James William Ercolani, known by his stage name James Darren, was an American television and film actor, television director, and singer. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, he had notable starring and supporting roles in films including the youth and beach-culture film Gidget (1959) and its sequels. He also appeared in the The Gene Krupa Story (1959), All the Young Men (1960), The Guns of Navarone (1961), and Diamond Head (1962). As a teen pop singer, he sang hit singles including "Goodbye Cruel World" in 1961. He later became more active in television, starring as Dr. Anthony Newman in the science fiction series The Time Tunnel (1966–1967). He had the regular role of Officer James Corrigan in the police drama T. J. Hooker (1982–1986) and performed as Vic Fontaine, a recurring role in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1998–1999).
Richard Quine was an American director, actor, and singer.
Sam Katzman was an American film producer and director. Katzman's specialty was producing low-budget genre films, including serials, which had disproportionately high returns for the studios and his financial backers.
Frankie Darro was an American actor and later in his career a stuntman. He began his career as a child actor in silent films, progressed to lead roles and co-starring roles in adventure, western, dramatic, and comedy films, and later became a character actor and voice-over artist. He is perhaps best known for his role as Lampwick, the unlucky boy who turns into a donkey in Walt Disney's second animated feature, Pinocchio (1940). In early credits, his last name was spelled Darrow.
Rock Around the Clock is a 1956 musical film featuring Bill Haley and His Comets along with Alan Freed, the Platters, Tony Martinez and His Band and Freddie Bell and His Bellboys. It was produced by B-movie king Sam Katzman and directed by Fred F. Sears.
Frederick Francis Sears was an American film actor and director.
The Werewolf is a 1956 American horror science fiction film directed by Fred F. Sears and starring Don Megowan and Joyce Holden.
Freddie Bell and the Bellboys were an American vocal group, influential in the development of rock and roll in the 1950s. Their recordings include "Hound Dog", "The Hucklebuck" and "Giddy Up a Ding Dong".
The Giant Claw is a 1957 American monster film from Columbia Pictures, produced by Sam Katzman, directed by Fred F. Sears, that stars Jeff Morrow and Mara Corday. Both Sears and Katzman were well known as low-budget B film genre filmmakers. The film was released as a double feature with The Night the World Exploded.
Matinee Theater is an American anthology series that aired on NBC during the Golden Age of Television, from October 31, 1955, to June 27, 1958. Its name is often seen as Matinee Theatre.
The Night the World Exploded is a 1957 science fiction, disaster film. The film was written by Jack Natteford and Luci Ward, and directed by Fred F. Sears with Sam Katzman the producer. Both Katzman and Sears were known for their B film film. The film was released on a double bill with The Giant Claw.
Joyce Gloria Selznick was an American talent agent, casting director, and screenwriter. She was the niece of film producer David O. Selznick, providing her with early exposure to the industry. Her career spanned three decades and began with her discovery of a New York truck driver named Bernie Schwartz whom she developed into a matinee idol and future actor Tony Curtis. and climaxed with the casting of The Buddy Holly Story, released in 1978. Her work ended with her premature death from breast cancer in 1981 at the age of fifty-six.
"Giddy Up a Ding Dong" is a rock and roll song which rose to prominence in 1956, when it was featured in the film Rock Around the Clock, starring Bill Haley. It became a hit in several countries for the group Freddie Bell and the Bellboys, and is perhaps their best known recording.
Get Yourself a College Girl, also released as The Swingin' Set, is a 1964 Metrocolor film comedy in the style of a beach party movie. The plot involves a college student who tries to balance her time writing songs and dealing with her publisher who tries to pursue her. It was directed by Sidney Miller and written by Robert E. Kent, and filmed at Sun Valley, Idaho, United States.
Creature with the Atom Brain is a 1955 American zombie horror science fiction film directed by Edward L. Cahn and starring Richard Denning.
Ira Harry Morgan was an American cinematographer. He successfully transitioned from silent movies to sound films.
Michael Granger was an American actor.
An Angel Comes to Brooklyn is a 1945 American comedy film directed by Leslie Goodwins and written by June Carroll and Stanley Paley. The film stars Kaye Dowd, Robert Duke, David Street, Barbara Perry, Charles Kemper and Marguerite d'Alvarez. The film was released on November 27, 1945, by Republic Pictures.
Last Train from Bombay is a 1952 American thriller film directed by Fred F. Sears and starring Jon Hall, Christine Larson and Lisa Ferraday. It was produced by Sam Katzman for distribution by Columbia Pictures and partly shot at the Iverson Movie Ranch. The film's sets were designed by the art director Paul Palmentola.
I Surrender Dear is a 1948 American musical film directed by Arthur Dreifuss and starring Gloria Jean. It was the first of two films the singer made for producer Sam Katzman.
