Edwin Stafford Nelson (December 21, 1928 – August 9, 2014) was an American actor, best known for his role as Dr. Michael Rossi in the television series '' Peyton Place''. Nelson appeared in episodes of many TV programs, more than 50 movies, and hundreds of stage productions.

Early life

Nelson was raised in North Carolina after having been born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was educated at Edwards Military Institute and Camp Lejeune High School, playing football and basketball at the latter school. He began acting while attending Tulane University in New Orleans. He left college after two years to study at the New York School of Radio and Television Technique. He served with the United States Navy as a radioman on the light cruiser '' USS Dayton''. He took a position as a director at

WDSU-TV WDSU (channel 6) is a television station in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, affiliated with NBC and owned by Hearst Television. The station's studios are located on Howard Avenue in the city's Central Business District, and its transmitt ...

in New Orleans. By 1956, acting became his central focus, and he moved to the Los Angeles area.

Career

Early in his career Nelson did stunt work for B-movie producer

Roger Corman Roger William Corman (born April 5, 1926) is an American film director, producer, and actor. He has been called "The Pope of Pop Cinema" and is known as a trailblazer in the world of independent film. Many of Corman's films are based on works t ...

on the films ''

Swamp Women ''Swamp Women'' is a 1956 American adventure film noir crime film directed by Roger Corman. It stars Carole Mathews, Beverly Garland, and Marie Windsor, with Mike Connors and Ed Nelson in small roles. The film follows undercover police officer ...

'' (1956), ''

Attack of the Crab Monsters Attack may refer to: Warfare and combat * Offensive (military) * Charge (warfare) * Attack (fencing) * Strike (attack) * Attack (computing) * Attack aircraft Books and publishing * ''The Attack'' (novel), a book * ''Attack No. 1'', comic an ...

'' (1957), ''

Rock All Night ''Rock All Night'' is a 1957 crime drama film produced and directed by Roger Corman. Distributed by American International Pictures, it is based on a 25-minute television episode of '' The Jane Wyman Show'' from 1955 called "The Little Guy." It s ...

'' (1957), '' Carnival Rock'' (1957), ''

Night of the Blood Beast ''Night of the Blood Beast'' is a 1958 American science fiction film, science-fiction horror film about a team of scientists who are stalked by an alien creature, which implants its embryos in an astronaut's body during a space flight. Produced b ...

'' (1958), ''

The Cry Baby Killer ''The Cry Baby Killer'' is a 1958 teen exploitation film produced by Roger Corman that marked Jack Nicholson's film debut. The film was out of print and difficult to find until 2006, when it was issued on DVD for the first time by Buena Vista Home ...

'' (1958), '' Teenage Cave Man'' (1958), and ''

A Bucket of Blood ''A Bucket of Blood'' is a 1959 American comedy horror film directed by Roger Corman. It starred Dick Miller and was set in West Coast beatnik culture of the late 1950s. The film, produced on a $50,000 budget, was shot in five days and shares ...

'' (1959). In 1958, he acted in and produced actor-director Bruno VeSota's science-fiction/horror movie ''

The Brain Eaters ''The Brain Eaters'' is a 1958 independently made American black-and-white science fiction-horror film, produced by Ed Nelson (and Roger Corman, uncredited), and directed by Bruno VeSota. The film stars Nelson, Alan Jay Factor, and Joanna Lee ...

'', with Roger Corman as the executive producer. The same year, he was cast as the lead in ''

Devil's Partner ''Devil's Partner'' is a 1958 American film starring Ed Nelson, directed by Charles R. Rondeau and produced by Hugh Hooker, an actor and stuntman who had previously made the 1958 film ''The Littlest Hobo''. However the film was not released unti ...

'', but the movie was not released until 1962. He also appeared in the 1960 thriller ''

Valley of the Redwoods ''Valley of the Redwoods'' is a 1960 American Western film directed by William Witney, written by Leo Gordon and Daniel Madison, and starring John Hudson, Lynette Bernay, Ed Nelson, Michael Forest, Robert Shayne and John Brinkley. It was releas ...

