Dick Van Patten
Encyclopedia
Richard Vincent "Dick" Van Patten (born December 9, 1928) is an American actor
, best known for his role as patriarch Tom Bradford on the television sitcom Eight is Enough
. He 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 later starred in numerous television roles including the long running CBS television series, I Remember Mama
and Young Dr. Malone. Later, he would star or co-star in many feature films including Mel Brooks
' Robin Hood: Men in Tights
, Charlton Heston
's Soylent Green
and the Academy Award winning Charly
.
, the son of Josephine Rose (née
Acerno), an Italian American
who worked in advertising, and Richard Byron Van Patten, a Dutch American interior decorator. He began work as a model and actor as a child making his Broadway
debut at the age of seven. He was successful on the New York
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.
as Dickie Van Patten; he went on to appear in twelve other Broadway plays as a teenager. He moved on to television and movies with the 1949 TV series Mama
which ran from 1949
to 1957
, and as patriarch Tom Bradford on Eight is Enough
, 1977
to 1981
. Patten also appeared in episodes of Sanford and Son
, Banacek
, Arrested Development, The Brian Keith Show
, Cannon
, The Streets of San Francisco
, and Happy Days
. In 1999 and 2000, he costarred with Hugh O'Brian
, Richard Roundtree
, Deborah Winters
, and Richard Anderson
in the Warren Chaney
miniseries
, Y2K - World in Crisis.
Van Patten had numerous leading roles in motion pictures including Joe Kidd
, The Snowball Express
and The Santa Trap. He played the supporting role of Usher #1 alongside Charlton Heston
and Edward G. Robinson
in the 1973 film Soylent Green
.
He has appeared in several films directed by Mel Brooks
, 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
, and on The Weird Al Show
.
Van Patten co-founded Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Pet Foods
in 1989.
He also was a commentator for the World Series of Poker
from 1993 to 1995.
He founded National Guide Dog Month
which began in 2008 to raise awareness and money for non-profit guide dog schools in the United States accredited by the International Guide Dog Federation.
On January 12, 2008, Van Patten received a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars.
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 shares an 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 "I Remember Mama"; a rough period between acting gigs; 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.
Patten also played a role in the 2009 film Opposite Day as Jack Benson.
He is the older brother of actress Joyce Van Patten
and the older half-brother of film director Tim Van Patten
and the uncle of actress Talia Balsam
. He has been married to Patricia Poole (aka Pat Van Patten) since 1954.
They have three sons, all actors: Vincent Van Patten
, Nels Van Patten, and Jimmy Van Patten. Nels is named for the character Dick played on the CBS TV series Mama.
Dick Van Patten is related to several other well-known actors through marriages. His sister Joyce married actor Martin Balsam
. They are the parents of actress Talia Balsam
. Talia's first husband was actor George Clooney
and she is now married to Mad Men
actor John Slattery
. Dick's son Vince Van Patten is married to The Young and the Restless
actress Eileen Davidson
, who has played "Ashley" for many years. Dick's other son Nels is married to former Baywatch
regular Nancy Valen
after suffering a diabetic stroke
. Van Patten, who suffers from Type 2 diabetes, made a full recovery.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, best known for his role as patriarch Tom Bradford on the television sitcom Eight is Enough
Eight Is Enough
Eight Is Enough is an American television comedy-drama series which ran on ABC from March 15, 1977 until August 29, 1981. The show was modeled after syndicated newspaper columnist Thomas Braden, a real-life parent with eight children, who wrote a book with the same name...
. He 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 later starred in numerous television roles including the long running CBS television series, I Remember Mama
I Remember Mama
I Remember Mama is a play by John Van Druten. Based on the fictionalized memoir Mama's Bank Account by Kathryn Forbes, it focuses on the Hanson family, a loving family of Norwegian immigrants living on Steiner Street in San Francisco in the 1910s.Produced by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein...
and Young Dr. Malone. Later, he would star or co-star in many feature films including Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks is an American film director, screenwriter, composer, lyricist, comedian, actor and producer. He is best known as a creator of broad film farces and comic parodies. He began his career as a stand-up comic and as a writer for the early TV variety show Your Show of Shows...
