Dick Van Dyke

It was an absolute pleasure to chat up television legend Carl Reiner recently and to be able to tell him that "The Dick Van Dyke Show," which he created, is one of my top five favorite shows of all time. "I love hearing it!" said the 86-year-old, still sharp as ever. The 1961-66 sitcom, starring Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Rose Marie and Morey Amsterdam still seems so fresh and current today. Reiner told me why. "It was about human condition, it was about human behavior," he said. "If you're writing about yourself and you're being honest about it, you put things within the ... Read Full Story

On January 27th, Disney's iconic tale of a mythical nanny turning the lives of her English charges completely upside down, Mary Poppins , celebrates its 45th anniversary. I remember that, as a kid, I loved watching Dick Van Dyke dancing with the penguins, and singing along to "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!" or "A Spoonful of Sugar" (which is still the best way to give medicine, though I never remember that with my own kids now that I'm a Mom!). My first trip to London, which didn't happen until I was an adult in my twenties, had me imagining the city would look just as it did in ... Read Full Story

We just filled up our car at the pump and paid a whole month’s rent doing it. Here we are near the end of the first decade of this fairly young millennium, reeling in one of the worst banking financial crises in almost a century. We are engaged in a precarious conflict with militants that have dragged on for years. Epidemics, starvation and environmental challenges are growing and killing millions on the planet. People are losing homes. And yes, then there are the gas prices….. Sometimes, I think back to a simpler time when boyhood day dreams filled my mind. I especially remember a ... Read Full Story

A timeless Disney classic this new 45th Anniversary Edition of Mary Poppins is one that is for everyone. Containing more magic and more music than ever before. As a fitting tribute to the original classic this new version contains a plethera of interesting bonus features. Just in time for the Academy Awards, this 5 Oscar winner, including Best Song and Best Actress in 1965 continues to hold up even in today’s time of computer animated films. The perfect blend of live action and the classic Disney animation gives Mary Poppins a wondrous and fantastic feel, combined by the performances of Dame Julie Andrews and ... Read Full Story

Bring on the blatantly superfluous shirtless scenes. The Post has reported that Keith Huff's "A Steady Rain" will appear on Broadway with heartthrobs Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig as the leading men. The pair will be playing the roles of 'two Chicago cops whose lifelong friendship is put to the test when they become involved in a domestic dispute in a poor neighborhood" (read: Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman will appear in skimpy police uniforms). Hugh is a regular of the NYC stage, drawing in big bucks for his maraca-shaking role in 'The Boy From Oz' in 2004, but all has been quiet on ... Read Full Story