Hi, everyone. I just located this site and am happy to have done so. My post is about a made-for-T.V. movie shown on Biography a while back about Ozzie and Harriet. The movie portrayed Ozzie as a crazed control freak, and
Rick(y) as being a close-to-wacked-out drug user and womanizer. As I said, this movie was on Biography (if memory serves me right), a station I regard with some measure of respect.

Anyone out there care to venture on how accurate a depiction of the two Mr. Nelsons this was?

Gosh, I just replied to myself! Hope replying to oneself isn't against the law in some states out there! I gotta figure out how to work this message board. Guhuh! :D

I saw the movie. Father and son seemed not to get along too good because Ricky wanted to make his own kind of music and Ozzie wanted squeaky clean music so they both clashed.

Who knows...many made-for movies like to embellish things to increase the drama.

I missed that Biography when it originally aired. I had read in various book bios pretty much the same thing. Ozzie had an idea of the direction he wanted Rick's career( Music wise ) to go, and Rick had his ideas. This resulted in some fireworks between the two. Oz could be pretty tough on David also. He thought David's aspirations were low. As they became adults, the boys had career and creative differences with their Dad. David who was rapidly approaching 30 by the time the series ended felt like he was still living in his dad's larger than life shadow, so he had to put his foot down about what he was going to do with his life. I don't know about Oz being a control freak though. He did let David direct a few episodes toward the end of the series. I also had read that Ozzie believed that everything should be done by the book. Things had to go through the precise channels. The reason Don Defore( Thorney ) left the series was because he was fired. Don was quoted years later as saying that he personally asked Oz for an up in pay and Ozzie was angered at the fact that Don didn't work through his agent to ask for the raise. That's what I read, it could be totally false. If anyone could shed some light on that, please chime in.

I've seen that Biography and have also heard/read from a couple of other sources and it does sound accurate.

The people aren't always what you think they are like.

Same with Lucille Ball. Apparently it was Desi that was really the better parent and just overall "nicer" person.

I don't think he's crazy, but I heard he once bit the head off a live bat. :eek:

I missed that Biography when it originally aired. I had read in various book bios pretty much the same thing. Ozzie had an idea of the direction he wanted Rick's career( Music wise ) to go, and Rick had his ideas. This resulted in some fireworks between the two. Oz could be pretty tough on David also. ... The reason Don Defore( Thorney ) left the series was because he was fired. Don was quoted years later as saying that he personally asked Oz for an up in pay and Ozzie was angered at the fact that Don didn't work through his agent to ask for the raise. That's what I read, it could be totally false. If anyone could shed some light on that, please chime in.


Hello, Messick

I've always thought that the Ozzie of the series seemed to be somewhat like the Ozzie of real life (at least as far as the rumors go). He seemed (on the show) to be always correcting the boys and 'interfering' in their affairs--but in a good-hearted way. Of course, on the show such things made for good TV. The boys undoubtedly hated it in the real world.

Also, re: DeFore: I was always under the impression that he left the show because he was offered the role of "Mr. B(axter)" in the Hazel sit com. I could have my chronology wrong. But it's a shame he left. I really liked Thorny ! :)


Scott

I have read several reports that mention Ozzie being very strict, and always wanting things to be done "his way".

I've also read that he didn't like some of the music Rick was singing.

It's really a shame that these things always come up, after the person is gone, and can't defend himself. I guess that is just another problem that comes with the fame.

I don't think he's crazy, but I heard he once bit the head off a live bat. :eek:



uh - unless you're purposely kidding here - you've got your Ozzie's mixed up - big time!!! :lol:

Hey Scott. I believe the timeline that IMDB.COM lists for Don on " O&A " is a little off. By 1961 the boys were grown, Wally was already being used as a major character, and a lot of the shows had Rick on campus. June's appearing would be right around the corner and Thorney was long gone by that time. Doc Williams( Frank Cady ), Darby( Parley Baer)Joe( Lyle Talbot) and Clara( Mary Jane Croft ) were used almost exclusively as Ozzie & Harriet's Bowling/fishing/Card playing friends by 1961.Don did indeed start the series " Hazel " that year as the beloved Mr.B( my favorite character in that show), but I believe there was a few years space between his leaving "O&H". I think it was probably sometimes in the mid to late 50's when Don left the series. I as always could be wrong, and if anyone knows the real scoop on why Don left/was fired/ or what year...Please let us know. It just seems like 1961 would be a little late for his leaving the " O&H "

Hey Scott. I believe the timeline that IMDB.COM lists for Don on " O&A " is a little off. By 1961 the boys were grown, Wally was already being used as a major character, and a lot of the shows had Rick on campus. June's appearing would be right around the corner and Thorney was long gone by that time. Doc Williams( Frank Cady ), Darby( Parley Baer)Joe( Lyle Talbot) and Clara( Mary Jane Croft ) were used almost exclusively as Ozzie & Harriet's Bowling/fishing/Card playing friends by 1961.Don did indeed start the series " Hazel " that year as the beloved Mr.B( my favorite character in that show), but I believe there was a few years space between his leaving "O&H". I think it was probably sometimes in the mid to late 50's when Don left the series. I as always could be wrong, and if anyone knows the real scoop on why Don left/was fired/ or what year...Please let us know. It just seems like 1961 would be a little late for his leaving the " O&H "

Hello, Messick

I defer to your understanding. (I was never good at chonologies !) :rolleyes:

BTW, I joined the Defore fan club not too long ago (run by one of his sons), and the link there to Don's TV credits (http://www.defore.net/tvcredits.html (http://)) gives a good timeline. How does it fit with your info ? :confused:

