1. Theatre, Film, and Television Biographies
2. Daniel J. Travanti to Dick Vitale

Dick Van Patten Biography (1928-)

Full name, Richard Vincent Van Patten; born December 9, 1928, in Kew Gardens,NY; son of Richard (an interior decorator) and Josephine (in advertising; maiden name, Acerno) Van Patten; brother of Joyce Van Patten (an actress) and Tim Van Patten (an actor and director); married Patricia Poole (a dancer), April 25, 1954; children: Nels, Jimmy, Vincent (all actors). Addresses: Agent: The Artists Agency, 10000 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 305, Los Angeles, CA, 90067; Abrams-Rubaloff & Lawrence, 8075 West Third St., Suite 303, LosAngeles, CA 90048.

Nationality

American

Gender

Male

Occupation

Actor

Birth Details

December 9, 1928

Kew Gardens, New York, United States

Famous Works

• CREDITS
• Stage Appearances
• (Stage debut) The child, Tapestry in Gray, Shubert Theatre, New York City, 1935
• Henry Wadsworth Benson, Home Sweet Home, Greenwich Guild Theatre,Greenwich, CT, 1936
• Isaac, The Eternal Road, Manhattan Opera House, New York City, 1937
• Theodore, Good-bye Again, Pine Brook Country Club, Nichols, CT, 1937
• Boy, On Borrowed Time, Longacre Theatre, New York City, 1938
• (As Dickie Van Patten) Nine, Run Sheep, Run, Windsor Theatre, NewYork City, 1938
• Karl Gunther, The American Way, Center Theatre, New York City, 1939
• Pete Brown, The Woman Brown, Wharf Theatre, Provincetown, NJ, thenBiltmore Theatre, New York City, 1939
• Tommy, Ah! Wilderness, Wharf Theatre, 1939, then Maplewood Theatre, NJ, 1940
• Jessie, Our Girls, Starlight Theatre, Pawling, NY, 1940
• Moses, Something about a Soldier, Bucks County Playhouse, New Hope, PA, 1940
• Toby, Carriage Trade, Stamford Playhouse, Stamford, CT, 1940
• (As Dickie Van Patten) Roger, The Lady Who Came to Stay, Maxine Elliott's Theatre, New York City, 1941
• Timothy Kincaid, The Land Is Bright, Music Box Theatre, New York City, 1941
• Bodo, The Watch on the Rhine, Majestic Theatre, Boston, MA, 1942
• "Short Pants" Houlihan, Evening Rise, Woodstock Playhouse, Woodstock, NY, 1942
• (As Dickie Van Patten) Telegraph boy, The Skin of Our Teeth, Plymouth Theatre, New York City, 1942
• (As Dickie Van Patten) Elwood, The Snark Was Boojum, 48th Street Theatre, New York City, 1943
• Dexter Franklin, Kiss and Tell, Biltmore Theatre, 1943
• (As Dickie Van Patten) Felix, Decision, Belasco Theatre, New YorkCity, 1944
• (As Dickie Van Patten) Sergeant Walter Burrows, Too Hot for Maneuvers, Broadhurst Theatre, New York City, 1945
• (As Dickie Van Patten) Ernie Sheffield, The Wind Is Ninety, BoothTheatre, New York City, 1945
• Michael Brown, O Mistress Mine, Empire Theatre, New York City, 1946
• Ensign Pulver, Mister Roberts, Alvin Theatre, New York City, 1948,then Quarterdeck Theatre, Atlantic City, NJ, 1951
• Toto, Cry of the Peacock, Locust Theatre, Philadelphia, PA, 1950
• Nels, Here's Mama, Ogunquit Playhouse, Ogunquit, ME, then Cape Playhouse, Dennis, MA, 1952
• Michael Barnes, The Male Animal, Music Box Theatre, then Jamaica Theatre, New York City, 1952
• Charles Reader, The Tender Trap, Pocono Playhouse, PA, 1955
• Grant Cobbler, Oh Men! Oh Women!, Pocono Playhouse, PA, 1955
• Happy, Death of a Salesman, Long Beach Playhouse, New York City, 1955
• Francis X. Dignan, King of Hearts, Avondale Playhouse, Indianapolis, IN, 1956
• Ruby Pulaski, Have I Got a Girl for You!, Music Box Theatre, 1963
• Mr. Hollender, Don't Drink the Water, Coconut Grove Playhouse, Miami, FL, 1968
• The Honorable Newton Prince, But, Seriously ... , Henry Miller's Theatre, New York City, 1969
• Marion Cheever, Next, Adaptation, Greenwich Mews Theatre, New YorkCity, 1969
