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Ralph Nelson
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<h2 id="life-and-career">Life and career</h2> <p>Nelson was born in Long Island City, New York. He served in the <a href="/facts/United_States_Army_Air_Forces/0mtva6Cw">U.S. Army Air Corps</a> as a <a href="/facts/Fighter_pilot/QvqJ7y6K">fighter pilot</a> and <a href="/facts/Flight_instructor/xTHvcz2P">flight instructor</a> during <a href="/facts/World_War_II/2efV5L1U">World War II</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a> </p><p>Before the war ended, he had a play on Broadway: "The Wind Is Ninety" ran from June to September 1945.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a> <a href="/facts/Kirk_Douglas/lEWXlRfG">Kirk Douglas</a> was in the cast.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> </p><p>Nelson directed the acclaimed episode "<a href="/facts/A_World_of_His_Own/nq9G7SJa">A World of His Own</a>" of <i><a href="/facts/The_Twilight_Zone/gRTyElKu">The Twilight Zone</a></i> (he should <i>not</i> be confused with <i>The Twilight Zone's</i> production manager, Ralph <i>W.</i> Nelson). He also directed both the television and film versions of <a href="/facts/Rod_Serling/nrygsoee">Rod Serling</a>'s <i><a href="/facts/Requiem_for_a_Heavyweight/hU4Dd4mf">Requiem for a Heavyweight</a>.</i> </p><p>He directed <i><a href="/facts/Charly_(1968_film)/yT7Yrheu">Charly</a>,</i> the 1968 film version of <i>Flowers for Algernon,</i> for which <a href="/facts/Cliff_Robertson/yT3I68Fv">Cliff Robertson</a> won an Academy Award, as well as several racially provocative films in the 1960s and early 1970s, including the <a href="/facts/Academy_Award/CwTxYuNQ">Academy Award-winning</a> <i><a href="/facts/Lilies_of_the_Field_(1963_film)/QLfWCafn">Lilies of the Field</a>,</i><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> <i><a href="/facts/Tick,_Tick,_Tick_(film)/3fI5RcMz">...tick...tick...tick...</a></i>, <i><a href="/facts/Christmas_Lilies_of_the_Field/kKoy8Klm">Christmas Lilies of the Field</a>,</i> <i><a href="/facts/The_Wilby_Conspiracy/n6yfHe3z">The Wilby Conspiracy</a>,</i> and <i><a href="/facts/Soldier_Blue/kzuD2gFB">Soldier Blue</a>.</i> The starring role in "Lilies" led to <a href="/facts/Sidney_Poitier/68b67Knf">Sidney Poitier</a> winning the <a href="/facts/Academy_Award_for_Best_Actor/ESeGU7vo">Academy Award for Best Actor</a>. </p><p>Nelson also directed the <a href="/facts/Cary_Grant/Gn21qqeg">Cary Grant</a> comedy <i><a href="/facts/Father_Goose_(film)/6E251pTy">Father Goose</a>,</i> the offbeat <i><a href="/facts/Soldier_in_the_Rain/uj6PSX5C">Soldier in the Rain</a></i> with <a href="/facts/Jackie_Gleason/86VIsUy3">Jackie Gleason</a> and <a href="/facts/Steve_McQueen/1MFEUQUx">Steve McQueen</a>, the crime story <i><a href="/facts/Once_a_Thief_(1965_film)/49XPR89u">Once a Thief</a>,</i> and <a href="/facts/Rita_Hayworth/zl67l7fe">Rita Hayworth</a>'s last film, <i><a href="/facts/The_Wrath_of_God/1UQvT62t">The Wrath of God</a>.</i> He both directed, and briefly appeared in, <i><a href="/facts/Duel_at_Diablo/E0bG88Xj">Duel at Diablo</a>,</i> starring <a href="/facts/James_Garner/B66y7h76">James Garner</a> and <a href="/facts/Sidney_Poitier/68b67Knf">Sidney Poitier</a>. </p><p>Nelson's other credits include several episodes of TV's <i><a href="/facts/Starsky_%26_Hutch/20AIczpn">Starsky & Hutch</a>,</i> the '70s camp horror classic <i><a href="/facts/Embryo_(1976_film)/JPl8G4vq">Embryo</a>,</i> and <i><a href="/facts/A_Hero_Ain%27t_Nothin%27_but_a_Sandwich_(film)/sM3mUjbe">A Hero Ain't Nothin' but a Sandwich</a>.</i> </p><p>A television drama about mounting the live show of <i>Requiem for a Heavyweight</i> called <i><a href="/facts/The_Man_in_the_Funny_Suit/GfgXvAJv">The Man in the Funny Suit</a></i> was made in 1960, with Nelson both writing and directing. Nelson, Serling, <a href="/facts/Red_Skelton/UlqR8mT0">Red Skelton</a>, <a href="/facts/Keenan_Wynn/RfSKFjVV">Keenan Wynn</a> and <a href="/facts/Ed_Wynn/H3LoDmI9">Ed Wynn</a> appeared in it as themselves. </p><p>He returned to TV in the late 1970s with a string of TV movies, including a sequel to <i><a href="/facts/Lilies_of_the_Field_(1963_film)/QLfWCafn">Lilies of the Field</a></i> called <a href="/facts/Christmas_Lilies_of_the_Field/kKoy8Klm">Christmas Lilies of the Field</a> which starred <a href="/facts/Billy_Dee_Williams/9N5hmJUd">Billy Dee Williams</a>, <a href="/facts/Maria_Schell/Nw9omm6m">Maria Schell</a>, and Fay Hauser. </p> <h2 id="death">Death</h2> <p>He died in 1987 in <a href="/facts/Santa_Monica,_California/A0Cyj3vy">Santa Monica, California</a> at the age of 71. </p> <h2 id="filmography">Filmography</h2> <h3>Director</h3> Film <ul><li><i><a href="/facts/Requiem_for_a_Heavyweight_(film)/hU4Dd4mf">Requiem for a Heavyweight</a></i> (1962)</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Lilies_of_the_Field_(1963_film)/QLfWCafn">Lilies of the Field</a></i> (1963)</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Soldier_in_the_Rain/uj6PSX5C">Soldier in the Rain</a></i> (1963)</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Fate_Is_the_Hunter_(film)/2CFADHFg">Fate Is the Hunter</a></i> (1964)</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Father_Goose_(film)/6E251pTy">Father Goose</a></i> (1964)</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Once_a_Thief_(1965_film)/49XPR89u">Once a Thief</a></i> (1965)</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Duel_at_Diablo/E0bG88Xj">Duel at Diablo</a></i> (1966)</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Counterpoint_(1968_film)/Uu2oSKtz">Counterpoint</a></i> (1968)</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Charly_(1968_film)/yT7Yrheu">Charly</a></i> (1968)</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Tick,_Tick,_Tick_(film)/3fI5RcMz">...tick...tick...tick...