Talent Agent: What do you do? Frank Nelson: I say yes. TA: Do what now? FN: Say yes. TA: Er... what? FN: (faces the wall) TA: Excuse me? FN: (turns around) YYYEEEEEESSSSSS?! TA: (lights cigar) You got a future, kid!
I met Frank Nelson in person at an "Old Time Radio" convention in New Jersey in 1986. A nice man, and I was able to tell him how much I enjoyed his work. Very friendly and approachable. Very much missed !!
Frank Nelson's last work was an animated television special from 1986 called "Garfield in Paradise." He did, indeed, do his trademark "Yeeeeeeeeesssss?"
Remember him as the train conductor on I Love Lucy? Lucy pulls the emergency stop and conductor Frank shows up and says, "Mrs. Ricahhdo, did YOU stop this train!!?
Thanks for remembering Frank Nelson, one of the unsung heroes of the entertainment business. The man was an original and played beautifully off of Jack Benny.
Yes, of course the man with the carnation on his lapel is the floor walker. Of course. I haven't seen a carnation on a lapel or heard of a floor walker in my entire life. What time has passed!
Thanks for posting this clip with Frank Nelson always loved it when he appeared. There is a funny one with Frank Nelson as a lawyer. When Jack asks him, "You always have different jobs." Nelson: "I'm trying to improve myself, whats your excuse."
i've always loved frank nelson and i think it's too bad he never appeared on"batman",if adam west and burt ward ever ran into him while in search of a criminal and he said"yeessss"to them,it would have been something special.oh,what might have been!
Benny: Oh Mister? Nelson: YEEESSSSS Benny: Pardon me are you the floor walker here? Nelson: Well what do you think I am with this Carnation A Float in the Rose Parade? LOL..Frank Nelson is the best he is funny.
This coming December will mark one of the darkest milestones in the entertainment industry--the 35th anniversary of the passing of the immortal Benjamin Kubelsky (sp), known as Jack Benny. His life was taken away by pancreatic cancer.
always loved this guy. He was a great foil for Red Foxx in Sanford and Son, along with all the other shows he did. There are many attempts to copy him these, but I've never seen one that did it very well.
My favorite Sanford & Son appearance by Frank was when he played a pilot. After his usual “Yyyyyeeeessss?” entrance: Lamont: I’m just a little nervous. This is my first time on an airplane. Frank: Mine too!
I was thinking more of early 50s, but you could right that it's from a show in 1960 or sometime from that era. Color TV was something that not everyone in the early 60s had as the sets were very expensive and not all stations broadcast in color. I won't say the Rose Parade wasn't nationally known, but I'm sure there were many with their first sets who hadn't ever heard of it. BTW, the Rose Parade was broadcast on radio before TV.
Thanks for this. Nelson's voice was so distinctive. Who can forget the I Love Lucy episode when they arrive home from Europe, with cheese stuffed in the instruments. "A piece of cheese?" is a fave line.
Thanks for the upload. Just heard Frank Nelson on an old Lucy Ball radio show and had to see if there was anything on him here. He NEVER fails to get a laugh outta me when he does that "yeesss" and his wisecracks.
Nelson's "YEEEEESSSSS?" was his trademark, one he used frequently on CBS shows in the 50's, including several appearances on shows starring Benny and various shows produced by Desilu and/or Danny Thomas. He was also used frequently as a voice on the Flintstones and other cartoons, and later in life, on Sanford and Son.
I'm 70 and a retired engineer. I have a good recollection of the progress of color TV. From 1954 until the mid-1960s, NBC was the only network doing a lot of colorcasting because their parent company RCA, held a lot of patents for color TV receivers and wanted to promote color. Jack Benny was on CBS until 1965 and even his last shows were in B&W, as far as I can tell.
@RaZorFakkzor ,now you know where they got that character on Simpsons from. .. they based it off Frank Nelson. one of the best Character Actors in the bussiness. and paired up with Jack Benny one of the greatest comedian's in the bussiness. they were a great team.
"He told me that he loved Mr.Benny very much and he really missed him." That seems to be the universal consensus about Benny, who despite his character's image as a tightwad, was actually generous, kind, and warm-hearted.
Frank Nelson worked with Jack on radio and TV for over 30 years, usually appearing as "the floorwalker" [as in this 1960 "Christmas Shopping" episode, an annual tradition on radio]. Jack could NEVER figure out why "Nelson" was so disrespectful to him, or why he kept seeing him in so many different places....but WE knew!