• Charlie, Thieves, Broadhurst Theatre, 1974, then Longacre Theatre,New York City, 1974-1975
• Cap'n Andy, Showboat, Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL, 1996
• Scandals, Theatre Virginia, 1999
• Major Tours
• O Mistress Mine, U.S. cities, 1948
• George Macauley, Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?, U.S. cities, 1957
• Ensign Beau Gillian, Golden Fleecing, U.S. cities, 1960
• Henry Greene, Strictly Dishonorable, U.S. and Canadian cities, 1964-1965
• Cap'n Andy, Showboat, U.S. cities, 1996
• The Sunshine Boys, 2001
• Film Appearances
• Jimmy Dugan, Reg'lar Fellers, Producers Releasing, 1941
• Edgar Palmer, Psychomania (also known as Violent Midnight and Black Autumn), Victoria/Emerson, 1964
• (As Richard Van Patten) Bert, Charly (also known as The Two Worlds of Charly Gordon), Cinema Releasing, 1968
• Stage manager (The Dude), Zachariah, Cinerama, 1971
• Warren, Making It, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1971
• Hotel manager, Joe Kidd, Universal, 1972
• Harry, Berle's customer, Dirty Little Billy, Columbia, 1972
• Scoutmaster, Beware! The Blob (also known as Son of Blob, Beware of the Blob, and Son of the Blob), Video Gems, 1972
• Mr. Carruthers, Snowball Express, Buena Vista, 1972
• Banker, Westworld, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1973
• Usher, Soylent Green, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1973
• Ira Hershaw, Superdad, Buena Vista, 1974
• Harry, The Strongest Man in the World, Buena Vista, 1975
• The gambler, Treasure of Matecumbe, Buena Vista, 1976
• Raymond, The Shaggy D.A., Buena Vista, 1976
• Cal Wilson, Gus, Buena Vista, 1976
• Harold Jennings, Freaky Friday, Buena Vista, 1976
• Dr. Wentworth, High Anxiety, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1977
• Voice of King Goodwin, Nutcracker Fantasy (animated), Sanrio, 1979
• King Roland, Ruler of Druidia, Spaceballs, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1987
• Greg the glue man, The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking (alsoknown as Pippi Laengstrump--starkast i vaerlden), Columbia, 1988
• Himself, Dirty Tennis, 1989
• Detective Wendell Larch, Final Embrace, New Horizon Home Video, 1992
• Body Trouble (also known as Joker's Wild), Triboro Entertainment Group, 1992
• Abbot, Robin Hood: Men in Tights (also known as Sacre Robin desbois), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1993
• Principal, A Dangerous Place, PM Home Video, 1995
• Mr. Tennis, The Break, Trimark Pictures, 1995
• General Wainswright, Demolition High, Cabin Fever Entertainment, 1996
• Dr. Rondino, Love Is All There Is, Samuel Goldwyn, 1996
• General Wainwright, Demolition High, 1996
• Himself, "Weird Al" Yankovic: The Videos, 1996
• Parole officer, Evasive Action, Hallmark Entertainment, 1998
• Captain Stacey, Big Brother Trouble, Mainline Releasing, 2000
• Mr. Rye, The Price of Air, Artistic License, 2000
• Frank Rubin, Quiet Kill, I.Q. Entertainment, 2001
• Irv Barnett, Groom Lake, Full Moon Entertainment, 2002
• Jamie Denton, The Sure Hand of God, 2002
• Television Appearances
• Series
• Nels Hansen, Mama (also known as I Remember Mama), CBS, 1949-1957
• Final Ingredient, ABC, 1959
• Larry Renfrew, Young Dr. Malone, NBC, 1961-1963
• Sergeant Higgenbottom, The Partners, NBC, 1971-1972
• Max, the producer, The New Dick Van Dyke Show, CBS, 1973-1974
• Friar Tuck, When Things Were Rotten, ABC, 1975
• Tom Bradford, Eight Is Enough, ABC, 1977-1981
• Floyd Graham, WIOU, CBS, 1990-1991
• Guest panelist, Hollywood Squares, syndicated, 1998
• Movies
• Earl Enright, Hec Ramsey (also known as The Century Turns),NBC, 1972
• Edward, the desk clerk, The Crooked Hearts, ABC, 1972
