As a young boy, I remember my father telling me that there were basically two defining "moments" or "cosmic happenings" in popular music. One was Elvis and the other was The Beatles. The effort to get a motion picture made about my father's life has indeed been a long and winding road! My personal efforts began in earnest in 1986, and I must admit that there were times over the years when I felt that the film would simply not happen.

Therefore, it is with a profound sense of excitement, and a bit of relief, that I can confirm to you that the long-awaited and much-talked about film regarding my father's life will finally see the light of day! Kevin Spacey will portray my father in the film "Beyond the Sea" with his production company, Trigger Street Productions, overseeing the project. In addition, Kevin will direct the picture; production scheduled to begin in June of this year.

Since in the past the press often times seemed to get things wrong with respect to my feelings on this subject, let me be as direct as I can. Kevin Spacey is a tremendous talent, and I am thrilled that he is taking on this project. I have always admired his range as an actor and the palpable commitment that he brings to each character. That last statement is certainly not news to anyone who has entered a movie theater in the past decade nor particularly insightful on my part! However, what might be news to the world is that Mr. Spacey has a true passion and admiration for my father's personal story and his contributions to the world of entertainment. Passion and admiration are often throw away lines in today's movie industry; however, that is NOT the case here. Quite simply, Kevin cares deeply about this project and is determined to make it something of which we can all be proud. In essence, one of the finest actors of our generation is deeply committed to making a great film about a subject matter close to his heart. Case closed as far as this Darin is concerned!

As I mentioned, I have been involved with this effort since 1986. There really is an interesting book to be written about modern studio filmmaking in general and this endeavor in particular. Behind the scenes machinations, inflated egos and the simple unpredictability that is filmmaking all add up to be a worthy paperback suspense novel. Many people have worked hard and with dedication on this project. However, one person deserves to be singled out. That individual is Arthur Friedman who came to Hollywood in 1986 with the dream of getting the Bobby Darin movie made. He has worked tirelessly and with unwavering determination to see this film to fruition. He has faced many hurdles, some of which include my not speaking to him for 6 years and battling against him over this very project! Trust me, he's one determined character who takes a licking and keeps on ticking. I want to be on the record here and now, to say thank you to Mr. Friedman for all his efforts. Many a lesser man would have walked away long ago.

Most young boys admire their fathers and want to grow up to be like them; this seems to be a normal rite of passage in the development of a healthy psyche. In my case to say that I admired my father would be a gross understatement, not to mention a waste of good money in therapy! In addition to him being a loving father, I was acutely aware, even as a little boy, that he was different. He was exciting, larger than life and able to light up a room wherever he went. In essence, he was the smooth cool cat that I (dare I say we?) wanted to be like. Admire him, you bet I did. As I write this, I feel very confident that one day my two precious daughters will grow up and be able to understand and appreciate their grandfather on a deeper level as a result of this film being made. To Kevin Spacey and all those involved in making that happen, I am deeply grateful. All the best, Dodd
Copyright Dodd Darin 2006.