I was fortunate enough to meet Frank Nelson in 1965. He was employed at a camera shop on Hollywood Blvd or at least he hung out there. On several occasions he came across the street to visit Masters Mart next to the Egyptian Theater which was an early discount store owned by a Mr. Melman and run by his son Monty. I met a number of celebrities during the time I worked at Masters Mart including Jack Lord and Angelia Lansbury. I recall that everyone’s them was very nice but at 19 years old I didn’t know who any of them were except Jack Lord who starred in a TV series called ‘Stoney Burke’.
Forgot to mention, one of my favorite exchanges. (at airport) BENNY:; Look Mister, I've just gotta get a plane out of here NELSON: WELL, if I don't have one I'll build one!
Frank Nelson scored a win for all salespeople. I used to work at a store, which made me realize the importance of doing well in college. You can tell by the way Frank Nelson walked by so quickly that he was on his way to do a different task when a customer bothered him. I don't blame him for being rude to customers. He handled the idiotic "Do you work here?" question with humor and sarcasm. He's a much more polite salesperson than I was.
If you listen to the old Lux Radio Theater shows, Frank Nelson and Arthur Q. Bryan (Elmer Fudd) were on many episodes playing serious dramatic (!) parts. My favortite is the Lux Theater version of "Angels With Dirty Faces", where Frank Nelson actually plays the Humphrey Bogart part!!!
At the antique store the employee asked if he could help me. I said i was "just looking" he turned away and said "that's what museums are for" I immediately thought of Frank Nelson.
Amazingly, I actually met Frank Nelson on several occasions. In 1965 he was working across Hollywood Blvd from the store I was employed at. The business he worked at was a camera shop. I don’t know if he actually had to work or was just there because of his interest and experience. I was across the street at a business called Masters Mart owned by a Mr. Melman and run by his son Monty.
IT'S YES GUY! honestly. he is my favorite character in the entire simpsons show. "Siiiiiiiir! Other customers need to use their dressing room!" "Oh no! Oh no! Oh no!!"*Homer flashes out a wad of cash*"Oh yeeeeeeeees!"
@didymus46 I'm almost 30 and I find this kind of humor hilarious. I watch Jack Benny's show every Sunday night on Retro TV Network. In fact I'm watching it now.
I miss guys like Frank Nelson. Never knew his name but I always recognized the Yes Guy. Are there any comedians today that have a particular schtick that they are known for?
@Astraldragon1 Hi. Thanks for comment. While there, I also met Arthur Tracy "the Street Singer", a regular on old time radio in 30's. ---where are you from?
1965 was that pivotal year in Color Casting. You do recall how huge those color cameras were. A Show like Bonanza was shown in color going back a few years. You can observe the transformation on the Ed Sullivan Shows clips from 1966 on are mostly in color This goes for those huge Color Studio VTR's with huge reel to reel recorders. Scale down use EV 210 b/w Color EV 310 and above
Oh, he was Ralph Ramsey? I thought so... loved watching the I Love Lucy reruns on Nick at Nite as a kid, and my mother has the first four seasons on DVD, so I still get to see the show every so often...
I heard his normal speaking voice in an interview. You would never know it was him, compared to the bawdy character voice he uses. Same for Gilbert Gottfried, former voice of the Aflac duck.
I do remember him as Freddie Fillmore he was funny on I love Lucy. he even played the next door Neighbor when they moved to the country on the last season of I Love Lucy.
Its amazing how many characters this character inspired. 'Grover' and the 'Fat Blue Muppet' on Sesame Street. 'Yes Guy' from the Simpsons. 'Big Gay Al' from Southpark.
of course, the Simpson's Character is based on Frank Nelson, just like Professor Frink is based on Jerry Lewis' Julius Kelp (Nutty Professor) Character.
Ah, Frank Nelson. One of the most memorable comedians that nobody remembers. Thanks for the clip!
I remember him too!
I never knew his name!
Everybody who ever worked in retail wants to be this guy.
Yesssssss
Love him! He takes no BS from customers. :-)
Oh god YES!
I actually am.
I can vouch for that.
Talent Agent: What do you do?
Frank Nelson: I say yes.
TA: Do what now?
FN: Say yes.
TA: Er... what?
FN: (faces the wall)
TA: Excuse me?
FN: (turns around) YYYEEEEEESSSSSS?!
TA: (lights cigar) You got a future, kid!
So THIS is where the inspiration for the Yes Guy on the Simpsons was taken from!
If you listen carefully, the song being sung in the "Guys and Dolls" by Mark Hamil is actually the theme song for the Jack Benny show as well.
YEeeeees.
He also did many episodes of Sanford And Son.
Ooooooo, is it!
That’s Right 😆
I had a stroooooke!
Frank Nelson with that "Yesssss" but Jack with the look-away take is what seals the running gag on so many scenes.
Nelson was one of the funniest people ever. He completely inhabited the role and didn't hold back for a second.
@Slim Pickens - You're absolutely right. No one said "yes" quite like Nelson!
I met Frank Nelson in person at an "Old
Time Radio" convention in New Jersey in
1986. A nice man, and I was able to tell
him how much I enjoyed his work. Very
friendly and approachable. Very much
missed !!
Frank Nelson's last work was an animated television special from 1986 called "Garfield in Paradise." He did, indeed, do his trademark "Yeeeeeeeeesssss?"
Loved that cartoon. Also featured the vocal talents of the great Wolfman Jack, and of course Lorenzo Music as Garfield.
Frank Nelson, I never knew his name. How can you resist laughing at his "YESSSSSSSSS?!?!" CLassic stuff right there.
Frank Nelson left his mark, his voice roles on the Flintstones great like this one.
Frank Nelson’s character is exactly what I wanted to be when I worked in retail. 😅
I love how his expression totally changed from when he was walking to the "YEEEEEES"
Remember him as the train conductor on I Love Lucy? Lucy pulls the emergency stop and conductor Frank shows up and says, "Mrs. Ricahhdo, did YOU stop this train!!?
Thanks for remembering Frank Nelson, one of the unsung heroes of the entertainment business. The man was an original and played beautifully off of Jack Benny.
that guy always cracked me up when ever I saw him on the jack Benny program - Forrest
Yes, of course the man with the carnation on his lapel is the floor walker. Of course.
I haven't seen a carnation on a lapel or heard of a floor walker in my entire life. What time has passed!
Customer service has passed.
Customer service used to be "a thing." This is it in satire.
Men still wear carnations on the lapel for special occasions but otherwise it isn't the common practice it once was.
Well today you get the Trader Joe floor walker - they wear the Lei of flowers
My other favorite line of his is "Ooooooooooh, gooody!"
Thanks for posting this clip with Frank Nelson always loved it when he appeared.
There is a funny one with Frank Nelson as a lawyer.
When Jack asks him, "You always have different jobs."
Nelson: "I'm trying to improve myself, whats your excuse."
Nelson has SUCH an attitude, esp. around Jack!! I love it!! Makes be laugh.
i've always loved frank nelson and i think it's too bad he never appeared on"batman",if adam west and burt ward ever ran into him while in search of a criminal and he said"yeessss"to them,it would have been something special.oh,what might have been!
Let's not forget: Frank Nelson also portrayed Freddie Filmore and Betty Ramsey's husband during the "I Love Lucy" days.
Benny: Oh Mister?
Nelson: YEEESSSSS
Benny: Pardon me are you the floor walker here?
Nelson: Well what do you think I am with this Carnation A Float in the Rose Parade?
LOL..Frank Nelson is the best he is funny.
This coming December will mark one of the darkest milestones in the entertainment industry--the 35th anniversary of the passing of the immortal Benjamin Kubelsky (sp), known as Jack Benny. His life was taken away by pancreatic cancer.
always loved this guy. He was a great foil for Red Foxx in Sanford and Son, along with all the other shows he did. There are many attempts to copy him these, but I've never seen one that did it very well.
My favorite Sanford & Son appearance by Frank was when he played a pilot. After his usual “Yyyyyeeeessss?” entrance:
Lamont:
I’m just a little nervous. This is my first time on an airplane.
Frank:
Mine too!
@@markschildberg1667 That's freakin hilarious!
I was thinking more of early 50s, but you could right that it's from a show in 1960 or sometime from that era.
Color TV was something that not everyone in the early 60s had as the sets were very expensive and not all stations broadcast in color. I won't say the Rose Parade wasn't nationally known, but I'm sure there were many with their first sets who hadn't ever heard of it.
BTW, the Rose Parade was broadcast on radio before TV.
His voice was also Joey D'auria's inspiration for the voice of Whisper on Yo-Kai Watch. Classic ;)
Thanks for this. Nelson's voice was so distinctive. Who can forget the I Love Lucy episode when they arrive home from Europe, with cheese stuffed in the instruments. "A piece of cheese?" is a fave line.
Man, I wish I could talk to customers like that. lol
I DO talk to customers like that!!!
