Gary Nelson

Directing

Gary Nelson

Born October 6, 1934 · Los Angeles, California, USA

Died May 25, 2022 · aged 87

An American television and film director. He has directed many well-know television series, including Gunsmoke, The Patty Duke Show, Gilligan's Island and Happy Days among dozens of others. In addition, Nelson has directed five films, including two for Walt Disney Pictures. In 1978, Nelson was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Directoral Achievement for Washington: Behind Closed Doors. He was …

Known For

Medical StoryMedical Story · 1975
Medical Story
7.01975
MovieDrama
A young intern goes up against three older surgeons as to whether or not a young actress should get a hysterectomy.
ShooterShooter · 1988
Shooter
6.21988
MovieActionDrama
"Shooter" (a.k.a., Matt Thompson, a.k.a., Gruwald) is a photographer in 1967 Saigon, Vietnam. Working out of a news agency for a major magazine, Thompson gets involved in the lives of the soldiers he meets and "shoots." There's Ngoc, the Vietnamese photo lab tech; Klause, a German photographer swiping Buddhas; Rene, a French photographer who carries an AK-47; Stork, Matt's superstitious roommate who is also a photographer; Rizzo, the irascible editor; Lan, an American-educated Vietnamese reporter; and Tracey, an embassy worker who is Matt's former flame.
The Black HoleThe Black Hole · 1979
The Black Hole
5.81979
MovieAdventureScience Fiction
The explorer craft USS Palomino is returning to Earth after a fruitless 18-month search for extra-terrestrial life when the crew comes upon a supposedly lost ship, the USS Cygnus, hovering near a black hole. The ship is controlled by Dr. Hans Reinhardt and his monstrous robot companion, but the initial wonderment and awe the Palomino crew feel for the ship and its resistance to the power of the black hole turn to horror as they uncover Reinhardt's plans.
Gunfight at the O.K. CorralGunfight at the O.K. Corral · 1957
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
7.01957
MovieWestern
Lawman Wyatt Earp and outlaw Doc Holliday form an unlikely alliance which culminates in their participation in the legendary Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.
Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of GoldAllan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold · 1986
Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold
4.81986
MovieAdventureAction
After his brother Robeson disappears without a trace while exploring Africa in search of a legendary 'white tribe', Allan Quatermain decides to follow in his footsteps to learn what became of him. Soon after arriving, he discovers the Lost City of Gold, controlled by the evil lord Agon, and mined by his legions of white slaves.
Murder in Three ActsMurder in Three Acts · 1986
Murder in Three Acts
5.91986
MovieCrimeDrama
In Acapulco, Hercule Poirot attends a dinner party in which one of the guests clutches his throat and suddenly dies. The causes seem to be natural until another party with most of the same guests produces another corpse.
Melanie DarrowMelanie Darrow · 1997
Melanie Darrow
9.01997
MovieActionCrime
A flamboyant female defense attorney takes on a seemingly airtight case, defending an apparently gold-digging husband against the charge of murdering his older, wealthy wife.
Freaky FridayFreaky Friday · 1976
Freaky Friday
6.11976
MovieFantasyComedy
School girl Annabel is hassled by her mother, and Mrs. Andrews is annoyed with her daughter, Annabel. They both think that the other has an easy life. On a normal Friday morning, both complain about each other and wish they could have the easy life of their daughter/mother for just one day and their wishes come true as a bit of magic puts Annabel in Mrs. Andrews' body and vice versa. They both have a Freaky Friday.

Movies

Medical StoryMedical Story · 1975
Medical Story
7.01975
MovieDrama
A young intern goes up against three older surgeons as to whether or not a young actress should get a hysterectomy.
ShooterShooter · 1988
Shooter
6.21988
MovieActionDrama
"Shooter" (a.k.a., Matt Thompson, a.k.a., Gruwald) is a photographer in 1967 Saigon, Vietnam. Working out of a news agency for a major magazine, Thompson gets involved in the lives of the soldiers he meets and "shoots." There's Ngoc, the Vietnamese photo lab tech; Klause, a German photographer swiping Buddhas; Rene, a French photographer who carries an AK-47; Stork, Matt's superstitious roommate who is also a photographer; Rizzo, the irascible editor; Lan, an American-educated Vietnamese reporter; and Tracey, an embassy worker who is Matt's former flame.
The Black HoleThe Black Hole · 1979
The Black Hole
5.81979
MovieAdventureScience Fiction
The explorer craft USS Palomino is returning to Earth after a fruitless 18-month search for extra-terrestrial life when the crew comes upon a supposedly lost ship, the USS Cygnus, hovering near a black hole. The ship is controlled by Dr. Hans Reinhardt and his monstrous robot companion, but the initial wonderment and awe the Palomino crew feel for the ship and its resistance to the power of the black hole turn to horror as they uncover Reinhardt's plans.
Gunfight at the O.K. CorralGunfight at the O.K. Corral · 1957
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
7.01957
MovieWestern
Lawman Wyatt Earp and outlaw Doc Holliday form an unlikely alliance which culminates in their participation in the legendary Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.
Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of GoldAllan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold · 1986
Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold
4.81986
MovieAdventureAction
After his brother Robeson disappears without a trace while exploring Africa in search of a legendary 'white tribe', Allan Quatermain decides to follow in his footsteps to learn what became of him. Soon after arriving, he discovers the Lost City of Gold, controlled by the evil lord Agon, and mined by his legions of white slaves.
Murder in Three ActsMurder in Three Acts · 1986
Murder in Three Acts
5.91986
MovieCrimeDrama
In Acapulco, Hercule Poirot attends a dinner party in which one of the guests clutches his throat and suddenly dies. The causes seem to be natural until another party with most of the same guests produces another corpse.
Melanie DarrowMelanie Darrow · 1997
Melanie Darrow
9.01997
MovieActionCrime
A flamboyant female defense attorney takes on a seemingly airtight case, defending an apparently gold-digging husband against the charge of murdering his older, wealthy wife.
Freaky FridayFreaky Friday · 1976
Freaky Friday
6.11976
MovieFantasyComedy
School girl Annabel is hassled by her mother, and Mrs. Andrews is annoyed with her daughter, Annabel. They both think that the other has an easy life. On a normal Friday morning, both complain about each other and wish they could have the easy life of their daughter/mother for just one day and their wishes come true as a bit of magic puts Annabel in Mrs. Andrews' body and vice versa. They both have a Freaky Friday.
Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon FilmsElectric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films · 2014
Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films
7.22014
MovieDocumentary
A documentary about the rise and fall of the Cannon Film Group, the legendary independent film company helmed by Israeli cousins Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus.
The Sands of TimeThe Sands of Time · 1992
The Sands of Time
10.01992
MovieDramaWar
Three nuns are caught up in the midst of Spanish Civil War in the 1930s.
Murder Me, Murder YouMurder Me, Murder You · 1983
Murder Me, Murder You
7.31983
MovieCrimeMystery
Private eye Mike Hammer probes his long-lost love's death while seeking their daughter.
Get Smart, Again!Get Smart, Again! · 1989
Get Smart, Again!
5.31989
MovieActionComedy
KAOS has invented a weather machine so Maxwell Smart and Agent 99 are called back into action to foil this evil plan.
For Love and HonorFor Love and Honor · 1983
For Love and Honor
9.71983
MovieDramaTV Movie
