Interview with Dick Van Dyke Sponsored By the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation

I found a great series of interviews in the Archive of of American Television interviews, sponsored by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation. This series of interviews features one of the great icons of 1960's television, Dick Van Dyke, most famous for his work as Robert Petrie in The Dick Van Dyke Show, but also as Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Bert in Mary Poppins, more recently as Dr. Mark Sloan in Diagnosis Murder,and many other popular roles on TV, stage and film.

These interviews with Dick Van Dyke are about how his life brought him into entertaining, radio, stage, television and eventually the movies. In the process, he covers the whole history of the transition between the glory days of radio to the early days of television when Van Dyke actually was the news anchor actually introduced a young Walter Cronkite! Now that's funny. Did you know that he won a Tony award for his work in Bye Bye Birdie on Broadway? That's the job that led to his casting in the Dick Van Dyke show. Enter Dick Van Dyke in the blue search box above and click on the IMDB button to get his complete filmography and most of his television history.

If you love comedy, this is something you really don't want to miss, follow these links to hear about the life of one of America's great comedians, born in the heartland of America, roots in Danville, Illinois, who says he was the least funny in his family yet came to work with some of the great comics in history and became a comedic icon in his own right.

These interviews have a special quality in which we see the human Dick Van Dyke, without affectation, without having to portray a character, and find that he may even be more charming as himself than many of the characters he has played. And that is saying a lot.

The links below will take you to each interview. I hope you enjoy them.

Archive of American Television Interview with Dick Van Dyke Part 1 of 6

Archive of American Television Interview with Dick Van Dyke Part 2 of 6


Archive of American Television Interview with Dick Van Dyke Part 3 of 6


Archive of American Television Interview with Dick Van Dyke Part 4 of 6


Archive of American Television Interview with Dick Van Dyke Part 5 of 6


Archive of American Television Interview with Dick Van Dyke Part 6 of 6

So if you'd like to hear Dick talk about his experiences with stars such as Mary Tyler Moore, Carol Burnette, Julie Andrews, Phil Silvers, Carl Reiner, Morey Amsterdam, Rose Marie, Walt Disney and many more, just watch some of the above.

As one of my favorite perfomers, I found these interviews delightful to watch. I always felt that he was an amazing and talented performance. One example. Near the end of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang his character Pots masquerades as a toy mechnical doll that seems to elevate itself in an impossible way out of its box, was it a special effect with strings, or did Van Dyke actually do it himself on the basis of his own strenght and agility.

Watch his dancing in Me Old Bamboo or with the chimney sweeps in Mary Poppins or with Laura on The Dick Van Dyke Show and you may find that answer more elusive than you think.

Rent the movie and find out for yourself.

In the meantime, its time for that closing music:

Da da da da da da da da da da da da da da
da da da da da da da da da da whee-plunk
da da da da da da da da da da da
da da da da da da da da da da
da da da da da da dump

Don't forget to watch out for that ottoman!



Peter

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