James Darrin Dies

“One of my dearest, closest friends in all the world, of all my life has passed away. Wishing him a fast (and) beautiful journey through the universe (and) beyond. Godspeed, sweet Jimmy. My heart is torn but full of love for Evy, Christian, Anthony (and) Jimmy Jr. – Nancy Sinatra

James Darren, born James William Ercolani on June 8, 1936, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, grew up in a working-class Italian-American family. From a young age, Darren was drawn to the entertainment world, particularly acting. He enrolled at the Actors Studio in New York, studying under the tutelage of noted teachers, including Stella Adler. His early training helped him develop his skills, eventually leading him to Hollywood.

Darren’s big break came in the late 1950s when he signed a contract with Columbia Pictures. His good looks, charisma, and talent made him an instant heartthrob, and he quickly became a favorite in teen-focused films. His early work at Columbia included appearances in films like Rumble on the Docks (1956) and The Brothers Rico (1957). However, it was his role in Gidget (1959) that skyrocketed him to fame. Playing the charming and handsome surfer Moondoggie alongside Sandra Dee’s Gidget,

Darren became a teen idol. His portrayal in the Gidget series, which continued with Gidget Goes Hawaiian (1961) and Gidget Goes to Rome (1963), solidified his status as a star in lighthearted beach-themed films. Darren’s smooth voice was another asset, and he successfully transitioned into a recording career.

Columbia Records signed him, and he quickly had a string of hits. His most famous song, “Goodbye Cruel World” (1961), peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. His other hits, including “Her Royal Majesty” and “Conscience,” also enjoyed significant success during the early 1960s. Darren’s singing persona complemented his acting career,

and he was frequently featured on TV shows and teen magazines, maintaining his popularity through the early part of the decade. As the 1960s progressed, Darren sought to expand his career beyond teen films and music. He took on more mature roles, signing a new contract with Universal Studios. One of his most notable roles during this period was in The Guns of Navarone (1961), a critically acclaimed war film in which he starred alongside Gregory Peck and David Niven.

Darren also starred in Diamond Head (1963) and continued appearing in a mix of dramas and comedies throughout the decade. One of his most prominent television roles came in the late 1960s when he starred in The Time Tunnel (1966-1967), a science-fiction series produced by Irwin Allen. Darren played Tony Newman, a time-traveling scientist, and the show, though short-lived, became a cult favorite. His collaboration with Allen continued into the 1970s with appearances in several of Allen’s other projects.

Some of Darrin’s Movies
  • Rumble on the Docks (1956)
  • Operation Mad Ball (1957)
  • The Brothers Rico (1957)
  • The Tijuana Story (1957)
  • Gunman’s Walk (1958)
  • Gidget (1959)
  • The Gene Krupa Story (1959)
  • Because They’re Young (1960)
  • All the Young Men (1960)
  • Let No Man Write My Epitaph (1960)
  • The Guns of Navarone (1961)
  • Gidget Goes Hawaiian (1961)
  • Diamond Head (1962)
  • Gidget Goes to Rome (1963)
  • Under the Yum Yum Tree (1963)
  • Hey There, It’s Yogi Bear! (1964) (singing voice)
  • For Those Who Think Young (1964)
  • The Lively Set Casey Owens (1964)
  • The Man from the 25th Century (1968)
  • Venus in Furs (1969)
  • The Boss’ Son (1978)
  • That’s Life (1979)
  • Random Acts (2001)
  • Accidental Icon: The real Gidget story (2010)
  • Lucky (2017)
Some of Darrin’s TV Appearances
  • The Web (1957)
  • The Donna Reed Show (1959–1961)
  • The Flintstones (1965) (singing voice)
  • Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1966)
  • The Time Tunnel (1966–1967) 30 episodes
  • Love, American Style (1971)
  • S.W.A.T. (1976)
  • Police Woman (1976)
  • Baa Baa Black Sheep (1977)
  • Charlie’s Angels (1977)
  • Police Story (1977)
  • Hawaii Five-O (1978–1979) 2 episodes
  • Vegas (1980)
  • The Love Boat (1981)
  • Fantasy Island (1979–1982) 3 episodes
  • One Day at a Time (1983)
  • T. J. Hooker (1982–1985) 66 episodes
  • Silk Stalkings (1994)
  • Diagnosis: Murder (1997)
  • Melrose Place (1999) 5 episodes
  • Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1998–1999) 8 episodes
Some of Darrin’s Singles
  • “Mighty Pretty Territory” b/w “There’s No Such Thing” (1958)
  • “Gidget” b/w “You” (1959)
  • “Angel Face” b/w “I Don’t Wanna Lose Ya” (1959)
  • “I Ain’t Sharin Sharon” b/w “Love Among the Young” (1959)
  • “Teenage Tears” b/w “Let There Be Love” (1959)
  • “You Are My Dream” b/w “Your Smile” (1960)
  • “Because They’re Young” b/w “Tears in My Eyes” (1960)
  • “Traveling Down a Lonely Road” b/w “P.S. I Love You” (1960)
  • “All the Young Men” b/w “How Sweet You Are” (1960)
  • “Come On My Love” b/w “Man About Town” (1960)
  • “Goodbye My Lady Love” b/w “Walkin’ My Baby Back Home” (1961)
  • “Gotta Have Love” b/w “Fool’s Paradise” (1961)
  • “Gidget Goes Hawaiian” b/w “Wild About That Girl” (1961)
  • “You Are My Dream” b/w “Hand In Hand” (1961)
  • “Goodbye Cruel World” b/w “Valerie” (1961)
  • “Her Royal Majesty” b/w “If I Could Only Tell You” (1962)
  • “Conscience” b/w “Dream Big” (1962)
  • “Mary’s Little Lamb” b/w “The Life of the Party” (1962)
  • “Hail to the Conquering Hero” b/w “Too Young to Go Steady” (1962)
  • “Hear What I Wanna Hear” b/w “I’ll Be Loving You” (1962)
  • “Pin a Medal On Joey” b/w “Diamond Head” (1963)
  • “They Should Have Given You the Oscar” b/w “Blame It On My Youth” (1963)
  • “Gegetta” b/w “Grande Luna Italiana” (1963)
  • “Back Stage” b/w “Under the Yum Yum Tree” (1963)
  • “Punch and Judy” b/w “Just Think of Tonight” (1964)
  • “Baby, Talk to Me” b/w “A Married Man” (1965)
  • “Because You’re Mine” b/w “Millions of Roses” (1965)
  • “Tom Hawk” b/w “I Want to Be Lonely” (1966)
  • “Where Did We Go Wrong” b/w “Counting the Cracks” (1966)
  • “Crazy Me” b/w “They Don’t Know” (1966)
  • “Tomorrow Tomorrow” b/w “Love Is Where You Find It” (1966)
  • “All” b/w “Misty Morning Eyes” (1967)
  • “Since I Don’t Have You” b/w “I Miss You So” (1967)
  • “Didn’t We” b/w “Counting the Cracks” (1967)
  • “They Don’t Know” b/w “The House Song” (1967)
  • “Cherie” b/w “Wait Until Dark” (1968)
  • “Each and Every Part of Me” b/w “A Little Bit of Heaven” (1968)
  • “Wheeling, West Virginia” b/w “That’s My World” (1970)
  • “Bring Me Down Slow” b/w “More and More” (1971)
  • “Mammy Blue” b/w “As Long As You Love Me” (1971)
  • “Ain’t Been Home In a Long Time” b/w “I Think Somebody Loves Me” (1972)
  • “Brian’s Song” b/w “Thank Heaven for Little Girls” (1972)
  • “Let the Heartaches Begin” b/w “Sad Song” (1973)
  • “Stay” b/w “Sad Eyed Romany Woman” (1973)
  • “Love On the Screen” b/w “Losing You” (1975)
  • “Sleepin’ in a Bed of Lies” b/w “One Has My Name, the Other Has My Heart” (1976)
  • “You Take My Heart Away” b/w Disco version of A-side (1977)
  • “Only a Dream Away” b/w “Losing You” (1978)
  • “Let Me Take You in My Arms Again” b/w “California” (1978)
  • “The Next Time” b/w “Something Like Nothing Before” (1978)
Darrin’s Albums
  • Album No. 1 (reissued 2004) (1960)
  • Sings the Movies (Gidget Goes Hawaiian) (1961)
  • Love Among the Young (reissued 2004) (1962)
  • Sings for All Sizes 1 (1962)
  • Bye Bye Birdie (with The Marcels, Paul Petersen and Shelley Fabares) (1963)
  • Teenage Triangle (with Paul Petersen and Shelley Fabares) (1963)
  • More Teenage Triangle (with Paul Petersen and Shelley Fabares) (1964)
  • All (reissued 2005) (1967)
  • Mammy Blue (1971)
  • Love Songs from the Movies (1972)
  • The Best of James Darren (1994)
  • This One’s from the Heart (1999)
  • Because of You (2001)
  • Live! For The First Time (2019)

Darren’s personal life was equally eventful. He married his first wife, Gloria Terlitsky, in 1955, with whom he had one son, Jim Moret, who would later become a successful journalist. The couple divorced in 1959. Darren remarried in 1960 to actress Evy Norlund, a former Miss Denmark.

Together, they had two sons, Christian and Anthony. Off-screen, Darren was known for his close relationships with many of his co-stars, and he maintained a generally positive reputation within Hollywood circles. His marriage to Norlund has endured, and the couple has often spoken about their strong bond and family life. Darren’s ability to balance his career with his family commitments has been one of the hallmarks of his personal life.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Darren shifted his focus to directing, working on popular television shows like T.J. Hooker, Hunter, and Melrose Place. He also experienced a resurgence in acting in the 1990s when he joined the cast of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as the holographic lounge singer, Vic Fontaine. His portrayal of Vic, a 1960s-style crooner, reignited interest in his music, and Darren released two albums of standards:

This One’s from the Heart (1999) and Because of You (2001), showcasing his enduring vocal talent. Although Darren never won major acting awards, his contributions to television and film have been recognized with numerous honors throughout his career. He remains an enduring figure in both the music and film industries, beloved for his roles in Gidget, The Time Tunnel, and Star Trek, as well as for his successful music career.

James Darren died Monday, September 2, 2024 at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. He was 88. He is survived by his wife Evy; sons Jim Moret, Christian Darren and Tony Darren; and five grandchildren.

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Author: Doyle

I was born in Atlanta, moved to Alpharetta at 4, lived there for 53 years and moved to Decatur in 2016. I've worked at such places as Richway, North Fulton Medical Center, Management Science America (Computer Tech/Project Manager) and Stacy's Compounding Pharmacy (Pharmacy Tech).

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