Originally, Van took King as his stage name (after his father's stage name, from the trio "Gordon, Reed and King"). Help us build the largest biographies collection on the web! He made his Broadway debut with Gwen Verdon in the revue Alive and Kicking, which had an eight-week run at the Winter Garden Theater on Broadway (1950), and then appeared in Red, White, and Blue at the Paramount Theater in Los Angeles and on a subsequent tour (1950). Simon was known for his hit works The Odd Couple and Biloxi Blues, among many other books and plays. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Bobby played Will Parker in the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera's performance of Oklahoma! Library, Washington D.C. My fatherused the stage name King. Bobby earned some Broadway attention in the musical "Alive and Kicking" and in the revival of "On Your Toes," both in 1950. Interred at Mt. He was noted for his energy, breezy manner, and ever-present smile, and his dance routines covered the gamut from soft-shoe to energetic tap numbers. He graduated from the University of California. In June 1977, Van appeared in the musical Anything Goes as Billy Crocker at the Kenley Players in Dayton, Ohio.[9]. Van first performed at resorts in the Catskill Mountains northwest of New York City and entertained troops for the United Service Organizations (USO).After World War II ended, he appeared at hotels and supper clubs, as well as on radio and television. (1960), and Joey in San Diego's Circle Arts Theater's Pal Joey (1961). (May 1, 1968 - July 31, 1980) (his death, 1 child), (September 11, 1952 - September 27, 1966) (divorced, 1 child), View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. She was one of the dancers on The Danny Kaye Show. Alas, the visions of, - IMDb Mini Biography By: Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.net, Was nominated for Broadway's 1971 Tony Award as Best Actor (Musical) Bobby Van was known for his musical acting on Broadway and he was married to Joyce from 1968 to 1980, because, in 1980, Van died from brain cancer. Van married actress Diane Garrett, who appeared in minor roles in MGM films. Anyone can read what you share. farmers' almanac ontario summer 2021. Van's California theater appearances caught the attention of motion-picture producer Joe Pasternak, who brought Van under contract to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). During this time, he also made numerous television appearances on the "Ed Sullivan Show, " the "Jackie Gleason Show, " the "Ford Star Jubilee, " "Kraft Music Hall, " and other variety shows. In 2004, Simon had received a kidney transplant and his longtime friend, publicist Bill Evans was the donor. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. He stated that the marriage was a sham and had not been consummated. Select the best result to find their address, phone number, relatives, and public records. Van also hosted the game shows Showoffs,[7] The Fun Factory, and Make Me Laugh.[8]. In the 1960s, Van did comedy work with Mickey Rooney[6] in films and television. Sinai Memorial Park in Burbank, California. He appeared in another made-for-television movie, Bunco (1976), was choreographer and assistant producer of several Miss America pageants and hosted four Mrs. America pageants. Salinger, the reclusive author of The Catcher in the Rye, died at 91, his agent said January 28, 2010, raising tantalizing questions over whether the legendary writer might have left behind a hoard of unpublished works. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Van chose to hide his illness and continued to work as long as possible, including as host of that year's Mrs. America Pageant. In 1971, Joyce starred in the final episode of Green Acres as Oliver's former secretary, Carol Rush. Jobs in the United States >>>. Audience tastes were changing and movie musicals were declining in popularity. Bobby began his career as a musician, playing the trumpet. Salinger at a bookstore in Washington, DC. Bobby Van (December 6, 1928 - July 31, 1980) was a musical actor, best known for his career on Broadway in the 1950s and 1970s. Van made his first appearance at the age of four when his parents introduced him into their act in Atlantic City, New Jersey. In 1971, he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for his performance in the Broadway revival of the musical comedy No, No, Nanette. Unfortunately, he caught the tail end of But I've legalized it, so my children won't have the problems I had. Executive summary: Broadway actor. 