Dick Van Patten

Richard Vincent Van Patten (December 9, 1928 – June 23, 2015) was an American actor, businessman, and animal welfare advocate, whose career spans seven decades of television. He was best known for his role as patriarch Tom Bradford on the ABC television comedy-drama Eight Is Enough.

Dick Van Patten
Van Patten in May 2008
Born	Richard Vincent Van Patten (1928-12-09)December 9, 1928 Kew Gardens, Queens, New York, U.S.
Died	June 23, 2015(2015-06-23) (aged 86) Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Resting place	Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills
Occupation	Actor, businessman, animal welfare advocate
Years active	1935–2012
Spouse(s)	Patricia Poole ( m. 1954)
Children	3, including Vincent
Relatives	Tim Van Patten (half brother) Joyce Van Patten (sister)

Van Patten began work as a child actor and was successful on the New York stage, appearing in more than a dozen plays as a teenager. He worked in radio, on Duffy's Tavern.[1] He later starred in numerous television roles including the long-running CBS television series, "Mama" and Young Doctor Malone. Later, he would star or co-star in many feature films, including Charly, Mel Brooks's Robin Hood: Men in Tights and Spaceballs, and Charlton Heston's Soylent Green. Van Patten was the founder of Natural Balance Pet Foods and National Guide Dog Month.

Early life

Richard Vincent Van Patten was born on December 9, 1928, in the Kew Gardens section of the New York City borough of Queens, the elder child of Richard Byron Van Patten, an interior decorator, and Josephine Rose (née Acerno), who worked in advertising. His younger sister is actress Joyce Van Patten.[2]

His mother was of Italian descent, while his father had Dutch and English ancestry. He began work as a model and actor as a child making his Broadway debut at the age of seven. He was successful on the New York City stage, appearing in a dozen theatrical plays before reaching his teen years. He later moved to Hollywood and began a lengthy career in film and television.[3][2]

Career

Actor

Van Patten's career in show business began as a child actor on Broadway in 1935 in Tapestry In Gray starring Melvyn Douglas. He was billed as "Dickie Van Patten" and went on to appear in twelve other Broadway plays as a teenager. He moved on to television with the role of Nels Hansen in the CBS series, Mama, starring Peggy Wood, about a Norwegian-American family living in San Francisco, in the early 20th century. It ran from 1949-57.[3] In 1975, he played "Friar Tuck" on When Things Were Rotten, a comic take on Robin Hood, created by Mel Brooks. The series ran for 13 episodes before being canceled. He was best-known as the Bradford family patriarch, Tom Bradford, on Eight Is Enough, which aired from 1977-81, and which was loosely based on a book of the same name by the American journalist Thomas Braden.[3][2]

Van Patten appeared in episodes of Sanford and Son, Banacek, Arrested Development, The Brian Keith Show, Cannon, The Streets of San Francisco, Adam-12, Emergency!, Growing Pains, and Happy Days. He had numerous leading roles in motion pictures including Joe Kidd, The Snowball Express and The Santa Trap. He played a small role in the dystopian film Soylent Green (1973).[2]

Van Patten appeared in several films directed by Mel Brooks, 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.[4] He played "Jack Benson" in Opposite Day (2009). He also was a commentator for the World Series of Poker from 1993-95.[3][2]

The Hollywood Walk of Fame honored Van Patten on November 20, 1985, with a Star of Television marker at 1541 North Vine Street.[5] On January 12, 2008, Van Patten received a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars.[6]

On November 1, 2009, Phoenix Books published Eighty Is Not Enough!, a book co-authored by Van Patten and Robert Baer, in which Van Patten shared his 80-year journey of insights and anecdotes through the entertainment industry. He discusses his journey from his humble beginning 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 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.[7]

Other work

Main articles: Natural Balance Pet Foods and National Guide Dog Month

An animal enthusiast, Van Patten co-founded Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Pet Foods in 1989. Van Patten's creation of his own brand of dog food was satirized in comedian John Hodgman's 2008 book More Information Than You Require, and was rebranded as Dick Van Patten's Hobo Chili for Dogs.[8] He founded National Guide Dog Month which began in 2008 to raise awareness and money for non-profit guide dog schools in the United States, accredited by the International Guide Dog Federation.

