Ricky Nelson brings a clean-cut composure to the screen, and we find him a capable supporting presence. In Rio Bravo, though, that assurance leaves him less interesting to watch than Dean Martin or Walter Brennan.
Fi1m perspective
In Rio Bravo (1959), Ricky Nelson's Colorado Ryan is so composed that we seldom wonder what he is thinking. He belongs in Howard Hawks's unhurried Western, where the pleasure comes largely from spending time with the company. Yet belonging is about as far as the performance goes. We grew less interested when attention shifted from Dean Martin or Walter Brennan to Nelson, because his assurance gave us less to be curious about. That is a limitation in a film which leaves its actors so much room.
His television work helps explain that ease. In The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952–1966), he appeared as himself, and familiarity was a large part of what he offered an audience. His recording career began in 1957; his screen work also made room for songs. The clean-cut youth Hawks cast did not need much introducing. That makes him readily acceptable as Colorado, though we would have liked more than the reassuring sense that he was comfortable being there.
The move into film did not demand that he become unrecognisable. After Rio Bravo, The Wackiest Ship in the Army (1960) made use of his ease in comedy, and Love and Kisses (1965), written and directed by Ozzie Nelson, took him into romantic comedy. These were extensions of the familiar performer, rather than evidence of a sharp break. As music took precedence, acting became more intermittent, with occasional television guest roles after the family series ended.
Hawks gives that composure a useful place in an ensemble, without making it sufficient reason to watch Nelson on his own. The relaxed pace accommodates him, although it also gives us time to notice how much more his colleagues contribute. We rate Rio Bravo highly, but there is no reason to promote every performance in it to the same level. Start there for Nelson, provided the attraction is the company rather than the expectation that he will be its most interesting member.
Biography
Ricky Nelson, born Eric Hilliard Nelson, was an American actor and musician. He appeared as Colorado Ryan in the 1959 western Rio Bravo, directed by Howard Hawks and starring John Wayne and Dean Martin.
Nelson began his career as a child performer on the radio and television series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952–1966), in which he played a version of himself alongside his family. He made his feature film debut in Here Come the Nelsons (1952) and later appeared in films including The Wackiest Ship in the Army (1960). He received a Golden Globe nomination for Most Promising Male Newcomer for his role in Rio Bravo.
Nelson died on 31 December 1985 in a plane crash near De Kalb, Texas.