A military drama set on a Texas base focuses on the ups and downs of young paratroopers, who, while they're gearing up for possible combat assignments, often find themselves entangled in love affairs.
The Pride of Jesse HallamThe Pride of Jesse Hallam · 1981
The Pride of Jesse Hallam
5.41981
MovieDramaFamily
Jesse Hallum sells the family farm to see that his daughter receives the medical care she needs at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital. The big city challenges him, though, especially when his illiteracy is exposed.
To Kill a CopTo Kill a Cop · 1978
To Kill a Cop
1978
MovieCrimeDrama
Earl Eischied is a man with his hands full. As the Chief of Detectives in New York City he is trying to break up a group of black militants that are on a crime spree including the killing of a police officer. He is also trying to battle with a mayor and police commissioner that want him out of his job.
More Than MurderMore Than Murder · 1984
More Than Murder
4.91984
MovieTV MovieCrime
Private eye Mike Hammer tries to clear his friend, Captain Chambers, who has been framed for cocaine possession.
Molly and Lawless JohnMolly and Lawless John · 1972
Molly and Lawless John
3.51972
MovieWestern
Molly, the shy, romance-starved wife of an arrogant frontier sheriff, finds herself drawn to a prisoner in her husband's jail. This prisoner, a handsome young man named Johnny, plays on Molly's sympathy and convinces her to help him escape. Molly then accompanies Johnny on his cross-country flight but soon learns he's simply been using her. Molly makes the best of the situation, however, and by the time the sheriff's posse catches up with them, Molly shows that she's learned how to assert herself.
Ray Alexander: A Taste For JusticeRay Alexander: A Taste For Justice · 1994
Ray Alexander: A Taste For Justice
10.01994
MovieMysteryTV Movie
Ray investigates the murder of a psychiatrist.
Murder in Coweta CountyMurder in Coweta County · 1983
Murder in Coweta County
7.01983
MovieDramaTV Movie
Wallace a wealthy landowner in Meriwether County, Georgia, has virtually unlimited power in the county, including having the sheriff under his control. When he murders a share cropper he thinks that he is powerful enough to get away with it. Because the act of murder took place in Coweta County, it is under the jurisdiction of the Coweta County sheriff who hunts the murderer without trepidation.
Fast CompanyFast Company · 1995
Fast Company
10.01995
MovieComedyMystery
A homicide detective is assigned to solve a murder case. The trouble is that his wife, a reporter, has been assigned by her employer to cover the same case. Complications ensue.
Jimmy the KidJimmy the Kid · 1982
Jimmy the Kid
5.01982
MovieComedy
Gang of bumbling crooks kidnap a bratty little kid, find out they got more than they bargained for.
The Return of IronsideThe Return of Ironside · 1993
The Return of Ironside
5.11993
MovieTV Movie
After forty years of good and faithful services, Robert T. Ironside, reprocessed police force of San Francisco, is finally on the point of tasting with the joys of a rest deserved well with Katherine, his wife, in their vineyard recently bought. However, a few days after his official departure, he is contacted by persons in charge for the police force of Denver, which offers the post of general manager temporarily to him their services, following the assassination for preceding occupying of the station in question. Initially reticent, Ironside ends up yielding and, with the agreement of his wife, agrees to take up the challenge, the more so as he has pleasure to find Susan, the girl of the one of her former assistants.
The Baron and the KidThe Baron and the Kid · 1984
The Baron and the Kid
8.01984
MovieDramaTV Movie
Johnny Cash heads the cast in this sentimental drama, which follows a famed pool hustler (Cash) whose reunion with his long-lost son (Greg Webb) sets the stage for a series of adventures as they join forces to open a pool hall. Based on a hit song written by Cash, the film also stars Richard Roundtree, Tracy Pollan, June Carter Cash and Darren McGavin. The Cash family patriarch performs on the soundtrack.
Ray Alexander: A Menu for MurderRay Alexander: A Menu for Murder · 1995
Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder
7.01995
MovieMysteryTV Movie
Ray investigates the murder of a judge.

TV Shows

The Andy Griffith ShowThe Andy Griffith Show · 1960
The Andy Griffith Show
7.61960
SeriesComedyFamily
The Andy Griffith Show is an American sitcom first televised on CBS between October 3, 1960 and April 1, 1968. Andy Griffith portrays the widowed sheriff of the fictional small community of Mayberry, North Carolina. His life is complicated by an inept, but well-meaning deputy, Barney Fife, a spinster aunt and housekeeper, Aunt Bee, and a precocious young son, Opie. Local ne'er-do-wells, bumbling pals, and temperamental girlfriends further complicate his life. Andy Griffith stated in a Today Show interview, with respect to the time period of the show: "Well, though we never said it, and though it was shot in the '60s, it had a feeling of the '30s. It was when we were doing it, of a time gone by." The series never placed lower than seventh in the Nielsen ratings and ended its final season at number one. It has been ranked by TV Guide as the 9th-best show in American television history. Though neither Griffith nor the show won awards during its eight-season run, series co-stars Knotts and Bavier accumulated a combined total of six Emmy Awards. The show, a semi-spin-off from an episode of The Danny Thomas Show titled "Danny Meets Andy Griffith", spawned its own spin-off series, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., a sequel series, Mayberry R.F.D., and a reunion telemovie, Return to Mayberry. The show's enduring popularity has generated a good deal of show-related merchandise. Reruns currently air on TV Land, and the complete series is available on DVD. All eight seasons are also now available by streaming video services such as Netflix.
Love, American StyleLove, American Style · 1969
Love, American Style
6.21969
SeriesComedy
An anthology comedy series featuring a line up of different celebrity guest stars appearing in anywhere from one, two, three, and four short stories or vignettes within an hour about versions of love and romance.
Get SmartGet Smart · 1965
Get Smart
7.91965
SeriesComedySci-Fi & Fantasy
Get Smart is an American comedy television series that satirizes the secret agent genre. Created by Mel Brooks with Buck Henry, the show stars Don Adams, Barbara Feldon, and Edward Platt. Henry said they created the show by request of Daniel Melnick, who was a partner, along with Leonard Stern and David Susskind, of the show's production company, Talent Associates, to capitalize on "the two biggest things in the entertainment world today"—James Bond and Inspector Clouseau. Brooks said: "It's an insane combination of James Bond and Mel Brooks comedy." This is the only Mel Brooks production to feature a laugh track. The success of the show eventually spawned the follow-up films The Nude Bomb and Get Smart, Again!, as well as a 1995 revival series and a 2008 film remake. In 2010, TV Guide ranked Get Smart's opening title sequence at No. 2 on its list of TV's Top 10 Credits Sequences, as selected by readers.
Have Gun, Will TravelHave Gun, Will Travel · 1957
Have Gun, Will Travel
7.31957
SeriesWestern
Have Gun – Will Travel is an American Western television series that aired on CBS from 1957 through 1963. It was rated number three or number four in the Nielsen ratings every year of its first four seasons. It was one of the few television shows to spawn a successful radio version. The radio series debuted November 23, 1958. The television show is presently shown on the Encore-Western channel. Have Gun – Will Travel was created by Sam Rolfe and Herb Meadow and produced by Frank Pierson, Don Ingalls, Robert Sparks, and Julian Claman. There were 225 episodes of the TV series, 24 written by Gene Roddenberry. Other contributors included Bruce Geller, Harry Julian Fink, Don Brinkley and Irving Wallace. Andrew McLaglen directed 101 episodes and 19 were directed by series star Richard Boone.
KojakKojak · 1973
Kojak
7.21973
SeriesCrime
A bald, lollipop sucking police detective with a fiery righteous attitude battles crime in New York City.
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. · 1964
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
7.11964
SeriesComedyFamily
