US actor David Nelson dies at 74

David Nelson, the last surviving family member from the 1950s US sitcom The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, has died aged 74.

The actor-turned-director died at his Los Angeles home of colon cancer, a family spokesman said.

Nelson starred in the real-life sitcom which featured his parents - bandleader Ozzie Nelson and singer Harriet Hilliard - and his brother Rick.

The TV show ran in the US for 435 episodes from 1952 - 1966.

The family show began on the radio as Here Come the Nelsons in 1944 before transferring to the small screen.

It became something of a national institution, depicting an idealised version of American family life with some of the storylines taken from the stars' own lives.

When the series ended, it had become the longest-running family sitcom in US TV history.

After joining the show aged 12, David Nelson literally grew up in front of millions of viewers.

Born in New York, when the actor graduated from high school and went on to university, so did his on-screen persona.

After he married in the early 1960s, his first wife - the actress June Blair - also became his TV wife.

Nelson also had roles in the films Peyton Place, The Remarkable Mr Pennypacker, The Big Circus and The Big Show.

He later moved into mainly directing TV advertisments with his last film appearance in the 1990 Johnny Depp film, Cry Baby.

In 1996, he was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his services to the motion picture industry.

Nelson is survived by his wife, Yvonne, four sons and a daughter, and seven grandchildren.