To teenagers in the 1960s, Sandra Dee was a bona fide teen idol
and role model identified with two of the era's fictional icons: Gidget, the
ebullient surfer girl of film and later TV, and Tammy, the ingenue
originally created by Debbie
... more Reynolds, which Dee took over for "Tammy and the
Doctor" and "Tammy Tell Me True." Both roles traded on the blond New Jersey
native's squeaky clean image and approachable charm, which became the common
denominators for most of the roles she played while under contract to Universal
Pictures. Born Alexandra Zuck, Dee was a child model before signing with the
studio, which conferred the new name, and later lampooned in the film version of
"Grease" in the song, "Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee." In 1960, Dee
married another teen idol, singer Bobby Darin, but their 1965 divorce was cited as a
factor that diminished Dee's teen appeal and prompted her to lose her studio
contract. Close
Hotmail
