Spoiler : You might remember him for delivering gleeful one liners as the sarcastic floorwalker on The Jack Benny Program. But did you know that he also played a series of dramatic roles on shows such as Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar, The Whistler, and Jeff Regan, Investigator?

Spoiler : Born 5/6/1911; died 9/12/1986 of cancer in West Hollywood, California. Married to actress radio actress Mary Lansing (1933-?); actress Veola Vonn (1970-1986 his death). Nelson debuted on radio at KOA-Denver in 1926. By 1929 he was affiliated with local stations on the West Coast where he began to routinely appear in dramatic roles on stations including KFAC. In 1932 he joined KMTR. His brief apprenticeship in local and regional aircasting catapulted him into legions of network series, firmly establishing him as one of Los Angeles radio's premier actors. Nelson was a charter member of the American Federation of Radio Artists (AFRA) in 1937, served as president of the American Federation of Radio and Television Artists (AFTRA) from 1954 to 1957. During his time as president of AFTRA he was a guiding force in securing pension plans for actors. Nelson was awarded the George Heller Memorial Gold Card, AFTRA's highest honor in 1958. Screen debut with an uncredited role of announcer in Fugitive in the Sky (1936). Last feature movie was playing Richard J. Remington in The Malibu Bikini Shop (1985).

Spoiler : Nikolas Rokoff on the syndicated radio program, Tarzan (1932-1934). Captain Tin Top on the 1937 syndicated Christmas special, The Cinnamon Bear. John Duncan on Today At The Duncans for CBS- Radio (1942-1943). Mr. Pabst, the sponsor on The Danny Kaye Show (sponsored by Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer for CBS-Radio (1945-1946). Herb Woodley on Blondie for the CBS, NBC and ABC Radio Networks (1945-1949). Riley's conscience on The Life of Riley in 1946. Lyon, Regan's boss on Jeff Regan, Investigator for CBS-Radio (1949-1950).

Spoiler : Regular performer on radio programs including The Jack Benny Program for NBC and CBS (1934- 1955); The Baby Snooks Show for NBC and CBS (1937-51); Fibber McGee And Molly for NBC (1939-?); The Abbott And Costello Show for NBC and ABC (1940-1949); Meet Me At Parky's for NBC (1945-47); Masie for CBS (1945-1947), in syndication (1949-53); The Eddie Cantor Show for NBC (1946-49); The Phil Harris/Alice Faye Show for NBC (1946-1954); It's A Great Life for CBS (1948); Four- Star Playhouse for NBC (1949); A Day in the Life of Dennis Day (1949-1951); Cousin Willie for NBC (1953); On Stage for CBS (1953-1954); That's Rich for CBS (1954); The Sears Radio Theater for CBS (1979-1980).

Spoiler : Television actor from 1951 to the early 1980s. Regular performer on television programs including The Hank McCune Show for NBC (1950); The Jack Benny Show for CBS (1950-1965); The Betty White Show for ABC (1958). Ralph Ramsey on I Love Lucy for CBS-TV (1957). Provided his voice for characters on the ABC-TV cartoon series, The Jetsons (1962-1963). Provided his voice for the character of Uncle Dudley on the Dinky Dog segments of The All-New Popeye Hour for CBS- TV (1978-1983). Provided his voice for the character of Spiffy on the ABC-TV animated series, The Oddball Couple (1975-1977). Provided his voice for the character of Wizzar on the ABC-TV animated series, Monchichis (1983-1984). Provided his voice for the character of Governor Wetworth on the NBC-TV animated series, The Snorks (1984-1986).

Spoiler : We're lucky to have a surviving description of what was going on on the stage during the "Drear Pooson" bit. There are sometimes moments in comedy shows where the audience is clearly laughing at something they see, and most of those details have unfortunately been lost.

Spoiler : Nelson disscovered his niche in the 1930s portraying caustic, abrasive, nameless figures on The Jack Benny Program. One week he played an irritating mailman, the next week he was a bumbling waiter, a third week he could be a nauseating cab driver, etc. Years later he remembered his “calling” as “the guy whose sole purpose in life was to annoy the hell out of Jack Benny.” A critic certified him as “the greatest heckler of all, the bile- dipped Frank Nelson.” Said radio historian John Dunning: “One of Benny’s busiest utility actors was Frank Nelson, who first appeared June 1, 1934. But the character Nelson created in the 1930s was not fully realized until the mid-1940s, when he became one of the funniest voices on the air. One week he’d be a psychiatrist, the next week a floorwalker; he was a doorman at a posh hotel, a lawyer, a ticket clerk at the train depot. No matter what he was, Nelson’s voice and manner were always the same. 'There’s the floorwalker,’ Benny would say in a department store skit: ‘Oh, mister!…Mister!’ On this cue, Nelson would whirl into the microphone and scream, ‘Yeeeeeessss?’ For the next few minutes, Benny was abused, insulted, and berated for even the simplest requests. ‘You really do hate me, don’t you?’ Benny would ask, and Nelson’s reply-a screaming, ‘Ooooooooooh, do I!’-never failed to draw huge laughs from the audience.” Radio author Dunning remembered: “Perhaps the best Frank Nelson story involved a fluff…. On Jan. 8, 1950, Nelson was to appear as a doorman in a restaurant. Early in the show, [announcer] Don Wilson bobbled a line referring to Drew Pearson, the famous columnist, making it “Drear Pooson,” and Benny joined the audience in helpless laughter. Immediately the writers summoned Nelson into the booth and, without Benny’s knowledge or permission, changed his coming lines. Nelson was leery (‘Nobody ad-libbed with Jack,’ he recalled years later) but agreed to do it if the writers would take responsibility. The scene arrived. ‘Oh mister! Mister!’ Benny called. ‘Are you the doorman?’ At his absolute surliest, Nelson snarled, ‘Well, who do you think I am in this uniform, Dreeeeeaaaarrr Pooooossson?’ Benny was instantly convulsed. ‘He began to laugh,’ Nelson recalled; ‘he slid down the mike to the floor, pounded on the floor, got up, staggered clear across the stage to the far wall, turned around into the curtains, slid down the curtains, pounded the floor some more, got up, staggered back to the mike, and we’re on live and laughter is going on through this whole thing.’ Nelson thought this laugh exceeded even that of Benny’s most famous gag, when a robber demanded, ‘Your money or your life!’ and the hilarity kept building while Benny thought it over.”