Roman Candle: The Life of Bobby Darin by David Evanier
Reviewed by Jennifer WestAlthough he died in 1973, Bobby Darin has been in the news again lately due to the release of Kevin Spacey’s movie “Beyond The Sea” which is based on Darin’s life, and the recent passing of Sandra Dee, Darin’s first wife.
Born into a loving, supportive Italian-American family, his heart weakened by rheumatic fever, Darin was convinced he would die before reaching the age of 30. As a teenager, having overheard his doctor giving him about three more years to live, Darin decided not to waste any time in becoming famous. He went on to become one of the greatest entertainers in the history of American show business. By the age of 24, he was part of show business royalty. He had immense commercial success with songs like "Splish Splash" and "Mack the Knife", which won a Grammy. Turning to acting, Darin appeared in several popular films, and had an Oscar-nominated supporting role in “Captain Newman, M.D.”
Darin attempted almost every field in entertainment and a few beyond– singing, dancing, composing, playing instruments, acting, starting his own music publishing company - he even considering running for political office. Upon hearing that Darin was considering a political career, Darin’s sister confessed that she was in fact his mother and the woman he had thought was his mother was in fact his grandmother. Darin was stunned at this news although there are some who think he might have suspected this long before.
Having achieved so much, Darin then entered an odd period in his career. He attempted to become a socially-conscious folk singer similar to Bob Dylan. While this did not surprise those who knew him well, the public rejected this new Darin.
David Evanier has written an absorbing biography of a man who truly appears to be larger than life. He covers both Darin’s successes as well as his dark side particularly his love-hate relationship with his family and his troubled marriage to "America's Sweetheart," Sandra Dee.