Ralph Nelson (August 12, 1916 – December 21, 1987) was an American film and television director, producer, writer, and actor. He was best known for directing '' Lilies of the Field'' (1963), '' Father Goose'' (1964), and '' Charly'' (1968), films which won

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...

Life and career

Nelson was born in Long Island City, New York. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps as a

fighter pilot A fighter pilot or combat pilot is a Military aviation, military aviator trained to engage in air-to-air combat, Air-to-ground weaponry, air-to-ground combat and sometimes Electronic-warfare aircraft, electronic warfare while in the cockpit of ...

and flight instructor during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Before the war ended, he had a play on Broadway: "The Wind Is Ninety" ran from June to September 1945.

Kirk Douglas Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; December 9, 1916 – February 5, 2020) was an American actor and filmmaker. After an impoverished childhood, he made his film debut in '' The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck. ...

was in the cast. Nelson directed the acclaimed episode "

A World of His Own "A World of His Own" is episode thirty-six of the American television anthology series ''The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series), The Twilight Zone''. It was the last episode of the show's first season and essentially comedic in tone. It originally ...

" of '' The Twilight Zone'' (he should ''not'' be confused with ''The Twilight Zone's'' production manager, Ralph ''W.'' Nelson). He also directed both the television and film versions of

Rod Serling Rodman Edward Serling (December 25, 1924 – June 28, 1975) was an American screenwriter and television producer best known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his Anthology series, anthology television series ''The Twilight Zone (1 ...

's '' Requiem for a Heavyweight.'' He directed '' Charly,'' the 1968 film version of ''Flowers for Algernon,'' for which

Cliff Robertson Clifford Parker Robertson III (September 9, 1923 – September 10, 2011) was an American actor whose career in film and television spanned over six decades. Robertson portrayed a young John F. Kennedy in the 1963 film ''PT 109 (film), PT 109'', a ...

won an Academy Award, as well as several racially provocative films in the 1960s and early 1970s, including the Academy Award-winning '' Lilies of the Field,'' '' ...tick...tick...tick...'', '' Christmas Lilies of the Field,'' '' The Wilby Conspiracy,'' and '' Soldier Blue.'' The starring role in "Lilies" led to Sidney Poitier winning the

Academy Award for Best Actor The Academy Award for Best Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 1st Academy Awards to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading ...

. Nelson also directed the Cary Grant comedy '' Father Goose,'' the offbeat '' Soldier in the Rain'' with

Jackie Gleason Herbert John Gleason (born Herbert Walton Gleason Jr.; February 26, 1916June 24, 1987), known as Jackie Gleason, was an American comedian, actor, writer, and composer also known as "The Great One". He developed a style and characters from growin ...

and Steve McQueen, the crime story '' Once a Thief,'' and

Rita Hayworth Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer, and Pin-up model, pin-up girl. She achieved fame in the 1940s as one of the top stars of the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of ...

's last film, '' The Wrath of God.'' He both directed, and briefly appeared in, '' Duel at Diablo,'' starring James Garner and Sidney Poitier. Nelson's other credits include several episodes of TV's '' Starsky & Hutch,'' the '70s camp horror classic ''

Embryo An embryo ( ) is the initial stage of development for a multicellular organism. In organisms that reproduce sexually, embryonic development is the part of the life cycle that begins just after fertilization of the female egg cell by the male sp ...

,'' and '' A Hero Ain't Nothin' but a Sandwich.'' A television drama about mounting the live show of ''Requiem for a Heavyweight'' called '' The Man in the Funny Suit'' was made in 1960, with Nelson both writing and directing. Nelson, Serling, Red Skelton, Keenan Wynn and

Ed Wynn Isaiah Edwin Leopold (November 9, 1886 – June 19, 1966), better known as Ed Wynn, was an American actor and comedian. He began his career in vaudeville in 1903 and was known for his ''Perfect Fool'' comedy character, his pioneering radio show ...

appeared in it as themselves. He returned to TV in the late 1970s with a string of TV movies, including a sequel to '' Lilies of the Field'' called Christmas Lilies of the Field which starred Billy Dee Williams, Maria Schell, and Fay Hauser.

Death

He died in 1987 in

Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

at the age of 71.

Filmography

Director

;Film * '' Requiem for a Heavyweight'' (1962) * '' Lilies of the Field'' (1963) * '' Soldier in the Rain'' (1963) * '' Fate Is the Hunter'' (1964) * '' Father Goose'' (1964) * '' Once a Thief'' (1965) * '' Duel at Diablo'' (1966) * '' Counterpoint'' (1968) * '' Charly'' (1968) * '' ...tick...tick...tick...'' (1970) * '' Soldier Blue'' (1970) * '' Flight of the Doves'' (1971) * '' The Wrath of God'' (1972) * '' The Wilby Conspiracy'' (1975) * ''

'' (1976) * '' A Hero Ain't Nothin' but a Sandwich'' (1977) ;Television * '' Ford Startime'' - " The Jazz Singer" (1959) * ''

Playhouse 90 ''Playhouse 90'' is an American television anthology drama series that aired on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 134 episodes. The show was produced at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology drama series of t ...

'' - " Requiem for a Heavyweight" (1956) * ''Blood Money'' (1957) * ''

'' (1960) * '' The Farmer's Daughter'' (1963) Episode: "The Speechmaker: Part 1" * ''The Man Who Bought Paradise'' (1965) * '' Lady of the House'' (1978) * '' Because He's My Friend'' (1978) * '' Christmas Lilies of the Field'' (1979) * ''You Can't Go Home Again'' (1979)

Actor

* ''Stump Run'' (1959) * '' Lilies of the Field'' (1963) - Mr. Ashton (uncredited) * '' Duel at Diablo'' (1966) - Col. Foster * '' Counterpoint'' (1968) - Belgian Officer (uncredited) * '' Charly'' (1968) - Convention Speaker (uncredited) * '' ...tick...tick...tick...'' (1970) - New York driver caught in speed trap (uncredited) * '' Soldier Blue'' (1970) - Agent Long * '' The Wrath of God'' (1972) - Executed Prisoner (uncredited)

References

External links

* *
1953 Time Magazine
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nelson, Ralph 1916 births 1987 deaths 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters Film directors from New York (state) American male film actors American male screenwriters American male television actors Film producers from New York (state) Male actors from Queens, New York Military personnel from New York City Military personnel from New York (state) People from Long Island City, Queens Primetime Emmy Award winners Screenwriters from New York (state) United States Army Air Forces officers United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II