1977) Risk Factors: Smoking FILMOGRAPHY . He initially billed himself Bobby King but changed his stage name because "there were too many Kings in the business. " Critics, producers, and the public considered him a likable and dependable talent, and he remained popular until his death. Audience tastes were changing and movie musicals were declining in popularity. In 2003, Joyces daughter, Taylor Van, married husband Evan Gray Meyer at the Beach Club in Santa Monica, California, according to The NY Times. In 1979, Van was informed by his doctors that he had a malignant brain tumour. He went on to appear in several Broadway musicals. He also appeared in Because You're Mine, Kiss Me, Kate, and Small Town Girl. [23] Van and Joyce were finally married in Las Vegas on May 1, 1968. They separated in 1964 and finalized the divorce in 1966. Robert Jack Stein was an American actor best known for his career on Broadway. Unfortunately, he caught the tail end of MGM's musical reign during the 1950s. Add a New Bio. In 1978, he played swindler Warren Custer in the episode "The Two-Million-Dollar Stowaway" of the NBC crime drama series The Eddie Capra Mysteries followed by the original Battlestar Galactica episode "Greetings from Earth" as the robot Hector, working along veteran song and dance man Ray Bolger (Vector) in 1979. [15] Garrett said she was unable to move for three weeks after the accident; both she and Van claimed back injury. Their marriage reportedly ran a difficult course an announcement was made on October 30, 1967,[21][full citation needed] that they had wed, but they had not. He also said that the then-24-year-old Joyce had told him that she wanted children but that was only to make him agree to the marriage. New York Magazine. What Shows Have Been Renewed or Canceled? Peter was born in 1695. In 1979, he appeared in the original Battlestar Galactica episode "Greetings from Earth" as the robot Hector, working alongside veteran song and dance man Ray Bolger (Vector). Van and Gallagher repeated their show-stopping number, "You Can Dance with Any Girl You Can" at the televised in 1972, Tony Awards program. [11][12], Van and Garrett attempted to have children for several years and, after losing a baby in 1956,[13] they adopted a son in 1961 named Peter, nine months after taking him in as a five-day-old baby. Van played 861 performances with co-stars Ruby Keeler, Patsy Kelly, and Helen Gallagher. Joyce appeared on several other game shows as well, including Password. Some of the musicals she appeared in were The Music Man, Bye Bye Birdie, and Funny Girl. Garrett died in 2011. After performing at a venue in the Catskills with his band, he was requested to replace another act as a song and dance man. epitome of the breezy, exuberant song-and-dance man who could enliven Van tied the knot with actress Elaine Joyce on May 1, 1968. He passed away after 1769. Bobby Van and wife Elaine Joyce appeared in a Love Boat episode titled "Gopher's Opportunity". The pilot was not picked up. Van also hosted a syndicated revival of the game show Make Me Laugh during the 197980 season. Van made his first appearance at the age of four when his parents introduced him into their act in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Baim died on July 17, 1973 of bone cancer when Ellen was just 16 and Nancy 10 years old. Bobby Van, after a difficult pregnancy loss in 1956 and prior miscarriage. Unfortunately, her mothers death at a young age was not the only pain Ellen had to go through. Her mother is an actress and a producer. [19] In November 1964, Walter Winchell wrote in his column that Van "(recently divorced after a dozen years) hopes to persuade actress Emmaline Henry to be his new spouse. Joyce also starred in the 1980 film Motel Hell as Edith Olsen and the 1986 film Trick or Treat as Angie Weinbauer, the mother of Eddie Weinbauer (Marc Price). In 1973, he appeared in the musical remake of Lost Horizon, the last occasion on which he took his traditional song-and-dance persona to the big screen. I was confused too. Prabook is a registered trademark of World Biographical Encyclopedia, Inc. He later lost control of his left side and was in a wheelchair. (October 23, 1965 - October 6, 2004) (his death), (September 11, 1952 - September 27, 1965) (divorced, 1 child), (May 27, 1948 - August 22, 1949) (divorced), View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro. According to My Life, after his marriage to Joyce, Levoff remarried and became the President of New Frontier Entertainment. Get to know more about Simon and Joyce. He also did some choreography, as his father had done years earlier. In the 1960s, Van did comedy work with Mickey Rooney in both film and television. Joyce also hosted the first season (198687) of The All New Dating Game. In 1968, Van married Elaine Joyce; they had one child. [26] Their daughter, Taylor, was born in 1976. Van played 861 performances with co-stars Ruby Keeler, Patsy Kelly, and Helen