There are few actors out there who are considered a “national treasure” in Hollywood. And you know what? Dick Van Dyke is definitely one of them. Filled with charm and versatility, Van Dyke captivated family audiences for many decades with his comedic and heartwarming roles. So we’ve come up with a fantastic list of his 10 greatest movies that still make people happy to this day! With a career spanning all the way back to the 1950s, narrowing down a list like this is easier said than done. However, there is no denying that Dick Van Dyke delivers an impeccable performance in all the movies that we’ve selected. So grab your cane, your tap shoes, and your hat if you feel fancy, and get ready to check out these awesome Dick Van Dyke movies!
Night at the Museum (2006)
Playing the role of Cecil Fredericks, Dick Van Dyke was an absolute riot in 2006’s Night at the Museum, a role he would also reprise for the sequel, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb in 2014. It was just so much fun to see him on the silver screen again and that is saying something as this movie is packed with star power, Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, and a whole bunch more awesome Hollywood A-Listers are in this movie. Cecil is the former nightwatchman of the Natural History Museum and he gives the new nightwatchman, Larry a special set of instructions and tells him not to let anything in or out as the exhibits in the museum come alive at night! This is truly a movie that the whole family can have fun with!
The Art of Love (1965)
While 1965’s The Art of Love may not have lit up the box office the same way Dick Van Dyke’s previous movie did… Mary Poppins. This is a fun romantic comedy that sees Dick Van Dyke play the role of an American artist, Paul Sloane who is really struggling to get by in Paris. After trying to save a damsel in distress, people think that Paul is dead! This leads Paul and his friend, Casey (played by James Garner) to come up with a scheme where people will pay more for Paul’s art if they think he is dead! Sure this is cheesy, and sure it is predictable, but this is also a whole lot of fun and Dick Van Dyke is just so likable as the struggling artist trying to make the best of things in Paris.
The Comic (1969)
In 1969’s The Comic, Dick Van Dyke is Billy Bright and narrates the movie from the grave, looking back on his life. The humor comes from Billy blaming everyone else for his problems when everything that went wrong in his life was his fault! While this is a funny movie and it certainly has that Dick Van Dyke charm, there are a couple of darker and sadder moments here too. A fun bit of trivia about the movie is that Dick Van Dyke actually pulls double duty as he also plays the role of Billy Bright’s son, Billy Jr in a scene as well. This is a bit of a hidden gem and a movie that does not get the love it deserves!
Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N. (1966)
Lt. Ronin Crusoe, U.S.N. was released in 1966 and once again, this would see Dick Van Dyke team up with Disney. Something fun about this movie is that it was Walt Disney himself who came up with the idea of the story. This is a comedic take on the classic Robison Crusoe story. This version sees Dick Van Dyke crash his plane and wash ashore on a “deserted island” only to discover it is not deserted! We see him make a life for himself with a monkey friend and all kinds of fun contraptions that he can build. Plus, there is an attractive young woman on the island that Robin helps deal with her family issues. This is just good classic Disney fun and it is the kind of movie that had to be on this 10 best Dick Van Dyke family movies list as even to this day, families will have fun watching this together.
Divorce American Style (1967)
How can you not love the pairing of Dick Van Dyke and Debbie Reynolds? Released in 1967, Divorce American Style is a hilarious movie and a movie that is still just as much fun and relevant today! Dick Van Dyke’s Richard is married to Debbie Reynolds Barbara and they on the surface have the ultimate life. Well, constant bickering leads them to divorce, but due to high alimony payments, Richard is not having the fun single life he thought he would. A plan is hatched to try and marry off Barbara so he can stop paying alimony, but he finds that true love is worth more than all the money in the world. This is a funny movie that has an ending that really does make you smile.
Cold Turkey (1971)
While it was not released until 1971, Cold Turkey was actually filmed in 1969, but the studio did not have a lot of faith in it! This is a hilarious black comedy set around the tobacco industry. To get free publicity the Valiant Tobacco Company says that any town in America that can stop smoking for 30 days will get 25 million dollars! This is all Dick Van Dyke’s Reverend Clayton Brooks needs to hear as he pulls out all the stops to prevent his town’s smokers from smoking, which is made more complicated by the fact he is a smoker himself. For you movie trivia buffs, this was directed by acclaimed TV show writer/producer/director Norman Lear and it would be his only theatrical directorial credit.
Fitzwilly (1967)
When it comes to the iconic characters Dick Van Dyke has played on the silver screen over the years, Claude Fitzwilliam, better known as Fitzwilly is right up there. Fitzwilly is a butler to a wealthy lady called Miss Victoria Woodworth. However, her wealth is, in fact, a lie, her father did not leave her the inheritance she thought. Instead, Fitzwilly has been leading the rest of the waiting staff on various heists and scams to help keep Miss Woodworth in the social and financial standing she is used to. There are some Hilarious heists and scams in the movie, but it all comes undone when Miss Woodworth hires a new assistant who Fitzwilly ends up falling for. This is a movie that has a lot of laughs, but it also has a lot of heart.
Bye Bye Birdie (1963)
Regarded by many as one of the most iconic high school movies of all time, Bye Bye Birdie had to be on this best Dick Van Dyke movies list as this was the very first appearance of Dick Van Dyke on the silver screen. This is the story of a teen pop idol who is going to be drafted into the military. However, Dick Van Dyke’s Albert manages to get this teen heartthrob to sing one of his songs and this leads to a whole string of crazy and interesting events that ultimately sees true love shine through. A fun bit of trivia about Bye Bye Birdie is that it is based on a stage show that is based on a book that was inspired by Elvis Presley having to join the army.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
You had to have known that Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was going to be high on this list! This is an all-time classic and even though it was released all the way back in 1968, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a movie that every generation that has come after it has loved. Whimsical is the best way to describe Dick Van Dyke’s Caractacus Potts fix up an old broken down race car and head out on a fantasy filled wild adventure. With so many amazing songs, characters, and performances. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is truly a timeless classic, although, do not blame us if your kid has nightmares over The Child Catcher…. Heck, we are still terrified of him and we are supposedly all grown up. This is one of those movies that does not just pass the test of time, it passes it with an A+++!
Mary Poppins (1964)
If we just did Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, then you knew that the 1964 Walt Disney classic, Mary Poppins had to bring this list of the best Dick Van Dyke movies to a close. Here, Dick Van Dyke plays Bert who is the best friend of Julie Andrews (this was her theatrical debut by the way) Mary Poppins. Mary Poppins is the magical new nanny to the Banks children and she along with Bert who seems to have about a million jobs shows the children the wonders of the world and magic. Dick Van Dyke is just fantastic as Bert, but he also plays the role of the director of the bank where the children’s father works. Talk about an all-time classic! The mixture of live action with animation and all those catch songs truly does make this movie timeless. Also, it is awesome how Disney brought Dick Van Dyke back for Mary Poppins Returns in 2018, you could tell he was having a whale of a time in that movie!
What better way to bring this list of 10 Dick Van Dyke movies that brought smiles to every family than Mary Poppins? However, as you can see, this very talented and special man has truly had a great career and he is well worthy of his status as a Disney Legend and the lifetime achievement award he got from the Screen Actors Guild in 2017. It was honestly so hard to narrow this list down, but we are confident that you will have a great time with every single movie on this list!
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