Remembering Dwayne Hickman or “Dobie Gillis”

On Sunday, January 9, 2022, Dwayne Hickman, actor of “Dobie Gillis” fame, died.  He was 87 years of age.  

His TV series, “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis” was based on the book of the same name, by author Max Schulman.  It featured a high school boy, Dobie, trying to deal with life and survive adolescence.  Since I was 17, the show meant a lot to me, even though it was a comedy.

Dobie was pursued by a nerdy girl named Zelda Gilroy, played by Sheila James, while he pursued a blonde babe, Thalia Meninger, played by Tuesday Weld.  His best buddy was a beatnik named Maynard G. Krebbs, played by Bob Denver, who later starred in another sitcom, Gilligsn’s Island.

I met Dwayne Hickman in a San Jose bookstore over 20 years ago, when he was marketing his autobiography called “Always Dobie.”  I told him how much his show meant to me as a teenager and he was grinning from ear to ear.  He signed my copy of his book and we chatted for a few moments.  He was a nice guy.

God bless Dwayne Hickman and Rest In Peace, “Dobie.”  That’s “Dobie” with a “B.”