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TV CAMEOS:Darryl HickmanActor Now Producing And WritingBy BILL DUNNWHILE much of show business activity and excitement has left New York for Hollywood, that's not to say that there’s none to be found here in the metropolis. Not only on Broadway but over on the west side of town where CBS tapes its successful soap opera, ‘'Love of ■ Life, fans occasionally assemble by the stage door for a chance autograph.One afternoon in particular, a man stood ready with camera in hand to catch cast members as they went to lunch. Sighting someone he recognized, he called, “Darryl, can I get a picture?” A bearded Darryl Hickman, onetime child star who was dressed casually in checked shirt and blue sweater, smiled yes facing the man’s camera.* • •LOOKING a bit different from the tough kid he played in “Men of Boys Town” with Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney. Darryl laughingly admitted, Oh. I bet I’ve changed a bit since then.” In talking about his early roles, Darryl said he always played the boy who cried when his dog was run over. Now though, he’s moved off-camera to become the associate producer of “Love of Life.”Darryl's career, varied and highly successful, began when he was just six years old. “I started as a kid dancing and singing with Bing Crosby.” He mentioned that his mother always contended that his “career just happened.” Darryl, however, remains skeptical, wondering, “What was I doing at the studio when I was 3?”* # •life in a truer perspective. “Most kid actors grow up very bad. I'm very much against it. I was a long time finding a certain stability.” He spoke of the strain and the unrealistic values inherent in a Hollywood childhood, due perhaps to a lack of contact with the outside world.But resulting from his own Hollywood experience, Darryl confides, “There’s a story in me.” Not only a fine actor, Darryl is also an excellent writer. having already done numerous television scripts with a few works in progress. Theraphical. adding, “I'm of the opinion any creative work is an attempt to cope with reality.” While works in progress and “Love of Life” might seem to indicate a definite move away from acting. Darryl says, “I don't think so.” Although in discussing possible future roles, he did limit the selection by saying, As an actor, it’ll be my material or something that really grabs me.” And musical theater, he adds, qualifies in the second category. Coincidentally, but then maybe not, Darryl has written the book for a musical comedy, now needing only a composer - lyricist to supply words and music before it reaches the stage.But right now thoughts of musical comedies remain vague. Love of Life tapes throughout the year, allowing Darryl little free time for his stage project.m m mASKED about his timetable for the various works in progress, Darryl hopes to get around to them “as soon as there's time from ‘Love of Life.' ” Bearing that in mind, theater-goers might anticipate a Darryl Hickman play, possibly starring the author, in a season or two. Until then though. Hickman fans can see the results of Darryl's behind the scenes efforts on “Love of Life,” daily on CBS-TV.story he envisions would be writ-TALKING about the early from “the child’s point ofyears as a child star, Darryl put view Df an actor.” He admits the seemingly glamorous star’s the worjt WOuld be autobiog-Distributed by King Features SyndicateDarryl Hickman at age seven (left) usually played the bey who cried when hit dog was run over. Today, however, a bearded Hickman is the associate producer of Love of Life.”
Newspaper Details
Seymour Daily Tribune
Seymour, Indiana, US
Sat, May 29, 1971
Page 18
Full Page
Clipped by
Nick N.
NA, 20 Dec 2023
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