Gallagher. Van returned to television and hosted more game shows: "The Fun Factory" (NBC, 1976), and "Make Me Laugh" (syndicated, 1979). Initially, Van performed under the professional name King but later chose to use Van. Bobby had also spent time in the game show world, mostly as a semi-regular panelist on He finally opted for Van, after seeing a Van Johnson poster hanging in his sister's bedroom. He appeared in another made-for-television movie, Bunco (1976), was choreographer and assistant producer of several Miss America pageants and hosted four Mrs. America pageants. In a December 1981 interview, Joyce said, "Bobby and I would have been married forever. ; The Feather and Father Gang; The Love Boat; and $weepstake$. The earliest record of Peter in Virginia is in . Their show-stopping number "Tom, Dick, and Harry" was also shown in That's Dancing (1985).Despite favorable reviews, Van's motion-picture career never took off. Bobby Van Social Network Timeline 2011 Van married starlet Diane Garrett in 1952. Van attended public schools in New York City and took music classes at the Metropolitan Vocational High School, now the High School of Performing Arts. The episode was a backdoor pilot, titled "The Blonde" or "Carol," which featured Joyce as a young, dizzy blonde who lives with her sister and brother-in-law in Los Angeles, and manages to save her no-nonsense boss, played by Richard Deacon, from a real estate scam. Taylor Joyce Van, the daughter of Elaine Joyce Simon of Los Angeles and the late Bobby Van, was married yesterday to Evan Gray Meyer, a son of Raylene G. Meyer and Bruce A. Meyer, also of Los Angles. Getty Separated from Bobby Van in 1964 and divorce was finalized September 27, 1966. He later went to London for an appearance in a variety show at the Palladium in 1958. He produced and co-hosted a televised musical, "The Bobby Van and Elaine Joyce Special" (CBS, 1973), and hosted the game show "Showoffs" (ABC, 1975). Van's success on Broadway led to several movie offers, but these did not revive his motion-picture career. From September 1999 until his death, she was married to playwright Neil Simon, who died on August 26, 2018, from complications of pneumonia after being on life-support while hospitalized for kidney failure. A native of New York, Van was virtually raised backstage by his vaudeville parents. A Democrat, Van supported Adlai Stevenson during the 1952 presidential election. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, she was featured in many series, including Mr. Merlin (in which she portrayed the character Alexandra, a sorceress); Beverly Hills, 90210; Melrose Place; Magnum, P.I. As a result, he spent much of his childhood backstage, watching many unforgettable Depression-era acts. Bobby Van was a multitalented entertainer singer, dancer, comedian and musician whose career spanned twenty-five years of performances in resorts, nightclubs, theater, motion pictures, radio, and television. Together, they adopted a son named Peter. Match Game Wikia is a FANDOM TV Community. Menu. Born: 6-Dec-1928 Birthplace: Bronx, NY Died: 31-Jul-1980 Location of death: Los . In a heartfelt message, Levoff wrote, Thank you for all the nice notes of condolences. She is an executive assistant in the television distribution division of Paramount Pictures in Hollywood. Taylor, with Bobby Van, and a son, Michael, with Levoff. He was not in any pain before or at the time of his death., Neil Simons Wife Elaine Joyce: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. ET, after being put on life support. There's A Small Hotel (From "On Your Toes"), No, No, Nanette - Original Broadway Cast: The Call of the Sea. In 1952 he married musical actress Diane Garrett, who abruptly retired (they adopted a son, Peter, in 1959). Van played the trumpet and started his own band at the age of fifteen, later adding some dancing and ad-libbed comedy routines. [1] In 2010, reviewer Hal Erickson noted that "Van will always be remembered as the ecstatic young fellow who made like a human pogo stick during an expansive production number in Small Town Girl (1953)."