James Darren

James Darren

Darren in 2015
Born James William Ercolani
(1936-06-08) June 8, 1936
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Years active 1956–2001
Known for Actor, singer, teen idol
Notable work Moondoggie in Gidget
Tony Newman in The Time Tunnel
Vic Fontaine in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Spouse(s) Evy Norlund (1960–present) (2 children)
Gloria Terlitsky (1955–1958) (divorced) (1 son)
Children Jim Moret
Christian Darren
Anthony Darren (b. 1963)

James William Ercolani (born June 8, 1936), known by his stage name James Darren, is an Italian-American television and film actor, television director, and singer.

Career

Born in Philadelphia, on June 8, 1936, Darren began his career as a teen idol, having been discovered by talent agent and casting director Joyce Selznick. Darren later described it:

I was studying acting in New York City with Stella Adler. I'd been studying with her for a couple of years. I went to see some agents in New York and they said in order to get work, you need to have photographs taken. As I was walking down Broadway after class one day, I saw this photographer's studio, Maurice Seymour. I went in and had pictures taken. I went back to look at the proofs and his secretary, a woman by the name of Yvonne Bouvier, asked me if I was interested in getting into film. I said yeah, I was. She said I know someone you should meet. She set up a meeting between me and Joyce Selznick, who worked for Screen Gems. I went down to 1650 Broadway, the Brill Building. On my way to a meeting with Joyce, we just happened to get on the elevator at the same time. She kept staring at me. I never met her. She never met me. We got off at the same floor and walked to the same office. That was our meeting. Joyce brought me over to Columbia Pictures about a week later and got me a contract there.[1]

A few weeks later Darren was cast in the lead of Rumble on the Docks (1956).[2][3] This got him a lot of fan mail and the studio cast him in The Brothers Rico and Gunman's Walk.

He notably played Moondoggie in Gidget in 1959, and recorded a string of pop hits for Colpix Records, the biggest of which was "Goodbye Cruel World" (#3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1961). It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.[4] Another sizeable hit was "Her Royal Majesty" (#6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1962). He is also featured in one of the Scopitone series of pop music video jukebox films ("Because You're Mine").

Twice, in 1959 and 1961, Darren played teen idols on episodes of The Donna Reed Show.[5][6]

Darren's role in the 1961 World War II film The Guns of Navarone was an attempt to break out of his teen image. Darren:

The people handling my career at that point didn't really take advantage of it. I did another Gidget film which I hated (Gidget Goes to Rome) and I didn't want to do it. I thought that I'd be doing those for the rest of my life, but I also did a film called Diamond Head in-between those two films, which had some wonderful characters and a great cast. Sure, it did help. Even today, Navarone has helped. I mean, here we are today talking about Navarone. When you're in a classic film like that, it lasts forever.[7]

In 1963 he signed a seven picture deal with Universal, starting with The Lively Set.[8]

He was the singing voice of Yogi Bear in the 1964 animated film, Hey There, It's Yogi Bear!, on the song "Ven-e, Ven-o, Ven-a". Prior to that, he was the singing and speaking voice of "Jimmy Darrock" on an episode of The Flintstones. He then achieved success co-starring as impulsive scientist and adventurer Tony Newman in the science fiction television series, The Time Tunnel (1966–1967).

In the 1970s, Darren appeared as a celebrity panelist on Match Game.

Later Darren had a regular role as Officer James Corrigan on the television police drama T. J. Hooker from 1983–1986. Subsequently he worked as a director on many action-based television series, including Hunter, The A-Team, and Nowhere Man, as well as dramas such as Beverly Hills, 90210 and Melrose Place.[9]

In 1998, he achieved renewed popularity as a singer through his appearances on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in the role of holographic crooner and advice-giver Vic Fontaine; many of his performances on the show were re-recorded for the album This One's from the Heart (1999).[10] The album showed Darren, a close friend of Frank Sinatra, comfortably singing in the Sinatra style; the 2001 follow-up Because of You showed similar inspiration from Tony Bennett.

Personal life

James Darren with Gloria Terlitsky and son
Evy Norlund and James Darren on their honeymoon in Rome in 1960

In 1955 Darren married Gloria Terlitsky, his sweetheart since 1953. Her father opposed their marriage because Terlitsky was Jewish while Darren was Catholic. Darren and Terlitsky had a son James Jr., or Jimmy, and divorced in 1958. James Jr. was adopted by Gloria's third husband, and is now known as journalist and TV commentator Jim Moret.[11] Two years after the divorce, Darren married Evy Norlund, Miss Denmark 1958. They had two sons, Christian (born c. 1960) and Anthony (born c. 1964).[12][13]