'' and the 1963 comedy drama ''

Soldier in the Rain ''Soldier in the Rain'' is a 1963 American comedy buddy film directed by Ralph Nelson and starring Jackie Gleason and Steve McQueen. Tuesday Weld portrays Gleason's character's romantic partner. Produced by Martin Jurow and co-written by Mauric ...

'', starring

Steve McQueen Terrence Stephen McQueen (March 24, 1930November 7, 1980) was an American actor. His antihero persona, emphasized during the height of the counterculture of the 1960s, made him a top box-office draw for his films of the late 1950s, 1960s, and 1 ...

and

Jackie Gleason John Herbert Gleason (February 26, 1916June 24, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, writer, composer, and conductor known affectionately as "The Great One." Developing a style and characters from growing up in Brooklyn, New York, he was know ...

. Nelson's television career featured many guest-starring roles, such as the talented, arrogant Dr. Wade Parsons in the 1962 episode "Doctor on Horseback" of the western series '' The Tall Man''. Nelson was cast in episodes of such other westerns as ''

Maverick Maverick, Maveric or Maverik may refer to: History * Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick Aviation * AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design * General Aviation Design Burea ...

'', ''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings ...

'', ''

Black Saddle ''Black Saddle'' is an American Western television series starring Peter Breck that aired 44 episodes on NBC from January 10, 1959, to May 6, 1960. The half-hour program was produced by Dick Powell's Four Star Television, and the original backdoo ...

'', ''

Have Gun – Will Travel ''Have Gun – Will Travel'' is an American Western series that was produced and originally broadcast by CBS on both television and radio from 1957 through 1963. The television version of the series starring Richard Boone was rated number t ...

'', '' The Rebel'' (five times), ''

Johnny Ringo John Peters Ringo (May 3, 1850 – July 13, 1882), known as Johnny Ringo, was an American Old West outlaw loosely associated with the Cochise County Cowboys in frontier boomtown Tombstone, Arizona Territory. He took part in the Mason County ...

'', ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central character ...

'', '' Rawhide'', ''

Tombstone Territory ''Tombstone Territory'' is an American Western series starring Pat Conway and Richard Eastham. The series' first two seasons aired on ABC from 1957 to 1959. The first season was sponsored by Bristol-Myers (consumer products) and the second s ...

'', ''

Bat Masterson Bartholemew William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (November 26, 1853 – October 25, 1921) was a U.S. Army scout, lawman, professional gambler, and journalist known for his exploits in the 19th and early 20th-century American Old West. He was born to ...

'', '' Laramie'', ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on U ...

'', '' Stoney Burke'', ''

The Dakotas The Dakotas is a collective term for the U.S. states of North Dakota and South Dakota. It has been used historically to describe the Dakota Territory, and is still used for the collective heritage, culture, geography, fauna, sociology, econom ...

'', ''

The Rifleman ''The Rifleman'' is an American Western television program starring Chuck Connors as rancher Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son Mark McCain. It was set in the 1880s in the fictional town of North Fork, New Mexico Territory. The show ...

'' and '' Redigo''. He appeared on drama and adventure series too, such as ''

Combat! ''Combat!'' is an American television drama series that originally aired on ABC from 1962 until 1967. The exclamation point in ''Combat!'' was depicted on-screen as a stylized bayonet. The show covered the grim lives of a squad of American sol ...

'', '' The Fugitive'', ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, su ...

'', ''

Flight Flight or flying is the process by which an object moves through a space without contacting any planetary surface, either within an atmosphere (i.e. air flight or aviation) or through the vacuum of outer space (i.e. spaceflight). This can be a ...

'', ''

The Silent Service is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kaiji Kawaguchi. It was published in Kodansha's '' Weekly Morning'' manga magazine from 1988 to 1996 and collected in 32 ''tankōbon'' volumes. The series was adapted into an anime tele ...

