Richard Deacon Movies

Rob (Dick Van Dyke) becomes temporary producer of "The Alan Brady Show" when temperamental guest star Paula Marshall (Lola Albright) refuses to work with Mel Cooley (Richard Deacon). Because Paula is one of Rob's favorite performers, Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) is none too happy that her husband and the sexy celebrity will be in such close quarters. As it turns out, however, Rob's problem is not avoiding Paula's charms, but instead trying to figure out a diplomatic way to make her stop being so egotistical and disruptive on the set. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Doris Singleton, best known to TV comedy fans as the nearsighted Caroline Appleby on I Love Lucy, appears in this episode as magazine writer Lorraine Gilman. Preparing a story on "The Alan Brady Show," Lorraine wants to sit in on a typical writing session. Head writer Rob (Dick Van Dyke) is dead-set against the idea, worrying that Lorraine's presence will result in wholesale ego-tripping and one-upsmanship on the part of himself, Buddy (Morey Amsterdam), and Sally (Rose Marie). As it turns out, Rob's instincts are on target -- but not entirely for the reasons that he had listed. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

It looks like the friendship between Rob Petrie (Dick Van Dyke) and Jerry Helper (Jerry Paris) has come to an end. In explaining the conflict to Laura (Mary Tyler Moore), Rob explains that he and Jerry nearly came to blows over a "fundamental difference in political ideologies." It certainly sounds a lot better than the truth, wherein the two neighbors had a set-to over the topic of crabgrass! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In his efforts to help Tim (Bill Bixby) pay his household expenses, Uncle Martin (Ray Walston) tries to raise money by creating paintings in the exact styles of such famous artists as Van Gogh. The plan backfires when it is Tim, rather than Martin, who is lauded as an artistic genius--and as a result, Tim is coerced into giving a public demonstration of his painting process! Richard Deacon of The Dick Van Dyke Show fame makes his second My Favorite Martian appearance, this time in the role of a wealthy art patron. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

During a lunchtime interview with Diane Moseby (Valerie Yerke) a reporter from "Newstime" who is doing a cover story on Alan Brady, Rob (Dick Van Dyke) is joined by Laura (Mary Tyler Moore). Thereafter, no matter how hard Rob tries to convince Diane that most of the credit for "The Alan Brady Show"'s success should go to the star and co-writers Buddy (Morey Amsterdam) and Sally (Rose Marie), Laura can't keep herself from butting in, insisting that Rob and Rob alone is the most important person on the show. When the article is published, Rob is spotlighted, with Buddy and Sally (and even Alan!) shunted to the background. It goes without saying that the air gets pretty thick around "The Alan Brady Show" after that...and Rob's efforts to remedy the situation only serve to make matters worse! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Toward the end of Jerry Lewis's Paramount studio period, Lewis slapped together this bitter comedy about Hollywood phoniness and fame that has to be the most rancid portrait of the Hollywood star system in the Rat Pack era this side of Clifford Odets. When a famous entertainer suddenly is killed in an airplane crash, his team of flunkies -- producer Caryl Fergusson (Everett Sloane), writer Chic Wymore (Phil Harris), press agent Harry Silver (Keenan Wynn), director Morgan Heywood (Peter Lorre in his final film role), valet Bruce Alden (John Carradine), and secretary Ellen Betz (Ina Balin) -- decide to continue their life style by finding a complete unknown and manufacturing him into a Hollywood star. That unknown turns out to be the nervous and inept bellboy Stanley Belt (Jerry Lewis). They train Stanley to become an over-night singing sensation, and despite a disastrous recording session and a failed nightclub performance, the public relations blitz makes Stanley's recording of "I Lost My Heart in a Drive-In Movie" a smash single. So much so that Stanley is given a shot at appearing on "The Ed Sullivan Show." Expecting the worst, Stanley's management team abandons him right before his performance. But Stanley musters up enough confidence to go on the live program alone and manages to surprise his pessimistic ex-staff. A collection of Hollywood celebrities circa 1964 --George Raft, Ed Wynn, Ed Sullivan, Mel Torme, Rhonda Fleming and Hedda Hopper -- make cameo appearances. High spots include an apocalyptic music lesson with voice teacher Dr. Mule-rrr (Hans Conried), Ed Sullivan performing a bizarre impersonation of himself, and an ending that would make even Jean-Luc Godard blush. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