[6]. peter van son of bobby van He then battled the cancer for about a year until he passed away. Bobby Van (born Robert Jack Stein, December 6, 1928-July 31, 1980) was an American Actor and Musician, known for his long-standing career on Broadway in the 1950s and 70s. He appeared in what critics termed a "stultifyingly boring melodrama, " The Doomsday Machine (1972), and he played the role of a USO entertainer in an unpopular musical remake of Lost Horizon (1973). Match Game most of the 1970s. Neil Simon was married several times in his life, but he was married to wife Elaine Joyce at the time of his death. He was also a game show host. He also appeared as a semi-regular panelist on the classic Game Show Match Game . There were too many people named King around and I didn't think Stein had glamour, so I picked Van. Originally, Van took King as his stage name (after his father's stage name, from the trio "Gordon, Reed and King"). From the movie: SMALL TOWN GIRL 1953Bobby Van was a very talented and athletic song and dance man who appeared on Broadway and TV but unfortunately did only. Despite favorable reviews, Van's motion-picture career never took off. [30], The Vans' daughter Taylor attended Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, where she met future husband Evan Meyer; they were married in October 2003, at which time she was employed as a television executive assistant for Paramount Pictures. In Small Town Girl he astounded audiences with his talent and energy in the "Take Me to Broadway" reprise (the "Hippity-Hop" dance, choreographed by Busby Berkeley), during which he bounced in rhythm for five minutes around the motion picture's set. Van returned to Hollywood in the early 1960's as the choreographer for two Jerry Lewis films, The Ladies' Man (1961), and It's Only Money (1962). [10], She has two children: a daughter, Taylor, with Bobby Van, and a son, Michael, with Levoff. Merlin', "Weddings/Celebrations; Taylor Van, Evan Meyer", "Battlestar Galactica Season 1 Episode Guide", "Mickey Rooney Provides Zest in 'Tunnel of Love', https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bobby_Van&oldid=1139838228, This page was last edited on 17 February 2023, at 04:36. [7] In May 1982, Joyce performed at the Alhambra Dinner Theatre in Jacksonville, Florida. His father is the president and founder of Meyer Pacific, a real estate holding company, and the chairman of the Petersen Automotive Museum, both in Los Angeles. Van and Garretts divorce was finalised on September 27, 1966. Oct. 19, 2003 Taylor Joyce Van, the daughter of Elaine Joyce Simon of Los Angeles and the late Bobby Van, was married yesterday to Evan Gray Meyer, a son of Raylene G. Meyer and Bruce A.. She also said, We were very, very private, but you do what you do when you date you shop, you go to dinner, you go to the theater. Alexander, Paul. [16] Judy Garland, who was a passenger in the Vans' vehicle, testified in court for them. This eventually led to Broadway. Login . He died of cancer several months later, in Los Angeles. In the early 1950s, Van entered into a contract with MGM and started appearing in their films. During this time, he also made numerous television appearances on the "Ed Sullivan Show, " the "Jackie Gleason Show, " the "Ford Star Jubilee, " "Kraft Music Hall, " and other variety shows. Best Match Powered by Whitepages Premium AGE 60s Peter Son Sachse, TX View Full Report Addresses Mallard Ln, Sachse, TX W Plano Pkwy, Plano, TX N Belt Line Rd, Irving, TX Relatives AKA Robert Jack Stein. Born Robert Jack Stein to vaudeville parents in The Bronx, New York City. In 1987, Ellen Simons husband was hit by a car and died, according to People. However, Van is mostly remembered for his extensive stage work. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6HOIMMkqow, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXeh-E-BVv4. His first wife was actress Diane Garrett, with whom he exchanged wedding vows on September 11, 1952. Taylor Van . [14], In 1959, both Van and Garrett were injured when their car was rear-ended, and sued the other driver, seeking $107,000. In 1971, Bobby Van starred as Billy Early, a lawyer, in the Broadway revival of the musical comedy No, No, Nanette. Born Robert Jack Stein to vaudeville parents in The Bronx, New York City. Van's best movie roles came in 1953. On the morning of August 26, 2018, Simon died, at the age of 91, leaving behind three children and his wife, Elaine Joyce, as reported by TMZ. [on his choice of a stage name from a photo of. In May . Elaine Joyce and Neil Simon attend "The Big Knife" Broadway opening night at American Airlines Theatre on April 16, 2013 in New York City. Robert Jack Stein (December 6, 1928 - July 31, 1980), known by his legalized stage name Bobby Van, was a musical actor and dancer, best known for his career on Broadway, in films and television from the 1950s through the 1970s. Robert M. Letteau, a retired judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court, officiated at the Beach Club in Santa Monica, Calif. [8] She told a reporter that it was the first time the two had met, but they had a romantic relationship for several years. Los Angeles, California, USA (brain cancer) Birth name Robert Jack Stein Height 6 1 (1.85 m) Mini Bio Triple-threat performer singer, dancer and actor Bobby Van was the epitome of the breezy, exuberant song-and-dance man who could enliven any film he was put into.