'', '' The Outer Limits'', ''

Harbor Command ''Harbor Command'' is an American police series that was syndicated from October 11, 1957, to July 4, 1958. The series stars Wendell Corey as Captain Ralph Baxter, an officer of the Harbor Police of a large coastal city (the city is unnamed, b ...

'', ''

Tightrope Tightrope walking, also called funambulism, is the skill of walking along a thin wire or rope. It has a long tradition in various countries and is commonly associated with the circus. Other skills similar to tightrope walking include slack rope ...

'', ''

Coronado 9 ''Coronado 9'' is an American crime drama series starring Rod Cameron that aired in syndication in 1960. Synopsis Set in San Diego, California, the series follows Dan Adams (Cameron), a former United States Navy intelligence officer turned pri ...

'', '' The Eleventh Hour'', '' Thriller'', and '' Channing''. He guest-starred on '' Mission: Impossible'' and military sitcom/drama '' Hennesey''. He made two guest appearances on ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...

'', both times as the defendant; in 1961, he played Ward Nichols in "The Case of the Left-Handed Liar," and in 1964, he played Dirk Blake, father of the title character, in "The Case of the Missing Button". He also portrayed an assistant district attorney a TV series Adam 12 in 1974.

''Peyton Place'' and later roles

In 1964, Nelson secured his most famous role, portraying Dr. Michael Rossi on the drama ''Peyton Place'', staying with the series during its entire run from 1964 to 1969. Nelson reprised his role in two TV movies: ''

Murder in Peyton Place ''Murder in Peyton Place'' is a 1977 American made-for-television mystery-drama film directed by Bruce Kessler. The film is based on the 1964–1969 TV series '' Peyton Place'' and it was billed as a reunion movie. It first aired on ''NBC Monday N ...

'' and '' Peyton Place: The Next Generation''. After ''Peyton Place'', Nelson worked in many more productions of all varieties. He teamed with former ''Peyton Place'' co-star

Percy Rodriguez Percy Rodriguez (born Percy Rodrigues; June 13, 1918 – September 6, 2007) was a Canadian actor who appeared in many television shows and films from the 1950s to the 1980s. He was of Afro-Portuguese heritage and was born in the Saint-Henri neig ...

in the television series ''

The Silent Force ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'', which ran for 15 episodes in 1970–1971. He guest-starred with

David Janssen David Janssen (born David Harold Meyer) (March 27, 1931February 13, 1980) was an American film and television actor who is best known for his starring role as Richard Kimble in the television series '' The Fugitive'' (1963–1967). Janssen also ...

in '' The Fugitive'' in 1963, and appeared as a different character later in the series. Subsequently, Nelson had guest-starring roles on many of the popular dramas of the 1970s and 1980s, including ''

Marcus Welby, M.D. Marcus, Markus, Márkus or Mărcuș may refer to: * Marcus (name), a masculine given name * Marcus (praenomen), a Roman personal name Places * Marcus, a main belt asteroid, also known as (369088) Marcus 2008 GG44 * Mărcuş, a village in Dobârl ...

'', ''

Cannon A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...

'', '' O'Hara, U.S. Treasury'', ''

Night Gallery ''Night Gallery'' is an American anthology television series that aired on NBC from December 16, 1970, to May 27, 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, ''The Twilight Zone ...

'', '' Banacek'', ''

Alias Smith and Jones ''Alias Smith and Jones'' is an American Western series that originally aired on ABC from January 1971 to January 1973. The show initially starred Pete Duel as Hannibal Heyes and Ben Murphy as Jedediah "Kid" Curry, outlaw cousins who are tryin ...

'', ''

Mod Squad Mod, MOD or mods may refer to: Places * Modesto City–County Airport, Stanislaus County, California, US Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Mods (band), a Norwegian rock band * M.O.D. (Method of Destruction), a band from New York City, US ...

