Nicholas Webster (July 24, 1912 – August 12, 2006) was an American film and television director.

Television works

He is chiefly remembered for his

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

program ''The Violent World of

Sam Huff Robert Lee "Sam" Huff (October 4, 1934 – November 13, 2021) was an American professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins. He played college footba ...

'' (1960; featuring the first use of a wireless microphone on television); the ABC ''Close Up'' documentary ''Walk in My Shoes'' (1961), nominated for an

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

as the best television program of the year, it was the first time the story of

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

s was told in their own words on television; ''Purlie Victorious'' (1963; also known as ''

Gone Are the Days! ''Gone Are the Days!'' or ''Purlie Victorious'' is a 1963 American black and white film starring Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee and Godfrey Cambridge. It is based on the 1961 Broadway play ''Purlie Victorious'', which was written by Davis. Davis, Dee, Camb ...

''), the film version of

Ossie Davis Raiford Chatman "Ossie" Davis (December 18, 1917 – February 4, 2005) was an American actor, director, writer, and activist. He was married to Ruby Dee, with whom he frequently performed, until his death. He and his wife were named to the NAACP ...

' acclaimed stage play starring Davis,

Ruby Dee Ruby Dee (October 27, 1922 – June 11, 2014) was an American actress, poet, playwright, screenwriter, journalist, and civil rights activist. She originated the role of "Ruth Younger" in the stage and film versions of '' A Raisin in the Sun'' (1 ...

, and

Alan Alda Alan Alda (; born Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo; January 28, 1936) is an American actor, screenwriter, and director. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner, he is best known for playing Captain Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce in the war come ...

in his first film role) and the ABC special ''Ridin' the Rails: The Great American Train Story'' (1974), which featured

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his c ...

(the program was re-released by Wea Corp. in 2005).

''Santa Conquers the Martians''

His well-known work is the sole feature film ''

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians ''Santa Claus Conquers the Martians'' is a 1964 American science fiction comedy film directed by Nicholas Webster, produced and written by Paul L. Jacobson, based on a story by Glenville Mareth, that stars John Call as Santa Claus. It also feat ...

'' (1964), a children's favorite for more than 40 years and noteworthy to trivia buffs as

Pia Zadora Pia Zadora (born Pia Alfreda Schipani, May 4, 1954) is an American actress and singer. After working as a child actress on Broadway, in regional theater, and in the film ''Santa Claus Conquers the Martians'' (1964), she came to national attention ...

's first film. It was originally reviewed as "a children's film adults won't mind sitting through", though it was later listed by the Medved brothers as one of the 50 worst films of all time and mocked by the sci-fi TV series ''

Mystery Science Theater 3000 ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'' (abbreviated as ''MST3K'') is an American science fiction comedy film review television series created by Joel Hodgson. The show premiered on WUCW, KTMA-TV (now WUCW) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on November 24, 1 ...

'', thus ensuring its ongoing cult status).

Accolades

*1972: Technical

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

nomination for ''The Plot to Murder Hitler: The Last Days of John D''Television Academy
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References

External links

*
''Ridin' the Rails'' on DVD
{{DEFAULTSORT:Webster, Nicholas 1912 births 2006 deaths American film directors American television directors