Sandra Dee, 62; Actress Was a Teen Idol in 1960s as Star of ‘Gidget,’ ‘Tammy’ Films
February 21, 2005|Myrna Oliver | Times Staff Writer. “Sandra Dee, the blond all-American girl next door whose star turns as “Gidget” and “Tammy” made her a teen idol in the 1960s, a status reinforced by her Hollywood marriage to pop singer Bobby Darin, died Sunday. She was 62. … The demure yet sensual Dee tugged America’s heartstrings as the girl plus midget — Gidget — in the seminal film of that name in 1959. Teens and their parents alike hoped that she would make the right coming-of-age decisions between the rough-cut surfer played by Cliff Robertson and Moondoggie, played by James Darren. Somehow they knew the boys would always treat her with proper respect. She simply inspired that. Unlike Darren, Dee never made the “Gidget” sequels. And when the charming teens-meet-surf, sand and each other story was translated to television in 1965, it was Sally Field in the title role. Nevertheless, when members of a certain generation remember Gidget and her innocent beach bonfires, to this day, they think of Dee.” Los Angeles Times.
Beach Party Movies 