biography

George Nader Born in Pasadena, California, on October 19, 1921, actor George Nader graduated from Occidental College with a B.A. in theater arts before joining the Navy during World War II. Upon returning home after the war, Nader acted in stage plays in southern California. By 1950, he started getting small, uncredited roles in films and also acted in early television. His handsome visage was his ticket to a Universal-International contract by the mid 1950s, where he made a number of films. However, his first starring role came in the form of the independent 1953 flick Robot Monster, a 3-D feature directed by Phil Tucker. Robot Monster features George Barrows as the monster, wearing a monkey suit with a diving bell. Tucker's opus was produced for $16,000 (fantastically cheap even in 1953) and was shot entirely outdoors in four days in Bronson Canyon, east of Los Angeles. Although heralded as one of the worst films of all time, it was the first science fiction film released with stereophonic sound. During its initial run, Robot Monster made more than $1 million, mostly due to the novelty of the 3-D process.

George NaderGeorge Nader

George Nader was a frequent subject of beefcake photographers in the 1950s. At 6'1" and 180 lbs., Nader stayed in shape by lifting weights and swimming

George Nader Nader made a few more film appearances in low-budget films, including Sins of Jezebel (1953; with Paulette Goddard and John Hoyt) and the campy adventure Miss Robin Crusoe (1953; with Amanda Blake), before signing a contract with Universal-International in 1954. His first film for the studio was the western Four Guns to the Border (1954; with Rory Calhoun and Colleen Miller). Nader won a 1955 Golden Globe award for "Most Promising Newcomer." However, with the death of the studio system in the late 1950s, Nader's contract with Universal-International lapsed following the release of Flood Tide (1958; with Cornell Borchers and Joanna Moore).

By the late 1950s, he took on a few television series: The Further Adventures of Ellery Queen (syndicated, 1958-1959), The Man and the Challenge (NBC, 1959-1960), and Shannon (syndicated, 1961-1962). Unfortunately, none of them lasted beyond a season. He made a few more low-budget films, including The Secret Mark of D'Artagnan (1962) and The Human Duplicators (1965; with Barbara Nichols, Hugh Beamont, and Richard Kiel) before going to Germany to star as FBI agent Jerry Cotton in a string of Eurospy thrillers. He stayed in Europe through the late 1960s, working in such films as The Million Eyes of Sumuru (1967; with Shirley Eaton and Frankie Avalon) and House of 1,000 Dolls (1967; with Vincent Price and Martha Hyer). These movies proved highly popular in Europe and other markets and somewhat revived Nader's acting career.

the films of george nader

Robot Monster (1953)

George Nader, Claudia Barrett, and John MylongGeorge Nader

LEFT: With Claudia Barret and John Mylong. RIGHT: Nader and Claudia Barrett are menaced by Ro-man

Four Guns to the Border (1954)

George Nader and Colleen Miller

From the western Four Guns to the Border with Colleen Miller

Lady Godiva of Coventry (1955)

George NaderGeorge Nader and Maureen O'HaraRhodes Reason, George Nader and Maureen O'Hara

From Universal-International's hisorical drama Lady Godiva of Coventry. LEFT: Studio still. CENTER: With Maureen O'Hara. RIGHT: With Rhodes Reason and Maureen O'Hara

Four Girls in Town (1956)

Julie Adams and George NaderJulie Adams and George NaderJulie Adams and George Nader

With Julie Adams in Four Girls in Town

The Second Greatest Sex (1956)

George Nader

Universal still from the musical The Second Greatest Sex

Congo Crossing (1956)

Virginia Mayo and George NaderVirginia Mayo, Peter Lorre, and George Nader

LEFT: With Virginia Mayo in the Universal-International adventure Congo Crossing. RIGHT: With Virginia Mayo and Peter Lorre

The Female Animal (1957)

George NaderGeorge NaderGeorge Nader

Jane Powell puts the moves on George Nader in The Female Animal. This feature pits an aging star (Hedy Lamarr in her last film role) against her alcoholic daughter (Jane Powell) for the affections of a movie bit player (Nader). Nader has affairs with both the mother and daughter, and in the end, flees to Mexico to make a bad horror film, just to escape the mess. This film features one of George Nader's strongest performances

Flood Tide (1958)

George Nader and Cornell Borchers

With Cornell Borchers in the Universal-International drama Flood Tide

Nowhere to Go (1958)

George Nader and Maggie Smith

With Maggie Smith in the British-made thriller Nowhere to Go, released by MGM

House of 1000 Dolls (1967)

