed by Joseph Pevney and starring Virginia Mayo and George Nader. Most of the exterior sequences were shot in the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden.
Plot
Congotanga, West A ...
'' (1956) and was second-billed to Chandler in Universal's expensive war epic ''Away All Boats
''Away All Boats'' is a 1956 American war film directed by Joseph Pevney and starring Jeff Chandler, George Nader, Lex Barker, and Julie Adams. It was produced by Howard Christie from a screenplay by Ted Sherdeman based on the 1953 novel by Kenn ...
'' (1956). He was Esther Williams
Esther Jane Williams (August 8, 1921 – June 6, 2013) was an American competitive swimmer and actress. She set regional and national records in her late teens on the Los Angeles Athletic Club swim team. Unable to compete in the 1940 Summer Ol ...
's leading man in '' The Unguarded Moment'' (1956), which starred a young John Saxon
John Saxon (born Carmine Orrico; August 5, 1936 – July 25, 2020) was an American actor who worked on more than 200 film and television projects during a span of 60 years. He was known for his work in Western (genre), Westerns and horror film ...
. He had top billing in ''Four Girls in Town
''Four Girls in Town'' is a 1957 American CinemaScope Technicolor drama film, directed by Jack Sher, about four girls trying to be movie stars.
Plot
When the leading lady drops out of a new film to be shot in New Orleans, studio head James Mannin ...
'' (1957) and ''Man Afraid
''Man Afraid'' is a 1957 American film noir directed by Harry Keller and starring George Nader, Phyllis Thaxter and Tim Hovey.
Plot
A minister (George Nader) accidentally kills a young burglar. The father of the burglar (Eduard Franz) sets out t ...
'' (1957). Nader supported Audie Murphy
Audie Leon Murphy (20 June 1925 – 28 May 1971) was an American soldier, actor and songwriter. He was one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of World War II. He received every military combat award for valor available from t ...
in ''Joe Butterfly
''Joe Butterfly'' is a 1957 American comedy film directed by Jesse Hibbs starring Audie Murphy, George Nader and Keenan Wynn, with Burgess Meredith in the title role as a Japanese man. The movie was action star Murphy's only outright comedy, and i ...
'' (1957), a military comedy. He had the lead in ''Appointment with a Shadow
''Appointment with a Shadow'' is a 1957 American CinemaScope film noir crime film directed by Richard Carlson and starring George Nader, Joanna Moore, Brian Keith and Virginia Field.
It is not to be confused with the Tony Curtis film ''The Midni ...
'' (1958) and ''Flood Tide
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another.
Tide tables can ...
'' (1958). He was Hedy Lamarr
Hedy Lamarr (; born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler; November 9, 1914 January 19, 2000) was an Austrian-born American film actress and inventor. A film star during Hollywood's golden age, Lamarr has been described as one of the greatest movie actresse ...
's love interest in ''The Female Animal
''The Female Animal'' is a 1958 American CinemaScope film noir drama film directed by Harry Keller and starring Hedy Lamarr, Jane Powell, Jan Sterling and George Nader.
Although she lived until 2000, this was Lamarr's final film in a film career ...
'' (1958), replacing John Gavin. He had the starring role in '' Nowhere to Go'', a 1958 British crime drama featuring the screen debut of Maggie Smith
Dame Margaret Natalie Smith (born 28 December 1934) is an English actress. With an extensive career on screen and stage beginning in the mid-1950s, Smith has appeared in more than sixty films and seventy plays. She is one of the few performer ...
.
Television
Nader moved into regular television roles in the late 1950s, appearing in several short-lived series, including ''The Further Adventures of Ellery Queen
''The Adventures of Ellery Queen'' is the title of a radio series and four separate television series made from the 1950s through the 1970s. They were based on the fictional detective and pseudonymous writer Ellery Queen and the cases he solved wi ...
'' (1959) and ''The Man and the Challenge
''The Man and the Challenge'' is an American adventure fiction television series about a scientist who tests problems of human survival. It stars George Nader and aired on NBC during the 1959–1960 television season.
Synopsis
Dr. Glenn Barton is ...
'' (1959–60). In 1961, he appeared in an ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents
''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was ren ...
'' episode "Self Defense,” with Audrey Totter; the following year, he returned for the "Where Beauty Lies" episode opposite Cloris Leachman
Cloris Leachman (April 30, 1926 – January 27, 2021) was an American actress and comedian whose career spanned nearly eight decades. She won many accolades, including eight Primetime Emmy Awards from 22 nominations, making her the most nomin ...