Personal life

Family

Peggy Wood, who played Van Patten's mother in the television program Mama, congratulates Pat and Dick on their wedding, 1954.

Patriarch of a famous Hollywood family, Van Patten was the older brother of actress Joyce Van Patten, and the older half-brother of film director and Emmy award-winning television director/producer Tim Van Patten. He was married to Patricia Poole (also known as Pat Van Patten) from 1954 until his death. She was a professional dancer on Broadway and a June Taylor dancer on The Jackie Gleason Show. They lived in Sherman Oaks, California. They had three sons, all actors: Vincent,[9] Nels, and Jimmy. Nels, who is married to actress Nancy Valen, is named for the character Van Patten played on the CBS's Mama. Van Patten was related to several other actors through marriages. His sister Joyce married actor Martin Balsam; their daughter is actress Talia Balsam. Talia's first husband was actor George Clooney, and she is now married to actor John Slattery. Van Patten's son, Vince, is married to actress Eileen Davidson.

Illness and death

Grave of Dick Van Patten at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills.

In January 2006, Van Patten was taken to Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after suffering a diabetic stroke. Van Patten, who suffered from Type 2 diabetes, made a full recovery. Van Patten died at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California, on June 23, 2015, at age 86. Complications from diabetes were the listed cause.[10]

Willie Aames, who played son Tommy Bradford on Eight Is Enough, called his television father "truly a gem [who] will be missed. ... As Dick always said, 'Remember our times together, gang ... Cause these ARE the good ole' days". Betty Buckley, Van Patten's co-star on the series, recalled, "Every day on the set he was a happy, jovial person, always generous and ready to play, tease, and always keep us all laughing. He was the consummate professional, a wonderful actor, master of comedy, and a kind and generous human being."[10]

He is interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles.

Honors

On November 20, 1985, Dick Van Patten was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[5] In 2008, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California, Walk of Stars was dedicated to him.[11]

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1963	Violent Midnight	Police Lt. Palmer	Film debut
1967	The Secret Dream Models of Oliver Nibble	Oliver Nibble	Short film; as John Acerno
1968	Charly	Bert	as Richard Van Patten
1971	Zachariah	The Dude
	Making It	Warren
1972	Beware! The Blob	Scoutmaster Adleman
	Joe Kidd	Hotel Manager
	Dirty Little Billy	Berle's customer
	Snowball Express	Mr. Carruthers
1973	Soylent Green	Usher #1
	Westworld	Banker
	Superdad	Ira Kushaw
1974	Heidi in the Mountains		English version, Voice
1975	The Strongest Man in the World	V.P. Harry Crumply
1976	Treasure of Matecumbe	The Gambler
	Gus	Cal Wilson
	The Shaggy D.A.	Raymond
	Freaky Friday	Harold Jennings
1977	High Anxiety	Dr. Wentworth
1979	Nutcracker Fantasy	King Goodwin	Voice
1981	Lunch Wagon	Bernie Simmons	Uncredited
1987	Spaceballs	King Roland
1988	The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking	Greg the Glue Man
1989	Dirty Tennis	Himself	(short film written by his son, James Van Patten)
1992	Body Trouble	Max
	Final Embrace	Larch
1993	Robin Hood: Men in Tights	The Abbot
1996	For Goodness Sake II	Game show host
	Love Is All There Is	Dr. Rodino
1998	Evasive Action	Parole Officer
1999	Y2K – World in Crisis	Host	Documentary
	2002	Groom Lake	Irv Barnett
2003	Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star	Himself
2004	Quiet Kill	Frank Rubin
2008	The Christmas Conspiracy	Narrator	Short
2009	Opposite Day	Jack Benson
	Sarah's Choice	Pastor Smith	Direct-to-video
2010	First Dog	Himself
2016	Silver Skies	Himself	Released Posthumously

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1949–1957	Mama	Nels Hansen
1958	The Silent Service	Hadley	Episode: "Tiger Shark". Executive Officer of the subject submarine.
	Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer	Paul Sterovsky	Episode "The Broken Frame"
1959	Rawhide	Matt Reston	Episode "Incident of the Power and the Plow"
1961	Naked City	Carhop	Episode "The Well-Dressed Termite"
1961–1962	Young Doctor Malone	Larry Renfrew
1970	The Governor & J.J.	Bertram Bannister
	I Dream Of Jeannie	Grocery store manager	Season 5, Episode 26; "My Master, the Chili King"; Air date: May 26, 1970; series finale
	That Girl	Mr. Morse
	Arnie	Walter Granscog/Walker
1971	Great Performances	Raymond
1971–1972	The Partners	Sgt. Nelson Higgenbottom
1971–1972	The Doris Day Show	April's Father
1971–1973	Love, American Style		Segments: "Love and the Tattoo", "Love and the Parent's Sake" (George), "Love and the Particular Girl" (Jack)
1972	Sanford and Son	Hamlin	Episode: "The Great Sanford Siege"
	The Don Rickles Show	David
	Hec Ramsey	Earl Enright
	Banyon	Earl Gifford
1972–1973	The Paul Lynde Show	Dr. Willis/Wollner
1972–1974	The New Dick Van Dyke Show	Max Mathias/Mr. Compton
1972–1975	Medical Center	Dr. Feldman/Dr. Whittaker/Man at Hotel
1972–1976	Emergency!	Carter Merkle/Morris Meers
1972–1976	The Streets of San Francisco	Thurman Barber/John Collins
1973	McMillan & Wife	Henry
	The Brian Keith Show	Jerry Mason
	Cannon	George Abel	2x18 Murder for Murder
	Thicker than Water	John
	Adam's Rib	Commissioner Hoyt
	Wait Till Your Father Gets Home
1973–1975	The Rookies	Fullmer/Waldon
1973–1983	Insight	Jerry
1974	Banacek	Donald Morgan
	The Girl with Something Extra	Morgan
	Sierra	Ed
	Kolchak: The Night Stalker	Alfred Brindle
	Adam-12	Harry Curtis
1974–1976	Barnaby Jones	Melvin Pearson/Merle Overton
1975	Hot l Baltimore	A.J. Horn
	When Things Were Rotten	Friar Tuck
1975–1976	The Six Million Dollar Man	Harry Green/Palmer
1976	Ellery Queen	Billy Geeter
	Phyllis	Walter
	Maude	Gordon Coleman
	The New Adventures of Wonder Woman	Jack Wood	Episode: "Beauty on Parade"
	What's Happening!!	Mr. Claxton
	The Tony Randall Show	Myron C. Dobbs
1976–1977	Happy Days	Asst. Principal Marvin Conners/Hunsberger
1977	C.P.O. Sharkey	Psychiatrist
	One Day at a Time	Frank
1977–1981	Eight Is Enough	Tom Bradford
1978–1984	The Love Boat	Charlie Dillinger/Congressman John Whitcomb/George Hayes
1979	Diary of a Teenage Hitchhiker	Herb Thurston	TV movie
1982	High Powder	Tom Reed	TV movie
1983	Too Close for Comfort	Arthur
1983–1985	Hotel	Frasier Pratt/Herbert Pitts
1984	The Hoboken Chicken Emergency	Mayor	TV movie
	Masquerade
	Finder of Lost Loves	Alan Nettles
	The New Mike Hammer
1985	Crazy Like a Fox
	The Midnight Hour	Martin Grenville	TV movie
1986	Murder, She Wrote	District Atty. Fred Whittaker	Episode: "Murder in the Electric Cathedral"
	Combat Academy	Principal
1987	The Facts of Life	Frank Stickle	Episode: "Ex Marks the Spot"
	Eight Is Enough: A Family Reunion	Tom Bradford	TV movie
	Rags to Riches	Phil Johnson
1989	Growing Pains	Nick Simpson	Episode: "Fortunate Son"
	An Eight Is Enough Wedding	Tom Bradford	TV movie
	Jake Spanner, Private Eye	The Commodore	TV movie
1990	McGee and Me!	Graham
1990–1991	WIOU	Floyd Graham
1993	The Golden Palace	Taylor
	The Odd Couple: Together Again	Roy	TV movie
	Diagnosis: Murder	Monty Emerson	Episode: "Murder at the Telethon"
1994	Burke's Law	Dr. Paul Hampton
	Baywatch	Henry/Sam	Episode: "You Can Go Home Again"
	Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman	Orphanage Worker/Santa	Episode: "Season's Greedings"
1995–1998	Touched by an Angel	Jerry/Eb	2 episodes
1996	Maybe This Time	Jack
	Boy Meets World	Amish Farmer	Episode: "You Can Go Home Again"
1997	The Weird Al Show	The Burglar	Episode: "Al Gets Robbed"
1998	The Love Boat: The Next Wave	Sid Glacken
	Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction	Chester	Segment: "The Chess Game"
1999	Family Guy	Tom Bradford (voice)	Episode: "Brian: Portrait of a Dog"
	Late Night with Conan O'Brien	Mr. Ropely
2001	Gary & Mike	Ba (voice)
2003	Life with Bonnie	Himself	Episode: "It's a Wonderful Job"
2004	7th Heaven	James Rodgers, Sr.	Episode: "The Chess Game"
2005	Arrested Development	Cal Cullen	Episodes: "Spring Breakout" and "Righteous Brothers"
2006	That '70s Show	Murph	Episode: "Sweet Lady"
2009	The Sarah Silverman Program	Dr. Eddie Hackmeyer
2011	Hot in Cleveland	Lester	Episode: "The Chess Game" (last appearance)

