Richard Deacon Movies

Like most husbands, Rob (Dick Van Dyke) can understand that Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) would want to stash a little "mad money" in the house just in case of an emergency. But Rob can't fathom what possible emergency Laura is anticipating when he accidentally comes across a mysterious bank account book, indicating that his wife has salted away a small fortune. The fun really begins when Rob jumps to the wrong conclusion as to what Laura intends to do with her reserve of cash. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the first episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show's second season (and the first with the famous "falling over the furniture" opening), Rob (Dick Van Dyke) brings home two live ducklings, left over from a sketch on "The Alan Brady Show." Son Ritchie (Larry Mathews) instantly falls in love with the ducklings, naming them Oliver and Stanley. Eventually Oliver dies, whereupon Ritchie obsessively clings to Stanley, and refuses to entertain the thought of letting his pet out of his sight -- which causes no end of trouble for Rob and Laura (Mary Tyler Moore), since Stanley has grown too large (and too hungry!) to remain a part of the Petrie household! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Wally (Tony Dow) is among those invited to spend the weekend at the cabin owned by the family of his friend Scott (David Kent). However, Scott has failed to mentioned that there will be no adult chaperones. Upon learning this, Wally decides to come clean and tell his mom and dad (Hugh Beaumont and Barbara Billingsley). However, his parents have already learned the truth -- and they're now convinced that Wally was trying to pull a fast one. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

No sooner has Coach Henderson (John Close) delivered a lecture about avoiding horseplay in the locker room than Eddie (Ken Osmond) and Lumpy (Frank Bank) have started a towel fight. Ordering his pals to "cut it out," Wally (Tony Dow) gets a towel in the face -- and when he retaliates, the coach pops in and suspends him from the track team. Incredible though it may seem, Eddie and Lumpy suffer the pangs of conscience for getting Wally in trouble, and both decide to confess that the towel battle was all their fault -- with unexpected results. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Long before he was cast as Murray Slaughter in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Gavin MacLeod popped up in this Dick Van Dyke Show episode as Maxwell Cooley, the cousin of "Alan Brady Show" producer Mel Cooley (Richard Deacon). Maxwell happens to be in the jewelry business, and he manages to sell Rob (Dick Van Dyke) a replica of a necklace once given to Empress Carlotta by Emperor Maximillian. Rob thinks that this would make an ideal gift for his wife Laura (Mary Tyler Moore). But there's a hitch: Laura thinks that the necklace is hideous -- in fact, she is convinced that it was the reason that Empress Carlotta went mad! And there's another hitch: Laura hasn't the heart to tell Rob. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Upset by the boy's club camaraderie of the "Alan Brady Show" writing staff, Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) insists that Rob (Dick Van Dyke) start treating his co-writer Sally (Rose Marie) like a lady and not merely as "one of the guys." Though he thinks it's a crazy idea, Rob does what Laura asks, going overboard with his courtesies and compliments aimed at the nonplussed Sally. Alas, the plan backfires when Buddy and Mel become convinced that Rob and Sally are carrying on an affair! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

As usual, the Petries' neighbor Jerry Helper (Jerry Paris) is ribbing Laura (Mary Tyler Moore). This time, jokester Jerry is planting suggestions that it isn't all "strictly business" between Rob (Dick Van Dyke) and actress Valerie Blake (Joan O'Brien), who is guesting on "The Alan Brady Show." Of course, Laura would never suspect her husband of any hanky-panky -- until Rob begins spending every evening in rehearsal with the alluring Valerie. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

It is now part of TV folklore that the classic sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show was originally conceived as a starring vehicle for the series' creator, Carl Reiner. In the pilot episode "Head of the Family," filmed in New York in 1959, Reiner played TV comedy writer Rob Petrie (then pronounced "pea-tree"), who divided his time between his job as a head writer on "The Alan Sturdy Show" with co-workers Buddy Sorrell (Morty Gunty) and Sally Rogers (Sylvia Miles) and his home life in New Rochelle with his wife, Laura (Barbara Britton) and son, Ritchie (Gary Morgan). Potential sponsors and networks liked the premise but not the cast...or to be more blunt, no one wanted to buy a series with Carl Reiner as star. Swallowing his pride, Reiner limited himself to the jobs of producer, director, and writer. He retooled "Head of the Family," and recast the property with Dick Van Dyke as Rob, Mary Tyler Moore as Laura, Larry Mathews as Ritchie, Morey Amsterdam as Buddy, and Rose Marie as Sally; the rest, as they say, is history.

