Skip to content
MovieCove
Gene Nelson

Gene Nelson

Actor and director, also producer and writer · Died September 16, 1996, aged 76 · Astoria, Oregon, USA

Gene Nelson was an American dancer, actor, screenwriter, and director. Born Leander Eugene Berg in Astoria, Oregon, his family moved to Seattle when he was a year old. He was inspired to become a dancer by watching Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers when he was a child. After serving in the Army during World War II during which he also performed in the musical This Is the Army, Nelson landed his first Broadway role in Lend an Ear, for which he received the Theatre World Award. He also appeared onstage in Follies, which garnered him a Tony Award nomination, and Good News. Nelson's longtime professional dance partner during the 1950s was actress JoAnn Dean Killingsworth. Gene Nelson co-starred with Doris Day in "Lullaby of Broadway" in 1951. He played Will Parker in the film Oklahoma! In 1959, he appeared in Northwest Passage as a young man trying to prove his innocence in a murder case. Nelson appeared on the March 17, 1960 episode of "You Bet Your Life", hosted by Groucho Marx. He and Groucho's daughter, Melinda, performed a dance number together. Nelson directed eight episodes of The Rifleman in the 1961-62 season, the original Star Trek, the first season of I Dream of Jeannie, Gunsmoke, The Silent Force, and The San Pedro Beach Bums. He directed the Elvis Presley films Kissin' Cousins, which screenplay he wrote, and Harum Scarum. For the Kissin' Cousins screenplay he received a WGA award nomination for best written musical. He later taught in the Theater Arts Department at San Francisco State University in the late 1980s. He starred as Buddy in the 1971 Broadway musical Follies, for which he received a 1972 Tony Award nomination for Featured Actor In A Musical. The production featured a score by Stephen Sondheim and was co-directed by Michael Bennett and Harold Prince. For contribution to the motion picture industry, in 1990, Nelson was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Nelson's star is located at 7005 Hollywood Boulevard. Description above from the Wikipedia article Gene Nelson, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.​

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
March 24, 1920
Died
September 16, 1996 (aged 76)
From
Astoria, Oregon, USA
Works as
Actor and director, also producer and writer
Titles
34 on MovieCove · 92 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Down 4% in 30 days

What are Gene Nelson's films like?

Across their 17 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 45th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 65th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 64th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Musical2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 47th percentile
: browse their Musical movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
45%
Self
30%
Morality
14%
Society
5%
Survival
3%
Power
3%
Romantic love10 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth3 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 17 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 13 · Serious 3 · Dark 1

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 5 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 4

Gentle: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their gentle movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 10 · Charged 7 · Intense 0

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 15 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 4 · Some laughs 11 · Funny 2

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 10 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 13 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 15 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

6 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 3 of 6 analyzed roles.

Ally
3 of 6
Hero
2 of 6
Shapeshifter
1 of 6

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
9
Warm
7
Romantic
8
Tense
4
Hopeful
5
Other
13

How their films linger

Feel-good12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy14
  • Bittersweet2
  • Tragic1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Gene Nelson's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 17 of their 34 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (11).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Gene Nelson's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

92 credits, 34 with a MovieCove page; 7 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Murder, She Wrote(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Louis Metcalf

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • S.O.B.(1981)

    as Clive Lytell

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Dan August: The Jealousy Factor(1980)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Shirley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Eischied (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Salvage 1 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • The American Girls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Fantasy Island(1977)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all shows

  • The San Pedro Beach Bums (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

  • Quincy, M.E. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Starsky and Hutch(1975)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • The Invisible Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Get Christie Love! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • The Letters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Director

  • A Brand New Life(1973)

    as Harry

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Barnaby Jones(1973)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all shows

  • Family Flight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as Aircraft Carrier Captain

  • The Streets of San Francisco (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 4 episodes · Actor

  • Ghost Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 1 episode · as Steve

  • The Rookies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 7 episodes · Director

  • Cannon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • The Silent Force (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Wake Me When the War Is Over(1969)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Hawaii Five-O(1968)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • Blondie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Show 6 episodes · Director

  • Lancer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • The Mod Squad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Show 18 episodes · Director · Actor

  • The Cool Ones (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Director

  • Ironside (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 1 episode · Director · Actor

  • Felony Squad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • Star Trek(1966)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • Where's Everett? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Director

  • Harum Scarum(1965)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • The F.B.I. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 6 episodes · Director

  • I Dream of Jeannie(1965)

    Show 8 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows

  • Laredo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • F Troop(1965)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all shows

  • Your Cheatin' Heart(1964)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Gilligan's Island(1964)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • 12 O'Clock High (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Kissin' Cousins(1964)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Destry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Archie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Director

  • Burke's Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 2 episodes · Director · as Danny Swift · as Rick Mason

  • The Farmer's Daughter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 7 episodes · Director

  • Thunder Island (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as Billy Poole

  • Hootenanny Hoot! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Director

  • Vacation Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Hand of Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Director

  • The Purple Hills (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Gil Shepard

  • 20,000 Eyes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Dan Warren

  • The Andy Griffith Show(1960)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • The Detectives (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Philip Marlowe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Law of the Plainsman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Hardy O'Hara

  • Men Into Space (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Black Saddle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Wickes

  • Rawhide (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show Actor

  • Bat Masterson(1958)

    Show 1 episode · as Whit Morrison

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all shows

  • The Rifleman(1958)

    Show 8 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • The Donna Reed Show(1958)

    Show 18 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all shows

  • Maverick(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Jim Hazlit

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • Have Gun, Will Travel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Dial 999 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Greg Carradine

  • The Atomic Man(1955)

    as Mike Delaney

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Matinee Theater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Oklahoma!(1955)

    as Will Parker

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Gunsmoke (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Foss · as Hob Cannon · as Hutch

  • The Millionaire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Lt. Steven Q. Forrest

  • So This Is Paris(1954)

    as Al Howard

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Climax! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 1 episode · as Jess Shepard

  • Three Sailors and a Girl(1953)

    as Twitch

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Crime Wave(1953)

    as Steve Lacey

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • She's Back on Broadway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Gordon Evans

  • General Electric Theater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • She's Working Her Way Through College(1952)

    as Don Weston

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Hallmark Hall of Fame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as Robert

  • Starlift (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Gene Nelson

  • Painting the Clouds with Sunshine(1951)

    as Ted

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Lullaby of Broadway(1951)

    as Tom Farnham

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • The West Point Story(1950)

    as Hal Courtland

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Tea for Two(1950)

    as Tommy Trainor

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Doug Martin

  • Your Show of Shows (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Walls of Jericho(1948)

    as Legal Assistant

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Studio One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Show 1 episode · as Trout

  • Apartment for Peggy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Jerry (uncredited)

  • I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now(1947)

    as Tommy Yale

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • This Is the Army(1943)

    as Soldier (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Everything Happens at Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Skater

  • Second Fiddle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Minor Role

Career shape

Star power in the 84th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 91 titles from 1939 to 1984.

Biggest box office

Oklahoma! (1955)

$17K worldwide

Highest rated

Crime Wave (1953)

Midcredits 90th

Most popular right now

Kissin' Cousins (1964)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting50 of 91: 47 only acting, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score59thDirecting44 of 91: 39 only directing, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score63rdWriting1 of 91: 0 only writing, 1 with another roleProducing1 of 91: 0 only producing, 1 with another role

91 titles, 5 with more than one role — acting and directing overlap on 3 of them.

By decade

1930s2 · acting1940s5 · acting1950s33 · 31 acting · 2 crew1960s30 · 6 acting · 27 crew1970s19 · 4 acting · 15 crew1980s2 · acting

Billing

usually 9th · top billed in 0% of 5 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Gene Nelson's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 49th percentile, the median of all 20; across their 17 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 48th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

48thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Approval · how many liked their films

46thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Reach · how many have seen their films

35thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Midcredits score across 34 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th15
  • 25th to 49th8
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

20 of their 34 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Crowd Pleaser20
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · director

Harum Scarum (1965)

63rd percentile spread · 44% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

Star Trek (1966)

Midcredits 94th · 89% liked

Reviewers score the acting 61/100 in their films, across 16 reviewed titles; fans 72, detractors 40. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Gene Nelson work with?

People who share at least 2 of Gene Nelson's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Howard Jackson shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers