​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.

Фільмографія

• 2017Lucky — Paulie
• Savannah — Director
• Nowhere Man — Director
• Diagnosis: Murder — Councilman Matthew Watson
• Вокер – техаський рейнджер — Director
• Зоряний шлях: Далекий космос 9 — Vic Fontaine
• Raven — Director
• Район Мелроуз — Director
• Ренеґат — Lou Delgado, Director
• Silk Stalkings — Director
• Район Беверлі-Гіллз — Director
• Hardball — Director
• Something Is Out There — Director
• Werewolf — Director
• 1986T.J. Hooker: Blood Sport — Officer Jim Corrigan
• Stingray — Director
• Hunter — Director
• Команда А — Director
• 1982Aliens From Another Planet — Tony Newman
• T. J. Hooker — Officer Jim Corrigan, Dan Danko, Director
• 1981Scruples — Vito Orsini
• 1980Turnover Smith — Georgie Green
• 1978The Boss' Son — Buddy Weistein
• Vega$
• Острів фантазій — Michael Duvall
• The Love Boat — Tony Streeter
• Baa Baa Black Sheep — Lt. Col. Rod Towers
• Battle of the Network Stars
• Ангели Чарлі — David Barzak
• S.W.A.T.
• 1975The Lives of Jenny Dolan — Orlando
• Police Woman — Rick Matteo
• Police Story — Roger Lewis, Director
• 1971City Beneath the Sea — Dr. Talty
• 1971Mooch Goes to Hollywood — James Darren
• Hawaii Five-O — Johnny Munroe
• Love, American Style — Roger Barnes
• 1969Venus in Furs — Jimmy Logan
• The Time Tunnel — Tony Newman
• 1964For Those Who Think Young — Gardner "Ding" Pruitt III
• 1964Hey There, It's Yogi Bear! — Yogi Bear ('Ven-e, Ven-o, Ven-a') (singing voice)
• 1964The Lively Set — Casey Owens
• Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea — Omir
• 1963Gidget Goes to Rome — Moondoggie (Jeffrey Matthews)
• 1962Diamond Head — Paul Kahana
• 1961Gidget Goes Hawaiian — Jeffrey "Moondoggy" Matthews
• 1961Гармати острова Наварон — Pvt. Spyros Pappadimos
• 1960All the Young Men — Pvt. Cotton
• 1960Let No Man Write My Epitaph — Nick Romano
• Флінстоуни — Jimmy Darrock (voice)
• 1959Gidget — Moondoggie
• 1959The Gene Krupa Story — Eddie Sirota
• 1958Gunman's Walk — Davy Hackett
• The Donna Reed Show — Buzz Berry, Kip Dennis / Jim Bryce
• 1957Operation Mad Ball — Pvt. Widowskas
• 1957The Brothers Rico — Johnny Rico
• 1957The Tijuana Story — Mitch
• 1956Rumble on the Docks — Jimmy Smigelski

Ток-шоу, премії та інші появи (16)

• The Shuttlepod Show — Self
• 2018New Dimensions — Self
• 2018What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — Self
• Hollywood Squares — Self - Panelist
• Dinah! — Self
• The Barbara McNair Show — Self
• Malibu U — Self
• «Сьогодні ввечері» з Джонні Карсоном — Self
• Шоу Мерва Ґріффіна — Self
• The Mike Douglas Show — Self - Co-Host
• 1960Because They're Young — Self
• The Dick Clark Show — Self
• Tonight Starring Jack Paar — Self
• The Steve Allen Show — Self - Singer
• Оскар — Self
• The Bob Hope Show — Self