Wally (Tony Dow) and Eddie (Ken Osmond) get jobs parking cars at what Fred Rutherford (Richard Deacon) describes as the biggest social event of the season. Wally, of course, is up to the job, and has no trouble dealing with his wealthy clientele and their expensive vehicles. Alas, Eddie parks Mr. Rutherford's car in a restricted zone -- and when the owner returns, the car has been towed away. Nor is Eddie the only one in trouble: it seems that Wally got him the job! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The world is astonished when Lumpy (Frank Bank) gets a sports scholarship for which Wally (Tony Dow) was turned down. Showing no hard feelings, Wally (Tony Dow) decides to throw a party to congratulate his friend. Under these circumstances, how will Lumpy be able to tell anyone that the scholarship board changed their mind about him when they took a good look at his grades? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This frantic comedy finds Raymond (Jerry Lewis) working in a department store. Mr. Tuttle (John McGiver) is the watchful owner, whose outspoken wife Phoebe (Agnes Moorehead) makes no secret about her feelings that Raymond is an incompetent boob. Barbara (Jill St. John) is the pretty elevator operator, and unknown to Raymond, the boss' daughter. Quimby (Ray Walston) is the floor manager who has more of an eye for the ladies than his job at the store. Raymond proceeds to wreck every department in the store, earning new positions with each mishap. Two of the many sight gags are when Raymond is sent to paint the top of a flagpole and a hilarious vacuum cleaner demonstration that naturally goes awry. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Martin (Ray Walston) knows that the government's new $2 billion space project is doomed to fail--but of course he can't tell anyone without revealing the fact that he's a Martian. So Tim cooks up a subterfuge whereby he will write an editorial based on an "anonymous" letter to the editor concerning the expensive project. As a result, the Government becomes convinced that Tim is a Russian spy--thereby setting up a hilarious "lie detector" scene involving an imperious psychiatrist played by the inimitable Richard Deacon. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

For the third year in a row, PTA president Mrs. Billings (Eleanor Audley) hornswoggles Rob (Dick Van Dyke) into directing the annual charity show. This time around, Buddy (Morey Amsterdam) and Sally (Rose Marie) help Rob out by writing the material, but the problems of casting the right people for the right roles remain as troublesome as ever. Things come to a head when Rob must choose between his wife Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) and their talented neighbor Anita Lebost (Sylvia Lewis) for the coveted dance-solo spot. This is the episode in which would-be ventriloquist Mel Cooley (Richard Deacon) performs a side-splittingly awful routine with his "little friend Dummy McGee." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This half-hour musical comedy-revue is staged as the Christmas episode of "The Alan Brady Show" (though clearly played by Carl Reiner, we still don't see Alan's face, since he is hidden behind a Santa beard). The program is a showcase for Brady staffers Rob Petrie (Dick Van Dyke), Buddy Sorrell (Morey Amsterdam), Sally Rogers (Rose Marie), and Mel Cooley (Richard Deacon) as well as Rob's wife Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) and son Ritchie (Larry Mathews). Highlights include "I Have Everything But You," an elaborate song-and-dance routine from Rob and Laura (both dressed in Santa suits); Sally's plaintive "Santa, Send Me a Fella"; a cello solo from Buddy ("Jingle Bells," what else?); an a capella choral tribute to Alan Brady, with unexpected interpolations; and the ensemble number "I Am a Fine Musician," previously performed on the second-season episode "The Sam Pomerantz Scandals." What many fans consider the low point of the show, Ritchie's off-key rendition of "The Little Drummer Boy," is generally cut from the syndication prints. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide