Frank Nelson (actor)
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Frank Brandon Nelson (May 6, 1911 – September 12, 1986) was an American comedic actor best known for playing put-upon foils on radio and television, and especially for his "EEE-Yeeeeeeeeesssss?"
catchphrase A catchphrase (alternatively spelled catch phrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through word of mouth and a variety of mass ...
. He made numerous guest appearances on television shows, including ''
The Jack Benny Program ''The Jack Benny Program'', starring Jack Benny, is a radio-TV comedy series that ran for more than three decades and is generally regarded as a high-water mark in 20th century American comedy. He played one role throughout his radio and televis ...
'', ''
I Love Lucy ''I Love Lucy'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning six seasons. The show starred Lucille Ball, her husband, Desi Arnaz, along wit ...
'', ''
The Real McCoys ''The Real McCoys'' is an American situation comedy starring Walter Brennan, Richard Crenna, and Kathleen Nolan. Co-produced by Danny Thomas's Marterto Productions in association with Walter Brennan and Irving Pincus's Westgate Company, ...
'', ''
The Addams Family ''The Addams Family'' is a fictional family created by American cartoonist Charles Addams. They originally appeared in a series of 150 unrelated single-panel cartoons, about half of which were originally published in ''The New Yorker'' over ...
'', '' Alice'', and '' Sanford and Son''. He also provided voices for animated series such as ''
The Flintstones ''The Flintstones'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. The series takes place in a romanticized Stone Age setting and follows the activities of the titular family, the Flintstones, and their next-door neighb ...
'', ''
Mister Magoo ''Mister Magoo'' is an American animated television series which was produced from November 7, 1960 to February 2, 1962. A single episode included five four-minute shorts and could either be aired together with bumpers as a single half-hour show, ...
'', ''
The Jetsons ''The Jetsons'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. It originally aired in prime time from September 23, 1962, to March 17, 1963, on ABC, then later aired in reruns via syndication, with new episodes produced ...
'', ''
Dinky Dog ''Dinky Dog'' is a Saturday-morning animated series produced by the Australian division of Hanna-Barbera, which aired on CBS from September 9, 1978, to September 5, 1981. It was Hanna-Barbera's first show created and produced in Australia. ''Din ...
'', and '' The Snorks''.


Career


Radio

Nelson began his entertainment career in radio, and later moved into television and movies. In 1926, at age 15, Nelson played the role of a 30-year-old man in a series broadcast from KOA in
Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
. In 1929, Nelson moved to
Hollywood, California Hollywood is a neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Its name has come to be a shorthand reference for the U.S. film industry and the people associated with it. Many notable film studios, such as Columbia Pictures, ...
, and worked in local dramatic broadcasts, usually playing the
leading man A leading actor, leading actress, or simply lead (), plays the role of the protagonist of a film, television show or play. The word ''lead'' may also refer to the largest role in the piece, and ''leading actor'' may refer to a person who typica ...
. The first sponsored program in which he appeared that reached a national market was ''
Flywheel, Shyster, and Flywheel ''Flywheel, Shyster, and Flywheel'' is a situation comedy radio show starring two of the Marx Brothers, Groucho and his older brother Chico Marx, and written primarily by Nat Perrin and Arthur Sheekman. The series was originally broadcast in t ...
'', a situation comedy that aired from November 28, 1932, to May 22, 1933, starring Groucho and Chico Marx, and written primarily by
Nat Perrin Nat Perrin (March 15, 1905 – May 9, 1998) was an American comedy film, television, and radio screenwriter, producer, and director, who contributed gags and storylines to several Marx Brothers films and co-wrote the script for the film '' Hellz ...
and
Arthur Sheekman Arthur Sheekman (February 5, 1901 – January 12, 1978) was an American theater and movie critic, columnist, playwright, and editor—but best known for his writing for the screen. His specialty was light comedy. Groucho Marx called him "The Fast ...
.


Work with Jack Benny

Nelson first found fame as the put-upon foil to
Jack Benny Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky, February 14, 1894 – December 26, 1974) was an American entertainer who evolved from a modest success playing violin on the vaudeville circuit to one of the leading entertainers of the twentieth century wit ...
on Benny's radio show during the 1940s and 1950s. Nelson began to appear on Benny's radio show in the late 1930s, doing various roles, but his eventual character began to take form around 1942. Nelson, whose character was never given a name,Josefsberg, Milt (1977): ''The Jack Benny Show''. New Rochelle: Arlington House. p. 113. typically portrayed a sales clerk, dentist or customer service worker, and Benny's character would run into him seemingly out of nowhere. For example, needing airline tickets, Benny would call the ticket agent, "Oh Mister? Mister?" Nelson would then deliver his
catchphrase A catchphrase (alternatively spelled catch phrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through word of mouth and a variety of mass ...
, a bellowed "EEE-Yeeeeeeeeesssss?" The two men would banter, with Nelson gleefully delivering insulting one-liners such as, "Is that a hairpiece or did someone plant moss on your head?", and sarcastic responses like, after being asked at an airport ticket counter if he was the ticket clerk, "No, I'm a 747 with a moustache." Whatever his occupation in a particular episode, Nelson's character would usually be polite and patient with all of his customers except for Jack Benny. An especially noteworthy example occurred on the episode that aired Jan. 8, 1950. Early in the show, announcer Don Wilson mispronounced columnist Drew Pearson's name as "Drear Pooson," which got a big laugh. The writers made a quick change to the script, and later, when Benny approached Nelson and asked if he were the doorman, the latter replied, "Well, who do you think I am? Drear Pooson?" Benny, who collapsed in laughter (as did the audience), later cited it as one of the longest laughs ever on his show. Nelson also appeared on Benny's television show beginning in 1950, doing the same "rude clerk"
shtick A shtick ( yi, שטיק) is a comic theme or gimmick. The word entered the English language from the Yiddish ''shtik'' (שטיק), in turn derived from German ''Stück'' and Polish ''sztuka'' (both ultimately from Proto-Germanic *''stukkiją'') ...
. His other catchphrase, that would be worked into every routine, would have Benny asking something mundane, such as, "Do these shirts come in a medium?", and Frank would bellow, "Oo-oo-oo-ooh, DO they!" Nelson's sudden appearances usually led to spontaneous laughter or applause on the part of the audience.


Other work

Nelson performed on a number of Hollywood-based radio shows during this time, including ''
Fibber McGee and Molly ''Fibber McGee and Molly'' (1935–1959) was a longtime highly popular husband-and-wife team radio comedy program. The situation comedy was a staple of the NBC Red Network from 1936 on, after originating on NBC Blue in 1935. One of the most p ...
'', and did radio work well into the late 1950s, on the few shows that remained on the air, including dramatic roles on such programs as ''
Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar ''Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar'' is a radio drama that aired on CBS Radio from February 18, 1949 to September 30, 1962. The first several seasons imagined protagonist Johnny Dollar as a private investigator drama, with Charles Russell, Edmond O'B ...
''. After ''Jack Benny'', Nelson continued to work in sitcoms in similar roles, most notably in ''
The Hank McCune Show ''The Hank McCune Show'' is an American television sitcom. Filmed without a studio audience, the series is notable for being the first television program to incorporate a laugh track. The series began as a local Los Angeles program in 1949. NBC ...
'' and ''
I Love Lucy ''I Love Lucy'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning six seasons. The show starred Lucille Ball, her husband, Desi Arnaz, along wit ...
''. Nelson appeared as various characters during all six seasons of ''I Love Lucy'' (most notably game show host Freddie Fillmore) before appearing in two episodes as neighbor Ralph Ramsey, after the Ricardos moved to
Westport, Connecticut Westport is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, along the Long Island Sound within Connecticut's Gold Coast. It is northeast of New York City. The town had a population of 27,141 according to the 2020 U.S. Census. History ...
in season six. He further appeared in ''
The New Phil Silvers Show ''The New Phil Silvers Show'' is an American situation comedy television series starring Phil Silvers which centers around a factory foreman who is always involved in get-rich-quick schemes. Original episodes aired from September 28, 1963, until A ...
'' and ''
The Addams Family ''The Addams Family'' is a fictional family created by American cartoonist Charles Addams. They originally appeared in a series of 150 unrelated single-panel cartoons, about half of which were originally published in ''The New Yorker'' over ...
'' in the 1960s, and '' Sanford and Son'' during the 1970s.


Later years

Toward the end of his life, Nelson enjoyed some newfound stardom among a younger generation of fans. From 1981 to 1986, he appeared in a string of popular commercials for
McDonald's McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hambur ...
doing his trademark "EEE-Yeeeeeeeeesssss?" catchphrase, as part of the fast-food chain's highly successful "You Deserve a Break Today" vacation sweepstakes promotional campaign, in which he played an over-the-top passport agent. He also did a cameo appearance on the December 5, 1981, episode of ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock (streaming service), Peacock. ...
'' as a newsstand vendor, when
Tim Curry Timothy James Curry (born 19 April 1946) is an English actor and singer. He rose to prominence for his portrayal of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the film ''The Rocky Horror Picture Show'' (1975), reprising the role he had originated in the 1973 London ...
was the guest host. In addition to his onscreen work, Nelson was an in-demand
voiceover Voice-over (also known as off-camera or off-stage commentary) is a production technique where a voice—that is not part of the narrative (non- diegetic)—is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentations. ...
artist for animated cartoons. In 1954, he narrated
Walter Lantz Walter Lantz (April 27, 1899 – March 22, 1994) was an American cartoonist, animator, producer and director best known for founding Walter Lantz Productions and creating Woody Woodpecker. Biography Early years and start in animation Lant ...
's cartoon short '' Dig That Dog''. In television cartoons, he made several appearances on ''
The Flintstones ''The Flintstones'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. The series takes place in a romanticized Stone Age setting and follows the activities of the titular family, the Flintstones, and their next-door neighb ...
'', ''
Calvin and the Colonel ''Calvin and the Colonel'' is an American animated sitcom about Colonel Montgomery J. Klaxon, a shrewd fox, and Calvin T. Burnside, a dumb bear. Their lawyer was Oliver Wendell Clutch, who was a weasel (literally). The colonel lived with his wife ...
'', ''
The Jetsons ''The Jetsons'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. It originally aired in prime time from September 23, 1962, to March 17, 1963, on ABC, then later aired in reruns via syndication, with new episodes produced ...
'', and (as Governor Wetworth) on '' The Snorks'', among other programs. Between 1978 and 1979, he provided the voice of Uncle Dudley on ''
Dinky Dog ''Dinky Dog'' is a Saturday-morning animated series produced by the Australian division of Hanna-Barbera, which aired on CBS from September 9, 1978, to September 5, 1981. It was Hanna-Barbera's first show created and produced in Australia. ''Din ...
''. He also served as national president of AFTRA (a performers union) between 1954 and 1957. Nelson occasionally appeared in films in variations of his oily clerk characterization. One of his roles is in ''Down Memory Lane'' (1949), in which he plays the manager of a TV station. He also appears in ''So You Want to Know Your Relatives'', a
Joe McDoakes ''Joe McDoakes'' is an American short film comedy series produced and directed by Richard L. Bare for Warner Bros. A total of 63 black and white live action one-reel short subjects films were made and released between 1942 and 1956. The ''Joe ...
spoof of '' This Is Your Life''; Nelson plays the master of ceremonies, ushering guests onstage.


Death

Nelson was diagnosed with cancer during the late summer of 1985. After a year-long battle with the disease, he died in Hollywood on September 12, 1986, at the age of 75. He was entombed in
Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks & Mortuaries is an American corporation that owns and operates a chain of cemeteries and mortuaries in Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside counties in Southern California. History The company was founded by a group of ...
in Glendale. Nelson shares a
columbarium A columbarium (; pl. columbaria) is a structure for the reverential and usually public storage of funerary urns, holding cremated remains of the deceased. The term can also mean the nesting boxes of pigeons. The term comes from the Latin "''colu ...
niche with his longtime friend and fellow radio actor
Hanley Stafford Hanley Stafford (born Alfred John Austin, September 22, 1899 – September 9, 1968), was an actor principally on radio. He is remembered best for playing Lancelot Higgins on ''The Baby Snooks Show''. Stafford also assumed the role of Mr. Dithers ...
, both men having been married to radio actress and singer Veola Vonn.