' Robin Hood: Men in Tights
Robin Hood: Men in Tights
Robin Hood: Men in Tights is a 1993 French-American adventure comedy film and a parody of the Robin Hood story. Produced and directed by Mel Brooks, the film stars Cary Elwes, Richard Lewis, and Dave Chappelle in his film debut...
, Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston was an American actor of film, theatre and television. Heston is known for heroic roles in films such as The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, El Cid, and Planet of the Apes...
's Soylent Green
Soylent Green
Soylent Green is a 1973 American science fiction film directed by Richard Fleischer. Starring Charlton Heston, the film overlays the police procedural and science fiction genres as it depicts the investigation into the murder of a wealthy businessman in a dystopian future suffering from pollution,...
and the Academy Award winning Charly
Charly
Charly is a 1968 American film directed by Ralph Nelson. The drama stars Cliff Robertson , Claire Bloom, Lilia Skala, Leon Janney and Dick Van Patten and tells the story of a mentally retarded bakery worker who is the subject of an experiment to increase human intelligence...
.
Early life
Van Patten was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the son of Josephine Rose (née
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Acerno), an Italian American
Italian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
who worked in advertising, and Richard Byron Van Patten, a Dutch American interior decorator. He began work as a model and actor as a child making his Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
debut at the age of seven. He was successful on the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
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
Van Patten's career in showbiz began as a child actor on Broadway in 1937 in The Eternal RoadThe Eternal Road
The Eternal Road is an opera-oratorio with spoken dialogue in four acts by Kurt Weill with a libretto , by Austrian novelist and playwright Franz Werfel and translated into English by Ludwig Lewisohn.The Eternal Road premiered at the Manhattan Opera House on January 7, 1937, given a lavish and...
as Dickie Van Patten; he went on to appear in twelve other Broadway plays as a teenager. He moved on to television and movies with the 1949 TV series Mama
Mama (TV series)
Mama is a weekly Maxwell House-sponsored CBS television comedy-drama series which ran from July 1, 1949 until March 17, 1957.Based on the Kathryn Forbes memoir Mama's Bank Account, which was also adapted for the 1944 John Van Druten play and subsequent 1948 film I Remember Mama, it told the...
which ran from 1949
1949 in television
The year 1949 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1949.-Events:*January 3 – Colgate Theatre premieres on NBC....
to 1957
1957 in television
The year 1957 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1957.-Events:*January 6 – Elvis Presley makes final appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show....
, and as patriarch Tom Bradford on Eight is Enough
Eight Is Enough
Eight Is Enough is an American television comedy-drama series which ran on ABC from March 15, 1977 until August 29, 1981. The show was modeled after syndicated newspaper columnist Thomas Braden, a real-life parent with eight children, who wrote a book with the same name...
, 1977
1977 in television
The year 1977 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1977.For the American TV schedule, see: 1977-78 American network television schedule.-Events:...
to 1981
1981 in television
The year 1981 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1981.For the American TV schedule, see: 1981-82 American network television schedule.- Events :...
. Patten also appeared in episodes of Sanford and Son
Sanford and Son
Sanford and Son is an American sitcom, based on the BBC's Steptoe and Son, that ran on the NBC television network from January 14, 1972, to March 25, 1977....
, Banacek
Banacek
Banacek is a short-lived, light-hearted detective TV series starring George Peppard on NBC from 1972 to 1974. It alternated in its timeslot with several other shows but was the only one to last beyond its first season...
, Arrested Development, The Brian Keith Show
The Brian Keith Show
The Brian Keith Show is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 1972 to March 1974. The series stars Brian Keith and Shelley Fabares.-Synopsis:...
, Cannon
Cannon (TV series)
Cannon is a CBS detective television series produced by Quinn Martin which aired from March 26, 1971 to March 3, 1976.The primary protagonist was the title character, Frank Cannon, played by William Conrad....
, The Streets of San Francisco
The Streets of San Francisco
The Streets of San Francisco is a 1970s television police drama filmed on location in San Francisco, California, and produced by Quinn Martin Productions, with the first season produced in association with Warner Bros...
, and Happy Days
Happy Days
Happy Days is an American television sitcom that originally aired from January 15, 1974, to September 24, 1984, on ABC. Created by Garry Marshall, the series presents an idealized vision of life in mid-1950s to mid-1960s America....
. In 1999 and 2000, he costarred with Hugh O'Brian
Hugh O'Brian
Hugh O'Brian is an American actor, known for his starring role in the ABC television series The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp .-Early years and career:...
, Richard Roundtree
Richard Roundtree
Richard Roundtree is an American actor and former fashion model. He is best known for his portrayal of private detective John Shaft in the 1971 film Shaft and in its two sequels, Shaft's Big Score and Shaft in Africa .-Personal life:Born in New Rochelle, New York, Richard Roundtree graduated from...
, Deborah Winters
Deborah Winters
Deborah Winters is an American actress and businesswoman. Winters is probably most remembered for her roles in Kotch, The People Next Door, Class of '44, and The Winds of War...
, and Richard Anderson
Richard Anderson
Richard Norman Anderson is an American actor in film and television, known to TV audiences as Steve Austin's and Jaime Sommers' boss, Oscar Goldman, in both The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman TV series and their three subsequent TV movies: The Return of the Six-Million-Dollar Man...
in the Warren Chaney
Warren Chaney
Warren Herbert Chaney, Ph.D. is an American executive, author, filmmaker, behavioral scientist, entertainer, businessman and a pioneer in early television. In a career spanning four decades, Chaney wrote fifteen books, fourteen screenplays, and seventy-eight professional and nonprofessional...
miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
, Y2K - World in Crisis.
Van Patten had numerous leading roles in motion pictures including Joe Kidd
Joe Kidd
Joe Kidd is a 1972 American western film starring Clint Eastwood and Robert Duvall, written by Elmore Leonard and directed by John Sturges....
, The Snowball Express
Snowball Express
Snowball Express is a 1972 screwball comedy film made by Walt Disney Productions about a man who leaves his desk job to run a hotel left to him by his uncle.-Plot:...
and The Santa Trap. He played the supporting role of Usher #1 alongside Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston was an American actor of film, theatre and television. Heston is known for heroic roles in films such as The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, El Cid, and Planet of the Apes...
and Edward G. Robinson
Edward G. Robinson
Edward G. Robinson was a Romanian-born American actor. A popular star during Hollywood's Golden Age, he is best remembered for his roles as gangsters, such as Rico in his star-making film Little Caesar and as Rocco in Key Largo...
in the 1973 film Soylent Green
Soylent Green
Soylent Green is a 1973 American science fiction film directed by Richard Fleischer. Starring Charlton Heston, the film overlays the police procedural and science fiction genres as it depicts the investigation into the murder of a wealthy businessman in a dystopian future suffering from pollution,...
.
He has appeared in several films directed by Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks is an American film director, screenwriter, composer, lyricist, comedian, actor and producer. He is best known as a creator of broad film farces and comic parodies. He began his career as a stand-up comic and as a writer for the early TV variety show Your Show of Shows...
, including High Anxiety
High Anxiety
High Anxiety is a 1977 comedy film produced and directed by Mel Brooks, who also plays the lead. This is Brooks' first film as a producer and first "speaking" lead role...
, Spaceballs
Spaceballs
Spaceballs is a 1987 American science fiction comedy parody film co-written by, directed by, Mel Brooks and starring Bill Pullman, John Candy, Mel Brooks & Rick Moranis. It also features, Daphne Zuniga, Dick Van Patten, and the voice of Joan Rivers. The film was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on...
, and Robin Hood: Men in Tights
Robin Hood: Men in Tights
Robin Hood: Men in Tights is a 1993 French-American adventure comedy film and a parody of the Robin Hood story. Produced and directed by Mel Brooks, the film stars Cary Elwes, Richard Lewis, and Dave Chappelle in his film debut...
, as well as cameos in the music videos for "Smells Like Nirvana
Smells Like Nirvana
"Smells Like Nirvana" is a parody of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" written and performed by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It helped to reenergize Yankovic's career, and Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain considered the parody a sign that they had "made it" as a band...
" and "Bedrock Anthem
Bedrock Anthem
"Bedrock Anthem" is a song by "Weird Al" Yankovic which was featured on his 1993 album Alapalooza. It is parody of "Under the Bridge" and "Give It Away" both by the Red Hot Chili Peppers...
" by "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
, and on The Weird Al Show
The Weird Al Show
The Weird Al Show is a television show hosted by "Weird Al" Yankovic. Produced in association with Dick Clark Productions, it aired Saturday mornings on the CBS TV network from September to December 1997. The show was released on DVD on August 15, 2006...
.
Van Patten co-founded Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Pet Foods
Natural Balance Pet Foods
Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Pet Foods is an American commercial pet food manufacturer with its headquarters located in Pacoima, Los Angeles, California...
in 1989.
He also was a commentator for the World Series of Poker
World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker is a world-renowned series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment...
from 1993 to 1995.
He founded National Guide Dog Month
National Guide Dog Month
National Guide Dog Month is a celebration of the work of Guide Dogs in the United States as a way to raise awareness, appreciation and support for guide dog schools across the United States...
which began in 2008 to raise awareness and money for non-profit guide dog schools in the United States accredited by the International Guide Dog Federation.
On January 12, 2008, Van Patten received a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars.
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 shares an 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 "I Remember Mama"; a rough period between acting gigs; 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.
Patten also played a role in the 2009 film Opposite Day as Jack Benson.
Family
Joyce Van Patten
Joyce Benignia Van Patten is an American stage, film and television actress.-Personal life:Van Patten was born in New York City, the daughter of Josephine Rose , an Italian American magazine advertising executive, and Richard Byron Van Patten, a Dutch American interior decorator.She is the younger...
and the older half-brother of film director Tim Van Patten
Tim Van Patten
Tim Van Patten is an American television director, actor, screenwriter, and producer. As a director, Van Patten has directed episodes of The Sopranos, The Wire, Deadwood, Boardwalk Empire, Rome, The Pacific, Game of Thrones, Ed, and Sex and the City. Van Patten is perhaps best known for portraying...
and the uncle of actress Talia Balsam
Talia Balsam
Talia Balsam is an American actress.-Early life:Balsam was born in New York City to actors Martin Balsam and Joyce Van Patten.-Career:...
. He has been married to Patricia Poole (aka Pat Van Patten) since 1954.
They have three sons, all actors: Vincent Van Patten
Vincent Van Patten
Vincent Van Patten is an American actor and former tour professional tennis player.-Personal life:Van Patten was born in Bellerose, New York. He is the youngest son of actor Dick Van Patten and his wife, Pat, née Poole, a former June Taylor dancer. He is of Dutch and Italian descent...
, Nels Van Patten, and Jimmy Van Patten. Nels is named for the character Dick played on the CBS TV series Mama.
Dick Van Patten is related to several other well-known actors through marriages. His sister Joyce married actor Martin Balsam
Martin Balsam
Martin Henry Balsam was an American actor. He is known for his Oscar-winning role as "Arnold Burns" in A Thousand Clowns and his role as "Detective Milton Arbogast" in Psycho.- Early life :...
. They are the parents of actress Talia Balsam
Talia Balsam
Talia Balsam is an American actress.-Early life:Balsam was born in New York City to actors Martin Balsam and Joyce Van Patten.-Career:...
. Talia's first husband was actor George Clooney
George Clooney
George Timothy Clooney is an American actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. For his work as an actor, he has received two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award...
and she is now married to Mad Men
Mad Men
Mad Men is an American dramatic television series created and produced by Matthew Weiner. The series premiered on Sunday evenings on the American cable network AMC and are produced by Lionsgate Television. It premiered on July 19, 2007, and completed its fourth season on October 17, 2010. Each...
actor John Slattery
John Slattery
John M. Slattery, Jr. is an American actor and director, best known for his role as Roger Sterling on AMC's series Mad Men. He has been nominated for many awards, and has won two SAG Awards with the Mad Men ensemble....
. Dick's son Vince Van Patten is married to The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in a fictional Wisconsin town called Genoa City, which is unlike and unrelated to the real life village of the same name, Genoa City, Wisconsin...
actress Eileen Davidson
Eileen Davidson
Eileen Davidson is an American film and soap opera actress. She is known for her role as Ashley Abbott on The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful and for the multiple roles she portrayed on Days of our Lives....
, who has played "Ashley" for many years. Dick's other son Nels is married to former Baywatch
Baywatch
Baywatch is an American action drama series about the Los Angeles County Lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, starring David Hasselhoff. The show ran in its original title and format from 1989 to 1999, sans the 1990-1991 season, of which it was not in production...
regular Nancy Valen
Nancy Valen
Nancy Valen is an American actress and television producer. She is best known for portraying Captain Samantha Thomas on Baywatch.-Early life:...
Health problems
In January 2006, Van Patten was taken to Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los AngelesLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
after suffering a diabetic stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
. Van Patten, who suffers from Type 2 diabetes, made a full recovery.
Filmography
- 2012 You'll Never Amount to Anything (pre-production) … Grandpa Beck
- 2009 Sarah's Choice (video) … Pastor Smith
- 2009 Opposite Day … Jack Benson
- 2008 The Christmas Conspiracy (short) … Narrator
- 2006 2008 The Sarah Silverman Program. (TV series) Dr. Eddie Hackmeyer
- 2005 Freezerburn … Alan Merkel
- 2005 Arrested Development (TV series) … Cal Cullen
- Righteous Brothers (2005) … Cal Cullen
- Spring Breakout (2005) … Cal Cullen
- 2004 Quiet Kill … Frank Rubin
- 2004 7th Heaven (TV series) … James Rodgers, Sr.
- 2004 The Sure Hand of God … Jamie Denton
- 2002 The Santa Trap (TV movie) … Santa Claus
- 2002 Another Pretty Face (TV movie) … Levi Downs
- 2002 Groom Lake … Irv Barnett
- 2000 The Price of Air … Mr. Rye
- 2000 The Road Ahead (Documentary) Host
- 2000 Big Brother Trouble … Captain Stacey
- 1999 Y2K: World in Crisis (Documentary) Host
- 1999 Family Guy (TV series) Tom Bradford
- 1999 Angel on Abbey Street … Preacher
- 1995-1998 Touched by an Angel (TV series) Eb / Jerry
- 1998 Love Boat: The Next Wave (TV series) Sid Glacken
- 1998 Evasive Action Parole Officer
- 1997 The Weird Al Show (TV series) The Burglar
- 1997 Demolition University (video) ... Army General (uncredited)
- 1996 Boy Meets World (TV series) … Amish Farmer
- 1996 Love Is All There Is … Dr. Rodino
- 1996 Maybe This Time (TV series) … Jack
- 1996 For Goodness Sake II … Game show host
- 1996 Demolition High (video) … General Wainwright
- 1995 A Dangerous Place … Principal
- 1994 Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (TV series) … Orphanage Worker / Santa
- 1994 Baywatch (TV series) … Henry / Sam
- Guys & Dolls (1994) … Henry/Sam
- 1994 Burke's Law (TV series)
- Who Killed Skippy's Master? (1994)
- 1993 Diagnosis Murder (TV series) … Monty Emerson
- 1993 The Odd Couple: Together Again (TV movie) … Roy
- 1993 Robin Hood: Men in Tights … The Abbot
- 1993 The Golden Palace (TV series) … Taylor
- 1992 Body Trouble … Max
- 1992 Final Embrace … Larch
- 1990-1991 WIOU (TV series) ... Floyd Graham
- 1990 McGee and Me! (TV series) … Graham
- 1989 Jake Spanner, Private Eye (TV movie) … The Commodore
- 1989 An Eight Is Enough Wedding (TV movie) ... Tom Bradford
- 1989 Growing Pains (TV series) ... Nick Simpson
- 1988 Going to the Chapel … Rick
- 1988 The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking … Greg The Glue Man
- 1988 14 Going on 30 (TV movie)
- 1987 War of the Stars (TV series)
- 1987 A Mouse, a Mystery and Me (TV movie) … Santa Claus
- 1987 Rags to Riches (TV series) … Phil Johnson
- 1987 Eight Is Enough: A Family Reunion (TV movie) … Tom Bradford
- 1987 Spaceballs … King Roland
- 1987 The Facts of Life (TV series) … Frank Stickle
- 1986 Combat High (TV movie) … Principal
- 1986 Picnic (TV movie) … Howard Bevans
- 1986 Murder, She Wrote (TV series) … District Atty. Fred Whittaker
- 1985 The Midnight Hour (TV movie) … Martin Grenville
- 1985 Crazy Like a Fox (TV series)
- 1983-1985 Hotel (TV series) … Frasier Pratt / Herbert Pitts
- 1984 The New Mike Hammer (TV series)
- 1984 Finder of Lost Loves (TV series) … Alan Nettles
- 1984 Masquerade (TV series)
- 1978-1984 The Love Boat (TV series) … Charlie Dillinger / Congressman John Whitcomb / George Hayes
- 1984 The Hoboken Chicken Emergency (TV movie) … Mayor
- 1973-1983 Insight (TV series) … Jerry
- 1983 The Fairest of Them All (TV movie) … Host
- 1983 Too Close for Comfort (TV series) … Arthur
- 1982 High Powder (TV movie) … Tom Reed
- 1981 Lunch Wagon … Bernie Simmons (uncredited)
- 1977-1981 Eight Is Enough (TV series) Tom Bradford
- 1979 Diary of a Teenage Hitchhiker (TV movie) … Herb Thurston
- 1979 Nutcracker Fantasy … King Goodwin (voice)
- 1978 With This Ring (TV movie) … Alvin Andrews
- 1977 High Anxiety … Dr. Wentworth
- 1976-1977 Happy Days (TV series) Asst. Principal Marvin Conners / Hunsberger
- 1977 One Day at a Time (TV series) ... Frank
- 1977 C.P.O. Sharkey (TV series) … Psychiatrist
- 1977 Gibbsville (TV series) … Patrick Malloy
- 1976 The Tony Randall Show (TV series) Myron C. Dobbs
- 1976 The Shaggy D.A. ... Raymond
- 1976 Freaky Friday ... Harold Jennings
- 1976 What's Happening!! (TV series) … Mr. Claxton
- 1975-1976 The Six Million Dollar Man (TV series) … Harry Green / Palmer
- 1976 The New Adventures of Wonder Woman (TV series) … Jack Wood
- 1976 Maude (TV series) … Gordon Coleman
- 1972-1976 The Streets of San Francisco (TV series) … Thurman Barber / John Collins