'', '' Mission: Impossible'', ''

The Streets of San Francisco ''The Streets of San Francisco'' is a television crime drama filmed on location in San Francisco and produced by Quinn Martin, Quinn Martin Productions, with the first season produced in association with Warner Bros. Television (QM produced the ...

'', ''

Kung Fu Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (), are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common ...

'', ''

The F.B.I. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

'' (in 3 different roles), ''

Adam-12 ''Adam-12'' is an American television police procedural crime drama television series created by Robert A. Cinader and Jack Webb. The series follows Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers Pete Malloy and Jim Reed as they patrol the stre ...

'', '' Ironside'', '' Police Woman'', '' Medical Center'' (3 roles), ''

The Bionic Woman ''The Bionic Woman'' is an American science fiction action-adventure television series created by Kenneth Johnson based on the 1972 novel ''Cyborg'' by Martin Caidin, starring Lindsay Wagner that aired from January 14, 1976, to May 13, 1978. ' ...

'', '' Gibbsville'', ''

McMillan and Wife ''McMillan & Wife'' (known simply as ''McMillan'' from 1976–77) is an American police procedural television series that aired on NBC from September 17, 1971, to April 24, 1977. Starring Rock Hudson and Susan Saint James in the title roles, the ...

'', ''

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

'', ''

The Rockford Files ''The Rockford Files'' is an American detective drama television series starring James Garner that aired on the NBC network from September 13, 1974 to January 10, 1980, and remains in syndication. Garner portrays Los Angeles private investigator ...

'' (2 roles), ''

Barnaby Jones ''Barnaby Jones'' is an American detective television series starring Buddy Ebsen as a formerly retired investigator and Lee Meriwether as his widowed daughter-in-law, who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles, California. The show was or ...

'' (2 roles), ''

Charlie's Angels ''Charlie's Angels'' is an American crime drama television series that aired on ABC from September 22, 1976, to June 24, 1981, producing five seasons and 115 episodes. The series was created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts and was produced by Aa ...

'', ''

Lou Grant Lou Grant is a fictional character played by Ed Asner in two television series produced by MTM Enterprises for CBS. The first was ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (1970–1977), a half-hour light-hearted situation comedy in which the character ...

'', ''

Trapper John, M.D. ''Trapper John, M.D.'' is an American medical drama television series and spin-off of the film ''M*A*S*H'' (1970). Pernell Roberts portrayed the title character, a lovable surgeon who became a mentor and father figure in San Francisco, Californ ...

'', ''

Vega$ ''Vegas'' (stylized as ''Vega$'') is an American crime drama television series that aired on ABC from September 20, 1978, to June 3, 1981, with the pilot episode airing April 25, 1978. ''Vegas'' was produced by Aaron Spelling and created by Mic ...

'' (2 roles), ''

CHiPs ''CHiPs'' is an American crime drama television series created by Rick Rosner and originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1977, to May 1, 1983. It follows the lives of two motorcycle officers of the California Highway Patrol (CHP). The serie ...

'', '' Quincy M.E.'', '' Matt Houston'', ''

The Fall Guy ''The Fall Guy'' is an American action/adventure television series produced for ABC and originally broadcast from November 4, 1981, to May 2, 1986. It starred Lee Majors, Douglas Barr, and Heather Thomas as Hollywood stunt performers who moonli ...

'', ''

Dynasty A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A ...

'', ''

Cagney & Lacey ''Cagney & Lacey'' is an American police procedural drama television series that aired on the CBS television network for seven seasons from March 25, 1982, to May 16, 1988. The show is about two New York City police detectives who lead very di ...

'', ''

MacGyver Angus "Mac" MacGyver is the title character and the protagonist in the TV series ''MacGyver''. He is played by Richard Dean Anderson in the 1985 original series. Lucas Till portrays a younger version of MacGyver in the 2016 reboot. In both p ...