Debuting October 3, 1961, on CBS, The Dick Van Dyke Show, as mentioned, top-billed the titular star as Rob Petrie, who was now head writer for "The Alan Brady Show" During the series' first few seasons, Alan Brady (a brash, dictatorial character reportedly inspired by Reiner's former boss and colleague Sid Caesar) was seldom seen -- and when he was, it was only from the back. It was an open secret that Carl Reiner himself played Brady, though he did not take screen billing. Only in the series' fourth season was Brady's face actually seen, and only then was Reiner credited on-screen as the actor playing the part. Other recurring characters included Richard Deacon as Alan Brady's producer (and beleaguered brother-in-law) Mel Cooley, Jerry Paris and Ann Morgan Guilbert as the Petries' next-door neighbors Jerry and Millie Helper (he was a dentist, she was Laura's best friend), future director Bill Idelson as Sally Rogers' erstwhile boyfriend, Herman Glimpshire, and Joan Shawlee as Buddy's ex-showgirl wife, Pickles.

Although the series was distinguished by the high level of wit in its writing and its wonderful physical-comedy set pieces, the strong suit of The Dick Van Dyke Show was the warm rapport among its principal players. Indeed, only a handful of TV sitcoms have been so perfectly cast, making one wonder how the series would have fared with its original cast members. Incredible though it may seem today, The Dick Van Dyke Show was not an instantaneous hit. Indeed, the series fared so poorly opposite its first season competition, Bachelor Father and Laramie, that CBS canceled the show outright, sending out notices to the cast members on the last day of shooting. The series might have been just another one season wonder had not one of its sponsors picked it up for a second season, insisting that CBS find a better time slot than Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. Thus, the show was moved to Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. -- fortuitously right after CBS's biggest success of the 1962-1963 season, The Beverly Hillbillies.

Although The Dick Van Dyke Show's somewhat higher ratings still did not set the world on fire, the series received a great deal of word-of-mouth buzz during its second season, and its audience grew steadily throughout the remainder of its run. The fact that the series picked up several Emmy Awards along the way was the icing on the cake. After five seasons, star Dick Van Dyke and producer Carl Reiner opted to quit while they were ahead -- a rare move in the mid-'60s (and even rarer four decades later). Thus, The Dick Van Dyke Show concluded its nighttime run on September 7, 1966, though reruns continued to air on CBS's daytime schedule until 1969. Thereafter, the series entered off-network syndication, where its has continued to flourish mightily well into the 21st century. And in 2003, the surviving cast members were reunited for a two-hour special, The Dick Van Dyke Show Revisited. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this very first episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show, little Richie Petrie (Larry Mathews) is a bit feverish, and his mom Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) doesn't want to leave him with a babysitter. But Laura's hubby Rob (Dick Van Dyke) insists that Laura accompany him to a party at the penthouse of Rob's boss, comedian Alan Brady (actually, the party is more of a command performance, since Rob and the rest of Alan's writing staff is expected to entertain). Much against her better judgment, Laura agrees to entrust Richie to the sitter, and off the Petries go to the party, where a good time is had by all -- except Laura, who is convinced that something terrible will happen at home. And when Rob and Laura return to their split-level in New Rochelle, a state of disarray and few drops of blood convince Laura that her worst fears have been realized...or have they? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

At the end of a cattle drive, the Cartwrights and their cowhands look forward to rest and relaxation in San Francisco, Instead, two of Ben's gullible drovers are shanghaied on a boat bound for Hong Kong. While searching for his missing employees, Ben is himself shanghaied, forcing Hoss and Joe to go to the rescue. Featured in the cast are Murvyn Vye as Cut-Rate Joe, Robert Nichols as Johnny and O.Z. Whitehead. Written by Thomas Thompson, "San Francisco Holiday" (aka "San Francisco") first aired on April 2, 1960. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Beaver's efforts to get rich quick by raising chinchillas has resulted in a very messy garage. Rather than get angry, Ward (Hugh Beaumont) calmly requests that Beaver (Jerry Mathers) and Wally (Tony Dow) clean up the garage. Putting off the chore for several days, the boys finally get around to the cleaning, working as quickly as possible. In their haste, our heroes leave a few nails on the floor, one of which punctures a tire on their dad's car. The trick now is to repair the damage without getting clobbered by their dad! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide