He played the son in “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” but turned down the chance to reprise his “Father Knows Best” radio role on TV.
Columbia Pictures/Wikimedia Commons
Ted Donaldson, the child actor who played Neely Nolan in the classic film A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, has died at age 89 after a fall. Donaldson worked with stars including Cary Grant, Edward G. Robinson, and Gregory Peck on the stage and screen. He played Robert Young’s son Bud on the radio version of Father Knows Best from 1949 to 1954 but passed on taking the role to the hit TV series because he didn’t want to be typecast as a teen—a decision he later said he regretted, according to The Hollywood Reporter. After leaving showbiz, Donaldson worked in a bookstore and gave acting lessons.