'', ''

Jake and the Fatman ''Jake and the Fatman'' is an American crime drama television series starring William Conrad as prosecutor J. L. (Jason Lochinvar) "Fatman" McCabe and Joe Penny as investigator Jake Styles. The series ran on CBS for five seasons from Septemb ...

'' (2 roles), and ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...

'' (5 roles). Laramie Jan 29,1963 as Gil Harrison Nelson appeared in many television movies such as ''Along Came a Spider'' (1970), ''

The Screaming Woman ''The Screaming Woman'' is a 1972 American made-for-television horror-thriller film starring Olivia de Havilland and directed by Jack Smight. It is loosely based on a short story by Ray Bradbury (which in turn was based on his 1948 radio play for ...

'' (1972), '' Runaway!'' (1973), '' Houston, We've Got a Problem'' (1974), ''The Missing Are Deadly'' (1975), '' Superdome'' (1978), ''

Doctors' Private Lives ''Doctors' Private Lives'' is a 1978 American made-for-television drama film starring John Gavin, Donna Mills, Ed Nelson, Barbara Anderson and directed by Steven Stern. It was broadcast on ABC on March 20, 1978. It was a pilot for a short-lived ...

'' (1978) and ''

Crash Crash or CRASH may refer to: Common meanings * Collision, an impact between two or more objects * Crash (computing), a condition where a program ceases to respond * Cardiac arrest, a medical condition in which the heart stops beating * Couch su ...

'' (1978), and served as host on the morning talk show ''The Ed Nelson Show'', which he hosted for three years. During the 1980s, Nelson took on the role of patriarchal Senator Mark Denning in the daytime serial ''

Capitol A capitol, named after the Capitoline Hill in Rome, is usually a legislative building where a legislature meets and makes laws for its respective political entity. Specific capitols include: * United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. * Numerous ...

''. In late 1986, Nelson was upset to discover that the show's writers had turned his character into a traitor, and quit the show in disgust, last airing in early January 1987, two months before the show's cancellation. He also continued appearing in theatrical films, such as ''

Airport 1975 ''Airport 1975'' (also known as ''Airport '75'') is a 1974 American air disaster film and the first sequel to the successful 1970 film ''Airport''. It was directed by Jack Smight, produced by William Frye, executive produced by Jennings Lang, a ...

'' (1974), '' That's the Way of the World'' (1975), ''

Acapulco Gold Acapulco Gold is a strain of ''Cannabis sativa'' that was popular during the 1960s counterculture movement for its potency and unique color. History First recorded in the United States in 1964, Acapulco Gold was defined by the ''Oxford English ...

'' (1976), '' Midway'' (1976), ''

For the Love of Benji ''For the Love of Benji'' is a 1977 family film, directed and written by Joe Camp. It is the sequel to the original film, featuring Benji, and the second film in the Benji series, released on June 10, 1977. It is the first Benji film to star B ...

'' (1977), '' Police Academy 3: Back in Training'' (1986), '' Brenda Starr'' (1989), ''

The Boneyard ''The Boneyard'' is a 1991 American direct-to-video horror film directed by James Cummins and starring Ed Nelson, Deborah Rose, Norman Fell, James Eustermann, and Phyllis Diller. Plot The film plunges into the nightmarish experiences of a de ...

'' (1991), '' Who Am I?'' (1998) and ''

Runaway Jury ''Runaway Jury'' is a 2003 American legal thriller film directed by Gary Fleder and starring John Cusack, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, and Rachel Weisz. An adaptation of John Grisham's 1996 novel ''The Runaway Jury'', the film pits lawyer We ...

'' (2003). He spent several years playing U.S. President

Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...

on stage, replacing

James Whitmore James Allen Whitmore Jr. (October 1, 1921 – February 6, 2009) was an American actor. He received numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Theatre World Award, and a Tony Award, plus two Aca ...

for the National Tour of ''Give 'Em Hell, Harry''.