Bibliography

• Van Patten, Dick; Baer, Robert (2009). Eighty Is Not Enough!: One Actor's Journey Through American Entertainment. Beverly Hills, Calif.: Phoenix Books. ISBN 978-1607477006.

References

1. Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old Time Radio. Oxford University Press. p. 212. ISBN 978-0195076783. (within Cast section) Dickie Van Patten as Finnegan's kid brother Wilfred.
2. "Dick Van Patten biodata". Filmreference.com. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
3. Slotnik, Daniel E. (August 22, 2012). "Rosemary Rice, Oldest Daughter of TV's 'Mama', Dies at 87". The New York Times. p. B8. Retrieved June 23, 2015.
4. "Video Facts". Weird Al" Yankovic. Archived from the original on November 10, 2006.
5. "Dick Van Patten". Hollywood Walk of Fame. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
6. "Dick Van Patten to be Honored with Star on Palm Springs Walk of Stars". PR Newswire. January 9, 2008. Archived from the original on October 15, 2012. Retrieved September 5, 2011.
7. Kleinschmidt, Janice (August 2010). "A Man of Passion". Palm Springs Life. ISSN 0031-0425.
8. Ulaby, Neda (November 18, 2008). "Comic John Hodgman Shares 'More Information'". NPR. Book Tour.
9. Dagan, Carmel (June 23, 2015). "Dick Van Patten, 'Eight Is Enough' Star, Dies at 86". Variety. ISSN 0042-2738.
10. Jamieson, Wendell (June 23, 2015). "Dick Van Patten, Harried Father on 'Eight Is Enough', Dies at 86". The New York Times. p. B10.
11. "Palm Springs Walk of Stars by date dedicated" (PDF). Archived from the original on 2012-10-13. Retrieved 2017-04-20.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)

External links

• Dick Van Patten on IMDb
• Dick Van Patten at the TCM Movie Database
• Dick Van Patten at the Internet Broadway Database
• Dick Van Patten at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
• Dick Van Patten at The Interviews: An Oral History of Television