• Alvin Andrews, With This Ring, ABC, 1978
• Herb Thurston, Diary of a Teenage Hitchhiker (also known as Diary of a Hitchhiker), ABC, 1979
• Martin Grenville, The Midnight Hour (also known as In the Midnight Hour), ABC, 1985
• Principal, Combat High (also known as Combat Academy), NBC,1986
• Tom Bradford, Eight Is Enough: A Family Reunion, NBC, 1987
• Rick Schuler, Wedding Day Blues (also known as Going to the Chapel and Wedding Day), NBC, 1988
• Principal Loomis, 14 Going on 30, ABC, 1988
• Tom Bradford, An Eight Is Enough Wedding, NBC, 1989
• The commodore, Jake Spanner, Private Eye (also known as Hoodwinked and The Old Dick), USA Network, 1989
• Roy, The Odd Couple: Together Again, CBS, 1993
• Miniseries
• Self, Y2K: A World in Crisis, NBC, 1999
• Pilots
• S.W.A.T., ABC, 1975
• O'Neil, the doctor, The Love Boat, ABC, 1976
• Specials
• A Memory of Two Mondays, 1971
• Grandpa Max, 1975
• Drama Ladies of the Corridor, 1975
• ABC team captain, Battle of the Network Stars VI, 1979
• ABC team captain, Battle of the Network Stars VII, 1979
• Take One Starring Jonathan Winters, 1981
• Host, Whatever Became of ... ?, 1981
• Host, State Fair USA, 1981
• I Love Liberty, ABC, 1982
• Andy Williams' Early New England Christmas, 1982
• King Alfred, Fit for a King, 1982
• Host, The Fairest of Them All, 1983
• "The Hoboken Chicken Mystery," WonderWorks, PBS, 1984
• Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, 1986
• Howard Bevans, "Picnic," Broadway on Showtime, Showtime, 1986
• Lifetime Salutes Mom, Lifetime, 1987
• Jay Leno's Family Comedy Hour, NBC, 1987
• George Crandall and Santa, A Mouse, a Mystery and Me, NBC, 1987
• Jackie Gleason: The Great One (also known as How Sweet It Is: AWake for Jackie Gleason), CBS, 1988
• The Television Academy Hall of Fame, Fox, 1990
• Fifteenth Annual Circus of the Stars, CBS, 1990
• Host, The Innocent of Hollywood, syndicated, 1990
• Host, The Comedy Concert Hour, TNN, 1990
• Himself, Eight Is Enough: The E! True Hollywood Story, E! Entertainment Television, 2000
• Narrator, Gilligan's Island: The E! True Hollywood Story, E! Entertainment Television, 2000
• Episodic
• Story Hour, The Du Mont Network, 1936
• Matt Reston, "Incident of the Power and the Plow," Rawhide, 1959
• "Men in White," The Du Pont Show of the Month, CBS, 1960
• Jack, "Love and the Particular Girl," Love, American Style, ABC, 1969
• Market clerk, "My Master the Chili King," I Dream of Jeannie, NBC,1971
• Johnny Collins, "45 Minutes from Home," The Streets of San Francisco, ABC, 1972
• Hamlin, "The Great Sanford Siege," Sanford and Son, 1972
• "The Century Turns," Hec Ramsey, 1972
• Man with hand stuck in sink, "Women," Emergency!, 1972
• George Abel, "Murder for Murder," Cannon, CBS, 1973
• "Life Robbery (also known as Tribute to a Veteran)," The Rookies,1973
• "The Piano Teacher," Thicker Than Water, 1973
• "Katey at the Bat," Adam's Rib, 1973
• Mr. Conners, Happy Days, ABC, 1974
• Alfred Brindle, "They Have Been, They Are, They Will Be (also known as UFO)," The Night Stalker (also known as Kolchak: The Night Stalker), ABC, 1974
• Harry Curtis, "Alcohol," Adam-12, 1974
• Donald Morgan, "Rocket to Oblivion," Banacek, NBC, 1974
• Harry Green, "The E.S.P. Spy," The Six Million Dollar Man, ABC, 1975
• Hunsberger, "Fonzie the Salesman," Happy Days, 1975
• Jack Wood, "Beauty on Parade," Wonder Woman, ABC, 1976
• Thurman Barber, "The Thrill Killers: Part 1," The Streets of San Francisco, ABC, 1976
• Billy Geeter, "The Adventure of the Eccentric Engineer," Ellery Queen, 1976
• Carter Merkle, "Grateful," Emergency!, 1976
• Gordon Coleman, "Walter's Crisis: Part 1," Maude, 1976