Selected discography

Singles

Year Titles (A-side, B-side)
Both sides from same album except where indicated		 Peak chart positions Album
US Billboard US AC UK[14]
1958 "Mighty Pretty Territory"
b/w "There's No Such Thing"		 - - - Album No. 1
1959 "Gidget"
b/w "You" (from James Darren Sings For All Sizes)		 41 - -
"Angel Face"
b/w "I Don't Wanna Lose Ya"		 47 - - James Darren Sings For All Sizes
"I Ain't Sharin Sharon"
b/w "Love Among The Young" (from Album No. 1)		 - - - Non-album track
"Teenage Tears"
b/w "Let There Be Love" (Non-album track)		 - - - James Darren Sings For All Sizes
1960 "You Are My Dream"
b/w "Your Smile"		 - - - Gidget Goes Hawaiian - James Darren Sings The Movies
"Because They're Young"
b/w "Tears In My Eyes" (from James Darren Sings For All Sizes)		 - - 29
"Traveling Down A Lonely Road"
b/w "P.S. I Love You"		 - - -
"All The Young Men"
b/w "How Sweet You Are" (from James Darren Sings For All Sizes)		 - - - Non-album track
"Come On My Love"
b/w "Man About Town" (from James Darren Sings For All Sizes)		 - - - Gidget Goes Hawaiian - James Darren Sings The Movies
1961 "Goodbye My Lady Love"
b/w "Walkin' My Baby Back Home" (Non-album track)		 - - -
"Gotta Have Love"
b/w "Fool's Paradise" (Non-album track)		 - - - James Darren Sings For All Sizes
"Gidget Goes Hawaiian"
b/w "Wild About That Girl"		 - - - Gidget Goes Hawaiian - James Darren Sings The Movies
"You Are My Dream"
b/w "Hand In Hand"		 - - -
"Goodbye Cruel World"
b/w "Valerie"		 3 - 28 James Darren Sings For All Sizes
1962 "Her Royal Majesty"
b/w "If I Could Only Tell You" (from James Darren Sings For All Sizes)		 6 - 36 Teenage Triangle
"Conscience"
b/w "Dream Big" (from James Darren Sings For All Sizes)		 11 - 30
"Mary's Little Lamb"
b/w "The Life Of The Party"		 39 - - Non-album tracks
"Hail To The Conquering Hero"
b/w "Too Young To Go Steady" (from Love Among The Young)		 97 - -
"Hear What I Wanna Hear"
b/w "I'll Be Loving You"		 - - -
1963 "Pin A Medal On Joey"
b/w "Diamond Head"		 54 - -
"They Should Have Given You The Oscar"
b/w "Blame It On My Youth" (from Love Among The Young)		 - - -
"Gegetta"
b/w "Grande Luna Italiana"		 - - - More Teenage Triangle
"Back Stage"
b/w "Under The Yum Yum Tree"		 - - - Non-album tracks
1964 "Punch and Judy"
b/w "Just Think Of Tonight"		 - - -
1965 "Baby, Talk To Me"
b/w "A Married Man" (Non-album track)		 - - - More Teenage Triangle
"Because You're Mine"
b/w "Millions Of Roses"		 - 30 - Non-album tracks
1966 "Tom Hawk"
b/w "I Want To Be Lonely"		 - - -
"Where Did We Go Wrong"
b/w "Counting The Cracks"		 - - -
"Crazy Me"
b/w "They Don't Know"		 - - -
"Tomorrow Tomorrow"
b/w "Love Is Where You Find It"		 - - -
1967 "All"
b/w "Misty Morning Eyes" (Non-album track)		 35 5 - All
"Since I Don't Have You"
b/w "I Miss You So"		 123 - -
"Didn't We"
b/w "Counting The Cracks"		 - 36 - Non-album tracks
"They Don't Know"
b/w "The House Song"		 - - -
1968 "Cherie"
b/w "Wait Until Dark"		 - - -
"Each and Every Part Of Me"
b/w "A Little Bit Of Heaven"		 - - -
1970 "Wheeling, West Virginia"
b/w "That's My World"		 - - -
1971 "Bring Me Down Slow"
b/w "More and More"		 - - - Mammy Blue
"Mammy Blue"
b/w "As Long As You Love Me"		 107 - -
1972 "Ain't Been Home In A Long Time"
b/w "I Think Somebody Loves Me"		 - - -
"Brian's Song"
b/w "Thank Heaven For Little Girls"		 - - - Love Songs From The Movies
1973 "Let The Heartaches Begin"
b/w "Sad Song"		 - - - Non-album tracks
"Stay"
b/w "Sad Eyed Romany Woman"		 - - -
1975 "Love On The Screen"
b/w "Losing You"		 - - -
1976 "Sleepin' In A Bed Of Lies"
b/w "One Has My Name, The Other Has My Heart"		 - - -
1977 "You Take My Heart Away"
b/w Disco version of A-side		 52 - -
1978 "Only A Dream Away"
b/w "Losing You"		 - - -
"Let Me Take You In My Arms Again"
b/w "California"		 - - -
"The Next Time"
b/w "Something Like Nothing Before"		 - - -

Albums

Many compilation albums also exist

Selected filmography

TV appearances

References

  1. ↑ "Gary James' Interview With James Darren". classicbands.com
  2. ↑ FROM STREETCORNER TO STARDOM in one easy elevator ride PURCELLI, MARION. Chicago Tribune (1963-Current file) [Chicago, Ill] 09 Dec 1967: e3.
  3. ↑ James Darren Well on Way to Hitting Jackpot of Stardom: FAIR-HAIRED BOY Darren Getting Big Buildup Scott, John L. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 27 Apr 1958: E1.
  4. ↑ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 133. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
  5. ↑ "The Donna Reed Show: April Fool". TV.com. Retrieved June 22, 2015.
  6. ↑ "The Donna Reed Show: One Starry Night". TV.com. Retrieved June 22, 2015.
  7. ↑ Todd Doogan interviews actor James Darren (2001).
  8. ↑ Darren Signed at Universal Los Angeles Times (1923–Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] December 13, 1963: D17.
  9. ↑ Alison Martino (August 10, 2015). "Time Tunneling with James Darren". Los Angeles. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Forever Fontaine – An Interview with DS9's James Darren". StarTrek.com. July 13, 2011.
  11. ↑ Moret, Jim. The Last Day of My Life. Incognito Books. pp. 168–. ISBN 978-0982787601.
  12. ↑ Lisanti, Thomas (August 24, 2012). Hollywood Surf and Beach Movies: The First Wave, 1959–1969. McFarland. pp. 362–. ISBN 978-1-4766-0142-7.
  13. ↑ Adelson, Suzanne (December 5, 1983). "Goodbye Gidget, Hello Heather: James Darren Catches a New Wave of Fans on T.J. Hooker". People. 20 (23).
  14. ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 141. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
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