- 1976 Phyllis (TV series) … Walter
- 1976 The Love Boat (TV movie) … O'Neil, the Doctor
- 1976 Charo and the Sergeant (TV movie) … Chaplain
- 1976 Ace (TV movie) … Mr. Mason
- 1976 Gus … Cal Wilson
- 1976 Treasure of Matecumbe … The Gambler
- 1974-1976 Barnaby Jones (TV series) … Melvin Pearson / Merle Overton
- 1972-1976 Emergency! (TV series) … Carter Merkle / Morris Meers
- 1976 Ellery Queen (TV series) … Billy Geeter
- 1975 When Things Were Rotten (TV series) … Friar Tuck
- 1972-1975 Medical Center (TV series) … Dr. Feldman / Dr. Whittaker / Man at Hotel
- 1975 Ladies of the Corridor (TV movie) … Mr. Humphries
- 1975 Grandpa Max (TV movie) … Mr. Unger
- 1973-1975 The Rookies (TV series) … Fullmer / Waldon
- 1975 Hot L Baltimore (TV series) … A.J. Horn
- 1975 The Strongest Man in the World … Harry
- 1974 Adam-12 (TV series) … Harry Curtis
- 1974 Kolchak: The Night Stalker (TV series) … Alfred Brindle
- 1974 Sierra (TV series) … Ed
- 1974 Ernie, Madge and Artie (TV movie)
- 1974 Young Love (TV movie) … April's Father
- 1974 The Girl with Something Extra (TV series) … Morgan
- 1972-1974 The New Dick Van Dyke Show (TV series) … Max Mathias / Mr. Compton
- 1974 Chopper One (TV series)
- 1974 Banacek (TV series) … Donald Morgan
- 1973 Superdad … Ira Kushaw
- 1971-1973 Love, American Style (TV series) (segment "Love and the Tattoo") / George (segment "Love and the Parent's Sake") / Jack (segment 'Love and the Particular Girl') / …
- 1973 Westworld … Banker
- 1973 Wait Till Your Father Gets Home (TV series)
- 1973 Adam's Rib (TV series) … Commissioner Hoyt
- 1973 Thicker Than Water (TV series) … John
- 1973 Soylent Green … Usher #1
- 1973 Acts of Love and Other Comedies (TV movie) … Larry Grogman (uncredited)
- 1972-1973 The Paul Lynde Show (TV series) … Dr. Willis / Wollner
- 1973 Cannon (TV series) … George Abel
- 1973 The Brian Keith Show (TV series) … Jerry Mason
- 1973 McMillan & Wife (TV series) … Henry
- 1972 Snowball Express … Mr. Carruthers
- 1971-1972 The Doris Day Show (TV series) … April's Father
- 1972 Dirty Little Billy … Berle's customer
- 1972 Banyon (TV series) … Earl Gifford
- 1972 The Crooked Hearts (TV movie) … Edward, the desk clerk
- 1972 Hec Ramsey (TV series) … Earl Enright
- 1971-1972 The Partners (TV series) … Sgt. Nelson Higgenbottom
- 1972 Joe Kidd … Hotel Manager
- 1972 Beware! The Blob … Scoutmaster Adleman
- 1972 The Don Rickles Show (TV series) … David
- 1972 Sanford and Son (TV series) … Hamlin
- 1971 Making It … Warren
- 1971 Great Performances (TV series) … Raymond
- 1971 Zachariah … The Dude
- 1971 Confessions of a Top Crime Buster (TV movie) … Sgt. Nelson Higgenbottom
- 1970 Arnie (TV series) … Walter Granscog / Walker
- 1970 That Girl (TV series) … Mr. Morse
- 1970 The Governor & J.J. (TV series) … Bertrum Bannister
- 1970 I Dream of Jeannie (TV series) … Market Clerk
- 1968 Charly … Bert (as Richard Van Patten)
- 1967 The Secret Dream Models of Oliver Nibble (short) … Oliver Nibble (as John Acerno)
- 1963 Violent Midnight … Police Lt. Palmer
- 1958 Young Dr. Malone (TV series) … Larry Renfrew (1961-1962)
- 1961 Naked City (TV series) … Carhop
- 1959 Rawhide (TV series) … Matt Reston
- 1958 Mike Hammer (TV series) … Paul Sterovsky
- 1949-1956 Mama (TV series) … Nels Hansen / Neils / Nels
External links
- Official site
- 2007 Interview in the Sherman Oaks Sun, page 16