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Editorial Review Product Description
Chronicling the career of a successful actor and teen heartthrob, a revealing portrait discusses his many film and television credits including "Cat Ballou" and "M*A*S*H" while detailing his widely known role, Dobie Gillis. Tour. ... Read more Customer Reviews (2) 
"Forever Dobie" Tracks a Wandering Star
Beneath its breezy narrative and the resilience of autobiographer Dwayne Hickman, "Forever Dobie" is a bittersweet post-mortem on an acting career and rising star that America jettisons too soon into culturalexile.Hickman achieves a modest measure of success as a juvenile actorwho, despite his early reluctance to perform, develops a passion for hiscraft and a skill for winning coveted parts.His fame reaches its pinnaclewith the title role in the zany series "Dobie Gillis," thecharacter for which audiences remember him most.Soon after the show'sdemise, however, Hickman finds himself a clean-cut casualty of the socialupheaval and anarchy that Dobie ironically heralded.Unsuited to hairy andangry roles, he settles for work wherever he can wangle it, starring intelevision guest spots, forgettable beach party movies, and dinner theaterproductions.The high point of his post-Dobie acting gigs is the part ofoutlaw Jed in the hit movie "Cat Ballou."The excruciating nadircomes when he consents to fill in at short notice for Don Murray in aChicago production of "Call Me by My Rightful Name."Unable tomemorize his unwieldy dialogue or demanding marks on time, he is forced tocarry his script on stage and fumble through his motions before appalledaudiences.Yet it is not his wayward, sporadic acting ventures but fullimmersion in employment as an entertainment director in a Las Vegasnightclub and as a CBS-TV executive that puts a strain on his first twomarriages, leading sadly to divorce.Always an actor at heart, with a softspot for the creative rather than the managerial facets of show business,Hickman later stars in two televised Dobie Gillis reunions and tries hishand at directing.He again finds love with third spouse Joan Roberts, whomothers the second of his two sons and adjusts compatibly to thevicissitudes of her husband's career.Despite the zest and humor ofHickman's show business yarn, the loneliness of his struggle oftenpermeates its mood.It helps little that his memoir is chocked withallusions to former Hollywood luminaries of whom readers under fifty lackany memory.The ending seems to beg the producers of today, "Pleasecall Dwayne Hickmanwith the offer of paternal roles."By allindications, this undaunted professional and lover of acting will leap atthe chance to stand once again under the hot lights, no matter how fickleHollywood can be.
Well written and hilarious
Dwayne Hickman is best known for his time on "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" as the title character.However, as this book demonstrates, his career did not begin and end with Dobie.He was an extremely reluctantchild actor, a determined college student, a supporting player on "TheBob Cummings Show", Dobie, a Las Vegas entertainment coordinator for ahotel, a successful dinner theatre actor, a CBS executive, and awriter/director.No matter what other roles he played on screen or off hecan not escape being Dobie.Having been around the industry virtually hisentire life, Hickman tells stories aboutsome of Hollywood's stars as wellas personal antecdotes that make the book hilarious.Now happily marriedfor the third time with a young son ( he has a grown son from marriage #1),Hickman has finally made peace with the fact that he will be "ForeverDobie".The book is fun to read, intersting, and will make you laughout loud!HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
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