Tuesday, July 19, 2011

DICK VAN DYKE: SLAPSTICK COMEDIAN

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TIn8mPy5_jA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I'm too sleepy to post now, but I thought I'd put up an interesting video as a placeholder: it's the first episode of the old Dick Van Dyke Show from the early 60s. There's no need to watch the whole thing...it was the first show and they didn't quite get the rhythm right... but you have to see Dick's drunk routine which starts at 19:45. Watch it even if you don't like drunk sketches. It's great!

I'm reading Dick's autobiography. It's not very revealing, and he doesn't talk about how he acquired that famous personality and rubbery slapstick technique, but that's par for the course for biographies. I did come across one interesting tidbit, though...he said Stan Laurel told him that he got that cool walk by having the heels removed from his shoes. Where are my shoes? I'm getting them modified!

One final thought: I said they didn't get the rhythm of the whole show right, and that's true. Even so, watch how expertly most of the entire party sequence is shot and cut. Watch how that sequence is paced and how well the music was laid in. PRO-fesh-ee-yon-nal!!!!

P.S. For some reason the YouTube video above isn't embedding. Here's a link to the site:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIn8mPy5_jA

5 comments:

Alberti's Window said...

Hello! I just discovered your blog a few days ago. I love your posts! I look forward to following your blog.

This Dick van Dyck sketch is great! His comedic act reminds me quite a bit of Jerry Lewis (especially when he walks in the room with the bowler hat on his head). I wonder if this first episode was made to appeal to fans who had watched the Colgate Comedy Hour with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. That show stopped airing just a few years before the Dick van Dyck show started.

Monica
"M" from Alberti's Window
http://albertis-window.blogspot.com

Joel Brinkerhoff said...

You have touched on one of my favorite shows. I know I'm not alone in thinking these are comedy classics that stand with the Keaton's and Chaplin's. Considering the restrictions of television production, it's a perfect mix of cast and creator and even though I've seen them since childhood I still laugh at the same jokes over and over. The character Laura Petrie still looks great in those capris too.

Anonymous said...

As soon as I get my Internet to stream Youtube vids properly, I'll have to check out that episode. Looks really interesting. Never watched the show before, but I always love watching a hilarious slapstick comedian. I've been sleepy all day myself for no reason. I need to cut down on the Advil.

Joshua Marchant (Scrawnycartoons) said...

I haven't seen much of the Dick Van Dyke show before but that drunk bit was High-larious. I'd like to watch more stuff like that to learn the principles of funny acting. "Comedy for animators" is a great site for that.

M: I was thinking the same thing! At certain angles he looks like Jerry Lewis

Eddie Fitzgerald said...

Joshua: Comedy for Animators! I forgot about that site. Thanks for the reminder!

M: Holy Cow! I thought only I and about 50 others knew about the Colgate Comedy Hour.

I'll check out your art history site. The name is great!

Joel: Oh, man! Don't get me thinking about Laura Petrie in capri pants!