. In the 1961–62 season, he appeared as insurance investigator Joe Shannon in the syndicated crime drama '' Shannon'', co-starring with Regis Toomey
John Francis Regis Toomey (August 13, 1898October 12, 1991) was an American film and television actor.
Early life
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he was one of four children of Francis X. and Mary Ellen Toomey, and attended Peabody High Sc ...
.
Nader appeared frequently on ''The Loretta Young Show
''The Loretta Young Show'' (originally known as ''Letter to Loretta'') is an American anthology drama television series broadcast on Sunday nights from September 2, 1953, to June 4, 1961, on NBC for a total of 165 episodes. The series was hosted ...
'', a dramatic anthology series
An anthology series is a radio, television, video game or film series that spans different genres and presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a differ ...
on NBC.
He produced and directed '' Walk by the Sea'' (1963).
International
Nader had the title role in a European swashbuckler, ''The Secret Mark of D'Artagnan
''The Secret Mark of D'Artagnan'' ( it, Il colpo segreto di D'Artagnan, french: Le secret de d'Artagnan) is a 1962 Italian-French adventure film written and directed by Siro Marcellini and starring George Nader and Magali Noël.
The film is abo ...
'' (1963). He made ''Zigzag
A zigzag is a pattern made up of small corners at variable angles, though constant within the zigzag, tracing a path between two parallel lines; it can be described as both jagged and fairly regular.
In geometry, this pattern is described as a ...
'' (1963) and '' The Great Space Adventure'' (1964) for Albert Zugsmith
Albert Zugsmith (April 24, 1910 – October 26, 1993) was an American film producer, film director and screenwriter who specialized in low-budget exploitation films through the 1950s and 1960s.
With a background in music promotion (Ted Weems, P ...
; both films were made in the Philippines. He starred in ''The Human Duplicators
''The Human Duplicators'' is a 1965 American science fiction film by Woolner Brothers Pictures Inc. Produced and directed by Hugo Grimaldi and Arthur C. Pierce (the latter uncredited as director), the film stars George Nader, Barbara Nichols, ...
'' (1965) and regularly guest-starred on TV shows.
Nader went to Germany to star as FBI agent Jerry Cotton
Jerry Cotton is the fictional character in a series of pulp magazine-type crime novels. The novels have been written by many different writers in German-speaking countries and in Finland over the course of several decades.
Overview
The novels ...
in the German film '' Tread Softly'' (1965). It was a hit and led to a series of films: ''Manhattan Night of Murder
''Manhattan Night of Murder'' (german: Mordnacht in Manhattan) is a 1965 German thriller film directed by Harald Philipp and starring George Nader, Heinz Weiss and Monika Grimm. It was the second of the Jerry Cotton series of films, depicting the ...
'' (1965), '' Tip Not Included'' (1966), ''The Trap Snaps Shut at Midnight
''The Trap Snaps Shut at Midnight'' (german: Um Null Uhr schnappt die Falle zu) is a 1966 West German thriller film directed by Harald Philipp and starring George Nader, Horst Frank and Heinz Weiss. It was the fourth film in the Jerry Cotton serie ...
'' (1966), ''Murderers Club of Brooklyn
''Murderers Club of Brooklyn'' (german: Der Mörderclub von Brooklyn) is a 1967 German thriller film directed by Werner Jacobs and starring George Nader, Heinz Weiss, and Karel Stepanek. It was part of the Jerry Cotton series of films.
The film ...
'' (1967), ''Death in the Red Jaguar
''Death in the Red Jaguar'' (german: Der Tod im roten Jaguar) is a 1968 West German thriller film directed by Harald Reinl and starring George Nader, Heinz Weiss, and Daniela Surina. It was part of the Jerry Cotton series of films.
It was shot ...
'' (1968), '' Death and Diamonds'' (1968), and ''Dead Body on Broadway
''Dead Body on Broadway'' (german: Todesschüsse am Broadway) is a 1969 German thriller film directed by Harald Reinl and starring George Nader, Heinz Weiss and Heidy Bohlen. It was part of the series of films portraying FBI agent Jerry Cotton.B ...
'' (1969).
