James Darren
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. James William Ercolani (June 8, 1936 - September 2, 2024), known by his stage name James Darren, was an American television and film actor, television director, and singer. He wanted to be an actor and studied in New York City with Stella Adler for a number of years. He would also occasionally sing although he later said "I wasn't really a singer. I was a kid in Philly whose dad would take him to bars and nightclubs and I would get up and sing two songs." Darren was discovered by talent agent and casting director Joyce Selznick after he got some photographs taken by Maurice Seymour to show potential agents: 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. Joyce brought me over to Columbia Pictures about a week later and got me a contract there. Columbia signed Darren to a long term contract in July 1956. A few weeks later, he was filming his first film, Rumble on the Docks. His appearance was well received and he got a lot of fan mail - second at the studio only to Kim Novak. Darren guest starred on an episode of TV's The Web ("Kill and Run") then Columbia gave him a support role in an "A" picture, the comedy Operation Mad Ball, starring Jack Lemmon. He had support roles in two films directed by Phil Karlson: The Brothers Rico and Gunman's Walk. In between he was in The Tijuana Story, although his role was relatively small. Darren was third billed in the surf film, Gidget. He also sang the title track. The film was a hit with teen audiences and so was the song. Darren wound up recording a string of pop hits for Colpix Records, the biggest of which was "Goodbye Cruel World". It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. Another sizeable hit was "Her Royal Majesty". He is also featured in one of the Scopitone series of pop music video jukebox films ("Because You're Mine"). Darren was third billed in a series of films for Columbia: The Gene Krupa Story, All the Young Men, and Let No Man Write My Epitaph. He had a cameo as himself in a teen film, Because They're Young, singing the title track. Darren had a supporting role in the World War II film The Guns of Navarone. Also popular was Gidget Goes Hawaiian, where Darren reprised his role as Moondoggie; he was given top billing. Darren also acted in Diamond Head as well as a third time in Gidget Goes to Rome, which he sang the title track for, Under the Yum Yum Tree. In 1963, Darren signed a seven picture deal with Universal, starting with The Lively Set. He was the singing voice of Yogi Bear in the animated film, Hey There, It's Yogi Bear!, on the song "Ven-e, Ven-o, Ven-a". He was the singing voice of his own character "Jimmy Darrock" on an episode of The Flintstones. However the character's dialogue was provided by voice actor Lennie Weinrib. He subsequently launched a career as a director, notably of action-based series , including Hunter, The A-Team, Silk Stalkings, Renegade, and Nowhere Man, as well as dramas such as Beverly Hills, 90210 and Melrose Place. Description above from the Wikipedia article James Darren, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Known For
Credits
- 2022 · The Shuttlepod Show as Self
- 2018 · New Dimensions as Self
- 2018 · What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as Self
- 2017 · Lucky as Paulie
- 1993 · Diagnosis: Murder as Councilman Matthew Watson
- 1993 · Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as Vic Fontaine
- 1992 · Renegade as Lou Delgado
- 1992 · Melrose Place as
- 1986 · T.J. Hooker - Blood Sport as Officer Jim Corrigan
- 1982 · T. J. Hooker as Officer Jim Corrigan
- 1982 · T. J. Hooker as Dan Danko
- 1982 · Aliens From Another Planet as Tony Newman
- 1981 · Scruples as Vito Orsini
- 1980 · Turnover Smith as Georgie Green
- 1978 · The Boss' Son as Buddy Weistein
- 1978 · Vega$ as
- 1977 · The Love Boat as Tony Streeter
- 1976 · Battle of the Network Stars as
- 1976 · Charlie's Angels as David Barzak
- 1976 · Baa Baa Black Sheep as Lt. Col. Rod Towers
- 1975 · The Lives of Jenny Dolan as Orlando
- 1975 · S.W.A.T. as
- 1974 · Dinah! as Self
- 1974 · Police Woman as Rick Matteo
- 1973 · Police Story as
- 1971 · Mooch Goes to Hollywood as James Darren
- 1971 · City Beneath the Sea as Dr. Talty
- 1969 · Love, American Style as Roger Barnes
- 1969 · The Barbara McNair Show as Self
- 1969 · Venus in Furs as Jimmy Logan
- 1968 · Hawaii Five-O as Johnny Munroe
- 1967 · Malibu U as Self
- 1966 · The Time Tunnel as Tony Newman
- 1964 · The Lively Set as Casey Owens
- 1964 · Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea as Omir
- 1964 · Hey There, It's Yogi Bear! as Yogi Bear ('Ven-e, Ven-o, Ven-a') (singing voice)
- 1964 · For Those Who Think Young as Gardner "Ding" Pruitt III
- 1963 · Gidget Goes to Rome as Moondoggie (Jeffrey Matthews)
- 1962 · Diamond Head as Paul Kahana
- 1962 · The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as Self
- 1961 · The Mike Douglas Show as Self - Co-Host
- 1961 · The Mike Douglas Show as Self
- 1961 · Gidget Goes Hawaiian as Jeffrey "Moondoggy" Matthews
- 1961 · The Guns of Navarone as Pvt. Spyros Pappadimos
- 1960 · Let No Man Write My Epitaph as Nick Romano
- 1960 · The Flintstones as Jimmy Darrock (voice)
- 1960 · All the Young Men as Pvt. Cotton
- 1960 · Because They're Young as Self
- 1959 · The Gene Krupa Story as Eddie Sirota
- 1959 · Gidget as Moondoggie
- 1958 · The Donna Reed Show as Buzz Berry
- 1958 · The Donna Reed Show as Kip Dennis / Jim Bryce
- 1958 · Gunman's Walk as Davy Hackett
- 1958 · The Dick Clark Show as Self
- 1957 · The Tijuana Story as Mitch
- 1957 · The Brothers Rico as Johnny Rico
- 1957 · Operation Mad Ball as Pvt. Widowskas
- 1957 · Tonight Starring Jack Paar as Self
- 1956 · Rumble on the Docks as Jimmy Smigelski
- 1956 · The Steve Allen Show as Self - Singer
- 1953 · The Oscars as Self
- 1950 · The Bob Hope Show as Self