Thanks for the upload. Just heard Frank Nelson on an old Lucy Ball radio show and had to see if there was anything on him here. He NEVER fails to get a laugh outta me when he does that "yeesss" and his wisecracks.
Frank nelson casually says 'Phew' at the end
as if the actual deal woulda been harder to serve the customer
Reverse Psychology nailed!!!
Classic actor...and one of the most recognizable routines in show biz.
Nelson's "YEEEEESSSSS?" was his trademark, one he used frequently on CBS shows in the 50's, including several appearances on shows starring Benny and various shows produced by Desilu and/or Danny Thomas. He was also used frequently as a voice on the Flintstones and other cartoons, and later in life, on Sanford and Son.
Also with Lucille Ball.
I'm 70 and a retired engineer. I have a good recollection of the progress of color TV. From 1954 until the mid-1960s, NBC was the only network doing a lot of colorcasting because their parent company RCA, held a lot of patents for color TV receivers and wanted to promote color. Jack Benny was on CBS until 1965 and even his last shows were in B&W, as far as I can tell.
@RaZorFakkzor ,now you know where they got that character on Simpsons from. .. they based it off Frank Nelson. one of the best Character Actors in the bussiness. and paired up with Jack Benny one of the greatest comedian's in the bussiness. they were a great team.
"He told me that he loved Mr.Benny very much and he really missed him."
That seems to be the universal consensus about Benny, who despite his character's image as a tightwad, was actually generous, kind, and warm-hearted.
I LOVE Frank Nelson! Dang, he's so irritating and insulting, and so FUNNY!
Frank Nelson's characters--most passive aggressive customer service person ever; and I don't blame him. He holds nothing back.
Thanks for posting this!!! He was a very funny man! I remember hearing his voice in cartoons as well!
We need more of these clips of Frank Nelson on RUclips!
Frank Nelson worked with Jack on radio and TV for over 30 years, usually appearing as "the floorwalker" [as in this 1960 "Christmas Shopping" episode, an annual tradition on radio]. Jack could NEVER figure out why "Nelson" was so disrespectful to him, or why he kept seeing him in so many different places....but WE knew!
I get a kick out this actor! He's great in playing the parts of the characters in the productions which he took part in!
frank was on Jack's radio show a lot over the years
I was fortunate enough to meet Frank Nelson in 1965. He was employed at a camera shop on Hollywood Blvd or at least he hung out there. On several occasions he came across the street to visit Masters Mart next to the Egyptian Theater which was an early discount store owned by a Mr. Melman and run by his son Monty. I met a number of celebrities during the time I worked at Masters Mart including Jack Lord and Angelia Lansbury. I recall that everyone’s them was very nice but at 19 years old I didn’t know who any of them were except Jack Lord who starred in a TV series called ‘Stoney Burke’.
Brilliant timeless comedy
i just love the way his says "yes"
A thousand thanks for rectifying the situation!
Woo hoo!!! I love Frank Nelson! Thank you!
Forgot to mention, one of my favorite exchanges. (at airport)
BENNY:; Look Mister, I've just gotta get a plane out of here
NELSON: WELL, if I don't have one I'll build one!
Thanks for this classic moment. Yeeeesssssssssssss!!!!!!!!
So great. Thanks for putting this up.
Frank Nelson scored a win for all salespeople. I used to work at a store, which made me realize the importance of doing well in college. You can tell by the way Frank Nelson walked by so quickly that he was on his way to do a different task when a customer bothered him. I don't blame him for being rude to customers. He handled the idiotic "Do you work here?" question with humor and sarcasm. He's a much more polite salesperson than I was.
You are blessed to have met Mr. Nelson.
Hysterical. Love Jack Benny too.❤
If you listen to the old Lux Radio Theater shows, Frank Nelson and Arthur Q. Bryan (Elmer Fudd) were on many episodes playing serious dramatic (!) parts. My favortite is the Lux Theater version of "Angels With Dirty Faces", where Frank Nelson actually plays the Humphrey Bogart part!!!
THANK YOU for putting this up!! I have always loved the "yes guy". :-)
Thank you for uploading this. Recently I heard a Jack Benny radio program in which Jack had a cold and had to see Dr Nelson LOL
At the antique store the employee asked if he could help me. I said i was "just looking" he turned away and said "that's what museums are for" I immediately thought of Frank Nelson.
Who would've imagined many decades ago when this guy was in these films, he'd get a Simpsons character based on him :P
It feels like there was a character on Simpsons who sounded exactly like Jack Benny.
Always laughed when he made cameo appearances turned around and said yessssss.🤣🤣
Amazingly, I actually met Frank Nelson on several occasions. In 1965 he was working across Hollywood Blvd from the store I was employed at. The business he worked at was a camera shop. I don’t know if he actually had to work or was just there because of his interest and experience. I was across the street at a business called Masters Mart owned by a Mr. Melman and run by his son Monty.
Thanks VERY much for posting this, & please post more Frank Nelson clips if you've got 'em.
I saw him this morning as a warden.
He’s the only caterer in town (flint stones)
@dancebandleader , you are blessed to have met him.
IT'S YES GUY! honestly. he is my favorite character in the entire simpsons show. "Siiiiiiiir! Other customers need to use their dressing room!"
"Oh no! Oh no! Oh no!!"*Homer flashes out a wad of cash*"Oh yeeeeeeeees!"
why do you talk like thar; I had a strooooooooke
@didymus46 I'm almost 30 and I find this kind of humor hilarious. I watch Jack Benny's show every Sunday night on Retro TV Network. In fact I'm watching it now.
I miss guys like Frank Nelson. Never knew his name but I always recognized the Yes Guy. Are there any comedians today that have a particular schtick that they are known for?
Anyone here after Jim Cornette made this reference to 2023 Vince McMahon?
@ladycrim , I remember Frank Nelson. I've allways enjoyed his comedy. he is great.
@Astraldragon1 Hi. Thanks for comment. While there, I also met
Arthur Tracy "the Street Singer", a regular on old time radio in 30's.
---where are you from?
Wow, that's awesome--it sounds exactly like something they'd do on the radio show.
Frank: the ultimate in passive-aggressive response. Very, very funny!
Will always be a million times funnier then Seth McFarlane.
But that's like saying Bobby Barber is funnier than Mel Brooks?
Frank Nelson has terrific trademark does he. YYYEEESSS! HHHEEE! DOOOEEESSS!
1965 was that pivotal year in Color Casting. You do recall how huge those color cameras were. A Show like Bonanza was shown in color going back a few years. You can observe the transformation on the Ed Sullivan Shows clips from 1966 on are mostly in color This goes for those huge Color Studio VTR's with huge reel to reel recorders. Scale down use EV 210 b/w
Color EV 310 and above
Reminds me of the scenes with Grover and the blue guy in Sesame Street!
The blue guy is Mr. Johnson.
Frank Nelson was somebody not to be messed with 😂😂😂😂😂😂
@dabble778 yeah, the character in the simpsns is drawn exactly like frank nelson
Oh, he was Ralph Ramsey? I thought so... loved watching the I Love Lucy reruns on Nick at Nite as a kid, and my mother has the first four seasons on DVD, so I still get to see the show every so often...
@tetrisclock There is a character in The Simpsons called the Yes Man. He is based on this guy.
MsMorbeg the character from The Simpsons is officially called the "Frank Nelson-type" man
I thought he was "That jerk who goes yeeeeees."
He'll ALWAYS be that to ME.
Classic
Yeeeessssssss we realize what he's really famous for!!!!
That’s his trademark.
I heard his normal speaking voice in an interview. You would never know it was him, compared to the bawdy character voice he uses. Same for Gilbert Gottfried, former voice of the Aflac duck.
This is the man❤
you are sooooooooooooo right!!
I do remember him as Freddie Fillmore he was funny on I love Lucy. he even played the next door Neighbor when they moved to the country on the last season of I Love Lucy.
you should hear frank nelson as mr. cow in the oringinal tootsie pop commercial.
Fantastic.
Its amazing how many characters this character inspired. 'Grover' and the 'Fat Blue Muppet' on Sesame Street.
'Yes Guy' from the Simpsons.
'Big Gay Al' from Southpark.
BTW - he did some "Flintstones" episodes, too.
Benny: Oh Mister?
Nelson: YEEESSSSS
Benny: Why do you talk that way?
Nelson: I just had a strooooooooooke!
I love u and Frank I'm subscribing
Also 'Humpry' from 'Are you being served'.
Yeah, the character is actually referred to by the writers as "Frank Nelson Type"
of course, the Simpson's Character is based on Frank Nelson, just like Professor Frink is based on Jerry Lewis' Julius Kelp (Nutty Professor) Character.
Maan I LOOVE this character in The Simpsons!! YEEEEEESSS????
No, it's the same man. He had thinning hair by the 70's so he had combovers, etc.
That dude with a hat in the beginning's voice makes me...idk...mad? No... something else... >_>