Hickman was in For the Love of Rusty (1947), The Son of Rusty (1947), Heaven Only Knows (1947) (starring Bob Cummings, who would play a major role in Hickman's career), Her Husband's Affairs (1948), My Dog Rusty (1948), Rusty Leads the Way (1948),The Boy with Green Hair (1948), The Sun Comes Up (1949), Rusty Saves a Life (1949), Mighty Joe Young (1949), Rusty's Birthday (1949), and The Happy Years (1950), which starred Darryl. As a teen, he and Darryl guest-starred in a 1950 episode of The Lone Ranger titled Two Gold Lockets,