Happy 99th

[edwin drood]

To Dick Van Dyke, born Dec 13, 1925.

[Pink Freud]

ED, thanks for opening this thread for The Happiest Man in Showbiz. He is just a national treasure. Dick guested a few times with Jay Leno on the "Tonight Show", and just lit the whole place up.

When I lived in L.A., Dick was scheduled to do a week of one-man shows about his amazing career at the David Geffen Center, but had to cancel when, just days before opening night, he blew out his Achilles. Still sharp of wit, he told a reporter --- who was clearly a fan of "The Dick Van Dyke Show" --- "A stray ottoman is suspected."

Dick was starring on Broadway in "Bye Bye Birdie" when he was asked to audition to replace Carl Reiner in the poorly-reviewed CBS sitcom pilot for "Head of the Family". Reiner was criticized as "too Jewish, too Noo Yawkish". Dick got the role, then they screen-tested him with Mary Tyler Moore --- then best-known for her legs and voice, since her face was never shown, as the sexy switchboard operator on David Janssen's "Richard Diamond: Private Detective". They clicked, the series was retitled "The Dick Van Dyke Show", Reiner was recast (in his own show) as Alan Brady, and NYC disc jockey/(later) "Match Game" host Gene Rayburn replaced Dick as Conrad Birdie on Broadway.

Around age 88 Dick became a fan of the wonderful folk-bluegrass-zydeco band Dustbowl Revival, whose concerts I hosted twice in northern AZ, led by the absolutely adorable girly-girl Liz Beebe --- who undressed and dressed for the show right in front of me when I was backstage with the band before the second show.

Dick and his wife shared this delightful music video with Dustbowl Revival (Liz is no longer with the band) at his home in Cave Creek AZ: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=10154566185527527

[Pink Freud]

(bleep) this stupid-(donkey) forums structure: Can't edit anything more than a few minutes later....which you only find out after adding your new info, and get told "Too late". Whoever designed this must have majored in Ebonics at UC-Berkeley.

Suggested reading: Dick's books "Keep Moving (and Other Tips and Truths About Aging)"; and "Dick Van Dyke: My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business".

[edwin drood]

While celebrating with his wife he was rescued from the approaching wildfire and evacuated. Home was spared and pet cat was found on his return.

https://www.latimes.com/california/stor ... found-safe

[Pink Freud]

Even Dan Rather --- who lost his wife of 67 years just last month --- was moved enough to celebrate Dick Van Dyke in today's newsletter: https://substack.com/home/post/p-153142 ... medium=web

[MikoTython]

(drat) this stupid-(donkey) forums structure: Can't edit anything more than a few minutes later....which you only find out after adding your new info, and get told "Too late". Whoever designed this must have majored in Ebonics at UC-Berkeley.

Suggested reading: Dick's books "Keep Moving (and Other Tips and Truths About Aging)"; and "Dick Van Dyke: My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business".

Why ebonics ?