George Nader
Encyclopedia
George Nader was an American
film
and television
actor
of Lebanese
descent. He appeared in a variety of films from 1950 through 1974, including Phone Call from a Stranger
(1952), Congo Crossing
(1956), and The Female Animal (1957). During this period, he also did episodic television and starred in several series, including the unique NBC
adventure
offering, The Man and the Challenge
(1959–60). However, his best-remembered role may have been as "Roy", the hero who saves the world from the clutches of "Ro-man" in the low-budget 3-D
sci-fi romp Robot Monster
(1953).
, California
, Nader began his film career in 1950, after having earned his bachelor of arts
in theatre arts at Occidental College
. Nader appeared in several productions at the Pasadena Playhouse. That work led to a number of bit parts in 1951 and '52. His big break was his first starring role, which came in Robot Monster
(1953), a 3-D feature film directed by Phil Tucker
. This role and his rugged good looks won him a Universal Studios
contract in the 1950s, and he made a number of films for Universal. In 1955, he won a Golden Globe Award
for "Most Promising Newcomer."
Despite this accolade, Nader often found himself struggling in the shadow of more famous leading men, such as Rock Hudson
, Tony Curtis
, and Jeff Chandler
. His films of that period included 1954's Carnival Story
and Sins of Jezebel
and 1956's Away All Boats
. He also was Esther Williams
' leading man in her first straight dramatic film, The Unguarded Moment which also starred a young John Saxon
, released by Universal in 1956. He moved into television in the late 1950s, appearing in several short-lived series including The Further Adventures of Ellery Queen and The Man and the Challenge. In the 1961-1962 season, he appeared as insurance
investigator Joe Shannon in the syndicated
crime drama Shannon
; his co-star was Regis Toomey
. Nader also appeared frequently on The Loretta Young Show, a dramatic anthology series on NBC.
" in a German film series where he became the number two most popular film star in Germany behind Lex Barker
.
In the mid-1970s, Nader was involved in a serious automobile accident. He suffered an eye injury which made him particularly sensitive to the bright lights of movie sets. According to an interview with the German fanzine 'Splatting Image' his eye injury was the result of an accident during the production of the never released movie 'Zigzag'. Nader got injured while using some blank pistol rounds (one of them exploded too early next to his eyes). Since filming took place on the Philippines no adequate treatment was taken in time, resulting in the partial loss of his eyesight and the aforementioned sensitivity.
. His groundbreaking 1978 novel Chrome is probably the first science fiction novel to center on a homosexual love affair, and the first to have substantial homosexual erotic scenes.
According to Variety Magazines Army Archerd
, Nader had completed a book called The Perils of Paul, about the gay community in Hollywood, which he did not want published until after his death.
. Stricken by multiple medical problems, Nader entered the hospital in September 2001. He died at Woodland Hills, California of cardiac-pulmonary failure, pneumonia
, and multiple cerebral infarction
s. Nader is survived by Miller, his cousins Sally Kubly and Roberta Cavell, and his nephew, actor Michael Nader
.
His ashes were scattered at sea, but his cenotaph exists in Cathedral City's Forest Lawn Cemetery
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
of Lebanese
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
descent. He appeared in a variety of films from 1950 through 1974, including Phone Call from a Stranger
Phone Call from a Stranger
Phone Call from a Stranger is a 1952 American drama film directed by Jean Negulesco, who was nominated for the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. The screenplay by Nunnally Johnson and I.A.R...
(1952), Congo Crossing
Congo Crossing
Congo Crossing is a 1956 adventure film directed by Joseph Pevney and starring Virginia Mayo and George Nader. Most of the exterior sequences were shot in the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden.-Plot synopsis:...
(1956), and The Female Animal (1957). During this period, he also did episodic television and starred in several series, including the unique NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
adventure
Adventure
An adventure is defined as an exciting or unusual experience; it may also be a bold, usually risky undertaking, with an uncertain outcome. The term is often used to refer to activities with some potential for physical danger, such as skydiving, mountain climbing and or participating in extreme sports...
offering, The Man and the Challenge
The Man and the Challenge
The Man and the Challenge is a 36-segment half-hour television adventure/science fiction series which ran new episodes on NBC from September 12, 1959, to June 11, 1960. It starred George Nader as Dr. Glenn Barton, a research scientist for the Institute of Human Factors, an agency that conducted...
(1959–60). However, his best-remembered role may have been as "Roy", the hero who saves the world from the clutches of "Ro-man" in the low-budget 3-D
3-D film
A 3-D film or S3D film is a motion picture that enhances the illusion of depth perception...
sci-fi romp Robot Monster
Robot Monster
Robot Monster is a 1953 American science fiction film made in 3-D by Phil Tucker. It is frequently considered one of the worst films ever made.- Plot :...
(1953).
Stage, film and television work
Born in PasadenaPasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Nader began his film career in 1950, after having earned his bachelor of arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in theatre arts at Occidental College
Occidental College
Occidental College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1887, Occidental College, or "Oxy" as it is called by students and alumni, is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges on the West Coast...
. Nader appeared in several productions at the Pasadena Playhouse. That work led to a number of bit parts in 1951 and '52. His big break was his first starring role, which came in Robot Monster
Robot Monster
Robot Monster is a 1953 American science fiction film made in 3-D by Phil Tucker. It is frequently considered one of the worst films ever made.- Plot :...
(1953), a 3-D feature film directed by Phil Tucker
Phil Tucker
Phil Tucker was an American film director, writer, producer, and editor. While Tucker directed his first six feature films in the span of two years , he is best known for his first film, the science fiction B movie Robot Monster, often considered an example of "so bad it's good" filmmaking in the...
. This role and his rugged good looks won him a Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
contract in the 1950s, and he made a number of films for Universal. In 1955, he won a Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
for "Most Promising Newcomer."
Despite this accolade, Nader often found himself struggling in the shadow of more famous leading men, such as Rock Hudson
Rock Hudson
Roy Harold Scherer, Jr., later Roy Harold Fitzgerald , known professionally as Rock Hudson, was an American film and television actor, recognized as a romantic leading man during the 1950s and 1960s, most notably in several romantic comedies with Doris Day.Hudson was voted "Star of the Year",...
, Tony Curtis
Tony Curtis
Tony Curtis was an American film actor whose career spanned six decades, but had his greatest popularity during the 1950s and early 1960s. He acted in over 100 films in roles covering a wide range of genres, from light comedy to serious drama...
, and Jeff Chandler
Jeff Chandler (actor)
Jeff Chandler was an American film actor and singer in the 1950s.-Early life:Chandler was born Ira Grossel to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York, the only child of Anna and Phillip Grossel. He attended Erasmus Hall High School, the alma mater of many stage and film personalities...
. His films of that period included 1954's Carnival Story
Carnival Story
Carnival Story is a 1954 film directed by Kurt Neumann, starring Anne Baxter and Steve Cochran, and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The film was shot in 3-D, but was only released to theaters in 2D...
and Sins of Jezebel
Sins of Jezebel
Sins of Jezebel is a 1953 film based on the Biblical story of Jezebel, the Phoenician princess whose influence corrupted King Ahab of Israel in the mid 9th century BC.-Cast:*Paulette Goddard as Jezebel*George Nader as Jehu*Eduard Franz as Ahab...
and 1956's Away All Boats
Away All Boats
Away All Boats is a 1956 American war film produced by Universal Pictures. It was directed by Joseph Pevney and produced by Howard Christie from a screenplay by Ted Sherdeman based on the 1953 novel by Kenneth M. Dodson....
. He also was Esther Williams
Esther Williams
Esther Jane Williams is a retired American competitive swimmer and MGM movie star.Williams set multiple national and regional swimming records in her late teens as part of the Los Angeles Athletic Club swim team...
' leading man in her first straight dramatic film, The Unguarded Moment which also starred a young John Saxon
John Saxon (actor)
John Saxon is an American actor who has worked on over 200 projects during the span of sixty years. Saxon is most known for his work in horror films such as A Nightmare on Elm Street and Black Christmas, both of which feature Saxon as a policeman in search of the killer...
, released by Universal in 1956. He moved into television in the late 1950s, appearing in several short-lived series including The Further Adventures of Ellery Queen and The Man and the Challenge. In the 1961-1962 season, he appeared as insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
investigator Joe Shannon in the syndicated
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
crime drama Shannon
Shannon (1961 TV series)
Shannon is an American crime drama series that aired in syndication from September 1961 to June 1962. The series stars George Nader as the title character.-Synopsis:...
; his co-star was Regis Toomey
Regis Toomey
John Regis Toomey was an American film and television actor.-Early life:Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he was one of four children of Francis X. and Mary Ellen Toomey and attended Peabody High School...
. Nader also appeared frequently on The Loretta Young Show, a dramatic anthology series on NBC.
Personal life
In the mid-1950s, rumors about Nader's private life began to surface. Nader's companion was Mark Miller who later became Hudson's personal secretary. Nader's career in Hollywood was ended. He and Miller moved to Europe, where Nader found steady work in films. A notable role during this period was as U.S. government agent "Jerry CottonJerry Cotton
Jerry Cotton is the fictional character in a series of crime novels by many different writers in German-speaking countries and in Finland.- Overview :...
" in a German film series where he became the number two most popular film star in Germany behind Lex Barker
Lex Barker
Lex Barker was an American actor best known for playing Tarzan of the Apes and leading characters from Karl May's novels.-Early life:...
.
In the mid-1970s, Nader was involved in a serious automobile accident. He suffered an eye injury which made him particularly sensitive to the bright lights of movie sets. According to an interview with the German fanzine 'Splatting Image' his eye injury was the result of an accident during the production of the never released movie 'Zigzag'. Nader got injured while using some blank pistol rounds (one of them exploded too early next to his eyes). Since filming took place on the Philippines no adequate treatment was taken in time, resulting in the partial loss of his eyesight and the aforementioned sensitivity.
Writing career
After damage to his eye made it difficult to endure an acting career, Nader began a career as a writer of science fictionScience fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
. His groundbreaking 1978 novel Chrome is probably the first science fiction novel to center on a homosexual love affair, and the first to have substantial homosexual erotic scenes.
According to Variety Magazines Army Archerd
Army Archerd
Armand Andre "Army" Archerd was a columnist for Variety for over fifty years before retiring his "Just for Variety" column in September 2005. In November 2005, Archerd began blogging for Variety and was working on a memoir when he died.-Life and career:Archerd was born in The Bronx, New York, and...
, Nader had completed a book called The Perils of Paul, about the gay community in Hollywood, which he did not want published until after his death.
Later life
Nader and Miller eventually returned to the U.S. and settled in Palm SpringsPalm Springs, California
Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles east of Los Angeles and 136 miles northeast of San Diego...
. Stricken by multiple medical problems, Nader entered the hospital in September 2001. He died at Woodland Hills, California of cardiac-pulmonary failure, pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
, and multiple cerebral infarction
Infarction
In medicine, infarction refers to tissue death that is caused by a local lack of oxygen due to obstruction of the tissue's blood supply. The resulting lesion is referred to as an infarct.-Causes:...
s. Nader is survived by Miller, his cousins Sally Kubly and Roberta Cavell, and his nephew, actor Michael Nader
Michael Nader
Michael Nader is an American actor of Lebanese descent, known for his role on the ABC primetime soap opera Dynasty from 1983 to 1989 as Farnsworth "Dex" Dexter, the third husband of Alexis Colby .Nader's first soap opera role was opposite actress Marie Masters playing the character of Kevin...
.
His ashes were scattered at sea, but his cenotaph exists in Cathedral City's Forest Lawn Cemetery
Forest Lawn Cemetery (Cathedral City)
Forest Lawn Cemetery , renamed from Palm Springs Mortuary & Mausoleum in 2005, is a cemetery in Cathedral City, California near Palm Springs...
.
Selected filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Rustlers on Horseback | Jack Reynolds | Credited as George Nadar |
| 1950–1953 | Fireside Theater Fireside Theater Fireside Theater is an American anthology drama series that ran from on NBC from 1949 to 1958, and was the first successful filmed series on American television. Stories were low budget and often based on public domain stories or written by freelance writers such as Rod Serling. While it was panned... |
Web Martin/George | TV, 2 episodes |
| 1951 | You're in the Navy Now You're in the Navy Now You're in the Navy Now is a Hollywood film released in 1951 by Twentieth Century Fox about the United States Navy in the first months of World War II. Its initial release was titled USS Teakettle... |
Crew member | Uncredited |
| The Prowler The Prowler (1951 film) The Prowler is a 1951 black-and-white thriller film directed by Joseph Losey. It stars Van Heflin and Evelyn Keyes. Considered film noir, it was produced by Sam Spiegel .- Plot :... |
Photographer | Uncredited | |
| Take Care of My Little Girl | Jack Gruber | Uncredited | |
| The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel is a 1951 biographical film about Field Marshal Erwin Rommel in the later stages of World War II. It stars James Mason in the title role, was directed by Henry Hathaway, and was based on the book Rommel by Brigadier Desmond Young, who served in the Indian Army in... |
Commando | Uncredited, alternative titles: Rommel, Desert Fox & The Desert Fox | |
| Two Tickets to Broadway | Crosby's Sound Technician | Uncredited | |
| Overland Telegraph | Paul Manning | ||
| 1952 | Phone Call from a Stranger Phone Call from a Stranger Phone Call from a Stranger is a 1952 American drama film directed by Jean Negulesco, who was nominated for the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. The screenplay by Nunnally Johnson and I.A.R... |
Pilot | Uncredited |
| Gruen Guild Playhouse | TV, 1 episode | ||
| Monsoon | Burton | ||
| Big Town Big Town Big Town is a popular long-running radio drama series which was later adapted to both film and television and a comic book published by DC Comics.-Radio:... |
TV, 1 episode | ||
| 1953 | Down Among the Sheltering Palms | Lt. Homer Briggs | Uncredited |
| Your Jeweler's Showcase | TV, 1 episode | ||
| Robot Monster Robot Monster Robot Monster is a 1953 American science fiction film made in 3-D by Phil Tucker. It is frequently considered one of the worst films ever made.- Plot :... |
Roy | Alternative titles: Monster from Mars & Monsters from the Moon | |
| Schlitz Playhouse of Stars Schlitz Playhouse of Stars Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, is a weekly CBS anthology television series, was telecast on Friday nights from 1951 until 1959. Offering both comedies and drama, the series was sponsored by Schlitz beer... |
TV, 1 episode | ||
| Your Play Time | TV, 1 episode | ||
| Sins of Jezebel | Jehu | ||
| Hallmark Hall of Fame Hallmark Hall of Fame Hallmark Hall of Fame is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City based greeting card company. The second longest-running television program in the history of television, it has a historically long run, beginning in 1951 and continuing into 2011... |
TV, 1 episode | ||
| 1953–1961 | The Loretta Young Show | Various roles | TV, 8 episodes |
| 1954 | Miss Robin Crusoe | Jonathan | |
| The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse is an American dramatic anthology series that aired on ABC from 1953 to 1955, sponsored by Pepsi-Cola. The show was hosted by Arlene Dahl , Anita Colby , and, finally, Polly Bergen -Guest stars:* Claude Akins... |
TV, 2 episodes | ||
| Carnival Story Carnival Story Carnival Story is a 1954 film directed by Kurt Neumann, starring Anne Baxter and Steve Cochran, and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The film was shot in 3-D, but was only released to theaters in 2D... |
Bill Vines | ||
| Cavalcade of America Cavalcade of America Cavalcade of America is an anthology drama series that was sponsored by the DuPont Company, although it occasionally presented a musical, such as an adaptation of Show Boat, and condensed biographies of popular composers. It was initially broadcast on radio from 1935 to 1953, and later on... |
Eliphalet Remington II | TV, 2 episodes | |
| Four Guns to the Border | Bronco | Alternative title: Shadow Valley | |
| 1954–1957 | Lux Video Theatre Lux Video Theatre Lux Video Theatre, is a weekly television anthology series that was produced from 1950 until 1959. The series presented both comedy and drama in original teleplays, as well as abridged adaptations of films and plays.... |
TV, 3 episodes | |
| 1955 | Six Bridges to Cross | Edward Gallagher | |
| The Second Greatest Sex | Matt Davis | ||
| Lady Godiva of Coventry | Lord Leofric | ||
| 1956 | Congo Crossing Congo Crossing Congo Crossing is a 1956 adventure film directed by Joseph Pevney and starring Virginia Mayo and George Nader. Most of the exterior sequences were shot in the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden.-Plot synopsis:... |
David Carr | |
| Away All Boats Away All Boats Away All Boats is a 1956 American war film produced by Universal Pictures. It was directed by Joseph Pevney and produced by Howard Christie from a screenplay by Ted Sherdeman based on the 1953 novel by Kenneth M. Dodson.... |
Lieutenant Dave MacDougall | ||
| The Unguarded Moment | Lieutenant Harry Graham | Alternative title: The Gentle Web | |
| 1957 | Four Girls in Town | Mike Snowden | |
| Man Afraid | Rev. David Collins | ||
| Joe Butterfly Joe Butterfly Joe Butterfly is a comedy film directed by Jesse Hibbs and starring Audie Murphy, George Nader, Keenan Wynn, and Burgess Meredith in the title role. The movie follows the staff of Yank magazine, who are among the first American troops in Tokyo after Japan's surrender. They are given the difficult... |
Sgt. Ed Kennedy | ||
| Climax! | Harry Parker | TV, 1 episode | |
| 1958 | The Female Animal | Chris Farley | |
| Flood Tide | Steve Martin | Alternative title: Above All Things | |
| Nowhere to Go | Paul Gregory | ||
| 1959 | The Further Adventures of Ellery Queen | Ellery Queen | TV, 2 episodes |
| The Man and the Challenge | Dr. Glenn Barton | TV, 1 episode | |
| 1960 | Laramie Laramie (TV series) Laramie is an American Western television series that aired on NBC from 1959 to 1963. Laramie was a Revue Studios production which originally starred John Smith as Slim Sherman, Robert Fuller as Jess Harper, Hoagy Carmichael as Jonesy and Robert Crawford, Jr... |
Wells Clark | TV, 1 episode |
| 1961 | The Andy Griffith Show The Andy Griffith Show The Andy Griffith Show is an American sitcom first televised by CBS between October 3, 1960, and April 1, 1968. Andy Griffith portrays a widowed sheriff in the fictional small community of Mayberry, North Carolina... |
Dr. Robert Benson | TV, 1 episode |
| Shannon | Joe Shannon | TV, 36 episodes | |
| 1963 | Zigzag | ||
| 1965 | The Human Duplicators The Human Duplicators The Human Duplicators is an American science fiction film released in 1965 by independent company Woolner Brothers Pictures Inc.-Plot:The plot involves a giant alien named Dr. Kolos who is dispatched to Earth from a faraway galaxy on orders to create android doppelgängers by employing the... |
Glenn Martin | Alternative titles: Space Agent K1 & Jaws of the Alien |
| Burke's Law Burke's Law Burke's Law is a detective series that ran on ABC from 1963 to 1965 and was revived on CBS in the 1990s. The show starred Gene Barry as Amos Burke, millionaire captain of Los Angeles police homicide division, who was chauffeured around to solve crimes in his Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud... |
Chris Maitland | TV, 1 episode | |
| 1967 | The Million Eyes of Sumuru The Million Eyes of Sumuru The Million Eyes of Sumuru is a 1967 spy film produced by Harry Alan Towers and directed by Lindsay Shonteff, starring Frankie Avalon and George Nader, with Shirley Eaton as the titular Sumuru. It was based on a series of novels by Sax Rohmer about a megalomaniac femme fatale. The film was released... |
Agent Nick West | |
| 1972 | Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law is an American legal drama, jointly created by David Victor and former law professor Jerry McNeely, that starred actor Arthur Hill. The series was broadcast on ABC from 1971 to 1974... |
TV, 1 episode | |
| The F.B.I. | TV, 1 episode | ||
| 1973 | Beyond Atlantis | Beyond Atlantis | Alternative title: Sea Creatures |
| 1974 | Nakia | McMasters | Television movie |
External links
- George Nader at Mystery Science Theatre 3000
- George Nader on glbtq.comGlbtq.comglbtq.com is an online encyclopedia that presents detailed biographies of notable gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. It was named one of the "Best Free Reference Web Sites" in 2005 by the American Library Association....
- A review of Nader's novel Chrome