He appeared in two Harry Alan Towers
Harry Alan Towers (19 October 1920 – 31 July 2009) was a British radio and independent film producer and screenwriter. He wrote numerous screenplays for the films he produced, often under the pseudonym Peter Welbeck. He produced over 80 ...
productions, ''The Million Eyes of Sumuru
''The Million Eyes of Sumuru'' is a 1967 British spy film produced by Harry Alan Towers, directed by Lindsay Shonteff and filmed at the Shaw Brothers studios in Hong Kong. It stars Frankie Avalon and George Nader, with Shirley Eaton as the title ...
'' (1967) shot in Hong Kong and ''The House of 1,000 Dolls
''The House of 1,000 Dolls'' is a 1967 Harry Alan Towers German-Spanish international co-production white slavery thriller starring Vincent Price. It has been described as "quite possibly the sleaziest movie AIP ever made". The film is set in T ...
'' (1967) filmed in Spain. One of his last films was ''Beyond Atlantis
''Atlantis II'', known as ''Beyond Atlantis'' in North America, is a 1999 graphic adventure game developed and published by Cryo Interactive. The sequel to '' Atlantis: The Lost Tales'', it follows the story of Ten, a mystical being that travels ...
'' (1973), made in the Philippines.
Writing
In the 1970s, Nader suffered an eye injury in an automobile accident, which made him particularly sensitive to the bright lights of movie sets and forced him to retire from acting. He began writing, including his 1978 science fiction novel ''Chrome, ''which dealt with a forbidden romance between a man and an android (also male).
According to ''Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
's'' Army Archerd
Armand Andre Archerd (January 13, 1922 – September 8, 2009) was an American columnist for ''Variety'' for over fifty years before retiring his "Just for Variety" column in September 2005. In November 2005, Archerd began blogging for ''Variety'' ...
, Nader had completed a book called ''The Perils of Paul'' (the title being a play on the melodrama serial ''The Perils of Pauline'') about the gay community in Hollywood, which he did not want published until after his death.
Personal life
Although Nader was not openly gay during his film career, he generally did not feign relationships with women to conceal it, instead deflecting questions by saying that he had not met "the right one.”
Nader lived with his life partner, Mark Miller (November 22, 1926 – June 9, 2015), whom he met in 1947 while they were acting in a play together.
Miller worked as Rock Hudson's personal secretary from 1972 until the star's death, and the couple inherited the interest from Hudson's $27 million estate after his death from AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...
complications in 1985. Hudson biographer Sara Davidson described Nader, Miller, and another person as "Rock's family for most of his adult life." Nader publicly acknowledged his sexual orientation shortly afterward.
Nader and Miller eventually settled in Palm Springs
Palm Springs (Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Riverside County by land ...
.
Stricken by multiple medical problems, Nader entered the hospital in September 2001. He died on February 4, 2002, in Woodland Hills, California, of cardiopulmonary failure, pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...
, and multiple cerebral infarction
Infarction is tissue death (necrosis) due to inadequate blood supply to the affected area. It may be caused by artery blockages, rupture, mechanical compression, or vasoconstriction. The resulting lesion is referred to as an infarct
(from the ...
s. He was survived by Miller (with whom he had spent 55 years), his cousins Sally Kubly and Roberta Cavell, and his nephew, actor Michael Nader
Michael Nader (February 19, 1945 – August 23, 2021) was an American actor, known for his roles as Dex Dexter on the ABC primetime soap opera ''Dynasty'' from 1983 to 1989, and Dimitri Marick on the ABC daytime soap opera ''All My Children'' fr ...
. His ashes were scattered at sea; a cenotaph
A cenotaph is an empty tomb or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been reinterred elsewhere. Although the vast majority of cenot ...
in his honor, together with Mark Miller and Rock Hudson, exists in Cathedral City's Forest Lawn Cemetery. In 2002, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs (Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Riverside County by land a ...
, Walk of Stars was dedicated to him.
Filmography
References
External links
*
George Nader at Mystery Science Theatre 3000
on glbtq.com
glbtq.com (also known as the glbtq Encyclopedia Project) was an online encyclopedia of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer ( GLBTQ) culture. Launched in 2003, it was edited by Claude J. Summers, emeritus professor at the University of ...
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nader, George
1921 births
2002 deaths
20th-century American novelists
American male film actors
American male novelists
American male television actors
Burials at Forest Lawn Cemetery (Cathedral City)
American gay actors
Deaths from pneumonia in California
American LGBT novelists
LGBT people from California
Male actors from Pasadena, California
Occidental College alumni
20th-century American male writers
20th-century American male actors
New Star of the Year (Actor) Golden Globe winners
United States Navy personnel of World War II
20th-century LGBT people