Although Ozzie’s TV character was far from being a role model, TV Guide nonetheless ranked him as #21 in the “50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time” in their June 20, 2004 issue. The reason for this was that the show greatly resonated with fans in the 1950s and the early 1960s.
People across America considered the Nelsons to be a romanticized version of the 1950’s nuclear family. However, Ozzie’s character on screen often came up with poorly devised plans (to which his wife had to talk him out of) and was overly controlling of his children.
Dad's the Boss Man
Ozzie noticed how Ricky's blossoming talents were benefiting the show. So, he decided to do what he was best at doing, taking control, and micromanaged every move his son made. This included deciding what songs he could record. In August 1958, Ricky released his single “Poor Little Fool,” which rapidly soared to number one on the Billboard charts. Ozzie felt that the song was a good representation of the family’s image.
Ozzie began to incorporate Ricky's singing into the show's scripts, as he realized that his son's singing could have a huge positive impact on the show and its ratings. Ricky easily became the nation's newest musical sensation. Every episode which featured his singing attracted the biggest audiences. At one point, Ricky performed for free at a Los Angeles high school, performing “Blue Moon of Kentucky.” Crowds of screaming and excited teens greeted him.
Did Ozzie Take Advantage of His Kid's Talents?
In the pilot film that eventually led to the TV show, "Here Come the Nelsons," Ozzie's fictional character was described as an advertising executive who promotes women's underwear. When the TV show eventually launched, there was no reference to Ozzie working in advertising.
In fact, it became a running joke that Ozzie only left the Nelson home when he wanted to go out and get ice cream. Ricky’s real-life daughter, Tracy Nelson, wanted to clear up the confusion. She shared that Ozzie's character was actually a lawyer who graduated from Rutgers. You know, lawyers used to mostly work from home in those days... or not.
Box Office Success
Meanwhile, Ricky's reputation kept on growing. After launching his music career, he quickly made his way into the realm of film. The youngest Nelson performed opposite John Wayne and Dean Martin in the 1959 western movie, Rio Bravo. The trailer for the film showed Ricky playing his guitar and talking into the camera about the thrilling film.
Ricky proved himself successful in his silver screen debut and continued to star in other huge acting projects other than his family's show. He was in films "The Wackiest Ship in the Army" and "Love and Kisses" alongside Jack Lemmon and Jack Kelley, respectively. He also appeared in an episode of The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries in which he sang a lot of his popular hits.
David Gets Married
In 1961, 25-year-old David married actress, June Blair. Their wedding ceremony was at the Forest Lawn Cemetery’s Church of the Hills. Naturally, Ricky served as his brother's best man. Because a lot of the scenes in The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet were taken from the Nelsons’ real-life, June Blair was soon written into the show and became a regular cast member.
At that point in the show, David Nelson was attending law school and him and June moved into an apartment together. The lovebirds had their first child the next year, a son whom they named Daniel Blair Nelson. They had their second son, Jamie Eric Nelson, in 1966.