RIP James Darren, 88, Matinee Idol, Starred as Moondoggie in Original “Gidget,” Went Through the “Time Tunnel”

So sorry to hear that James Darren has died at age 88.

A matinee idol from the 1960s, Darren starred as Moondoggie in the “Gidget” beach blanket movies. His first Gidget was Sandra Dee (who, ironically, married singer Bobby Darin). Cliff Robertson was also featured. They became overnight stars.

James Darren also starred in a neat TV show of the mid 60s called “The Time Tunnel.” It was remade in subsequent years in many forms including “Quantum Leap.” As kids were glued to the set as Darren, Lee Merriwether, and Robert Colbert raced up a tunnel that looked like the TWA Airlines terminal at JFK and turned up in the 1890s or wherever.

Darren also starred in “TJ Hooker” with William Shatner in the 1980s. He appeared in a lot of TV series through the 80s. His last big job was 8 episodes of “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” in the late 90s.

But he was a pop icon of the the pre Beatles 60s. He was not only a movie star but a pop star, too. He had a hit single with the theme to “Gidget.”

Condolences to my old friend, Jim Moret, of “Inside Edition” on the loss of his father.

There were a lot of different beach party movies in the late 50s and the early 60s. They were from an innocent time, before the Kennedy assassination or anyone knowing about the Vietnam war, or the Beatles. Kids surfed and did the Twist on the beach. Oh to go back in time!