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James Darren‌

Gender

Male

Birthday

calendar1936-06-08

Popularity

star21.2

James Darren

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

James Darren

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Gender

Male

Birthday

calendar1936-06-08

Popularity

star21.2

Biography

​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.

Movie Credits

The Guns of Navarone

The Guns of Navarone‌
star7.3
calendar 1961

Venus in Furs

Venus in Furs‌
star5.3
calendar 1969

The Brothers Rico

The Brothers Rico‌
star6.1
calendar 1957

Gidget Goes to Rome

Gidget Goes to Rome‌
star4.8
calendar 1963

Gunman's Walk

Gunman's Walk‌
star6.7
calendar 1958

Operation Mad Ball

Operation Mad Ball‌
star6.4
calendar 1957

Gidget Goes Hawaiian

Gidget Goes Hawaiian‌
star4.5
calendar 1961

Gidget

Gidget‌
star6.0
calendar 1959

The Gene Krupa Story

The Gene Krupa Story‌
star7.0
calendar 1959

City Beneath the Sea

City Beneath the Sea‌
star4.1
calendar 1971

Rumble on the Docks

Rumble on the Docks‌
star5.7
calendar 1956

For Those Who Think Young

For Those Who Think Young‌
star5.2
calendar 1964

Mooch Goes to Hollywood

Mooch Goes to Hollywood‌
star5.1
calendar 1971

Let No Man Write My Epitaph

Let No Man Write My Epitaph‌
star6.1
calendar 1960

All the Young Men

All the Young Men‌
star6.2
calendar 1960

The Lively Set

The Lively Set‌
star0.0
calendar 1964

Diamond Head

Diamond Head‌
star5.4
calendar 1962

The Tijuana Story

The Tijuana Story‌
star4.3
calendar 1957

Hey There, It's Yogi Bear!

Hey There, It's Yogi Bear!‌
star6.4
calendar 1964

Because They're Young

Because They're Young‌
star5.5
calendar 1960

Scruples

Scruples‌
star0.0
calendar 1981

Lucky

Lucky‌
star7.3
calendar 2017

The Boss' Son

The Boss' Son‌
star0.0
calendar 1978

What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine‌
star7.2
calendar 2018

Aliens From Another Planet

Aliens From Another Planet‌
star5.0
calendar 1982

The Lives of Jenny Dolan

The Lives of Jenny Dolan‌
star0.0
calendar 1975

Turnover Smith

Turnover Smith‌
star0.0
calendar 1980

New Dimensions

New Dimensions‌
star0.0
calendar 2018

Tv Credits

The Time Tunnel

The Time Tunnel‌
star7.6
calendar 1966

T. J. Hooker

T. J. Hooker‌
star6.3
calendar 1982

Hawaii Five-O

Hawaii Five-O‌
star7.1
calendar 1968

The Flintstones

The Flintstones‌
star7.4
calendar 1960

Charlie's Angels

Charlie's Angels‌
star6.6
calendar 1976

Melrose Place

Melrose Place‌
star5.8
calendar 1992

Battle of the Network Stars

Battle of the Network Stars‌
star7.2
calendar 1976

Vega$

Vega$‌
star7.0
calendar 1978

Police Woman

Police Woman‌
star6.3
calendar 1974

Police Story

Police Story‌
star7.1
calendar 1973

S.W.A.T.

S.W.A.T.‌
star7.0
calendar 1975

Diagnosis: Murder

Diagnosis: Murder‌
star7.1
calendar 1993

Malibu U

Malibu U‌
star1.0
calendar 1967

The Steve Allen Show

The Steve Allen Show‌
star4.0
calendar 1956

The Barbara McNair Show

The Barbara McNair Show‌
star0.0
calendar 1969

The Oscars

The Oscars‌
star7.0
calendar 1953

The Dick Clark Show

The Dick Clark Show‌
star5.5
calendar 1958

The Shuttlepod Show

The Shuttlepod Show‌
star10.0
calendar 2022

The Bob Hope Show

The Bob Hope Show‌
star7.0
calendar 1950

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson‌
star7.4
calendar 1962

The Mike Douglas Show

The Mike Douglas Show‌
star4.8
calendar 1961

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine‌
star7.9
calendar 1993

T. J. Hooker

T. J. Hooker‌
star6.3
calendar 1982

The Love Boat

The Love Boat‌
star6.3
calendar 1977

The Mike Douglas Show

The Mike Douglas Show‌
star4.8
calendar 1961

Baa Baa Black Sheep

Baa Baa Black Sheep‌
star7.6
calendar 1976

Dinah!

Dinah!‌
star6.0
calendar 1974

Love, American Style

Love, American Style‌
star5.8
calendar 1969

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea‌
star7.7
calendar 1964

The Donna Reed Show

The Donna Reed Show‌
star6.1
calendar 1958

The Donna Reed Show

The Donna Reed Show‌
star6.1
calendar 1958

Tonight Starring Jack Paar

Tonight Starring Jack Paar‌
star5.7
calendar 1957

Renegade

Renegade‌
star6.6
calendar 1992