Personal life

While living in Los Angeles, Nelson was an active member of the

Screen Actors Guild The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) was an American labor union which represented over 100,000 film and television principal and background performers worldwide. On March 30, 2012, the union leadership announced that the SAG membership voted to m ...

and was elected to the union board for many years. Nelson was a long-standing member of the

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motio ...

. In the early 1970s, he ran for city council and mayor of San Dimas, California until a

Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdiction ...

ruling stated that his political opponents must be given equal time if he appeared in television programs.

Later years

In 1999, Nelson returned to Tulane University to finish credits toward his undergraduate degree, which he completed the following year at age 71. He and his wife, Patsy, enjoyed semi-retirement visiting their six children and 14 grandchildren. One of his children is actor Christopher S. Nelson. Until 2005, he had been teaching acting and screenwriting in New Orleans at two local universities.

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...

prompted him to move his family far to the north to Sterlington, Louisiana. At the time of his death, however, he had moved to Greensboro, North Carolina, where he had been in hospice care. He died at age 85.

Death

Nelson died on August 9, 2014, in Greensboro, North Carolina from congestive heart failure. He was 85 years old.

Selected filmography

*''

The Steel Trap ''The Steel Trap'' is a 1952 American film noir written and directed by Andrew L. Stone and starring Joseph Cotten, Teresa Wright and Jonathan Hale. Plot With a million dollars cash in the vault, Jim Osborne (Joseph Cotten), a long term bank em ...

'' (1952) as Man in Ticket Line at Airport *''

New Orleans Uncensored ''New Orleans Uncensored'' is a 1955 American film noir crime film directed by William Castle and starring Arthur Franz and Beverly Garland. Plot The Port of New Orleans, docks of New Orleans, Louisiana are controlled by Zero Saxon, a notorious r ...

'' (1955) as Charlie *''

'' (1956) as Police Sergeant *''

'' (1957) as Ensign Quinlan *''

'' (1957) as Pete *''

Invasion of the Saucer Men ''Invasion of the Saucer Men'' (U.K. title: ''Invasion of the Hell Creatures''; working title: ''Spacemen Saturday Night''), is a 1957 black-and-white comic science fiction/horror film produced by James H. Nicholson for release by American Int ...

'' (1957) as Tom *'' Bayou'' (1957) as Etienne *''

Hell on Devil's Island ''Hell on Devil's Island'' is a 1957 American adventure film directed by Christian Nyby and written by Steven Ritch. The film stars Helmut Dantine, William Talman, Donna Martell, Jean Willes, Rex Ingram and Robert Cornthwaite. The film was re ...

'' (1957) as Guard No. 2 *''

Teenage Doll ''Teenage Doll'' is a 1957 film noir directed by Roger Corman, starring June Kenney and John Brinkley. It was financed by Lawrence Woolner, who had previously made ''Swamp Women'' with Corman. One writer called it Corman's "most impressive teen f ...

'' (1957) as Police Officer 'Dutch' / Blind Man *'' Carnival Rock'' (1957) as Cannon *''

Highway Patrol A highway patrol, or state patrol is either a police unit created primarily for the purpose of overseeing and enforcing traffic safety compliance on roads and highways, or a detail within an existing local or regional police agency that is prima ...

'' (1957) as Monty in "Wounded" *''

Street of Darkness ''Street of Darkness'' is a 1958 American adventure drama directed by Robert G. Walker and starring Robert Keys. It premiered on June 11, 1958. Premise Former colleagues Brett, Matt and Jesse reunite in New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,

'' (1958) as Slavo *'' Teenage Caveman'' (1958) as Blond Tribe Member *''

She Gods of Shark Reef ''She Gods of Shark Reef'' is a 1958 B- adventure film directed by Roger Corman that was partially filmed on location in Kaua'i back to back with '' Thunder over Hawaii'' in 1956. The film was distributed in 1958 by American International Picture ...