Legacy

His distinctive appearance and manner of saying "yes?" has been parodied frequently in film, radio and television, most notably with the character on ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer Simpson, Homer, Marge ...
'' called the " Frank Nelson Type" (aka "Yes Guy"). Nelson's appearance and mannerisms were also parodied multiple times in the
Disney Afternoon The Disney Afternoon (later known internally as the Disney-Kellogg Alliance when unbranded), sometimes abbreviated as TDA, was a created-for-syndication two-hour programming block of animated television series. It was produced by Walt Disney Tel ...
series ''
TaleSpin ''TaleSpin'' is an American animated television series first aired in 1990 as a preview on Disney Channel and later that year as part of '' The Disney Afternoon''. It features characters adapted from Disney's 1967 animated feature ''The Jungle Bo ...
'', with Nelson represented by a large
hippopotamus The hippopotamus ( ; : hippopotamuses or hippopotami; ''Hippopotamus amphibius''), also called the hippo, common hippopotamus, or river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of only two extan ...
in a suit. ''
The Daily Show ''The Daily Show'' is an American late-night talk and satirical news television program. It airs each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central with release shortly after on Paramount+. ''The Daily Show'' draws its comedy and satire form from ...
'' often featured a Nelson impression by host Jon Stewart after a setup clip, often "Yeeesss?" or "Go onnnnnnn ..." followed by another clip which serves as the punchline. He was also parodied in the Merrie Melodies cartoon "Canary Row".


Partial filmography

* ''
Fugitive in the Sky ''Fugitive in the Sky'' (aka ''Heroes of the Air'') is a 1936 American aviation drama film directed by Nick Grinde and written by George Bricker. The stars are Jean Muir, Warren Hull, Gordon Oliver, Carlyle Moore Jr., Howard Phillips, Winifred ...
'' (1936) as Radio Announcer (uncredited) * ''
Gang Bullets ''Gang Bullets'' is a 1938 American crime drama film directed by Lambert Hillyer. The film is also known as ''The Crooked Way'' in the United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United ...
'' (1938) Radio Announcer (uncredited) * ''
Down Memory Lane (1950 film) ''Down Memory Lane'' is a 1949 Hollywood compilation film of silent and sound comedies from the library of pioneer producer Mack Sennett. Phil Karlson directed the film, with Steve Allen writing the screenplay and appearing on screen as himself. ...
'' (1950) Mr. Jefferds * ''
The Milkman ''The Milkman'' is a 1950 American comedy film directed by Charles Barton and starring Donald O'Connor, Jimmy Durante and Piper Laurie. Plot Roger Bradley is denied a milkman job at his father's company because of his postwar trauma; when he ...
'' (1950) Mr. Green * ''
Bonzo Goes to College ''Bonzo Goes to College'' is a 1952 American comedy film directed by Frederick De Cordova and starring Maureen O'Sullivan, Edmund Gwenn, Charles Drake, Gigi Perreau, Gene Lockhart, and Bonzo. Plot Former lab chimpanzee Bonzo, suddenly literat ...
'' (1952) Dick * ''
It Should Happen To You ''It Should Happen to You'' is a 1954 American romantic comedy film starring Judy Holliday, Peter Lawford and Jack Lemmon; it was Lemmon's first major film appearance. The film was directed by George Cukor, and partly filmed on location in New ...
'' (1954) Harold At Macy's (uncredited) * ''
It's Always Fair Weather ''It's Always Fair Weather'' is a 1955 MGM musical satire scripted by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, who also wrote the show's lyrics, with music by André Previn and starring Gene Kelly, Dan Dailey, Cyd Charisse, Dolores Gray, and dancer/chore ...
'' (1955) It's Always Fair Weather) (uncredited) * '' The Malibu Bikini Shop'' (1986) Richard J. Remington (final movie role, film released after his death)


References


Further reading

*


External links

*
A fond remembrance of Frank Nelson by colleague Mark Evanier

Frank Nelson memorial site, with sound clips and memorabilia collected by Frank Nelson
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nelson, Frank 1911 births 1986 deaths American male television actors American male comedians American male radio actors American male voice actors American radio personalities Deaths from cancer in California Male actors from Colorado Springs, Colorado Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American comedians Presidents of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists