James Darren, ‘Gidget’ Surfer and Cop on ‘T.J. Hooker,’ Dies at 88

In reflecting on the life of James Darren, it is clear that he was a multi-talented artist who left an indelible mark on popular culture. From his early film debut as a high school gang member to his iconic role as Moondoggie in the Gidget movies, Darren’s journey was nothing short of extraordinary.

As a gamer, I’d rephrase that as: “I grew up watching James Darren, the heartthrob from my childhood who played Moondoggie in the Gidget movies and later appeared on shows like The Time Tunnel and T.J. Hooker. Sadly, he passed away at 88 this week.”

Darren sadly passed away peacefully in his sleep at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles. According to his son, Jim Moret who is a correspondent for Inside Edition, this occurred after Darren was admitted to the hospital for an aortic valve replacement. However, due to his weakened state, doctors decided against performing the surgery. He went home but unfortunately had to return.

“Moret stated, ‘I believed he’d make it, for he was incredibly calm.’ He was, indeed, consistently composed.”

At the start of his acting journey, Darren, with his dark hair, garnered outstanding reviews for his roles. One was as the son of a criminal defended by Humphrey Bogart’s character in “Knock on Any Door” (1949), and another was as Greek soldier Spyros Pappadimos in “The Guns of Navarone” (1961).

Despite not being able to surf, the native of Philadelphia was still cast as Moondoggie (whose real name was Jerry Matthews), opposite three actresses, playing a smart and spirited Malibu teenager. These actresses were Sandra Dee in ‘Gidget’ (1959), Deborah Walley in ‘Gidget Goes Hawaiian’ (1961) and Cindy Carol in ‘Gidget Goes to Rome’ (1963).

Later on, Darren assumed the role of Dr. Tony Newman, a headstrong electronics whiz, in the 1966-67 ABC series called “The Time Tunnel”. This program also featured Robert Colbert. (Tom Hanks once mentioned that it was his preferred show during his childhood years.)

During an interview with Tom Weaver for the 2008 book “I Talked With a Zombie“, Darren expressed that he hadn’t considered television or science fiction projects, until he agreed to a meeting with the creator of “The Time Tunnel“, Irwin Allen.

Darren remembered that Allen told him, “This is a task you need to undertake. I understand you’re not keen on it, but I believe you’d be ideal for this position, and your persuasive skills sealed the deal.” Darren took on the role due to his encounter with Irwin, who was known as one of the finest salespeople in our era.

15 years after that, Darren became part of the William Shatner-led ABC action series “T.J. Hooker” during its second season. He played Officer Jim Corrigan, working alongside Heather Locklear’s character, Stacy Sheridan, who was still green on the job at the time.

In 1986, Darren took charge for the first time as a last-minute replacement during the final season of T.J. Hooker. Later on, he was in charge of episodes for shows like Hunter, Silk Stalkings, Melrose Place, Werewolf, The A-Team, and Beverly Hills, 90210.

Apart from that, he portrayed the affluent character Tony Marlin on Fox’s “Melrose Place,” where he reconnected with Locklear as well.

Darren achieved his greatest success as a singer with “Goodbye Cruel World,” a song penned by Gloria Shayne, which climbed to the No. 3 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1961. That same year, he sang this heartfelt ballad about a man whose heart is crushed by an unkind, unfaithful woman, on an episode of The Donna Reed Show.

Once more, he made it to the top 10 in 1962 with the song “Her Royal Majesty,” penned by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. In the early ’70s, he teamed up with comedian Buddy Hackett for a lounge act, where he played the more serious role.

Darren rekindled his singing profession in the late 90s by featuring on numerous episodes of the syndicated show “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” as the holographic lounge singer Vic Fontaine, a role he described as one of the most delightful he’d ever performed.

A number of recordings showcasing a style reminiscent of Frank Sinatra were made for the 1999 album titled “This One’s From the Heart“.

Following a long absence from public attention, Darren left a mark appearing as the spouse of a tavern proprietor in the last movie of Harry Dean Stanton titled “Lucky” (2017).

James William Ercolani hails from South Philadelphia, born on the 8th of June, 1936. His childhood home was located on South 10th Street, where he found inspiration in a fellow Philadelphian, Eddie Fisher, who sparked his dream to be both a singer and an actor. Driven by this ambition, he frequently traveled to New York City for acting lessons under the tutelage of Stella Adler.

In the bustling urban landscape, I found myself linked to a Columbia Pictures talent scout named Joyce Selznick, who just happened to be David O. Selznick’s niece. This connection led me to sign a deal with the prestigious studio itself.

Darren first appeared on screen as a high school senior and gang member, opposite Robert Blake in the crime drama “Rumble on the Docks” (1956). This was followed by roles in “Operation Mad Ball”, “The Brothers Rico”, “The Tijuana Story”, all in 1957, and “Gunman’s Walk” in 1958.

The Gidget movies made him extremely popular with young ladies.

“In a 2015 interview with Los Angeles magazine, he reminisced about a pivotal incident. It happened when I was at a studio in San Francisco. News spread quickly that I was there, causing a mob of girls to gather outside, screaming. When it came time for me to leave the building, they swarmed and tackled me to the ground, even pulling out some of my hair. The police intervened, rescuing me, and took me up to the roof until the chaos subsided.”

To secure the role of Gidget, Darren had to persuade the producers that he was capable of singing. “Originally, they planned to use someone else’s voice,” he explained, “but I told them I could sing. So, we went into one of the sound stages with a piano player and I sang the song. They responded, ‘He can do it.’ After that, they signed him onto their label, Colpix.”

In addition to that, Darren was known for appearing in films like “All the Young Men” (1960), “Diamond Head” (1962), “Under the Yum Yum Tree” (1963), and “For Those Who Think Young” (1964).

He performed “Almost in Your Arms” at the 1959 Academy Awards, sang “It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World” during the 1964 Oscar broadcast, voiced Yogi Bear in a 1964 animated movie, and sang a number on an episode of The Flintstones in 1965.

Additionally, he appeared opposite Sal Mineo in the 1959 film “The Gene Krupa Story”, portrayed a car mechanic in the 1964 movie “The Lively Set”, and headlined “Venus in Furs” in 1969, co-starring with Barbara McNair, which was filmed in Italy.

Darren was wedded to Gloria Terlitsky from 1955 till their 1958 separation, and later married Evy Norlund, a previous Miss Denmark, from 1960 until his passing. For many years, he resided in a house on Kimridge Road in Beverly Ridge Estates, which was once owned by Audrey Hepburn.

Apart from his wife and Moret, he is also survived by his sons Christian and Anthony, as well as his grandchildren: Amanda, Carly, Matthew, Natalie, and Nicholas. Additionally, his goddaughter A.J. Lambert, the daughter of Nancy Sinatra, is among the survivors too.

Over the years, Darren encountered many fans of his music, some of them unexpected.

On a particular day, I found myself in a pizzeria alongside my buddy. A motorcycle drew up nearby, and who walks in but Bruce Springsteen, sporting a small biker cap akin to Brando’s in ‘The Wild One’. It seemed he had left his helmet outside, as he recounted later to Weaver. I exclaimed, “I must go greet him!”

“I walked up to him and said, ‘Hi, I don’t want to interrupt you, but my name is James Darren. I just want to tell you I’m a big fan. I love all your stuff.’ And he said, ‘James Darren? I bought “Goodbye Cruel World” in Freehold, New Jersey.’ Isn’t that sweet?”

Duane Byrge contributed to this report.

2024-09-03 03:26

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