We first met Darryl Hickman in 1939 when he was plucked from obscurity by choreographer LeRoy Prinz to co-star with Bing Crosby in Paramount’s “The Star Maker.” One year later, we fell in love with him when John Ford cast him as Henry Fonda’s kid brother in “The Grapes of Wrath”. And then he won over the powers that be at MGM and was signed to a seven-year contract after appearing with Mickey Rooney and Spencer Tracy in “Men of Boys Town”. A renowned child actor, phase two of his career began in 1956 when he starred in MGM’s “Tea and Sympathy” opposite Deborah Kerr before moving on to a successful career on Broadway and the stage, plus that of writer/director/producer and network executive. Darryl Hickman has done it all over the course of his 70+ year career in Hollywood.
And now he makes his way down the red carpet of the 2016 TCM Classic Film Festival where he stopped to chat with film critic debbie elias about the film industry, the Festival, and what’s new on the horizon.
