Felix Bradford Nelson (August 13, 1913 – February 17, 1998)[3] was an American stage, film, radio and television actor, best known for his work in Gordon Parks' The Learning Tree and Ruth Woodman's "Land of the Free" (Death Valley Days' acclaimed Season 1 finale).
[4][5] Nelson also appeared as Jim from Huckleberry Finn on both radio and television, and, alongside Sammy Davis Jr. and a mostly African American cast, in Aaron Spelling's groundbreaking 10th Cavalry-themed TV western, Mission.
"[8][9] In the interim, he served with the United States Army for 3½ years during World War II, in China, India, and Burma, and was awarded the Purple Heart in 1945.
[10] The following year, he appeared as Jim—alongside Dean Stockwell's Huck and Jerry Farber's Tom—on NBC University Theater, in Ernest Kinoy's adaptation of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
[11] He also appeared that year on TV in Your Show Time's adaptation of Bret Harte's short story, "Colonel Starbottle for the Plaintiff,"[12][13] and onstage in a revival of the Broadway musical Carmen Jones, staged at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles.