Ralph Nelson (1916-1987) was an actor, director, producer, and playwright. He wrote the play Mail call (winner of the 1943 John Golden prize and National Theatre awards), and won National Theatre awards for Angels weep and The wind is ninety. In 1956, he won a Emmy award for direction of Requiem for a heavyweight (1956), and in 1964, the Golden Globes Humanitarian award for directing Lilies of the field. The collection consists of television and motion picture shooting scripts, production files, films, tape recordings, phonograph records, scrapbooks, prints, personal memorabilia, and related printed material of Ralph Nelson. Scripts include Requiem for a heavyweight, The director, Father Goose, and Lilies of the field.

Nelson was born on August 12, 1916 in New York City; attended public school there; became an actor, director, producer, and playwright; worked as an actor, 1933-41; directed for NBC-TV, 1948-49, and for CBS-TV, 1949-52; president of Rainbow Productions in Los Angeles beginning in 1959; wrote the play Mail call (winner of the 1943 John Golden prize and National Theatre awards); also won National Theatre awards for Angels weep and The wind is ninety; won 1956 Emmy award for direction of Requiem for a heavyweight, and in 1964 the Golden Globes Humanitarian award for directing Lilies of the field; also wrote screenplays for The man in the funny suit, The flight of the doves, and The wrath of God; other films directed or produced by Nelson include Father Goose, Counterpoint, and Charley; he died on December 21, 1987 in Santa Monica, California.

65.0 Linear Feet (116 boxes, 25 oversize boxes, and 7 cartons)

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