'' (1958) as Guard *''

'' (filmed in 1958, released in 1961) as Nick Richards / Pete Jensen *''

'' (1958) as Dave Randall *''

'' (1958) as Rick Connor *''

Hot Car Girl ''Hot Car Girl'' is a 1958 American film directed by Bernard L. Kowalski. Seeing ''Hot Car Girl'' in a four-walled playoff in 1958 gave the audience the sense that they were witnessing something clandestine and taboo. It was an early credit for ...

'' (1958) as Second Cop at Soda Bar *''

'' (1958) as Dr. Paul Kettering *''

I Mobster ''I Mobster'' (originally released in the UK as ''The Mobster'') is a 1958 film noir crime-drama film directed by Roger Corman. The film features a cameo of famous burlesque star Lili St. Cyr. Plot Joe Sante is a small time crook, who works as ...

'' (1959) as Sid - Henchman *'' The Young Captives'' (1959) as Norm Britt *''

T-Bird Gang ''T-Bird Gang'' is a 1959 American film directed by Richard Harbinger in his first and final film. It was co-written by and starring John Brinkley and Tony Miller with Edwin Nelson; all of them had appeared in several of Roger Corman's films. Pl ...

'' (1959) as Alex Hendricks *''

'' (1959) as Art Lacroix *''

'' (1960) as Dino Michaelis *''

Code of Silence A code of silence is a condition in effect when a person opts to withhold what is believed to be vital or important information voluntarily or involuntarily. The code of silence is usually followed because of threat of force or danger to onesel ...

'' (1960) as Paul Lane *''

Elmer Gantry ''Elmer Gantry'' is a satirical novel written by Sinclair Lewis in 1926 that presents aspects of the religious activity of America in fundamentalist and evangelistic circles and the attitudes of the 1920s public toward it. The novel's protagonis ...

'' (1960) as Man on Phone at Sister Sharon Headquarters *''

'' (1960) as Stacey Beldon *''The Rifleman'' (1960) as Ben Travis *''The Rifleman'' (1961) as Ben Vargas *''

'' (1961) as Perce McCall *''

'' (1961) as Outlaw Browder *''

'' (1961) as Ward Nichols *''

Judgment at Nuremberg ''Judgment at Nuremberg'' is a 1961 American epic courtroom drama film directed and produced by Stanley Kramer, written by Abby Mann and starring Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Maximilian Schell, Werner Klemperer, Marlene Dietr ...

'' (1961) as Captain at Nightclub Announcing Call-up of Officers *''

Death Valley Days ''Death Valley Days'' is an American old-time radio and television anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program ...

'' (1962 episode "Fort Bowie:Urgent") as Frank Girard *''

'' (TV series, 1962) Episode: "The Miracle Maker" as Garth *''

'' (1963) as MP Sgt. James Priest *''The Man from Galveston'' (1963) as Cole Marteen *''Perry Mason'' (1964) as Dirk Blake *''Along Came a Spider'' (1970) as Dr. Martin Becker *''

'' (1972) as Carl Nesbitt *''Time to Run'' (1973) as Warren Cole *''

'' (1974) as Major John Alexander *'' That's the Way of the World'' (1975) as Carlton James *''

'' (1976) as Ray Hollister *'' Midway'' (1976) as Admiral Harry Pearson *''

'' (1977) as Chandler Dietrich *'' Police Academy 3: Back in Training'' (1986) as Governor Neilson *'' Brenda Starr'' (1989) as President Harry S. Truman *'' Deadly Weapon'' (1989) as General Stone *''

'' (1991) as Jersey Callum *''Cries of Silence'' (1996) as Dr. August Claiborne *'' Who Am I?'' (1998) as General Sherman *''Tony Bravo in Scenes from a Forgotten Cinema'' (2000) as Ghost of Mary's Dad *''

'' (2003) as George Dressler

Selected Television

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nelson, Ed 1928 births 2014 deaths United States Navy sailors American male soap opera actors American male television actors American male film actors People from Greensboro, North Carolina People from Monroe, Louisiana Male actors from New Orleans Tulane University alumni People from San Dimas, California Western (genre) television actors