Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email
Answers.com

Dick Van Patten

 
Actor: Dick Van Patten
Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Actors
  • Born: Dec 09, 1928 in New York City, New York
  • Occupation: Actor
  • Active: '50s, '70s-2000s
  • Major Genres: Comedy, Drama
  • Career Highlights: Charly, Freaky Friday, The Love Boat
  • First Major Screen Credit: Charly (1968)

Biography

Even in his seventh decade, actor Dick Van Patten has retained the cherubic, chipmunk-cheeked countenance of his child-star days. Born into a family of actors, Van Patten was seven when he made his Broadway bow, playing Melvyn Douglas' son in Tapestry in Gray; that same year, he first stepped before a radio microphone. He would ultimately appear in 27 Broadway productions, including Thornton Wilder's The Skin of Our Teeth. His co-star in this endeavor was Tallulah Bankhead, who declared that "Dickie" was the only child actor she could tolerate because he could read The Racing Form. In 1941, Van Patten and his younger sister Joyce made their joint film debut in Reg'lar Fellers, repeating their roles from the radio version of the same property. He would not again appear in a film until 1968's Charly, by which time he had played eldest son Nels Hansen in the pioneering TV sitcom Mama had made a smooth transition to adult parts in the role of Mister Roberts' Ensign Pulver, and had co-starred in such New York stage presentations as The Tender Trap, Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? and Don't Drink the Water. An avid tennis player, Van Patten met producer/director Mel Brooks on the courts; their personal relationship blossomed into a professional one, with Van Patten playing Friar Tuck in Brooks' 1975 TV series When Things Were Rotten and appearing in several of Brooks' theatrical features. From 1977 through 1981, Van Patten starred as Tom Bradford on the TV "dramedy" Eight is Enough. His other series-TV assignments include The Partners (1971), The New Dick Van Dyke Show (1973-74 season) and WIOU (1990). In addition to his sibling relationship with Joyce Van Patten, Dick Van Patten is the half-brother Timothy Van Patten and the father of James and Vincent Van Patten--actors all. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Search unanswered questions...

Enter a question here...
Search: All sources Community Q&A Reference topics

Wikipedia: Dick Van Patten
Top
Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
Dick Van Patten

Dick Van Patten, May 2008
Born Richard Vincent van Patten
December 9, 1928 (1928-12-09) (age 80)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation Actor
Years active 1937–present
Spouse(s) Pat Van Patten
(1954-present)
married 55 years
3 children

Richard Vincent "Dick" Van Patten (born December 9, 1928) is an American actor.

Contents

Personal life

Van Patten was born in New York City, the son of Josephine Rose (née Acerno), who worked in advertising, and Richard Byron Van Patten, an interior decorator.[1] He is the older brother of actress Joyce Van Patten and film Director Tim Van Patten and the uncle of Talia Balsam. He has been married to Patricia Poole (aka Pat Van Patten) since 1954. They have three sons, all actors: Vincent Van Patten, Nels Van Patten, and James Van Patten. Nels is named for the character Dick played on the CBS TV series Mama.

In January 2006, Van Patten was taken to Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after suffering a diabetic stroke. Van Patten, who suffers from Type 2 diabetes, made a full recovery.

Career

Van Patten started his career in showbiz as a child actor on Broadway in 1937 in The Eternal Road as Dickie Van Patten; he went on to appear in twelve other Broadway plays as a teenager. He moved on to television and movies with the 1949 TV series Mama which ran from 1949 to 1957, and as patriarch Tom Bradford on Eight is Enough, 1977 to 1981. Patten also appeared in episodes of Sanford and Son, Banacek, Arrested Development, The Brian Keith Show, Cannon, The Streets of San Francisco, and Happy Days.

He has appeared in several Mel Brooks films, including High Anxiety, Spaceballs, and Robin Hood: Men in Tights, as well as cameos in the music videos for "Smells Like Nirvana" and "Bedrock Anthem" by "Weird Al" Yankovic, and on The Weird Al Show.[2]

Van Patten co-founded Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Pet Foods in 1989.

He also was a commentator for the World Series of Poker from 1993 to 1995.

He has recently penned a book describing his 80-year journey through the entertainment industry. [Eighty Is Not Enough]http://dickvanpatten.net, published by Phoenix Books, discusses Dick Van Patten's journey from his humble beginnings in Queens, New York; his rise as a childhood star on Broadway during the Great Depression; working as an actor on the radio; the advent of television and his role in the second-ever live situation comedy "I Remember Mama;" a rough period between acting gigs; a rise back to the top that led the TV icon to the lead role on the popular hit show "Eight is Enough;" and subsequent roles in television and movies.

References

  1. ^ Dick Van Patten Biography (1928-)
  2. ^ "Weird Al" Yankovic: Video Facts

External links

Dick Van Patten at http://dickvanpatten.net


This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 

 

Copyrights:

Actor. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Dick Van Patten".  Read more