FROM OUR ARCHIVES (246) BOBBY DARIN stars with NICK ADAMS

(246) BOBBY DARIN stars with NICK ADAMS

My friend Bobby Darin came out to LA from New York to pursue an acting career, had a whirlwind romance with actress Sandra Dee, and married her. I got to pitch songs to him on the set of some of their movies and in the offices of his music publishing house. Bobby continued to make television appearances as a singer, as he did on the Judy Garland show, while pursing an acting career.

Bobby made a World War II story film in 1962 that also stared Nick Adams, my friend and Elvis'.

(247) NICK ADAMS THE REBEL

Nick Adams, the actor, was a friend of mine and a friend of Elvis' who came up to the parties at Elvis'. He was a serious, hard working actor, who had been THE REBEL in a 1959 television serious. He used to say that other people bet on horses, but he bet on himself.


Nick had been a friend of James Dean's - good friends - and as you can imagine, he was fascinated with me and all the James Dean connotations. Nick had spent a lot of time with Jimmy in Los Angeles and after Jimmy died in that car crash, he wrote about him for publication. I talked to Nick the way I talked with Jimmy's friend Christine White. I wanted to know everything about James Dean.

Maybe what made Elvis, Nick, and me friends, was that we all came from hardworking families who had lived impoverished. We didn't have to be reminded that we were living a life in Hollywood that wasn't just a dream - and that was ever more true as Elvis's parties were attended by some of the most beautiful women! Nick was the most reserved of our bunch when it came to the women, but he sure appreciated them!

While Elvis and I were southerners, Nick had grown up the son of Eastern European immigrants in the North.

By 1962 Nick's determination was bringing him closer to his ambitions to win an Oscar. Not to get ahead of our story here, but if you click on the title above, you'll get to a good bio of Nick, which mentions his eventual death as a murder mystery. (At the time we all believed it to be an accidental overdose of prescription drugs.)

(246) BOBBY DARIN stars with NICK ADAMS

My friend Bobby Darin came out to LA from New York to pursue an acting career, had a whirlwind romance with actress Sandra Dee, and married her. I got to pitch songs to him on the set of some of their movies and in the offices of his music publishing house. Bobby continued to make television appearances as a singer, as he did on the Judy Garland show, while pursing an acting career.

Bobby made a World War II story film in 1962 that also stared Nick Adams, my friend and Elvis'.

(104) THE ACTOR NICK ADAMS, A PARTY REGULAR IN THE EARLY 1960's

Nick Adams, the actor, a good friend of the real James Dean's and Natalie Woods, was a regular at Elvis' parties in the early 1960's. Elvis was interested in Nick because of his connection with James Dean, but he could also relate to the man, who came from humble beginnings in rural Pennsylvania. Nick used to say, "Other men bet on horses, I bet on myself." He was a good actor and he enjoyed some success beginning with his role in "Rebel Without a Cause." Nick tended to get typecaste as a rebel after that, which is reflected in his roles in television as well.

Nick's sense of humor and ability to imitate others fit with Elvis and the entourage. But he was also passionate about a number of issues and could pontificate.

Link above to Video Detective bio to Nick Adams with some film clips - replaced January 12, 2011. CT

Nick Adams and actor John Ashley and Elvis and me played a lot of home pool tournaments together.