Dick Van Dyke and alcoholism - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Yong Fang · 04-10-2015, 06:44 AM

Dick Van Dyke (known as DVD) has said for many years if not decades that he is an alcoholic, and wonder when he got sober for good. Was he in active drinking when the DVD Show was on? DVD was very successful in the 1960's in his show and legendary movie projects like Bye Bye Birdie and Mary Poppins. Seems to me that DVD's career sort of bottomed out by the 1970's.

Was DVD one of those guys who no one guessed was a chronic drinker, who always did his job to perfection, or did he become someone who was at his low point a commodity people did not want to be involved with? It seems around 1980 or so, he came out as an alcoholic who got sober and did a movie (or maybe more) as a fictional alcoholic character.

I have also read that Mary Tyler Moore was a drinker herself, chain smoked etc. When did she find out that she was diabetic? Sort of puts an end to drinking with that disease. DVD, at least as a young man, was so lanky that it would not take much to get him loose.

I couldn't see DVD as a drunken, abusive mess. Just too fatherly, wholesome, Midwestern guy. MTM I could see as a "hot mess" though. Dunno. It seems that all the cast members on both the DVD SHOW and the MTM SHOW actually liked each other without any drama.

So, if I go to California, can I find DVD in an AA meeting? Could he be my sponsor? Seems like a way to meet celebrities, troll the 12 step meetings.

JudgeGarth · 04-10-2015, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yong Fang

So, if I go to California, can I find DVD in an AA meeting? Could he be my sponsor? Seems like a way to meet celebrities, troll the 12 step meetings.

That kind of goes against the spirit of AA, don't you think?

He made a Tv movie, 'The Morning After' in 1974 that was a thinly veiled reflection of his own alcoholism (even though it was based on somebody else's book).

pkripper001 · 04-10-2015, 04:34 PM

Dick Van Dyke was drinking from around his middle 30's to around 60, when he became sober for good. It was about a 25 year period,that I am not exactly sure when it started and not exactly sure when it ended, but it is a close estimate. Mary Tyler Moore was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes early in the run of The Mary Tyler Moore
Show.I doubt you will see him in an AA meeting,since he started to have the drink not taste good to him. He would feel a little dizzy and a little nauseous and today he wouldn't want a drink for anything.

treky · 04-15-2015, 12:15 AM

I think I heard somewhere that he started drinking during THE DVD SHOW

04-10-2015, 06:44 AM	#1
Yong Fang Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 04, 2009 Location: Memphis Tennessee Posts: 3,073	Dick Van Dyke and alcoholism Dick Van Dyke (known as DVD) has said for many years if not decades that he is an alcoholic, and wonder when he got sober for good. Was he in active drinking when the DVD Show was on? DVD was very successful in the 1960's in his show and legendary movie projects like Bye Bye Birdie and Mary Poppins. Seems to me that DVD's career sort of bottomed out by the 1970's. Was DVD one of those guys who no one guessed was a chronic drinker, who always did his job to perfection, or did he become someone who was at his low point a commodity people did not want to be involved with? It seems around 1980 or so, he came out as an alcoholic who got sober and did a movie (or maybe more) as a fictional alcoholic character. I have also read that Mary Tyler Moore was a drinker herself, chain smoked etc. When did she find out that she was diabetic? Sort of puts an end to drinking with that disease. DVD, at least as a young man, was so lanky that it would not take much to get him loose. I couldn't see DVD as a drunken, abusive mess. Just too fatherly, wholesome, Midwestern guy. MTM I could see as a "hot mess" though. Dunno. It seems that all the cast members on both the DVD SHOW and the MTM SHOW actually liked each other without any drama. So, if I go to California, can I find DVD in an AA meeting? Could he be my sponsor? Seems like a way to meet celebrities, troll the 12 step meetings.

04-15-2015, 12:15 AM	#4
treky star trek fan Eternal Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Feb 25, 2002 Location: Conshohocken, pennsylvania Posts: 14,490	I think I heard somewhere that he started drinking during THE DVD SHOW
	__________________ the Clampetts are in a fancy Beverly Hills jewelry store. Granny points to a tray of rubies. Granny: "How much fer one o' them red diamonds?" clerk: "Madam, those are rubies." Granny: "OK ask her kin we buy one offa her." clerk: " The ruby I am talking about is not a lady." Granny: "Lissen, how she got them diamonds is her business. I'm just sayin' ask her kin we buy one from her."

04-10-2015, 04:34 PM	#3
pkripper001 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Aug 12, 2014 Location: Florida Posts: 401	Dick Van Dyke was drinking from around his middle 30's to around 60, when he became sober for good. It was about a 25 year period,that I am not exactly sure when it started and not exactly sure when it ended, but it is a close estimate. Mary Tyler Moore was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes early in the run of The Mary Tyler Moore Show.I doubt you will see him in an AA meeting,since he started to have the drink not taste good to him. He would feel a little dizzy and a little nauseous and today he wouldn't want a drink for anything.