He had one of those instantly identifiable mugs that made you laugh as soon as you saw him. And then he'd open his mouth. Veteran character actor Frank Nelson was here, there and everywhere in the 50s and 60s, usually playing a pop-eyed, hot-tempered foil to the likes of TV's top comedy stars such as Lucille Ball and Jack Benny. Short and chubby, with a neatly-style mustache and voice that dripped with hilarious disdain, Frank's career lasted over six decades. Born in 1911 (the same year as Ms. Ball), Frank started working out at a Denver radio station as an announcer at the age of 15. A strong fixture in "the golden days of radio" with a leading man voice to boot("The Three Musketeers," "Calling All Cars"), he became a charter member (1937) of AFRA (American Federation of Radio Artists) before it became AFTRA (American Federation of Radio and Television Artists). He served as AFTRA's president from 1954 to 1957 and was a guiding force in securing decent pension plans for actors. Such radio shows as "The Great Gildersleeve," "Burns and Allen" and ''Fibber McGee & Molly" made jolly use of his droll, squealing voice and "slow burn" comic takes. A standout in even the tiniest of roles (clerk, neighbor, announcer), Frank tackled many sitcoms in his time, which culminated in his fifteen-year stay as a regular on "The Jack Benny Show" and as a returning guest artist year after year on "I Love Lucy." Married twice to actresses, both Mary Lansing (whom he met on radio) and Veola Vonn appeared on ''Lucy'' and other shows. A well-oiled vocal talent in animation, his voice may be remembered from "The Jetsons" TV series. He died of cancer in 1986.
