Dick Van Patten
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Richard Vincent Van Patten (December 9, 1928 – June 23, 2015) was an American actor, comedian, businessman, and animal welfare advocate, whose career spanned seven decades of television. He was best known for his role as patriarch Tom Bradford on the television series '' Eight Is Enough''. Van Patten began work as a child actor and was successful on the New York stage, appearing in more than a dozen plays as a teenager. He worked in radio, on '' Duffy's Tavern''. He later starred in numerous television roles including the long-running CBS television series '' Mama'' and ''
Young Doctor Malone ''Young Doctor Malone'' is an American soap opera, created by Irna Phillips, which had a long run on radio and television from 1939 to 1963. The producer was Betty Corday (1912–1987), who also produced '' Pepper Young's Family'' and later wa ...
''. Later, he would star or co-star in many feature films, including '' Charly'',
Mel Brooks Melvin James Brooks (né Kaminsky; born June 28, 1926) is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker, and songwriter. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a writer and director of a variety of successful broad farces and parodie ...
's '' Robin Hood: Men in Tights'' and '' Spaceballs'', and '' Soylent Green''. Van Patten was the founder of Natural Balance Pet Foods and National Guide Dog Month.


Early life

Richard Vincent Van Patten was born on December 9, 1928, in the
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section of the New York City borough of Queens, the elder child of Richard Byron Van Patten, an interior decorator, and Josephine Rose (née Acerno), who worked in advertising. His younger sister was actress Joyce Van Patten. His mother was of Italian descent, while his father had Dutch ancestry. He began work as a model and actor as a child making his Broadway debut at the age of 7. He was successful on the New York City stage, appearing in a dozen theatrical plays before reaching his teen years. He later moved to Hollywood and began a lengthy career in film and television.


Career


Actor

Van Patten's career in show business began as a child actor on Broadway in 1935 in ''Tapestry In Gray'' starring
Melvyn Douglas Melvyn Douglas (born Melvyn Edouard Hesselberg, April 5, 1901 – August 4, 1981) was an American actor. Douglas came to prominence in 1929 as a suave leading man, perhaps best typified by his performance in the romantic comedy '' Ninotchka'' ( ...
. He was billed as Dickie Van Patten and went on to appear in 12 other Broadway plays as a teenager, including '' The Skin of Our Teeth''. He moved to television with the role of Nels Hansen in the series '' Mama'', starring Peggy Wood, about a Norwegian-American family living in San Francisco in the early 20th century. It ran from 1949 to 1957. In 1949,
James Dean James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931September 30, 1955) was an American actor. He became one of the most influential figures in Hollywood in the 1950s, despite a career that lasted only five years. His impact on cinema and popular culture was p ...
, then an unknown, replaced Patten on the show for a time when Patten was drafted into the Army.Dick Van Patten, who was a TV father on 'Eight is Enough,' dies at 86.
''The Washington Post''. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
Dick Van Patten, 'Eight Is Enough' Star, Dies at 86.
''The Hollywood Reporter''. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
In 1975, he played "Friar Tuck" on '' When Things Were Rotten'', a comic take on Robin Hood, created by
Mel Brooks Melvin James Brooks (né Kaminsky; born June 28, 1926) is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker, and songwriter. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a writer and director of a variety of successful broad farces and parodie ...
. The series ran for 13 episodes. He was best known as the Bradford family patriarch, Tom Bradford, on '' Eight Is Enough'', which aired from 1977 to 1981, and which was based on a book of the same name by the American journalist Thomas Braden. Van Patten appeared in episodes of '' Sanford and Son'', '' Banacek'', ''
Arrested Development ''Arrested Development'' is an American satire, satirical television sitcom created by Mitchell Hurwitz. It follows the Bluths, a formerly wealthy, dysfunctional family and is presented in a Serial (radio and television), serialized format, inco ...
'', '' The Brian Keith Show'', ''
Cannon A cannon is a large-caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder during th ...
'', '' The Streets of San Francisco'', ''
Adam-12 ''Adam-12'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series created by Robert A. Cinader and Jack Webb and produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. The series follows Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers Pe ...
'', '' Emergency!'', ''
Growing Pains ''Growing Pains'' is an American television sitcom created by Neal Marlens that ran on ABC for seven seasons from September 24, 1985, to April 25, 1992. The series follows the misadventures of the Seaver family, including psychiatrist and fathe ...
'', and ''
Happy Days ''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marsha ...
''. He had numerous leading roles in motion pictures including '' Joe Kidd'', The '' Snowball Express'' and ''The Santa Trap''. He played a small role in the dystopian film '' Soylent Green'' (1973). Van Patten appeared in several films directed by
Mel Brooks Melvin James Brooks (né Kaminsky; born June 28, 1926) is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker, and songwriter. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a writer and director of a variety of successful broad farces and parodie ...
, including '' High Anxiety'', '' Spaceballs'', and '' Robin Hood: Men in Tights'' as well as cameos in the music videos for " Smells Like Nirvana" and " Bedrock Anthem" by
"Weird Al" Yankovic Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic ( ; born October 23, 1959) is an American comedy musician, writer, and actor. He is best known for writing and performing Comedy music, comedy songs that often Parody music, parody specific songs by contempo ...
, and on '' The Weird Al Show''. He played "Jack Benson" in '' Opposite Day'' (2009). He also was a commentator for the
World Series of Poker The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is a series of poker tournaments held annually in Paradise, Nevada, and since 2004, sponsored by Eldorado Resorts, Caesars Entertainment. It dates its origins to 1970, when Benny Binion invited seven of the best ...
from 1993 to 1995. The
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...
honored Van Patten on November 20, 1985, with a Star of Television marker at 1541 North Vine Street. On January 12, 2008, Van Patten received a star on the
Palm Springs Walk of Stars The Palm Springs Walk of Stars is a walk of fame in downtown Palm Springs, California, where "Golden Palm Stars", honoring various people who have lived in the greater Palm Springs area, are embedded in the sidewalk pavement. The walk includes p ...
. On November 1, 2009, Phoenix Books published ''Eighty Is Not Enough!'', a book co-authored by Van Patten and Robert Baer, in which Van Patten shared his 80-year journey of insights and anecdotes through the entertainment industry. He discusses his journey from his humble beginning in Queens, New York; his rise as a childhood star on Broadway during the Great Depression; working as an actor on the radio; the advent of television and his role in the second-ever live situation comedy ''Mama''; a rough period between acting gigs including spending time as a real estate agent in Queens, New York; a rise back to the top that led the TV icon to the lead role on the popular hit show ''Eight Is Enough''; and subsequent roles in television and movies.


