No-one has really said much about him. I though he was very good, but more to the point he had an absolutely stunning voice!! I just love the second song they do in the jail (?), his voice is just fantastic. What does everyone else think?
George Bush is a war criminal
Member of G-R-A-M-M-A-R (me, not him)
Legend has it that while making this movie then 27-year old Angie Dickinson was busy after hours deflowering then 18-year old Ricky.
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Get the facts first - you can distort them later!
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Both Rick and brother David Nelson were interviewed years ago - must have been in the 70s (might have been on Dinah Shore's popular talk show or by Kelly Lange, the former newscaster on NBC in LA).
It was said that Ricky lost his virginity at age 14 to a prostitute while the family was on vacation in Europe. I think they were in France. During the interview David laughed as he told how he watched his little brother walk away with her, as Ricky was short and she was tall. I can't remember where Ozzie & Harriet were at the time. Now I'll have to do some digging. Makes me kind of cringe; not one of my favorite stores about Ricky, whom I STILL LOVE to this day. He was so handsome and had a very nice voice. Love Rio Bravo.
"You want that gun pick it up. I wish you would." The 1959 version of "Go ahead, make my day."
Who gives a damn about Rick Nelson's virginity? Do you know how long ago that was? Grow up, for heaven's sake.
The duets with Dean Martin in this film are gorgeous.
I was responding to the prior poster, tightspotkilo. Just a bit of trivia for Rick Nelson fans. If you don't like the post, move on. No need to respond negatively to make yourself seem superior. You're not.
I think Ricky did great. he was the character for me. And as far as appearing stiff, well, that was Ricky! Everyone knew it. Then again, he was pretty true for a young guy on screen. He never showed more emotion on screen than his real personality off screen. I really like a lot of John Wayne movies, and Dean Martin is always fun...but still, film would not has been the same, or as good, without Ricky. Added 2 Million to gross...big surprise that that should be a factor in casting a film...oh wait, that's how ALL films are cast, duh.
shareSure, Rick was a throw-in for the youthful female demographic. So what? The film was too well-made and generally too well-acted for his sometimes amateurish performance to have much of an impact. None of the Ozzie & Harriet clan could really act anyway, but they were extremely likeable and many Americans grew up with their long-running TV show. Rick added Ricky Nelson to the fun, and that was good enough for me. You could add that all that singing didn't really belong in a taut drama like this in the first place, but Hawks made it work just fine for most viewers. I love this film, warts and all.
Hi, Bob.
One of the worst performances in film history, next to Sofia Coppola in Godfather 3. Not only was Ricky Nelson wooden, but he was like a robot when he spoke in that monotone voice. He may be a good singer but his acting career certainly went nowhere after this movie. And for good reason.
shareRicky Nelson is underrated as an actor. I think he could hold his own in this film, against Wayne and Dean and the others. He's just derided being "the new kid" and all. Any imperfections is due to his inexperience, and just doing what he'd been told to do. Within those means, he does a pretty good job, and underrated at that.
While his acting certainly wasn't Oscar caliber, I still enjoyed Ricky in this movie.
shareHe was one of the main reasons this film is so great. Not only his singing with Mr. Dean, but his laid back portrayal of "Colorado Ryan". As Stumpy pointed out, he wasn't the stereotypical young bad-ass who was good with a six gun.
His father, Rocky, is mentioned early on as a former gunfighter himself. He obviously raised his son to be reserved and inteligent and, when needed, to let his gun handling skills speak for themselves. I firmly believe that if Colorado had been written as the usual loud mouth punk with a gun, Rick would not have been very good in the role.
Most skeptics are terrified it's all real and are desperate to prove otherwise.
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This role was going to be Elvis Presley's but he was drafted by the Army. Just think how much better it would have been with him. He was a better singer and better actor. His first movies were good. It wasn't until Col. Parker changed things and ruined Elvis' movies by making them so cheaply and in on average 2 weeks!! The Duke with The KING and Dean Martin! Wow, that would have been something! Later in 1969 Col. Parker messed up Elvis' chance to be in True Grit!! He told them that Elvis should have the top billing! What a jerk. He screwed things up with A Star In Born too. Movies like this just might have saved Elvis from what happened to him later on. What a shame!
shareAs curious as it would be to see Elvis in the movie I think it would've made for too big a distraction. Ricky Nelson's character was supposed to be mature beyond his years so it would make no sense to try upstaging the Duke (or even Dean Martin). Nelson was just fine in his part. As a teen trying to behave older it's no surprise that he'd come across as wooden but he was just fine.
Gene(points at his arm pit:Get a waft of that,man stink. See if that doesn't moisten your gusset!
I am really not quite sure what everybody's problem with Ricky Nelson and his acting is. Maybe it was not an Oscar-worthy performance, but he was perfectly adequate.
"Ricky had a relaxed, laidback style that, to me, comes off as effortlessly cool."
Exactly. Maybe a bit stiff and wooden, but perfect for the role of a gun-slinger. Slightly monotone, but that added to his portrayal.
He comes off as much more mature than his 18 years. Not like a kid. In that respect he is a bit like Audie Murphy. He always looked so harmless until something pissed him off.
The real problem for me was Walter Brennan. The bumbling old coot that was supposed to serve as comic relief really got on my nerves. Brennan had played more of less the same character in every other movie and I just could not find him entertaining. So for me the weak link was Brennan, not Nelson.
Jessica Rabbit
"I'm not bad. I'm just drawn that way."
Awwwwwwww . . . Brennan was "never" a weak link!
shareBrennan was a lot more versatile than he's often given credit for. He stole "The Westerner" as Judge Roy Bean; was a sports journalist in "The Pride of the Yankees;" the villainous Ike Clanton in "My Darling Clementine" (a role he later spoofed to great comic effect in "Support Your Local Sheriff"); and the "conscience" of the Captain Bligh-like John Wayne in "Rio Bravo." This is just a sampling from among numerous pictures that would have been lesser ones without him.
shareWhen I was 7 years old I totally fell in love with Ricky's character in this movie. Two decades later I still love that character, Ricky, the movie and the songs.
"Martha is 108... years old. She weighs somewhat more than that". - Georgeshare
This is too funny. Same here. The first time I saw Rio Bravo I fell in love with Ricky Nelson. I was younger than he was then. But I just saw it again and yes, I'm still in love with him. Embarrassing really.
Jessica Rabbit
"I'm not bad. I'm just drawn that way."
Jessica Rabbit69, you wanna know what's embarrasing? My only other crush before Ricky Nelson was Prince Phillip from Sleeping Beauty.
"Martha is 108... years old. She weighs somewhat more than that". - Georgeshare
I think he was really good in this. He did try to act a bit like a teen idol when he sang (closing his eyes, kinda bobbing his head), but he was really good. I love his sarcasm ("I speak English sheriff if you wanna ask me", and when he told Feathers that Chance ought to be ashamed of thinking she had the cards), and his cute politeness (saying yes ma'am, no ma'am to Feathers at the bar.
I'd like to leave you with one simple thought: the best is yet to
come.-Whit-Adventures In Odyssey
He did fine.
"It ain't dying I'm talking about, it's LIVING!"
Captain Augustus McCrae