Darryl Hickman

Although younger brother 'Dwayne Hickman' (qv) (born 1934) is probably the better-remembered sibling today with his cult following as TV's favorite lovestruck teenager Dobie Gillis and a few "Beach Party" films, it is 'Darryl Hickman' (qv) who is certainly the more prolific brother in the movies. At one time, he was deemed one of Hollywood's most talented child stars of World War II and post-war film.Hickman was born in Hollywood, California on July 28, 1931, to Milton Hickman, an insurance salesman, and his wife Katherine, a mother-turned-stage mother. Taking dance classes at age 3, Darryl's looks and talent were discovered by his dance school director who eventually had him placed with a child troupe at age 5 (Meglin School for Kiddies). Paramount Studios subsequently took notice and signed him to a contract, making his unbilled film debut as 'Ronald Colman' (qv)'s son in the classic adventure _The Prisoner of Zenda (1937)_ (qv). The child then appeared briefly in a second Colman film, _If I Were King (1938)_ (qv). Darryl would grow up within the studio system and on the studio sets. Fellow classmates would include such stars as 'Jackie Cooper' (qv).Appearing in the 'Bing Crosby' (qv) musical biopic _The Star Maker (1939)_ (qv), Crosby took notice of young Darryl's promise and referred him to his talent agent brother 'Everett Crosby' (qv). Everett was impressed as well, and took Darryl under his wing. Placed in the Paramount films _Untamed (1940)_ (qv) and _The Way of All Flesh (1940)_ (qv), the boy was eventually featured in his most prominent role, that of young, impoverished Winfield Joad in the classic film _The Grapes of Wrath (1940)_ (qv). MGM quickly showed interest and bought out the boy's Paramount contract.A popular loan-out child player, Darryl appeared in a "poverty row" version of one of 'Jack London' (qv)'s more popular adventure stories _Sign of the Wolf (1941)_ (qv); appeared in 12-year-old 'Shirley Temple' (qv)'s last film for Fox _Young People (1940)_ (qv); showed up in Universal's _Mob Town (1941)_ (qv) and another Fox film _Young America (1942)_ (qv). While at MGM, Darryl found himself working with the studio's top echelon of stars including 'Spencer Tracy' (qv), 'Katharine Hepburn' (qv), 'Robert Taylor' (qv) and 'Mickey Rooney' (qv). Notable in-house roles included that of "Flip" in _Men of Boys Town (1941)_ (qv), "Johnny Smith" in _Joe Smith, American (1942)_ (qv), "(young) Blackie" in _Northwest Rangers (1942)_ (qv); "Jeb" in the Tracy/Hepburn drama _Keeper of the Flame (1942)_ (qv), "Etienne" in _Assignment in Brittany (1943)_ (qv), and as young "Lionel" in the classic "Americana" film _The Human Comedy (1943)_ (qv).Darryl progressed from child to juvenile parts with equal skill. He was featured in the role of WWI flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker as a lad in the biopic _Captain Eddie (1945)_ (qv) starring 'Fred MacMurray' (qv) and also featuring brother Dwayne; played composer Ira as a teenager in the Gershwin story _Rhapsody in Blue (1945)_ (qv); reunited with 'Shirley Temple' (qv) in the "Corliss Archer" comedy _Kiss and Tell (1945)_ (qv); played the ill-fated step-son of evil 'Gene Tierney' (qv) in the melodrama _Leave Her to Heaven (1945)_ (qv); portrayed the younger version of 'Van Heflin' (qv) in the film noir _The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946)_ (qv); tangled with priest 'Pat O'Brien' (qv) as a young troublemaker in the "Boy's Town"-like crime drama _Fighting Father Dunne (1948)_ (qv); was upgraded to 'Shirley Temple' (qv)'s boyfriend in the light comedy _A Kiss for Corliss (1949)_ (qv); played a prep school problem along with co-star 'Dean Stockwell' (qv) in the comedy _The Happy Years (1950)_ (qv) and a disturbed ranch caretaker along with equally disturbed older sister 'Mercedes McCambridge' (qv) in the heavy meller _Lightning Strikes Twice (1951)_ (qv).Darryl attended the Immaculate Heart Grammar School in Los Angeles as well as the studio schools at Paramount and then MGM. In September of 1951, 20-year-old Darryl, who had grown unhappy and disenchanted with Hollywood and the studio system in its inability to protect child actors, abandoned his career and entered a monastery, the Passionist Seminary, with the intent on becoming a priest. Within a year, however, he left when he realized he was not cut out for a life in the priesthood.Trying to regain his acting momentum proved admirable and challenging. He began on 50's TV with guest shots on such shows as "Sky King," "The Lone Ranger," "Annie Oakley," "Biff Baker, U.S.A., "Perry Mason," "Public Defenders," "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "Wanted: Dead and Alive," "Gunsmoke," "The Millionaire" and several anthology programs. He also guested on brother Dwayne's popular "Dobie Gillis" TV show. On the film front, he found featured roles in _Destination Gobi (1953)_ (qv), _Island in the Sky (1953)_ (qv), _Prisoner of War (1954)_ (qv), _Tea and Sympathy (1956)_ (qv), _The Persuader (1957)_ (qv) and _The Tingler (1959)_ (qv).By the early 1960's, as film and TV offers began to dry up, Darryl wisely moved behind the scenes. Starting out as a TV writer, he eventually became a program executive. In the 70's he briefly attempted TV producing. In later years he would also become a respected acting coach in the Los Angeles area. Never leaving acting altogether, he made 60's and 70's guest appearances on such shows as "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color," "Dr. Kildare," "Love, American Style," "All in the Family" and "Maude," before finding an "in" with an abundance of 80's animated voice work: _Space Stars (1981)_ (qv), _Pac-Man (1982)_ (qv), _The Biskitts (1983)_ (qv), _Abenteuer aus der Bibel (1985)_ (qv) and _A Pup Named Scooby-Doo (1988)_ (qv). One of his last visible appearances was in a 1999 episode of "The Nanny."Darryl married actress 'Pamela Lincoln' (qv), whom he first met on the film set of _The Tingler (1959)_ (qv). They had one child, but divorced in 1982. He is married presently to production assistant 'Lynda Farmer Hickman' (qv).::Gary Brumburgh / [email protected]