Combining familiar movie and TV images with rare, seldom-seen backstage footage, this PBS documentary traces the life and tragic early death of pop singer Bobby Darin. Born in 1936, Darin was a superstar before he was old enough to vote, parlaying such standards as "Mack the Knife," "Artificial Flowers," and his own zany composition "Splish Splash" into gold-record nirvana. He also enjoyed an impressive film career, highlighted by some astonishing dramatic performances in films like Pressure Point and Captain Newman, M.D., and ascended to Hollywood royalty with his "storybook" marriage to another teen idol, Sandra Dee (a union that, alas, was never quite as happy as it seemed). Never encumbered by lack of confidence and humility, Darin nonetheless battled a personal demon all his life; born with a weak heart, he was living on borrowed time, and was convinced that he would die young -- which, tragically, he did, in 1973. The film includes interviews with many of Darin's friends, co-workers, and intimates. Designed to be shown during PBS fundraisers, Bobby Darin: Beyond the Song first aired on December 7, 1998. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
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