After the short-lived sitcom Ozzie’s Girls, Ozzie decided to stay behind the camera, and work as a producer and director. Ozzie’s perceptive business skills assisted him in directing successful and iconic shows like Adam-12, The D.A., and Bridge Loves Bernie.
However, as a result of his battle with liver cancer, his post-acting days were short-lived. Cancer in the Nelson family was genetic, and it would soon take another family member’s life as well.
David Played the Role of a Killer
You are familiar that Ozzie and Harriet were both working hard on their show. Ricky, as well, was strongly invested in his music career. So where was David? Well, David's path took a more "normal" route. After he graduated from high school, he went to college at the University of Southern California. He even joined a fraternity there. During his family's TV show run, he was granted the opportunity to direct several episodes of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.
After the show came to an end, David continued to act. One of his most memorable performances was in The Big Circus, a 1959 thriller. In the film, David played Tommy Gordon, a young boy who is troubled and violent. He has also acted in Up and in Smoke and Cry-Baby.
He Had Other Projects
A long time after The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet came to an end, David wanted to revive his family's iconic show by producing a sequel to the show called Ozzie’s Girls. Ozzie's Girls premiered in September 1971. Ozzie’s Girls was set to follow the life of Ozzie and Harriet after their two sons had moved out of the house.
They rented out the boys' bedrooms to two college girls and most of the show’s plot involves the girls’ lives. David was the director of the series himself, but sadly, the show wasn't such a big hit. It never quite took off and after 24 half-hour episodes, it was canceled.
David Passes
David was the only survivor left of America's beloved Nelson family. On January 11, 2011, at the age of 74, David passed away at his Century City home after losing his battle with colon cancer at the age of 74. He was survived by his big family including his second wife, five children, and seven grandchildren. Although David’s parents and younger brother were buried in a family plot at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills, David wanted to be buried in Westwood Memorial Park’s outdoor Garden of Serenity columbarium.
In an interview with Esquire, David reminisced about how difficult the show had been and how he’d even once punched through a wall during an argument on set. “It’s an awfully big load to carry, to be everyone’s fantasy family,” he said. “How long can you keep protecting that image and never let any of the outside world in?”
The Youngest Nelson Family Member
Although the Nelsons family became a mere memory of the past, their family drama was still very much alive and present. The youngest members of the Nelson family were now carrying around the burden of new family drama. When Ricky and Kristin divorced, their youngest son Sam was still just a preteen.
Kristin was dealing with her own personal struggles with drug abuse. Sam, as a result, had to deal with his mother's antics and constant ups and downs. He turned to his uncle, actor Mark Harmon, in a plea for help. However, this only heightened the drama.