Other work

An animal enthusiast, Van Patten co-founded Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Pet Foods in 1989. Van Patten's creation of his own brand of dog food was satirized in comedian John Hodgman's 2008 book ''More Information Than You Require'', and was rebranded as Dick Van Patten's Hobo Chili for Dogs. Van Patten also appeared as a television spokesman for Fisher-Price toys in the late 1980s.


Personal life


Family

Van Patten was the older brother of actress Joyce Van Patten, and the older half-brother of film director and Emmy award-winning television director/producer Tim Van Patten. He was married to Patricia Helon Poole (also known as Pat Poole and Pat Van Patten; born March 12, 1931) from 1954 until his death. Pat Poole was a professional dancer on Broadway and a June Taylor dancer on ''
The Jackie Gleason Show ''The Jackie Gleason Show'' is a series of American network television shows that starred Jackie Gleason, which ran from 1952 to 1970, in various forms. ''Cavalcade of Stars'' Gleason's first variety series, which aired on the DuMont Televisio ...
''. They lived in Sherman Oaks, California. They had three sons, all actors:
Vincent Vincent (Latin: ''Vincentius'') is a masculine given name originating from the Roman name ''Vincentius'', which itself comes from the Latin verb ''vincere'', meaning "to conquer." People with the given name Artists *Vincent Apap (1909–2003) ...
, Nels, and Jimmy. Nels, who is married to actress Nancy Valen, is named for the character Van Patten played on the CBS's ''Mama''. Van Patten was related to several other actors through marriages. His sister Joyce married actor
Martin Balsam Martin Henry Balsam (November 4, 1919 – February 13, 1996) was an American actor. He had a prolific career in character roles in film, in theatre, and on television. An early member of the Actors Studio, he began his career on the New ...
; their daughter is actress
Talia Balsam Talia Balsam (born 1959) is an American television and film actress. Early life Talia Balsam was born in New York City in 1959, to actors Martin Balsam and Joyce Van Patten. Her ancestry is Russian Jewish (father) and Italian, Dutch, and Engl ...
. Talia's first husband was actor
George Clooney George Timothy Clooney (born May 6, 1961) is an American actor, filmmaker, and philanthropist. Known for his leading man roles on screen in both blockbuster and independent films, Clooney has received numerous accolades, including two Ac ...
, and she is now married to actor John Slattery. Van Patten's son Vince is married to actress
Eileen Davidson Eileen Marie Davidson (born June 15, 1959)Peterson, Bettelou (Knight-Ridder)"Here's the Lowdown on Eileen Davidson". ''The Ledger Enquirer TV Book''. June 12, 1988. p. 60. Retrieved August 28, 2023.Barrand, Roderick (March 30, 1988)"After ...
.


Illness and death

In January 2006, Van Patten was taken to Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles following a diabetic stroke. Van Patten, who had Type 2 diabetes, made a full recovery. Van Patten died at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California on June 23, 2015, at age 86. Complications from diabetes were the listed cause.
Willie Aames Albert William Upton (born July 15, 1960), known professionally as Willie Aames, is an American actor, film and television director, television producer, and screenwriter. He is widely known for playing Tommy Bradford, one of the children of Tom ...
, who played son Tommy Bradford on ''Eight Is Enough'', called his television father "truly a gem howill be missed...As Dick always said 'Remember our times together, gang...Cause these ARE the good ole' days".
Betty Buckley Betty Buckley (born July 3, 1947)LuKanic, Steven A (1995). Film Actors Guide'. Los Angeles, CA: Lone Eagle Publishing. p. 55. . is an American actress and singer. Buckley is the winner of a Tony Award, and was nominated for an additional Ton ...
, Van Patten's co-star on the series, said "Every day on the set he was a happy, jovial person, always generous and ready to play, tease, and always keep us all laughing. He was the consummate professional, a wonderful actor, master of comedy, and a kind and generous human being." He is interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles.


Honors

On November 20, 1985, Dick Van Patten was honored with a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...
. In 2008, a Golden Palm Star on the
Palm Springs Walk of Stars The Palm Springs Walk of Stars is a walk of fame in downtown Palm Springs, California, where "Golden Palm Stars", honoring various people who have lived in the greater Palm Springs area, are embedded in the sidewalk pavement. The walk includes p ...
was dedicated to him.


Filmography


Film


Television


Music videos


Bibliography

*


References


External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Van Patten, Dick 1928 births 2015 deaths 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors American people of Dutch descent American people of English descent American people of Italian descent American male child actors American male comedians American male film actors American male stage actors American male television actors Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) Businesspeople from Los Angeles Comedians from Queens, New York Deaths from diabetes in California Male actors from Queens, New York People from Kew Gardens, Queens Poker commentators Van Patten family