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. is an American situation comedy that originally aired on CBS from September 25, 1964, to May 2, 1969. The series was a spinoff of The Andy Griffith Show, and the pilot was aired as the finale of the fourth season of The Andy Griffith Show on May 18, 1964. The show ran for five seasons and a total of 150 episodes. In 2006, CBS Home Entertainment began releasing the series on DVD. The final season was released in November 2008. The series was created by Aaron Ruben, who also produced the show with Sheldon Leonard and Ronald Jacobs. Filmed and set in California, it stars Jim Nabors as Gomer Pyle, a naive but good-natured gas-station attendant from the town of Mayberry, North Carolina, who enlists in the United States Marine Corps. Frank Sutton plays Gomer's high-octane, short-fused Gunnery Sergeant Vince Carter, and Ronnie Schell plays Gomer's friend Gilbert "Duke" Slater. Allan Melvin played in the recurring role of Gunnery Sergeant Carter's rival, Sergeant Charley Hacker. The series never discussed nor addressed the then-current Vietnam War, instead focusing on the relationship between Gomer and Sergeant Carter. The show retained high ratings throughout its run.
Early EditionEarly Edition · 1996
Early Edition
7.41996
SeriesSci-Fi & FantasyDrama
Gary Hobson thinks he may even be losing his mind when tomorrow's newspaper mysteriously arrives today giving him a disconcerting look into the future. What will he do with tomorrow's news?
GunsmokeGunsmoke · 1955
Gunsmoke
6.71955
SeriesWestern
Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West. The central character is lawman Marshal Matt Dillon, played by William Conrad on radio and James Arness on television.
McMillan & WifeMcMillan & Wife · 1971
McMillan & Wife
7.01971
SeriesCrimeDrama
McMillan & Wife is a lighthearted American police procedural that aired on NBC from September 17, 1971 to April 24, 1977. Starring Rock Hudson and Susan Saint James in the title roles, the series premiered in 90-minute episodes as part of the wheel series NBC Mystery Movie, in rotation with Columbo and McCloud. Initially airing on Wednesday night, the original line-up was shifted to Sundays in the second season, where it aired for the rest of its run. This was the first element to be created specially for the Mystery Movie strand.
Room 222Room 222 · 1969
Room 222
6.11969
SeriesComedyDrama
Gilligan's IslandGilligan's Island · 1964
Gilligan's Island
7.41964
SeriesComedyFamily
The slapstick adventures of hapless Gilligan, long-suffering Skipper and their gang of mismatched castaways, all stranded on an uncharted desert isle after their tiny ship hit stormy weather.
Police StoryPolice Story · 1973
Police Story
7.01973
SeriesCrime
Detective Cheng is commissioned by Interpol to destroy the Empire of Chaiba, a worldwide criminal organization based in Southeast Asia. He initiates an undercover operation to infiltrate the organization.
Houston KnightsHouston Knights · 1987
Houston Knights
5.51987
SeriesDramaCrime
Houston Knights is an American crime drama set in Houston, Texas. The show ran on CBS from 1987 to 1988 and had 31 episodes. The core of the show was the partnership between two very different cops from two different cultures. Chicago cop Joey LaFiamma, played by Michael Paré, is transferred to Houston after he kills a mobster from a powerful Mafia family and a contract is put out on him. Once there, he is partnered with Levon Lundy, played by Michael Beck, the grandson of a Texas Ranger. Although as different as night and day, and after a rocky beginning they form a successful partnership and become friends. This is aided to a certain extent by an event where a hitman from Chicago who holds the contract to shoot La Fiamma arrives in Houston and is ultimately killed by Lundy. During the series, it is revealed that both La Fiamma and Lundy have their own personal demons; La Fiamma's Chicago police partner had been killed when he went ahead while La Fiamma had waited for backup to arrive. Lundy's wife had been killed by an explosion that was intended to kill him.
The Patty Duke ShowThe Patty Duke Show · 1963
The Patty Duke Show
6.31963
SeriesComedy
The Patty Duke Show is an American sitcom which ran on ABC from September 18, 1963 to April 27, 1966, with reruns airing through August 31, 1966. The show was created as a vehicle for rising star Patty Duke. A total of 104 episodes were produced, most written by Sidney Sheldon.
The Doris Day ShowThe Doris Day Show · 1968
The Doris Day Show
6.21968
SeriesComedyWestern
The Doris Day Show is an American sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS network from September 1968 until March 1973, remaining on the air for five seasons and 128 episodes. In addition to showcasing Doris Day, the show is remembered for its many abrupt format changes over the course of its five-year run. It is also remembered for Day's statement, in her autobiography Doris Day: Her Own Story, that her husband Martin Melcher had signed her to do the TV series without her knowledge, a fact she only discovered when Melcher died of heart disease on April 20, 1968. The TV show premiered on Tuesday, September 24, 1968.
Crazy like a FoxCrazy like a Fox · 1984
Crazy like a Fox
7.21984
SeriesComedyDrama
Crazy Like a Fox is an American television series set in San Francisco, California, that aired on CBS from December 30, 1984 to May 3, 1986.
ArnieArnie · 1970
Arnie
5.31970
SeriesComedy
Arnie is a television sitcom that ran for two seasons on the CBS network. It stars Herschel Bernardi, Sue Ane Langdon, and Roger Bowen. Bernardi played the title character, Arnie Nuvo, a longtime blue collar employee at the fictitious Continental Flange Company, who overnight was promoted to an executive position. The storylines mainly focused on this fish out of water situation, and on Arnie's sometimes-problematic relationship with his well-meaning but wealthy and eccentric boss, Hamilton Majors Jr.. Because he still held his union card, Arnie could negotiate tricky management/labor situations that no one else could. Arnie's surname was presumably a pun on nouveau riche, and possibly also on Art Nouveau. In addition to Bernardi, Bowen, and Langdon, cast members included Del Russel and Stephanie Steele as Arnie's son and daughter, Richard and Andrea; Elaine Shore as Arnie's secretary, Felicia; and Herb Voland as sour-tempered executive Neil Ogilvie. In its first season, despite being the lead-in to The Mary Tyler Moore Show on Saturday nights and winning an Emmy nomination as best comedy series, Arnie received only fair Nielsen ratings. For its second season, in order to increase its viewership, CBS made a major cast change in the show's format. Charles Nelson Reilly joined the cast as Randy Robinson, a TV chef who called himself "The Giddyap Gourmet," apparently a reference to The Galloping Gourmet.
F TroopF Troop · 1965
F Troop
6.31965
SeriesComedyWestern
F Troop is a satirical American television sitcom that originally aired for two seasons on ABC-TV. It debuted in the United States on September 14, 1965 and concluded its run on April 6, 1967 with a total of 65 episodes. The first season of 34 episodes was filmed in black-and-white, but the show switched to color for its second season.
The Courtship of Eddie's FatherThe Courtship of Eddie's Father · 1969
The Courtship of Eddie's Father
6.21969
SeriesComedyFamily
The Courtship of Eddie's Father is an American television sitcom based on the 1963 movie of the same name, which was based on the book written by Mark Toby. It tells the story of a widower, Tom Corbett, who is a magazine publisher, and his son, Eddie, who believes his father should marry, and manipulates situations surrounding the women his father is interested in. ABC had acquired the rights to the story; the series debuted on September 17, 1969, and was last broadcast on March 1, 1972. Bixby received an Emmy nomination for the show.
Nanny and the ProfessorNanny and the Professor · 1970
Nanny and the Professor
6.71970
SeriesSci-Fi & FantasyComedy
Nanny and the Professor is an American fantasy situation comedy created by AJ Carothers and Thomas L. Miller for 20th Century Fox Television. During pre-production, the proposed title was Nanny Will Do.
Captain NiceCaptain Nice · 1967
Captain Nice
6.31967
SeriesSci-Fi & FantasyComedy
Carter Nash was a chemist in a police department who discovered a liquid which could turn him into Captain Nice, an odd sort of superhero: very shy and dominated by his mother. Captain Nice flew (he feared heights) in his tattered leotards, fighting bad guys because his mother told him to do so.
The Ghost & Mrs. MuirThe Ghost & Mrs. Muir · 1968
The Ghost & Mrs. Muir
6.61968
SeriesSci-Fi & FantasyComedy
Derived from the 1947 movie with the same name, a house is haunted by a deceased sea captain who wreaks havoc with the new tenants who were not advised of his existence.
Accidental FamilyAccidental Family · 1967
Accidental Family
6.51967
SeriesComedy
Accidental Family is an American sitcom broadcast on NBC during the first part of the 1967-68 U.S. television season.
The Brian Keith ShowThe Brian Keith Show · 1972
The Brian Keith Show
6.31972
SeriesComedy
The Brian Keith Show is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 1972 to March 1974. The series stars Brian Keith and Shelley Fabares.