Frank Nelson (actor)

Nelson first found fame as the put-upon foil to Jack Benny on Benny's radio show during the 1940s and 1950s. Nelson began to appear on Benny's radio show in the late 1930s,[3] doing various roles, but his eventual character began to take form around 1942.[4] Nelson, whose character was never given a name,[5] typically portrayed a sales clerk, dentist or customer service worker, and Benny's character would run into him seemingly out of nowhere. For example, needing airline tickets, Benny would call the ticket agent, "Oh Mister? Mister?" Nelson's appearance would begin with his back to the camera, then he would turn and deliver his catchphrase, a bellowed "EEE-Yeeeeeeeeesssss?". The two men would banter, with Nelson gleefully delivering insulting one-liners such as, "Is that a hairpiece or did someone plant moss on your head?", and sarcastic responses like, "Do I work at this airport? No, I'm a DC-4 with a moustache." Whatever his occupation in a particular episode, Nelson's character would usually be polite and patient with all of his customers except for Jack Benny.[6]

Nelson also appeared on Benny's television show beginning in 1950, doing the same "rude clerk" shtick. His other catchphrase, that would be worked into every routine, would have Benny asking something mundane, such as, "Do these shirts come in a medium?", and Frank would bellow, "Oo-oo-oo-ooh, DO they!" He also appeared on several other radio programs. Nelson's sudden appearances usually led to spontaneous laughter or applause on the part of the audience.

Nelson performed on a number of Hollywood-based radio shows during this time, including Fibber McGee and Molly, and did radio work well into the late 1950s, on the few shows that remained on the air, including dramatic roles on such programs as Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar.

After Jack Benny, Nelson continued to work in sitcoms in similar roles, most notably in The Hank McCune Show and I Love Lucy. Nelson appeared as various characters during all seasons of I Love Lucy (most notably game show host Freddie Fillmore) before beginning the recurring role as the character Ralph Ramsey, after the Ricardos moved to Westport, Connecticut in 1957. He further appeared in The Addams Family in the 1960s , and Sanford and Son during the 1970s.[7]

Toward the end of his life, Nelson enjoyed some newfound stardom among a younger generation of fans. From 1981 to 1986, he appeared in a string of popular commercials for McDonald's doing his trademark "EEE-Yeeeeeeeeesssss?" catchphrase, as part of the fast-food chain's highly successful "You Deserve a Break Today" vacation sweepstakes promotional campaign, in which he played an over-the-top passport agent. He also did a cameo appearance on the December 5, 1981 episode of Saturday Night Live as a newsstand vendor, when Tim Curry was the guest host.[8] Garfield in Paradise, in 1986, was the last recorded time he used his signature phrase.

In addition to his onscreen work, Nelson was an in-demand voiceover artist for animated cartoons. In 1954, he narrated Walter Lantz's cartoon short Dig That Dog. In television cartoons, he made several appearances on The Flintstones, The Jetsons, and (as Governor Wetworth) on The Snorks, among other programs. He also served as national president of AFTRA (a performers union) between 1954 and 1957.[1]

Nelson was not as prolific in motion pictures as he was in radio and television, but he occasionally appeared in variations of his oily clerk characterization. One of his larger roles is in Down Memory Lane (1949), in which he plays the apoplectic manager of a TV station. He also appears memorably in So You Want to Know Your Relatives, a Joe McDoakes spoof of This Is Your Life; Nelson plays the master of ceremonies, happily ushering unsavory guests onstage.

Nelson was diagnosed with cancer during the late summer of 1985. After a year-long battle with the disease, he died in Hollywood on September 12, 1986 at the age of 75.[1] He was entombed in Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale.[9][10] Nelson shares a columbarium niche with his longtime friend and fellow radio actor, Hanley Stafford, both men having been married to radio actress and singer Veola Vonn.