George Nader

Nader tries to unravel the mystery of Vincent Price's House of 1000 Dolls

The Million Eyes of Su-Muru (1967)

George NaderGeorge Nader and Shirley EatonGeorge Nader and Frankie Avalon

LEFT and CENTER: With Shirley Eaton in the AIP spy caper The Million Eyes of Su-Muru. RIGHT: With Frankie Avalon

Beyond Atlantis (1973)

George Nader

As Nereus in the low-budget fantasy Beyond Atlantis

later years


George Nader and Rock HudsonGeorge Nader and Rock Hudson

Nader and Rock Hudson have fun on the water in the late 1950s. The two actors met in the early 1950s and were lifelong friends

Nader went to Europe in 1965 and made a string of eight German-made Jerry Cotton crime films which proved very popular with European audiences. The first film in the series was The Violin Case Murders (1965), with Nader as Jerry Cotton. Folliwng the final film in the series, Broadway's Deadly Gold, aka Dead Body on Broadway (1969), Nader worked very little as an actor.

George Nader

George Nader in 1978, upon the publication of Chrome


In the mid 1970s, a serious automobile accident left George Nader with an eye injury that permanently sidelined his acting career; he could no longer tolerate the bright lights required in film production. Nader then focused his efforts on writing science fiction, at which he was successful. His best-known work is the gay-themed groundbreaking science fiction novel Chrome (1978). After Nader's retirement, he divided his time between Palm Springs and Hawaii, spending time with his longtime partner, Mark Miller. Nader and Miller became a couple in 1947, after meeting while acting in a play together. With Nader's star rising, Miller supported the couple by working odd jobs and eventually became Rock Hudson's personal secretary, a position he maintained from 1972 until Hudson's death in 1985. Following Hudson's death and the protracted probate of his will, Nader and Miller inherited Hudson's remaining estate in the early 1990s. Sadly, George Nader passed away on February 4, 2002, at the age of 80. He was survived by his partner, Mark Miller, and his nephew, actor Michael Nader.

the george nader gallery

George NaderGeorge NaderGeorge NaderGeorge NaderGeorge Nader

George NaderGeorge NaderGeorge NaderGeorge Nader

George NaderGeorge NaderGeorge NaderGeorge Nader

filmography

FILM
Nakia (1974) with Robert Forster, Linda Evans, and Stephen McNally
Beyond Atlantis (1973) with John Ashley, Patrick Wayne, Sid Haig, and Vic Diaz
Broadway's Deadly Gold (1969)
Death in the Red Jaguar (1968) with Robert Fuller
Death and Diamonds (1968)
Radhapura - Endstation der Verdammten (1968) with Gordon Mitchell
Deadly Shots on Broadway (1968)
The Million Eyes of Su-Muru (1967) with Frankie Avalon, Shirley Eaton, and Klaus Kinski
House of 1,000 Dolls (1967) with Vincent Price and Martha Hyer
Murderers' Club of Brooklyn (1967)
Die Rechnung - eiskalt serviert (1966)
The Trap Snaps Shut at Midnight (1966) with Horst Frank
Manhattan Night of Murder (1965)
Tip Not Included (1965) with Yvonne Monlaur and Horst Tappert
The Violin Case Murders (1965)
The Human Duplicators (1964) with Hugh Beaumont, Barbara Nichols, Richard Kiel, Dolores Faith, and Richard Arlen
The Secret Mark of D'Artagnan (1962) with Georges Marchal and Raf Baldassarre
Flood Tide (1958) with Joanna Moore
Nowhere to Go (1958) with Bernard Lee and Maggie Smith
Appointment With a Shadow (1958) with Brian Keith, Virginia Field, and Joanna Moore
The Female Animal (1957) with Jane Powell, Jan Sterling, and Hedy Lamarr
Joe Butterfly (1957) with Audie Murphy and John Agar
Man Afraid (1957) with Phyllis Thaxter and Martin Milner
Away All Boats (1956) with Lex Barker, Julie Adams, Jock Mahoney, Jeff Chandler, and Keith Andes
The Unguarded Moment (1956) with Esther Williams, John Saxon, and Les Tremayne
Four Girls in Town (1956) with Julie Adams, Grant Williams, and John Gavin
Congo Crossing (1956) with Virginia Mayo and Peter Lorre
The Second Greatest Sex (1956) with Mamie Van Doren, Jeanne Crain, Keith Andes, Kitty Kallen, and Bert Lahr
Lady Godiva of Coventry (1955) with Maureen O'Hara and Rhodes Reason
Six Bridges to Cross (1955) with Julie Adams and Tony Curtis
Carnival Story (1954) with Steve Cochran and Tor Johnson
Four Guns to the Border (1954) with Rory Calhoun and Colleen Miller
Miss Robin Crusoe (1954) with Amanda Blake
Sins of Jezebel (1954) with Paulette Goddard and Joe Besser
Robot Monster (1953) with George Barrows, Claudia Barrett, and Selena Royle
Monsoon (1953) with Ellen Corby and Myron Healey
Phone Call from a Stranger (1952) with Bette Davis, Gary Merrill, Shelley Winters, Michael Rennie, Craig Stevens, and Hugh Beaumont
Overland Telegraph (1951) with , and Tim Holt, Gail Davis, Mari Blanchard, and Hugh Beaumont
Take Care of My Little Girl (1951) with Jeffrey Hunter
Two Tickets to Broadway (1951)
Rustlers on Horseback (1950) with Allan 'Rocky' Lane

TELEVISION SERIES
Shannon (1961-1962) This was a syndicated TV show produced by Screen Gems which also starred Regis Toomey. Nader was an insurance investigator, and the series revolved around his cases and the number of gadgets connected to his 1961 Buick Special. A total of 36 episodes were produced in the show's year-long run.
Man and the Challenge (1959-1960) This half-hour NBC series aired from September 1959 through September 1960. Nader portrayed Dr. Glenn Barton, a scientist exploring the mysteries of the unknown. A total of 36 episodes were produced.
The Further Adventures of Ellery Queen (1958-59) This show might have been successful if the production company hadn't moved the show from L.A. to New York. Nader left the show when it went to New York, and his replacement couldn't carry the show.

TELEVISION GUEST APPEARANCES
The F.B.I., episode A Game of Chess, originally aired November 1972
Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law, episode Warlock at Mach 3, originally aired January 6, 1972
Burke's Law, episode Who Killed the Jackpot?, originally aired April 21, 1965
Alfred Hitchcock Presents, episode Where Beauty Lies, originally aired June 1962
Alfred Hitchcock Presents, episode Self Defense, originally aired May 23, 1961
The Andy Griffith Show, episode The New Doctor, originally aired March 27, 1961
The Loretta Young Show, episode The Choice, originally aired February 26, 1961
Laramie, episode .45 Calibre, originally aired November 15, 1960
Climax!, episode The Stranger Within, originally aired August 22, 1957
Lux Video Theatre, episode One Way Street, originally aired February 21, 1957
Lux Video Theatre, episode The Glass Web, originally aired November 15, 1956
Cavalcade of America, episode The Forge, originally aired October 26, 1954
Lux Video Theatre, episode An Angel Went AWOL, originally aired October 21, 1954
Cavalcade of America, episode Moonlight School, originally aired May 18, 1954
The Loretta Young Show, episode Oh, My Aching Heart, originally aired May 9, 1954
The Loretta Young Show, episode The Enchanted Schoolteacher, originally aired April 25, 1954
The Public Defender, episode The Clown, originally aired April 15, 1954
The Loretta Young Show, episode The Clara Schumann Story, originally aired March 21, 1954
The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse, episode His Brother's Girl, originally aired February 26, 1954
The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse, episode Account Closed, originally aired January 15, 1954
The Loretta Young Show, episode Hotel Irritant, originally aired December 28, 1953
Fireside Theatre, episode Appointment with Death, originally aired November 17, 1953
The Loretta Young Show, episode Kid Stuff, originally aired November 8, 1953
Fireside Theatre, episode Refuge, originally aired October 6, 1953
The Loretta Young Show, episode The Mirror, originally aired September 27, 1953
The Loretta Young Show, episode Trial Run, originally aired September 20, 1953
Schlitz Playhouse, episode Richard and the Lion, originally aired July 3, 1953
Your Jeweler's Showcase, episode Heart's Desire, originally aired May 19, 1953
Fireside Theatre, episode Boundary Line, originally aired February 17, 1953
Fireside Theatre, episode The Lady Wears a Star, originally aired January 27, 1953
Gruen Guild Theater, episode My Brother's Wife, originally aired December 26, 1952
Gruen Guild Theater, episode An Affair at the Embassy, originally aired October 18, 1952
Big Town, episode Baby Sitter, originally aired June 12, 1952
Fireside Theatre, episode The Golden Ball/Just Three Words, originally aired January 17, 1950

george nader trailers now showing

Watch the trailer for George Nader's 1953 sci-fi thriller Robot Monster

george nader television appearances

Watch George Nader in a 1953 episode of The Loretta Young Show titled The Mirror

george nader film now showing

Watch George Nader's 1953 horror/sci-fi flick Robot Monster
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