• Mr. Claxton, "The Burger Queen," What's Happening!, 1976
• Frank, "Ginny's Child," One Day at a Time, 1977
• Mr. Conners, "The Graduation: Parts 1 & 2," Happy Days, 1977
• Guest panelist, The Hollywood Squares, 1978
• Congressman John Whiteout, "Congressman Was Indiscreet/Isaac's History Lesson/The Winner Takes Love," The Love Boat, ABC, 1978
• Himself, "Roller Disco: Part 2," CHiPs, NBC, 1979
• Charlie, "The Mallory Quest/Two Hours/The Offer/Julie the Vamp: Parts 1 & 2," The Love Boat, ABC, 1980
• (Uncredited) Himself, "The Great 5K Star Race and Boulder Wrap Party," CHiPs, NBC, 1980
• Howard Ethan, "His Girls Friday/A Wife for Wilfred/The Girl Who Stood Still," Love Boat, 1982
• Arthur, "Don't Rock the Boat," Too Close for Comfort, 1983
• Alan Nettles, "Undying Love," Finder of Lost Loves, 1984
• Crazy Like a Fox, 1985
• "Second Offense (also known as Missing Pieces)," Hotel, 1985
• District attorney Fred Whittaker, "Murder in the Electric Cathedral," Murder, She Wrote, CBS, 1985
• True Confessions, syndicated, 1986
• Frank Stickle, "Ex Marks the Spot," The Facts of Life, 1987
• Nick Simpson, "Fortunate Son," Growing Pains, 1989
• Taylor, "Heartbreak Hotel," The Golden Palace, 1993
• Monty, "Murder at the Telethon," Diagnosis Murder, CBS, 1993
• Sam/Henry Krebbs, diamond smuggler, "Guys & Dolls," Baywatch,syndicated, 1994
• Orphanage worker and Santa, "Season's Greedings," Lois and Clark: TheNew Adventures of Superman, ABC, 1994
• Dr. Paul Hampton, "Who Killed Skippy's Master?," Burke's Law, CBS,1994
• Jerry, "In the Name of God," Touched by an Angel, CBS, 1995
• Jack, "Break a Leg," Maybe This Time, ABC, 1995
• Himself, "Nice Work If You Can Get It," Cybill, CBS, 1995
• Jacob, an Amish farmer, "You Can Go Home Again," Boy Meets World,ABC, 1996
• Thief, "Al Gets Robbed," The Weird Al Show, CBS, 1997
• Himself, "Because I Said So," The Weird Al Show, CBS, 1997
• Sid Glacken, "How Long Has This Been Going On?," Love Boat: The Next Wave, UPN, 1998
• Voice of Tom Bradford, "Brian: Portrait of a Dog," Family Guy, Fox, 1999
• Himself, "Dick Van Patten: The Sure Bet," Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 2001
• Also appeared in episodes of Kraft Television Theatre, The Nurses, The Verdict Is Yours, Mike Hammer, McMillan and Wife, NBC, Silent Service, Hearts Are Wild, and Diamonds; as Mr. Covington, "The Harry Award," The New Dick Van Dyke Show; Patrick Malloy, "Chautauqua, Chautauqua, Chautauqua," Gibbsville; GeorgeHayes, "How Do I Love Thee?/No More Alimony/Authoress! Authoress!" The Love Boat; The Great Stellin, "The Professor Has Class/When the Magic Disappears/We the Jury," The Love Boat; guest panelist, Battlestars.
• Radio Appearances
• Mark Brown, Young Widder Brown, NBC, 1941
• Dexter Franklin, Kiss and Tell, 1947
• Wayne, State Fair, 1950
• Ben Banks, Father of the Bride, 1951
• Nat Kahn, Good Housekeeping, 1951
• Also appeared as Hartzell, One Foot in Heaven; Teddy Thompson, Miss Hatty; Wilfred, Duffy's Tavern; Toby Smith, Henry Aldrich; Ray, David Harum; Teddy, Right to Happiness; Jimmy Dugan,Reg'lar Fellers; Chic, Wednesday's Child; Michael Brown, O Mistress Mine; Roger, Theatre; Nick Kane, Elmer the Great; and Cadet Osborne, The Major and the Minor; also appeared in The March of Time.
• RECORDINGS
• Videos
• Couples Do It Debbie's Way, 1988
• Narrator, Single Parenting, 1989
• Radon Free, 1989
• Dirty Tennis, 1989
• Narrator, Blended Families: Yours, Mine, Ours, 1991
• Music Videos
• Appeared in Weird Al Yankovic's "Smells Like Nirvana" and "Bedrock Anthem."
• WRITINGS
• Nonfiction
• (With Peter Berk) Launching Your Child in Show Biz: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide, General Publishing Group, 1997