Dick Van Dyke, who turned 100 on December 13, first captivated American households on the CBS show. The Dick Van Dyke Show.
After getting his start in radio and television comedy, he earned a Tony for the 1960s. Goodbye Birdie. In 1961, he beat out the likes of Johnny Carson to play Rob Petrie in a reworked version of scribe Carl Reiner’s pilot script, originally titled Head of family. Based on his own experience as a television screenwriter, Reiner created it for himself and even starred in a pilot, but it didn’t move forward.
Renowned The Dick Van Dyke Showthe project focused on Van Dyke’s character balancing work and family. It starred Morey Amsterdam, Rose Marie and 24-year-old Mary Tyler Moore as his wife Laura. “We became family,” Van Dyke said THR last year. When it debuted in October 1961, THRVan Dyke’s review felt that she would “certainly establish herself as a new personality.” However, after the 39-episode first season, CBS was on the verge of canceling it. Executive producer Sheldon Leonard asked for another chance, and the following season the series landed in the top 10, thanks to an introduction from the television draw, The Beverly Hillbillies.
The series became famous for a moment in its opening credits when Van Dyke trips over a beanbag; Over the seasons, he sometimes skillfully dodged it, sometimes stumbling over something else. “Carl knew I loved physical comedy,” the star recalls.
After five seasons and 15 Emmy wins, Reiner decided to focus on acting and the series came to an end. “I would still do it if they let me,” Van Dyke said last year. As is, the Mary Poppins the star has kept busy over the years, including recently releasing the book 100 rules for living to 100 to celebrate its centennial status. As he joked last month to Al Roker, “I’m looking for work right now.”
This story appeared in the December 17 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
