Comprehensive information and links about Dick Van Dyke

Dick Van Dyke "Van Dyke as Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang with Sally Ann Howes as Truly Scrumptious" in 1960, for which he won a Tony Award. He then starred in his own highly-rated and critically acclaimed sitcom, . The show divided its time between office and home, giving young supporting player Mary Tyler Moore a good deal of exposure. ran for five seasons. The series was created by Carl Reiner, who had played Rob Petrie in the original pilot, then realized that he was all wrong to play what was essentially a version of himself. Reiner instead opted to play Alan Brady, the role loosely based on Sid Caesar. In the lead role of Rob Petrie, Van Dyke won three Emmy Awards.

In 1971, Van Dyke starred with Hope Lange in (1964), in which he played Bert, a Cockney chimney sweep, and also, in heavy disguise, the elderly owner of the bank. His attempt at a Cockney accent (and his tendency to lapse into and out of it) was widely ridiculed (especially in the U.K.), but the very popular and innovative film also showed his versatility as a singer and dancer. One of his showcase songs, "Chim Chim Cheree", won the Oscar for the film's songwriting team.

Van Dyke made several fairly memorable comedy movies during this period, including with Debbie Reynolds and Jason Robards, Jr..

After the mid-1960s, Van Dyke was in a number of relatively unsuccessful movies, though one, a children's film called , is still well-known, especially with the recent stage musical.

In later years, Van Dyke would complain, "I never made a good movie."

Dramatic roles and career comeback

In 1974 Van Dyke uncharacteristically appeared in his first dramatic role, as an alcoholic businessman in the television movie (1974). He received wide acclaim and an Emmy nomination. Regarded by many as the most realistic television film ever made dealing with alcoholism, it is sometimes shown at treatment centers. The final scene in particular is regarded by many as chilling and unforgettable. It was at this time that Van Dyke admitted he had recently overcome a real-life drinking problem.

His career seemed essentially over by 1989 when Dick Van Dyke started a career comeback. First, he took a guest starring role on NBC's hit TV series The Golden Girls (a role that earned him his first Emmy nomination since 1977). The next year in 1990, Van Dyke, whose usual role had been the amiable hero, took a small, but villainous turn as the crooked D.A Fletcher in Warren Beatty's movie . Though his role in the movie was very small, he received positive reviews. In truth, it was not the first time Van Dyke had taken a villainous role. In 1975, he played a murdering photographer in a TV movie of the popular series Columbo, and in 1986, he starred in the first episode of the TV series Matlock starring Andy Griffith (who had also tried to break his good guy image by playing villains in both crime dramas, and TV movies). In that episode, Van Dyke played a man who murdered his wife and then presided over her murder trial. The reviews he received for Tracy led him to star in a series of TV movies on CBS that became the foundation for his popular television drama,

Influence

Van Dyke was a great admirer of Stan Laurel and even gave the eulogy at his funeral. He also produced a TV special soon afterward, "A Salute to Stan Laurel". He once met Laurel and told him he had copied a great deal from him. He said Laurel only laughed and said "I've noticed that".

Other interests

Van Dyke received a Grammy Award for his performance on the soundtrack to

Personal life

Dick Van Dyke is the older brother of actor Jerry Van Dyke, who is best known for his role on the TV series . Dick's son Barry Van Dyke and grandson Carry Van Dyke are also actors: Barry, Carry and other Van Dyke relations and grandchildren acted with Dick on various episodes of the long-running series.

During the Dick Van Dyke Show, he also was fighting alcoholism, which he successfully conquered. He has also served as an elder in the Presbyterian Church.

In 1970, he published , a book of humorous anecdotes based largely on his experiences as a Sunday School teacher.

Van Dyke is a computer animation enthusiast and has displayed some of his CGI work at trade shows. This interest is referenced in the 2004 TV movie