Darby Hinton

Darby Hinton
Hinton in 2019
Born	Edgar Raymond Darby Hinton (1957-08-19) August 19, 1957 (age 67) Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1962–present
Parent(s)	Ed and Marilynn Hinton
Relatives	Daryn Hinton (sister)

Edgar Raymond Darby Hinton (born August 19, 1957) is an American actor. His parents were actor Ed Hinton (1919–1958) and Marilyn Mau Hinton (1922–1982). Both of his sisters, Darcy and Daryn Hinton, were actresses from childhood.^[1] Hinton is best known for playing Israel Boone on Daniel Boone.^[2]

Acting career

Hinton’s acting debut was as an infant in a 1958 Playhouse 90 episode with his father.^[1] In 1962 he played a four-year-old boy in Hero's Island and a reviewer stated he and six-year-old Morgan Mason were natural child actors.^[3] His other early roles were on Mister Ed, Route 66, Wagon Train, and The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.^[4]

When Hinton was six years old, his mother dropped him off at 20th-Century Fox to audition for a part in The Sound of Music, and then she went to park the car. Hinton made a mistake, stood in line for Daniel Boone auditions, and so impressed the casting department that he was signed for the role of Israel Boone, though they had been looking for an older boy for the part. He was on the series from 1964 to 1970, and became especially close to Fess Parker, who played his father. Hinton had been only a year old when his own father died, and Parker became a father figure to him.^[1]

After Daniel Boone ended, Hinton continued acting. He was in the 1978 film Goodbye, Franklin High,^[5] the 1979 ABC special When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion,^[6] the 1981 martial arts film Firecracker^[7] and the 1985 film Malibu Express. From 1985 to 1986, Hinton played Ian Griffith on Days of Our Lives^[5] In 2015, Hinton appeared as David G. Burnet in Texas Rising, which was shown on History,^[8] and in 2019 he played Philip Fuller in the Hallmark Channel film Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses.^[9]

Personal life

In 1983, Hinton married Diannale Preisman. The couple had two children, Nick and Dakota, before divorcing. He later married Shan Griffiths, and had two more children, Ryder and India.^[1]

References

1. Everett Aaker, Television Western Players, 1960-1975: A Biographical Dictionary, page 210, McFarland, Incorporated, 2017
2. Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh, The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946 – Present (Seventh Edition), Ballantine Books, 1999, page 234
3. Hero’s Island review, Box-Office, September 24, 1962
4. Torchy Smith, Shooting the Breeze with Baby Boomer Stars!, Archway Publishing, 2018.
5. Hal Erickson, The Baseball Filmography, 1915 through 2001, 2nd ed., page 218, McFarland, Inc., 2010
6. When the West Was Fun, The Star, June 5, 1979, pages 4 and 5
7. Bill & Karen Palmer, The Encyclopedia of Martial Arts Movies, page 117, Scarecrow Press, 1995
8. Darby Hinton, at Reel Cowboys website
9. Terrace, Vincent, Television Movies of the 21st Century, page 73, McFarland, Inc., 2021

External links

• Darby Hinton at IMDb