He is portrayed as a surfer who saves Gidget from drowning and later becomes romantically involved with her. In the novels, two of the
television movies and
The New Gidget, his real name is
Geoffrey H. Griffin (the middle initial is mentioned only in the first novel), but in the three
Gidget motion pictures and the 1960s sitcom
Gidget his name is changed to
Jeffrey Matthews, and in
Gidget Gets Married his name is
Jeff Stevens. In the
novelization Gidget Goes Hawaiian we learn that his nickname refers to his fondness for surfing by moonlight. In the three motion pictures
Gidget,
Gidget Goes Hawaiian and
Gidget Goes to Rome, Moondoggie is portrayed by
James Darren, the only character to be played by the same actor in all three films. In the sitcom
Gidget, he is portrayed by
Stephen Mines; in
Gidget Grows Up by
Paul Petersen, in
Gidget Gets Married by
Michael Burns, and in ''
Gidget's Summer Reunion and The New Gidget'' by
Dean Butler. At the end of the last
Gidget novel,
Gidget Goes New York, Moondoggie and Gidget are married. They are also portrayed as married in
Gidget Gets Married, ''
Gidget's Summer Reunion and The New Gidget''. == Notes ==