Dick Van Patten

Actor

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The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About

About this interview

In his two-hour interview, Dick Van Patten (1928-2015) discusses the beginning of his acting career, performing in 27 Broadway shows from the time he was just seven years old. He details what it was like working as a child actor on his first TV show, Mama, and how this prepared him for the leading role he would later have on the hit family show, Eight Is Enough. He details his time working on Eight Is Enough and shares fond memories of the cast and crew. He also outlines shows on which he appeared throughout his long career, including The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Arrested Development, and Hot in Cleveland. Stephen J. Abramson conducted the interview on May 11, 2011 in North Hollywood, CA.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"I like to do TV series. I think they're so comfortable. You're doing the same part every week. You're working with the same people and there's a lot of recognition. I like to do series best. I really do."

People Talking About ...

Dick Van Patten

Highlights

Dick Van Patten on the camaraderie between the cast members and advice he gave to the younger members of the cast of Eight Is Enough

01:26

Dick Van Patten on issues Eight is Enough dealt with throughout the series

00:23

Dick Van Patten on the legacy of Eight Is Enough

00:27

Dick Van Patten on working with Paul Newman, Jack Lemon and James Dean on the show Mama

01:38

Dick Van Patten on his guest appearance on Hot in Cleveland with Carl Reiner and Don Rickles

01:24

Full Interview

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Chapter 1

On his childhood and early influences: being a child model and performing in 27 Broadway shows from the time he was 7 years old; on working in radio at age 11

On appearing on the TV show Mama a.k.a. I Remember Mama; on a typical work week on the show and what it was like working with the cast and crew

On doing commercials for the sponsors of the show Mama; on the 1950 Christmas episode of the show; on appearing on Broadway and the show Mama, concurrently

On his memories of the Hollywood Blacklist; on playing a villain on Young Dr. Malone; on working on The Love Boat; on appearing in the special Men in White; on working on A Memory of Two Mondays

Chapter 2

On working on the special Men in White; on working on The Dick Van Dyke Show; on guest roles he had on several shows; on his work on several Mel Brooks projects

On how he got involved with the TV show Eight is Enough; on the premise of the show; on the characters and family dynamic within the show; on issues dealt with during the series' run; on the cast of Eight Is Enough

On episodes and the reunion movies for Eight Is Enough; on the Eight Is Enough Wedding

On the legacy of Eight is Enough; on his other TV appearances; on his approach to acting; on advice to aspiring actors; on his proudest career achievement; on how he would like to be remembered

Shows

Arnie

Dick Van Patten on working on the show Arnie

01:36

Arrested Development

Dick Van Patten on his guest appearance on Arrested Development

00:43

Dick Van Dyke Show, The

Dick Van Patten on working on The Dick Van Dyke Show

01:00

Don Rickles Show, The

Dick Van Patten on a guest role he had on The Don Rickles Show

00:26

Eight Is Enough

Dick Van Patten on how appearing on Mama prepared him for his role on Eight is Enough

01:13

Dick Van Patten on how he got involved with the TV show Eight is Enough and working on the show with the cast and crew

08:39

Goldbergs, The

Dick Van Patten on the differences between the shows The Goldbergs and Mama

01:58

Happy Days

Dick Van Patten on a guest role he had on Happy Days

01:16

Hot in Cleveland

Dick Van Patten on his guest appearance on Hot in Cleveland

01:24

I Dream of Jeannie

Dick Van Patten on a guest role he had on I Dream of Jeannie with Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman

00:28

Kolchak: The Night Stalker

Dick Van Patten on a guest role he had on Kolchak: The Night Stalker

00:21

Love Boat, The

Dick Van Patten on appearing as a villain on The Love Boat

00:26

Dick Van Patten on a guest role he had on The Love Boat

00:28

Mama

Dick Van Patten on appearing on the show Mama

04:04

Dick Van Patten on the premise of the TV show Mama; his character "Nels" and what it was like working on the show with the cast and crew

09:04

Maude

Dick Van Patten on a guest role he had on Maude

00:50

Medical Center

Dick Van Patten on a guest role he had on Medical Center

00:39

Six Million Dollar Man, The

Dick Van Patten on a guest role he had on The Six Million Dollar Man

00:31

That Girl

Dick Van Patten on a guest role he had on That Girl with Marlo Thomas

00:37

Wonder Woman

Dick Van Patten on a guest role he had on Wonder Woman

00:46

Topics

Hollywood Blacklist

Dick Van Patten on his memories of the Hollywood Blacklist

00:50

Industry Crossroads

Dick Van Patten on his memories of the Hollywood Blacklist

00:50

Representation on Television

Dick Van Patten on issues Eight is Enough dealt with throughout the series

00:23

Sports

Dick Van Patten on the Eight Is Enough reunion movies beating the World Series in TV ratings

01:02

Technological Innovation

Dick Van Patten on seeing a prototype of TV at the World's Fair for the first time

00:50

Television Industry

Dick Van Patten on his memories of the Hollywood Blacklist

00:50

Underrepresented Voices

Dick Van Patten on issues Eight is Enough dealt with throughout the series

00:23

World Series

Dick Van Patten on the Eight Is Enough reunion movies beating the World Series in TV ratings

01:02

Professions

Actor

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Dick Van Patten on how appearing on Mama prepared him for his role on Eight is Enough

01:13

Genres

Comedy Series

Dick Van Patten on how appearing on Mama prepared him for his role on Eight is Enough

