Anyway he went to lunch with our crew at the YMCA (best family-style food in Mobile). When we finished eating Dick asked Claude (my boss) if he'd like to play drums or stand-up bass. Then Dick began 'slapping' out a rhythm on the table top and my boss is going 'catoon-toon-toon' emulating a bass. I think all the people in the room recognized Dick so it turned out ok....but memorable.
Don't know if he was heavily into 'communing with the spirit' (alcohol) back then he he sure was a very personable guy.
He was a really nice guy. I got to meet him through a series of circumstances that got me and my dad in to see a rehearsal of their show (closed set) in 1963.
He was so nice, actually came out to meet me and my dad and walked us into the studio. It was the episode with Alan Reed (voice of Fred Flintstone) and Howard Morris, in which Rob and Laura bought a painting at an auction that turned out to be painted by Frank Sinatra, who signed his name backwards (Artanis).
The whole cast was so nice to me. I got Mary Tyler Moore’s autograph, which she signed “lotsa love.” I wish I could find it.
One of the great memories of my childhood (I was 13 and that was my favorite show.) Such a thrill.
I was so sorry to seem him supporting Hillary in the election.
Oh well.
And yes, he was quite the alcoholic back then. I have a photo of him and my dad at the cast party for the movie “What A Way to Go” (Dick Van Dyke, Shirley McLaine, Paul Newman, Robert Mitchum, Bob Cummings, Dean Martin.) He really looks three sheets to the wind in that photo, in which he is holding a drink.
My Brother was the broadcast engineer for one of the TV stations in Mobile during the 1960s. I went to work with him one Sunday morning and they were showing a taped program which was sort of a local meet the press type show.
They had on Mayor Outlaw (a great name for a politician) and the discussion was about censorship. One guy read a salacious passage to the Mayor. I immediately knew it was from the “Song Of Soloman” and that it was a “gotcha” question when he asked the mayor if that was appropriate.
Sure enough, the Mayor was confused and said something about it being inappropriate. Then the guy told him it was from the Bible.
The telephone immediately began to ring and people wanted to talk to the mayor. Joe had me answering the phone and all I to do was tell them it was taped earlier.
Don Knotts once asked Carl Reiner what Dick Van Dyke was like.
“You’re a real nice guy, Don. Dick is nicer.”