A look back at his iconic career

Today we celebrate the legendary Dick Van Dyke as he turns 99!

Out of Mary Poppins, Bye birdie And Chitty Chitty Bang Bang tO The Dick Van Dyke Show, Diagnosis: murder and his recent Daytime Emmy Award win for days of our lives, The beloved Dick Van Dyke has been performing for over seven decades. His awards include six Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, a Golden Globe Award and a Tony Award. He was also inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1993 and received the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2013 and the Kennedy Center Honors in 2020.

Of course classic The Dick Van Dyke Show established Mr. Van Dyke as one of the country’s top physical comedians. But his exceptional comedic timing, versatility as an actor, iconic roles in popular family-friendly films, and ability to seamlessly switch between comedic and dramatic roles are the secret to his durability.

In honor of Dick Van Dyke, here are 12 notable anecdotes from his career:

1) In the late 1940s, Dick Van Dyke was a radio DJ at WDAN in Danville, Illinois. In 1947 he was persuaded by mime actor Phil Erikson to form a comedy duo called Eric and Van – the Merry Mutes.

2) Van Dyke’s first television appearance was in an obscure, short-lived comedy titled Joe & Mabel, the story of a city taxi driver (Larry Blyden) and his girlfriend (Nita Talbot).

3) Next on the small screen for Van Dyke was a guest spot in two comedy episodes The Phil Silvers Show as Private Hank Lumpkin.

4) In November 1959, Van Dyke made his Broadway debut The girls against the boys. The production was a two-act revue and also featured Shelly Berman, Bert Lahr (The Wizard of Oz) and Nancy Walker (Rhoda, McMillan & Mrs).

5) Van Dyke began his film career with the role of Albert J. Peterson in the film version of Bye birdie (in which he had previously appeared on stage). It also starred Ann-Margret, Janet Leigh and Maureen Stapleton.

6) The Dick Van Dyke Showwhich premiered on October 3, 1961, won 15 Emmy Awards over its five seasons. Dick Van Dyke won three times for Outstanding Continuing Performance by an Actor in a Series, and Mary Tyler Moore won twice for Outstanding Continuing Performance by an Actress in a Lead Role in a Comedy Series. Creator Carl Reiner, meanwhile, took home three trophies for outstanding writing in comedy.

7) Five years later The New Dick Van Dyke Show came sitcom The New Dick Van Dyke Showwhich ran on CBS from 1971 to 1974. It starred Hope Lange, Marty Brill, Nancy Dussault and Fannie Flagg.

8) In 1976, Van Dyke attempted his own NBC sketch variety series, Van Dyke and company. Andy Kaufman (pre-taxi) made his primetime debut on the series, which only lasted 11 episodes. Despite his short term in office Van Dyke and company won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Series.

9) Van Dyke joined the cast of the CBS sketch comedy The Carol Burnett Show in the 11th (and final) season in 1977. But he left mid-season because he felt the writers were still writing for late cast member Harvey Korman.

10) He made one last attempt to find a successful sitcom The Van Dyke Show on CBS in the fall of 1988. The series focuses on Matt Burgess (Barry Van Dyke, his real-life son), who ran a small regional theater in Pennsylvania, and his father Dick Burgess (Dick Van Dyke), a Broadway musical star. But it was canceled after only 10 episodes were produced (and only six aired).

11) Van Dyke moved from comedy to crime solving, debuting as Dr. Mark Sloane in the medical crime drama Diagnosis: murder in May 2011. Spin-off of the crime drama by William Conrad Jake and the Fatman, Diagnosis: murder ran for eight seasons and also starred Barry Van Dyke.

12) Van Dyke’s comic inspiration was Stan Laurel, who was of course one half of the legendary comedy team Laurel and Hardy. The two eventually became good friends and Van Dyke gave a eulogy at Laurel’s funeral in 1965.

We wish Dick Van Dyke a happy birthday again. And in honor of this occasion, all together now… Chim chiminey, chim chiminey, chim chim cher-ee!