The bestDick Van Dykemovies and TV shows feature some true classics, and while his best movies are from the era of classical Hollywood, he had several big TV shows that made him a legend on the small screen. He chose a career in entertainment when in high school, studying drama. While serving in World War II, he worked in the Special Services entertaining troops and then began his television career in 1964, where he mostly made his home over his long and illustrious career.
He appeared on several TV shows and then got a big break when he was cast in the lead of the musicalBye Bye Birdiein 1960. In 1963, he got the same role in the movie version of the play, but before that, he had already made his name as atop comic talent with his own CBS sitcom,The Dick Van Dyke Show.Add in movies likeMary Poppinsand a later career on television, Dick Van Dyke has received myriad honors, including an indication to the Television Hall of Fame (1995), Hollywood Walk of Fame (1993), and Kennedy Center Honors (2020).
Released in 2006,Night at the Museumwas a Ben Stiller comedy movie that saw him play Larry Daley, a divorced inventor who gets a job as a night security guard at the American Museum of Natural History. It is there that he discovers that all the museum’s exhibits come to life at night after sunset, from a dinosaur that becomes a playful pet to historical figures like Attila the Hun (Patrick Gallagher) and Theodore Roosevelt (Robin Williams) and the mummy Ahkmenrah (Rami Malek).
Dick Van Dyke plays a veteran security guard named Cecil Fredericks,the man who retires and passes his job duties onto Larry. He plays an important role, as he is the man who pushes Larry to learn more about history so he can better control the exhibits. However, he is also one of the antagonists in the film, as the same tablet that brings the figures to life helps keep him and other older guards young. The movie was a huge success, making over $574 million and spawning a sequel, although Van Dyke doesn’t return.
There might not be a more iconic sketch comedy show thanThe Carol Burnett Show, which ran from 1967 to 1978. As the title suggests, this was a comedy showcase for comedian Carol Burnett, who brought in a fantastic cadre of actors to back her up. Names from the show include Harvey Jorman, Vicki Lawrence, Lyle Waggoner, and Tim Conway. In 1977,Korman led the show, and Dick Van Dyke joined the cast to replace him. However, this didn’t last for long.
Dick Van Dyke was only in 10 episodes ofThe Carol Burnett Show. While he was a huge name on television then, he decided he was not a good match for this sketch comedy show and wasn’t the man to replace Korman, so he departed the series in a shared decision. His appearances were in the first half of the eleventh season, and he was fresh off winning Emmy Awards forVan Dyke & Company. Steve Lawrence and Ken Berry replaced Van Dyke, but the show ended after that season.
Dick Van Dyke’s last main starring series was a group of made-for-television movies that began airing in 2006. These were theMurder 101films, which saw Van Dyke star as Dr. Jonathan Maxwell, a criminology professor who helps solve crimes.His main co-star is his real-life son Barry Van Dyke, who stars as Mike Bryant, a former cop-turned-PI who helps Dr. Maxwell in solving the crimes. Barry Van Dyke’s son Shane Van Dyke joined the series, as well as Ben Manners, Mike’s nephew who wants to be a private investigator.
Murder 101: If Wishes Were Horses
August 11, 2025
Murder 101: The Locked Room Mystery
This was clearly a family affair, and there were even more members of Dick Van Dyke’s family joining the cast, including Wes Van Dyke and Carey Van Dyke (Barry’s other two sons). Kimberly Quinn also co-stars after working with Van Dyke inDiagnosis: Murder. The series had four movies, with the first hitting in 2006 and the fourth in 2008, and they all aired on the Hallmark Channel.
One of the more underrated comic book movies to ever come out was the 1990 detective noir,Dick Tracy. Based on the newspaper cartoon of the same name by Chester Gould, Warren Beatty directed and stars in the movie as the titular police detective in 1938 who is trying to bring down the mob lord Big Boy Caprice. The cast was incredible, with Al Pacino as the villainous Big Boy and Madonna as the femme fatale Breathless Mahoney. Beatty also shot the film in bright colors to match the comic source.
Dick Van Dyke had a smaller role in the film as the district attorney named John Fletcher,a corrupt politician who refuses to prosecute Big Boy Caprice since he is on the organized crime organization’s payroll. It was a rare villain role for Van Dyke, who usually played hapless good guys and often characters who helped the police bring down criminals. While the movie remains underappreciated to this day, it did receive seven Oscar nominations, winning Best Art Direction, Best Makeup, and Best Original Song.
Dick Van Dyke starred in the musical theater production ofBye Bye Birdiein 1960, and when the time came to adapt it to the big screen, he returned to the role for that movie as well.Bye Bye Birdieis a musical that tells the story of a rock and roll star drafted into the Army, and it is inspired by the Army drafting Elvis Presley in 1957.Dick Van Dyke plays the role of Albert Peterson, an unsuccessful songwriterwho schemes to have the young star record a song that he wrote to find his own career success.
10 Best Broadway Movie Adaptations
Broadway is home to many of the greatest stage production of all time, some of which got fantastic film adaptations.
The cast had some huge names, including Janet Leigh and Ann-Margret, and it received mixed reviews and was a small box-office success. However, modern reviews were much more praiseworthy, andBye Bye Birdiehas an 86% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes. It was nominated for two Oscars and two Golden Globes, and it has remained a respected classical musical movie for decades since its release.
In 1992, Dick Van Dyke got a new scripted series to star in calledDiagnosis Murder. This was both a television series and a franchise of spinoff movies. It all started out as movies, with the pilot followed by the first three films in the series (airing in 1992 and 1993). After their success, the series itself was greenlit and premiered in 1993.Van Dyke stars as Dr. Mark Sloan, a former U.S. Army doctor who is now a renowned physicianwho consults with the local police, often helping them solve murder mysteries.
Jun 15, 2025
Without Warning
The series itself had eight seasons and 178 episodes, with the final season airing in 2001. After that, two more movies aired in 2002 to finish off the storylines. Van Dyke’s real-life son Barry Van Dyke also starred in the show as his character’s son, Steve Sloan, a police detective. The series was so successful that it even spawned a series of spinoff novels based on the TV show.
In 1967, Dick Van Dyke took on one of his most successful lead movie roles when he starred in the satirical comedyDivorce American Style. The film sees Van Dyke star as Richard Harmon, who seems to have a perfect life with his wife Barbara (Debbie Reynolds). However, they are always arguing, and when they realize therapy isn’t working, andthey are each taking money out of their bank accounts, they file for divorce.
Jason Robards and Jean Simmons star as Richard’s friends, who try to help him during the divorce. Critics mostly praised the film, withRoger Ebertpraising it as a “Hollywood comedy with teeth in it.” Screenwriters Norman Lear and Robert Kaufman earned an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay for the film. While Van Dyke proved himself on the big screen, he wouldn’t have as many movies over the following years, though, as he focused more on television.
In 1968, Dick Van Dyke had one of the biggest movie roles of his career when he starred in the children’s musical fantasyChitty Chitty Bang Bang. In this film,Van Dyke stars as Caractacus Potts, a widower who develops a romantic relationship with Truly Scrumptious, the daughter of the wealthy Lord Scrumptious. When his two kids become fond of an old racing car that crashed and burned, they convince their father to restore it, and it soon becomes the magical car of the title.
Sally Ann Howes stars as Truly in this romantic story. The film was not a success at the box office, but it had legs and remains a beloved film, largely thanks to the cast and the script, co-written by Roald Dahl and based on a novel by James Bond creator Ian Fleming. The movie’s title song earned an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song, and critics praised the film in both reviews when it was released and in later reappraisals as well.
When it comes to movies, the film that Dick Van Dyke remains best known for to this day isMary Poppins.Mary Poppinsstars Julie Andrews as the titular character, a nanny who appeared to the Banks family when they needed help the most and took on the role of helping give the children a strong role model and turning their fortunes around. As forVan Dyke, he played Mary’s friend, Bert, a man who takes on various jobsand currently works as a street painter.
Mary Poppins: 5 Things That Didn’t Age Well (& 5 That Are Timeless)
There’s plenty to love about the original Mary Poppins, even now. However, some of its aspects don’t exactly hold up anymore.
Van Dyke was a treasure in this film, and was as responsible as Andrews for making it a huge success and ensuring the songs remained iconic to this very day. Van Dyke sang the songs: “A Pavement Artist,” “Jolly Holiday,” “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” “I Love to Laugh,” “Fidelity Fiduciary Bank,” “Chim Chim Cher-ee,” “Step in Time,” “A Man Has Dreams,” and “Let’s Go Fly a Kite.“Mary Poppinsearned 13 Oscar nominations, winning Best Song (“Chim Chim Cher-ee”) and Van Dyke earned a Golden Globes nomination.
IfDick Van Dykeis known for one thing, it should be his hit television sitcom. Van Dyke had been appearing on various comedy shows since 1955, and in 1961, he got a huge chance. He was offered his own sitcom, andThe Dick Van Dyke Showwas born. In the CBS series,Van Dyke starred as Rob Petrie, the head writer of a variety showproduced in New York. The series shows the behind-the-scenes drama and comedy that happens while he is working for the show and also shows his home life and how it is affected by this job.
Many characters were based on real people, with creator Carl Reiner appearing in the series as a character who is a combination of Milton Berle and Jackie Gleason, while Van Dyke’s character is based on Reiner himself. The series lasted for five seasons and 158 episodes, and it made a star out of Mary Tyler Moore, who played Petrie’s wife.The Dick Van Dyke Showwon 15 Emmy Awards and has been listed as one of the greatest sitcoms in television history.