Scott

uh - unless you're purposely kidding here - you've got your Ozzie's mixed up - big time!!! :lol:

Yeah, I was only kidding around. My apologies if I offended anyone. :lol: :lol:

No offense taken!! I was hoping you meant it to be funny, cuz frankly I was rmao!! I got a visual of Ozzie Nelson chomping the head off a bat!! :eek:

(it was worse than the original)!! :lol:

No offense taken!! I was hoping you meant it to be funny, cuz frankly I was rmao!! I got a visual of Ozzie Nelson chomping the head off a bat!! :eek:

(it was worse than the original)!! :lol:

:lol: :lol:

Oh it was. I was laughing so hard as I typed out that post, that I could barely get it out. That's the same visual I had!! :lol: "Wait, sorry. Wrong Ozzie.." :lol:

And Sharon's hardly Harriette!! :lol: God Love Her!! :lol:

Hey Scott. Went to the Don DeFore fan Club page and you're right. The timeline his family lists for him leaving "O&H" seems more accurate.(1959)

From what I've read Ozzie was strict and conserative but fair and a good family man.
I'd be very willing to believe Ozzie was a bad guy but it doesn't seem to be the case at all. In fact Rick Nelson's career was in much better shape when
Ozzie was calling the shots. Ozzie was by far the smarter one about what was commercial. One of their writers said the family was just the one they played. He said Ozzie "wasn't a slick guy at all. He was a very polite but persistent guy." Sherwood Schwartz (Gillgan's Island creator) was
one of his writers and said "Ozzie was a strange man, far to the right of Pat Buchanan, yet he was absolutely honest. A handshake with him was better than a contract with other people. He was deeply sincere; you could trust him. Integrity was a big thing with him." The quotes are from the book "Raised on Radio." Rick eventually got control of his own career and only managed a couple hits. Rick had the voice but the old man had the smarts.

And Sharon's hardly Harriette!! :lol: God Love Her!! :lol:

:rotflmao:

Hi, everyone. I just located this site and am happy to have done so. My post is about a made-for-T.V. movie shown on Biography a while back about Ozzie and Harriet. The movie portrayed Ozzie as a crazed control freak, and
Rick(y) as being a close-to-wacked-out drug user and womanizer. As I said, this movie was on Biography (if memory serves me right), a station I regard with some measure of respect.

Anyone out there care to venture on how accurate a depiction of the two Mr. Nelsons this was?

I saw that movie too and who knows how true it is. I got Kris Nelsons book and she said that Harriet always had a drink or two after the show ended taping. She hated wearing dresses and pearls. So who knows? I do remember reading Ozzie was a control freak, a good businessman but involved in every aspect of the show and tried to control Rick until he put his foot down.

I think it's interesting that David helped care for Ozzie during the last part of his life- yet filed for divorce from June Blair just three days after Ozzie's death!

Like most Hollywood movies....overly exaggerated with a smidgen of truth...

I missed that Biography when it originally aired. I had read in various book bios pretty much the same thing. Ozzie had an idea of the direction he wanted Rick's career( Music wise ) to go, and Rick had his ideas. This resulted in some fireworks between the two. Oz could be pretty tough on David also. He thought David's aspirations were low. As they became adults, the boys had career and creative differences with their Dad. David who was rapidly approaching 30 by the time the series ended felt like he was still living in his dad's larger than life shadow, so he had to put his foot down about what he was going to do with his life. I don't know about Oz being a control freak though. He did let David direct a few episodes toward the end of the series. I also had read that Ozzie believed that everything should be done by the book. Things had to go through the precise channels. The reason Don Defore( Thorney ) left the series was because he was fired. Don was quoted years later as saying that he personally asked Oz for an up in pay and Ozzie was angered at the fact that Don didn't work through his agent to ask for the raise. That's what I read, it could be totally false. If anyone could shed some light on that, please chime in.


According to chapter 21 of the book "Ozzie" by Ozzie Nelson, Don DeFore left "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" at the start of the 1956 season to devote his full time to motion pictures.

If Ozzie was a crazed man, well I'd like to be as crazed as he was! The man was a visionary. For starters, he allowed Ricky to sing rock and roll on the tv show when most adults still thought it was evil music. Also the way the family made the transition from radio to tv, I think Ozzie got them a 10 year contract with ABC - before they'd even been seen on television! And with total creative control of the show. Some people say that's being a control freak. No, I say that's knowing what you want and doing it.

I'm sure a lot of the biography was fictionalized. If I'm not mistaken, it wasn't an authorized biography. The people that knew him and worked with him always spoke highly of him.

"A good man with strong morals and a high work ethic." If a person came along who didn't share those quality traits, you could see how stories could be devised to besmirch him. We see those sorts of things happen in our own lives all the time. Think about it.

I too have read Ozzie's auto-biography, and if there was one thing that stuck out to me while reading about the television show was that Ozzie treated all of the people involved like family. Most of the people behind the scenes were there for the entire run of the series. That's unheard of!

If I were the man in charge like Ozzie was, I'd want to make sure things were run according to my standards as well. Any less would have seen them off the air and out of the public's eye quickly. The man knew what he was doing!

Rock and Roll would have died without Rick Nelson. Buddy Holly was dead, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis were dead in the water with legal troubles. Elvis was in the army. Along with the Everly brothers, Rick Nelson helped save rock and roll,, and with that, Ozzie Nelson's guidance furthered that. Then came the Beatles,, and the rest is history.

No offense taken!! I was hoping you meant it to be funny, cuz frankly I was rmao!! I got a visual of Ozzie Nelson chomping the head off a bat!! :eek:

(it was worse than the original)!! :lol:
I would LOVE to see that! That image is hysterical. :rofl: :brent