Gene Nelson

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7005 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on September 24, 1990.(Source: http://www.walkoffame.com/gene-nelson).

Nominated for a 1972 Tony Award for Supporting or Featured Actor (Musical) for his performance as Buddy in the original production of "Follies".

After his dancing days ended he turned to directing TV and films, including two Elvis Presley movies, Kissin' Cousins (1964) and Harum Scarum (1965).

Second wife Marilyn Morgen was a studio secretary he married in 1958. She was 12 years his junior.

Suffered a fractured pelvis in 1957 when a horse fell on him while on film location in Tennessee.

He would be best known for his role of cowboy Will Parker in Oklahoma! (1955), where he would twirl the lasso to the tune of "Kansas City".

After he was discharged, he appeared in a handful of movies before 1950.

He worked with Debbie Reynolds in The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady (1950), Doris Day in Tea for Two (1950) and Virginia Mayo in She's Working Her Way Through College (1952).

He can be seen as one of the anonymous studio executives in the trailer for the original version of Miracle on 34th Street (1947).

First wife Miriam Nelson (nee Frankel) was a specialty film dancer from Broadway ("Panama Hattie"). Married in 1941, she worked in Hollywood while Gene served in the United States Army. He joined her later and she was instrumental in helping him work up his innovative dance routines on film.

Made his professional stage debut as a member of the Fanchon and Marco Juvenile Revue at the Paramount Theater in Los Angeles in 1935. He also studied tap with Nick Castle.

Gene Nelson was barely a teen when he saw the Fred Astaire movie Flying Down to Rio (1933), which would change his life. It was then that he decided he would be a dancer. After graduating from high school, Nelson joined the Sonja Henie Ice Show and toured for 3 years before joining the Army in World War II.