LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� a teen idol who helped ignite the 1960s surfing craze as a charismatic beach boy paired off with Sandra Dee in the hit film 鈥淕idget,鈥� died Monday at 88.
Darren died in his sleep at a Los Angeles hospital, his son Jim Moret told news outlets.
Moret told The Hollywood Reporter that Darren was supposed have had an aortic valve replacement but was too weak for the surgery. 鈥淚 always thought he would pull through,鈥� his son told the entertainment trade, 鈥渂ecause he was so cool. He was always cool.鈥�
In his long career, Darren acted, sang and built up a successful behind-the-scenes career as a television director, helming episodes of such well-known series as and 鈥淢elrose Place.鈥� In the 1980s, he was Officer Jim Corrigan on the television cop show 鈥淭.J. Hooker.鈥�
But to young movie fans of the late 1950s, he would be remembered best as Moondoggie, the dark-haired surfer boy in the smash 1959 release 鈥淕idget.鈥� Dee starred as the title character, a spunky Southern Californian who hits the beach and eventually falls in love with Moondoggie.
鈥淚 was in love with Sandra,鈥� Darren later recalled. 鈥淚 thought that she was absolutely perfect as Gidget. She had tremendous charm.鈥�
The film was based on a novel that a California man, Frederick Kohner, had written and helped spur interest in surfing 鈥� one that influenced pop music, slang and even fashion.
For Darren, his success with teen fans led to a recording contract, as it did with many young actors at the time, among them and Two of Darren's singles, 鈥淕oodbye Cruel World鈥� and 鈥淗er Royal Majesty,鈥� reached the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. (鈥淕oodbye Cruel World鈥� also appeared in ) Other singles included 鈥淕idget鈥� and 鈥淎ngel Face.鈥�
Darren was the only 鈥淕idget鈥� cast member who appeared in both its sequels, 1961's 鈥淕idget Goes Hawaiian鈥� and 1963's 鈥淕idget Goes to Rome.鈥� Dee was replaced by Deborah Walley in the second film and Cindy Carol in the third. (鈥淕idget鈥� later became a television show, )
鈥淭hey had me under contract; I was a prisoner,鈥� Darren told Entertainment Weekly in 2004. 鈥淏ut with those lovely young ladies, it was the best prison I think I'll ever be in.鈥�
As a contract player at Columbia Studios, Darren appeared in grown-up films, too, including 鈥淭he Brothers Rico,鈥� 鈥淥peration Meatball鈥� and
By the mid-'60s, when Darren appeared in 鈥淔or Those Who Think Young鈥� and 鈥淭he Lively Set,鈥� his big-screen acting career was almost over. He appeared in just a handful of movies after the 1960s ended, last appearing in directed by John Carroll Lynch.
But he remained active on television, appearing as a lead on the sci-fi show in the late 1960s, and doing guest spots and small recurring roles in TV shows such as 鈥淭he Love Boat,鈥� 鈥淗awaii Five-O鈥� and 鈥淔antasy Island.鈥�
Darren was a series regular for four seasons of the 鈥淭.J. Hooker鈥� in the 1980s. While appearing on the show, he noticed that no director was listed for an upcoming sequence and asked if he could try out for it.
鈥淲hen it was shown, I got several offers to direct,鈥� he told the New York Daily News. 鈥淪oon I was getting so many offers to direct, I kind of gave up acting and singing.鈥�
For almost two years, Darren directed episodes of 鈥淲alker, Texas Ranger,鈥� 鈥淗unter,鈥� 鈥淢elrose Place,鈥� 鈥淏everly Hills 90210鈥� and other series. He returned to acting in the 1990s with small roles in 鈥淢elrose Place鈥� and 鈥淪tar Trek, Deep Space Nine.鈥�
Darren was born James Ercolani in 1936 and grew up in South Philadelphia, not far from such fellow teen idols of the 1950s and 鈥�60s as Fabian and Frankie Avalon. Singing came easy to him, and at 14 he was appearing in local nightclubs.
鈥淔rom the age of 5 or 6 I knew I wanted to be an entertainer, or famous maybe,鈥� he said in a 2003 interview with the News-Press of Fort Myers, Florida. He noted that such luminaries as and Al Martino had lived in the same area as he did, 鈥渁 real neighborhood. It made you feel you could be successful, too.鈥�
According to a 1958 Los Angeles Times profile, he got a break when he went to New York to get some pictures taken and the photographer's office put him in touch with a talent scout.
He was soon signed by Columbia Pictures, and the newspaper said that after a few appearances, his fan mail at the studio was running 鈥渟econd only to Kim Novak's. ... The studio now feels that the young man is ready to hit the jackpot.鈥�
Darren married his first wife, Gloria, in 1955 and together had Moret, an 鈥淚nside Edition鈥� correspondent and former CNN anchorman. After a divorce he married Evy Norlund, who came to the U.S. as the Danish entry in the Miss Universe contest. They had two sons, Christian and Anthony.
He was also the godfather of Nancy Sinatra's daughter A.J. Lambert. Sinatra, his 鈥淔or Those Who Think Young鈥� co-star, posted The Hollywood Reporter obituary on her X page, with a broken heart emoji.
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a longtime Associated Press journalist who died in 2014, was the principal writer of this obituary.
Bob Thomas, The Associated Press