</a></i> (1970)</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Soldier_Blue/kzuD2gFB">Soldier Blue</a></i> (1970)</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Flight_of_the_Doves/neAlKjVA">Flight of the Doves</a></i> (1971)</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/The_Wrath_of_God/1UQvT62t">The Wrath of God</a></i> (1972)</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/The_Wilby_Conspiracy/n6yfHe3z">The Wilby Conspiracy</a></i> (1975)</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Embryo_(1976_film)/JPl8G4vq">Embryo</a></i> (1976)</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/A_Hero_Ain%27t_Nothin%27_but_a_Sandwich_(film)/sM3mUjbe">A Hero Ain't Nothin' but a Sandwich</a></i> (1977)</li></ul> Television <ul><li><i><a href="/facts/Ford_Startime/u0VUJ5vQ">Ford Startime</a></i> - "<a href="/facts/The_Jazz_Singer_(Ford_Startime)/MSnQS466">The Jazz Singer</a>" (1959)</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Playhouse_90/X6QL9hDA">Playhouse 90</a></i> - "<a href="/facts/Requiem_for_a_Heavyweight/hU4Dd4mf">Requiem for a Heavyweight</a>" (1956)</li> <li><i>Blood Money</i> (1957)</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/A_World_of_His_Own/nq9G7SJa">A World of His Own</a></i> (1960)</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/The_Farmer%27s_Daughter_(TV_series)/1EyhNXG1">The Farmer's Daughter</a></i> (1963) Episode: "The Speechmaker: Part 1"</li> <li><i>The Man Who Bought Paradise</i> (1965)</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Lady_of_the_House_(1978_film)/jKtrSTko">Lady of the House</a></i> (1978)</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Because_He%27s_My_Friend/be4dnuBo">Because He's My Friend</a></i> (1978)</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Christmas_Lilies_of_the_Field/kKoy8Klm">Christmas Lilies of the Field</a></i> (1979)</li> <li><i>You Can't Go Home Again</i> (1979)</li></ul> <h3>Actor</h3> <ul><li><i>Stump Run</i> (1959)</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Lilies_of_the_Field_(1963_film)/QLfWCafn">Lilies of the Field</a></i> (1963) - Mr. Ashton (uncredited)</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Duel_at_Diablo/E0bG88Xj">Duel at Diablo</a></i> (1966) - Col. Foster</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Counterpoint_(1968_film)/Uu2oSKtz">Counterpoint</a></i> (1968) - Belgian Officer (uncredited)</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Charly_(1968_film)/yT7Yrheu">Charly</a></i> (1968) - Convention Speaker (uncredited)</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Tick,_Tick,_Tick_(film)/3fI5RcMz">...tick...tick...tick...</a></i> (1970) - New York driver caught in speed trap (uncredited)</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Soldier_Blue/kzuD2gFB">Soldier Blue</a></i> (1970) - Agent Long</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/The_Wrath_of_God/1UQvT62t">The Wrath of God</a></i> (1972) - Executed Prisoner (uncredited)</li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ralph Nelson. <ul><li><a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0625680/">Ralph Nelson</a> at <a href="/facts/IMDb_(identifier)/uWrqVYVy">IMDb</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/15765">Ralph Nelson</a> at the <a href="/facts/Internet_Broadway_Database/BwBDHXna">Internet Broadway Database</a> </li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081222131952/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,858418,00.html">1953 Time Magazine</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Radio: The Three Prosceniums Time via Internet Archive. Archived December 22, 2008. Retrieved May 5, 2023. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081222131952/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,858418,00.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20081222131952/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,858418,00.html</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>"The Wind Is Ninety – Broadway Play – Original | IBDB". www.ibdb.com. Archived from the original on 2017-09-24. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170924014559/https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/the-wind-is-ninety-1714" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20170924014559/https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/the-wind-is-ninety-1714</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>"Person List". <a href="http://www.playbill.com/personlistpage/person-list?production=00000150-aea2-d936-a7fd-eef679850004&type=op#oc" target="_blank">http://www.playbill.com/personlistpage/person-list?production=00000150-aea2-d936-a7fd-eef679850004&type=op#oc</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Sullivan, Ronald (1987-12-25). "Ralph Nelson, Early TV Director; Made 'Requiem for Heavyweight'". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-01-18. <a href="https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE5D6103BF936A15751C1A961948260" target="_blank">https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE5D6103BF936A15751C1A961948260</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>