Racing To Get Drunk Before Dinner - Dick Van Dyke
Dick Van Dyke has a new book out, and I was hoping for more dirt than you actually get in the book, but it does have some interesting tales. Apparently Dick was a huge alcoholic. He would count down the hours and minutes while filming the Dick Van Dyke show and as soon as the clock struck five he was out the door and drinking. His wife did not seem to care and Dick says they had a contest where he would try and get drunk before she could finish getting dinner ready. After many years of drinking, Dick checked himself into rehab and got sober. On the day he was checking out, his wife checked in for her own addiction to tranquilizers. That is a good start Dick, but I know you can do better. Dish.
I want to hear about how he used to sneak over to Laura Petrie's twin bed.
ReplyDeleteI looove the Dick Van Dyke show and would Looove to hear some dirt on the set and on MTM
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ReplyDeleteCan you say Dysfunctional family...
ReplyDeleteLOL!! @Looserdude
ReplyDeleteI was just a kid when this happened but I vaguely remember something about how MTM helped her brother die since he was suffering from a sickness so much. Anyone remember that, and if she got in trouble?
ReplyDeleteI heard that he was drunk often on the stage while filming. Now, when I watch the reruns, it's so obvious when he's wasted. I love that show and love Laura's clothes!
ReplyDeleteI loved Laura and Rob Petrie! Rob was such a gorgeous man and Mary was just the bomb!
ReplyDelete@ looserdude - me too. Luci and Ricky and the others on tv shows with twin beds just make me laugh.
ReplyDeleteL-O-V-E the Dick Van Dyke show. Best sitcom ever. Ever ever. I'm looking forward to reading the book ... my need for dirt isn't as strong as my love for the inside story. And I'm guessing he shares some.
ReplyDeleteI'm hopeful he's too much of a gentleman to go after anyone who could be hurt or embarassed by what he could write.
I have such a soft spot for Dick! Wait, that came out wrong. You know what I mean.
ReplyDeleteI thought his alcoholism was a well known fact?
ReplyDeleteLOL @ RocketQ :)
ReplyDeleteLOVED this show (thank you Nick at Night). Love MTM. Loved her show even more. Look how adorable she is there.
Glad he was able to get the help he needed.
drunks usually have some pretty good stories. it can't be a shock that he was an alcoholic---i believe he's talked about it and i THINK mtm has too. anyway, i'm glad he got sober---he's always seemed like the nicest man.
ReplyDeleteloved the petries!
Bert the Chimney Sweep can do NO WRONG.
ReplyDeleteThat explains why he was so smiley on the show. And ditto to what Ida said. :)
ReplyDeleteHe said on the today show he didn't drink before or during work... Went hungover one day and that's when he knew he needed help.
ReplyDeleteI've seen Dick in interviews and he seems like a nice person. Back when the Dick Van Dyke show was on air, most adults drank many martinis before during and after dinner, and they typical housewife popped tranqs like they were Pez. The good old days are only so because everyone was blitzed on something.
ReplyDelete@amh.producer: I agree. I believe him when he said he never drank at work. And he said it eons ago when he admitted being an alcoholic. So not news or earth-shattering. But guess he never thought to write a book before. And also, MTM said she and he had big crushes on each other but never did anything. Quite possible if the only thing he was thinking about after work was tying one on.
ReplyDelete@Danielle. I remember that ... I think it came out after she wrote a book around 1995 or so? He was dying of cancer and they mashed up pills and put them in ice cream.. but it did not work and he died later - like months?? No charges were filed and she did not get into any sort of trouble. [Not that I think she should have .. I don't]
ReplyDeleteAs for Dick, I think Dick talked about his alcoholism back in the 1980's .. because I remember this info from long ago .. like back when I was in bobby sox! [Literally .. there was a sock brand called bobby sox!] ; )
Hope he is doing well after the loss of Michelle. Until she died .. I had no idea Michelle Triola [sp??] Marvin was his significant other.
Dick Van Dyke has been very open about his alcohol use and that he spent a bunch of years drunk but never at work. He seems like such a gentleman, it's refreshing to see someone write only about their own problems instead of taking up a pen in order to trash everyone else.
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