01:13

Dick Van Patten on the differences between the shows The Goldbergs and Mama

01:58

Dick Van Patten on appearing as a villain on The Love Boat

00:26

Dick Van Patten on working on The Dick Van Dyke Show

01:00

Dick Van Patten on working on the show Arnie

01:36

Drama Series

Dick Van Patten on the premise of the TV show Mama; his character "Nels" and what it was like working on the show with the cast and crew

09:04

Dick Van Patten on how he got involved with the TV show Eight is Enough and working on the show with the cast and crew

08:39

People

Adam Rich

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Dick Van Patten on working with Adam Rich on Eight is Enough

00:47

Arthur Miller

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Dick Van Patten on working on A Memory of Two Mondays

00:36

Barbara Eden

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Dick Van Patten on a guest role he had on I Dream of Jeannie with Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman

00:27

Betty Buckley

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Dick Van Patten on Betty Buckley's character on Eight Is Enough

00:25

Carl Reiner

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Dick Van Patten on his guest appearance on Hot in Cleveland with Carl Reiner and Don Rickles

01:24

Charlton Heston

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Dick Van Patten on his role in the film Soylent Green and working with Edward G. Robinson and Charlton Heston

02:05

David Susskind

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Dick Van Patten on appearing on the special Men in White produced by David Susskind

01:08

Diana Hyland

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Dick Van Patten on working on the soap opera Young Dr. Malone with Diana Hyland

01:15

Dick Van Patten on Diana Hyland's involvement with Eight Is Enough and how her death was handled on the show

02:14

Dianne Kay

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Dick Van Patten on working with Dianne Kay on Eight is Enough

00:11

Dick Van Dyke

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Dick Van Patten on working on The Dick Van Dyke Show with Dick Van Dyke

01:00

Don Rickles

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Dick Van Patten on a guest role he had on The Don Rickles Show with Don Rickles

00:26

Dick Van Patten on his guest appearance on Hot in Cleveland with Carl Reiner and Don Rickles

01:24

Doris Quinlan

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Dick Van Patten on working with Doris Quinlan

00:38

Edward G. Robinson

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Dick Van Patten on his role in the film Soylent Green and working with Edward G. Robinson and Charlton Heston

02:05

Elia Kazan

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Dick Van Patten on acting in a play directed by Elia Kazan

01:54

Fred Silverman

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Dick Van Patten on how Fred Silverman chose him for his role on the TV show Eight is Enough

03:10

Gertrude Berg

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Dick Van Patten on the differences between the show The Goldbergs and Mama

01:58

Henry Winkler

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Dick Van Patten on working with Henry Winkler and Ron Howard on Happy Days

01:16

Jack Lemmon

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Dick Van Patten on working with Paul Newman, Jack Lemon and James Dean on the show Mama

01:38

James Dean

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Dick Van Patten on James Dean being hired as his replacement to work on the show Mama

00:50

Dick Van Patten on working with Paul Newman, Jack Lemon and James Dean on the show Mama

01:52

Johnny Carson

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Dick Van Patten on appearing on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson

01:59

Lani O'Grady

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Dick Van Patten on working with Lani O'Grady on Eight is Enough

00:57

Larry Hagman

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Dick Van Patten on a guest role he had on I Dream of Jeannie with Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman

00:27

Lee J. Cobb

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Dick Van Patten on a bet he made with Lee J. Cobb while working on Men in White

02:59

Lynn Fontanne

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Dick Van Patten on working with Lynn Fontanne and Sylvia Sidney and mishaps while working in live TV

00:58

Mark Hamill

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Dick Van Patten on Mark Hamill's involvement with the pilot for Eight is Enough

01:38

Marlo Thomas

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Dick Van Patten on a guest role he had on That Girl with Marlo Thomas

00:37

Mary Frann

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Dick Van Patten on having Mary Frann play his wife on Eight Is Enough - the second reunion movie

00:30

Mel Brooks

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Dick Van Patten on his work on several Mel Brooks projects

02:20

Paul Newman

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Dick Van Patten on working with Paul Newman, Jack Lemon and James Dean on the show Mama

01:38

Peggy Wood

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Dick Van Patten on the first TV show he worked on as a child: Mama a.k.a. I Remember Mama

00:27

Dick Van Patten on working with Peggy Wood, Judson Laire, Robin Morgan, Iris Mann

01:45

Dick Van Patten on the differences between the show The Goldbergs and Mama

53:11

Ralph Nelson

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Dick Van Patten on working with the director, Ralph Nelson and handling challenges of live TV on the show Mama

01:47

Ron Howard

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Dick Van Patten on working with Henry Winkler and Ron Howard on Happy Days

01:16

Rue McClanahan

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Dick Van Patten on appearing as a villain on The Love Boat with Rue McClanahan

00:26

Sylvia Sidney

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Dick Van Patten on working with Lynn Fontanne and Sylvia Sidney and mishaps while working in live TV

00:58

Tallulah Bankhead

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Dick Van Patten on acting in a play with Tallulah Bankhead and Fredrick March

00:19

William Blinn

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Dick Van Patten on producer, William Blinn's involvement with the show Eight is Enough

00:31

Willie Aames

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Dick Van Patten on working with Willie Aames on Eight is Enough

00:23

Worthington Miner

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Dick Van Patten on working with Worthington "Tony" Miner

01:11