Ted Donaldson, who starred as Bud Anderson in the original radio version of Dad knows best and as Neely Nolan in the beloved family drama A tree grows in Brooklyn, the first feature film directed by Elia Kazan, has passed away. He turned 89.
Donaldson died Wednesday of a fall at his Echo Park apartment in January, his friend Thomas Bruno said The Hollywood Reporter.
In his film debut, Donaldson portrayed a boy who gets his pet, the caterpillar Curly, to dance when he plays “Yes Sir, That’s My Baby” on the harmonica in the comic fantasy There was once (1944), starring Cary Grant and Janet Blair.
He also starred as Danny Mitchell in eight Columbia Pictures B movies that revolved around a German Shepherd named Rusty. The first, Adventures of Rusty (1945), with Ace the Wonder Dog.
Donaldson, an only child, was born in Brooklyn on August 20, 1933. His father was singer-composer Will Donaldson (who co-wrote “Do Wacka Do”, a hit for Roger Miller years later). After his mother, Jo, died when he was just a few months old, his father married organist/composer Muriel Pollock.
Donaldson attended the Professional Children’s School in New York and had a magic act, and he joined the original Broadway production of Living With Father as the son Harlan in 1941. Also that year he played Tiny Tim opposite Edmund Gwenn as Scrooge in a week-long radio version of serialized A Christmas carol.
In 1943 Donaldson was back on Broadway alongside Gregory Peck, Stella Adler and Geraldine Fitzgerald as a younger version of Kenneth Tobey’s character in Sons and soldiersdirected by Max Reinhardt.
His performance in it led to him auditioning for Columbia chief Harry Cohn for the role of Arthur “Pinky” Thompson in There was oncebased on the audio play My client Curly.
Ted Donaldson with Cary Grant in 1944 There was once
Courtesy of the Everett Collection
Grant took a liking to the boy, supervised the fitting of a new blue serge suit to a Hollywood client, and then, with his wife Betsy Drake, attended Donaldson’s 1949 high school graduation at the Beverly Hills Hotel. The superstar actor affectionately called him “Teddy,” Donaldson recalled in a 2018 interview.
After playing an orphan in Mr. Winkle goes to battle (1944), starring Edward G. Robinson and Ruth Warrick, Donaldson landed the role of Cornelius “Neely” Nolan in Fox’s A tree grows in Brooklyn (1945), based on Betty Smith’s popular 1943 novel.
Set in Williamsburg in the early 1900s, the film also featured Dorothy McGuire and James Dunn (in an Oscar-winning turn) as his parents, Katie and Johnny Nolan, and Peggy Ann Garner (recipient of a youth Oscar ) as his older sister. , Francie.
From 1949-54, Donaldson played James “Bud” Anderson Jr. opposite Robert Young on NBC Radios Dad knows best. He received an offer to continue with Young on the TV adaptation at CBS, but turned it down.
“I didn’t want to be typecast,” he said in the 2002 book Growing up on set. “I didn’t want to be a 21-year-old playing a 15- or 16-year-old kid. I wanted to do other things.” However, he would later regret the decision. (Billy Gray played Bud on the TV show for six seasons.)
After Adventures of RustyDonaldson came back for The Return of Rust (1946), For the love of Rusty (1947), Rusty’s son (1947), My dog rusty (1948), Rusty leads the way (1948), Rusty saves a life (1949) and finally It’s Rusty’s birthday (1949).
Young Donaldson had a thing for animals – he also worked with a burro Child personality (1946) and with a horse in it The red stallion (1947).
Ted Donaldson with John Litel and Flame the dog in 1948 Rusty leads the way
Courtesy of the Everett Collection
His resume on the big screen was also included A boy, a girl and a friend (1945), Christopher Blake’s decision (1948), The green promise (1949) and Phone call from a stranger (1952). His last on-screen credits came on the TV shows Matinee Theater in 1955-56 and Silent service in 1958.
Donaldson, a true gentleman, later taught acting classes and worked for many years in a bookstore on Hollywood Boulevard. Once, while delivering a book to a customer’s home, he was “overjoyed and a little embarrassed” to find actress Alexis Smith on the other side of the door, Bruno said. The two had worked together in Christopher Blake’s decision.
“She brought him into her house and sat him down and made him feel welcome,” he said.
Donaldson has been a guest at several TCM Classic Film Festivals – including in 2016 when a restored version of A tree grows in Brooklyn delighted audiences – and looked forward to returning to the Hollywood event next month.
He never married and had no survivors. Bruno and his wife Heidi have a GoFundMe page help with funeral expenses.
