Monday, May 27, 2024

R.I.P. DARRYL HICKMAN

You had a neat, recurring stint on your brother Dwayne's sitcom, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, based on Max Shulman's sentimental, short stories, and then there's The Tingler, William Castle's unforgettable fright-fest, where you joined forces with Vincent Price and your then wife, Pamela Lincoln, against the monster we all harbor inside. 

But what some fans don't realize is that your career was lengthy and diversified, running from childhood to adulthood, containing earthy (if not pulpy) elements that characterized action/adventure, musicals, comedies and even noir.

Among these slices of Americana, one will find The Iron Sheriff; Black Gold; The Persuader; Prairie Law; Many Rivers to Cross; Jackass MailRicochet Romance; Southwest Passage; Northwest Rangers; Captain Eddie; Salty O'Rourke; Two Years Before the Mast; And Now Tomorrow; The Set-UpThe Strange Love of Martha Ivers; The Grapes of Wrath; Leave Her to HeavenMeet Me In St. Louis; The Devil on Wheels; Keeper of the Flame; The Human Comedy; Men of Boys Town; Boys' RanchHenry Aldrich, Boy Scout; Glamour Boy; Joe Smith, AmericanSong of Russia; Dangerous YearsAssignment in Brittany; Sign of the Wolf; Young People; Submarine CommandSea of Lost Ships; Mystery Sea Raider; Untamed; The Sainted Sisters; Destination Gobi; Island in the Sky; Tea and Sympathy; The Tragedy of King Lear; Looker; Sharkey's Machine; and Network; with special spots on Alfred Hitchcock Presents; Climax!; General Electric TheaterPerry Mason; The Untouchables; The Life and Legend of Wyatt EarpWanted: Dead or Alive; RawhideGunsmoke; and as a regular on the Civil War drama, The Americans and Wonderful World of Disney's Texas John Slaughter

You also wrote scripts for The Loretta Young Show and became a long-term, associate producer for the popular soap, Love of Life, all the while making your mark as an in-demand, voice actor, covering such animated content as GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords; Sky Commanders; The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible; The Bisketts; PacMan; Pole Position; D.A.R.E. Yogi Bear; and Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians, as Diana Prince's intrepid compatriot, Steve Trevor.  

Behind the scenes, you helped a lot of people in the acting field, Mr. Hickman. You were, therefore, ever present throughout the decades, never forgotten, always appreciated, weaving a heritage that has stood the test of time and will continue to motivate as the years go by.  

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