The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis star Dwayne Hickman believed television needed more comedians
Dwayne Hickman played the starring role of Dobie Gillis, a typical American teenager navigating the ups and downs of adolescence, in the 1959 series The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.
He represented an entire generation of teenagers who grew to idolize both Gillis and his best friend and counterpart, Maynard G. Krebs, played by Bob Denver.
Part of the series' success was due to the humor of both Hickman and Denver, whose comedic style helped the cast connect with teens across the country.
According to a 1960 interview with Santa Barbara News-Press, Hickman said good comedic actors were hard to come by in the early '60s. He believed it was mainly due to the popularity of hit Westerns such as Bonanza, The Rifleman and Gunsmoke.
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"There seems to be a shortage of young acting comedians," Hickman said. "People who know claim it's a serious problem. All the young actors are trying to be in Westerns and adventure shows and private eye shows. None of them want to go in for comedy."
Hickman thought comedy was an important skill to have in Hollywood. In fact, one of the reasons he was chosen for the starring role was because producers needed someone who could bring the script’s humor to life. There's no doubt he was the man for the job.
Although he reflected the youthful idealism and struggles of the '60s, Hickman himself was nearly 24-years-old around the time the series premiered.
According to another 1960 interview with The Tribune, Hickman said he found it easy to portray a teenager despite being the age of a young adult.
"It isn't difficult to understand teenagers," Hickman said. "All teenage boys want is to borrow the car, to have an adequate allowance, to get by somehow in school and to have a reasonable supply of girls. Teenage girls want the same things, plus a reasonable supply of reasonably presentable boys who can borrow the car."
Just like his character, Dobie Gillis, would say.
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