Nelson Story

born: 25 July 1888 Newport, Kentucky, United States of America

died: 12 March 1944 Los Angeles, California, United States of America (colon cancer, age 55)

American musician and actor who appeared in a handful of Hal Roach comedies in the early 1930s. A pianist (as well as a xylophonist), he and his wife, Australian-born "singing comedienne" Elsie Clark (née McGuire, 1891-1971; married 1913 in Australia), had previously toured in vaudeville in an act variously known as "The Two Storys," "Story and Clark," or "Clark and Story." Interestingly, Variety (07 June 1932) noted: "Nelson Story's Shorts -- Culver City, June 6 -- Hal Roach has engaged Nelson Story of the vaude team of Story and Clark as one of the leads in the 'Taxicab' series. Contract is for one picture with options. Clyde Cook gets the other lead. First of the series goes into production next week with Del Lord directing." While Story would indeed appear among the ensemble of cabbies in some of the "Taxi Boys" comedies, Clyde Cook's co-stars in the first two entries produced ("Thundering Taxis" and "What Price Taxi") would be Billy Bevan in the first, and Franklin Pangborn in the second. His surname is also occasionally spelled "Storey."

Real name: Nelson E. Story Height: 5'8"

Films listed on this page: complete Hal Roach filmography.

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1932 What Price Taxi Cabbie 1932 Strange Innertube Cabbie 1932 Sneak Easily Court clerk 1933 Fallen Arches Hobo 1933 Maids A La Mode Pianist 1933 Taxi Barons Cabbie 1933 Thundering Taxis Cabbie* [*unconfirmed] 1933 Sons Of The Desert Son in parade 1934 Babes In The Goods Spectator in morning crowd DEATH CERTIFICATE (click any image to enlarge) MISCELLANEOUS (click any image to enlarge) Acknowledgements: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MSDL-KWM (1900 Census) Nelson Story and Elsie McGuire, "Australia, Marriage Index, 1788-1950" (Ancestry.com) Nelson Story and Elsie McGuire, "Victoria, Australia, Marriage Index, 1837-1950" (Ancestry.com) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZVJ-QTH (WWI draft reg. card) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XCJN-MWV (1930 Census) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K9C4-7MK (1940 Census) Nelson E Story, "U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942" (Ancestry.com) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VPQD-TR6 (CA Death Index) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG58-VXBQ (death certificate) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6K4H-7T9G (Social Security Numident File) https://archive.org/details/variety106-1932-06/page/n29/mode/1up?q=%22nelson+story%22&view=theater (Variety, 07 Jun 1932) https://archive.org/details/hollywoodfilmogr12holl/page/n196/mode/1up?q=%22nelson+storey%22&view=theater (Hollywood Filmograph, 11 Jun 1932) https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/380671652/ (Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar 1944) https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/732002186/ (Southwest Wave [Los Angeles, CA], 16 Mar 1944) https://anabrazil.com/introducing-elsie-clark-vaudevillian-extraordinaire/ (Ana Brazil) [includes photos of Nelson & Elsie from their vaudeville days] https://www.paperlanternwriters.com/blog/friday-questions-and-answers-7h3e8-w36zr (Paper Lantern Writers) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6XL1-MNPS (widow Elsie in 1950 Census) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VPHX-F8G (widow Elsie in CA Death Index) Jesse Brisson (bio notes and research; identification in all films) This page was last updated on: 13 August 2024