DICK VAN DYKE

Warner Brothers Studios

Burbank, CA

May 5, 2010

Photo credit: Dick Van Dyke

Back when I was working in advertising, my creative partner and I wrote a TV commercial starring Dick Van Dyke. It was a quick 30-second spot with warm holiday wishes from the stars of the TV show Diagnosis Murder. We never met him, but it was pretty exciting to dial Dick Van Dyke’s fax number knowing he was on the other end waiting for our script to come through.

He liked our concept and they filmed the commercial at a studio without us. It was small potatoes for him. Just another weekend gig in front of the camera. It probably took longer for him to walk from his car to the set than it took to shoot the spot.

Years later I was at a fundraiser on the Warner Brothers backlot. I was walking through a charming but phony small town on a make-believe Main Street. There was a little stage set up in the middle of the street where an art auction was wrapping up. Dick Van Dyke had been the emcee. It didn’t seem like a very prominent position for this Hollywood treasure but the informal nature made him more accessible so I cut through the crowd and headed towards the stage.

As I got closer I was impressed by his size. Unlike many of these Hollywood actors, he’s tall. Six foot one inch, with a gracious energy.

He looked my way. I said, “Hi. My name is Rebecca." He cracked a friendly smile and gave me his undevided attention. "I am what's left of Dick Van Dyke," he said.

I was happy to find him so welcoming. But because he looked like he still might be a little busy, I pitched my idea with no frills. “I have a Celebrity Photo Album. It’s just a bunch of pictures of me taken by celebrities. Will you take my picture?" These are three solid sentences that I am very familiar with but he’d never heard them in all of his 50 years in the business. Smiling a bit larger, he said, “Sure,” and held out his hand for the camera. He snapped a couple of quick photos and handed my camera back. No big deal. Grateful, I smiled, thanked him, and went on my way.

I totally forgot about the festive commercial we had in common but I wouldn’t have mentioned it anyway. Unfortunately, I don’t think I have a copy of that anymore, but I will never lose this photo. I’m not sure which lasted longer, my time with Dick Van Dyke via fax or the quality time we shared on that pseudo stage in Burbank? Together they must equal at least three solid minutes.

I never know what to expect from these actors, they are actors after all, but Mr. Van Dyke was just as pleasant as he appears to be on screen. He is the real deal. Thank you for this picture, Mr. Van Dyke, I'm honored to have you as one of my celebrity photographers.

Photo credit: Dick Van Dyke