Hallmark’s “When Calls the Heart” star Melissa Gilbert had fans buzzing with one of her recent social media posts. In honor of the 100th birthday of iconic entertainer Dick Van Dyke, Gilbert dug into the archives to share a sweet memory involving Van Dyke and her father, Paul Gilbert.
Melissa Gilbert’s Father Once Had a Guest Role on ‘The Dick Van Dyke’ Show
On December 13, Gilbert took to Instagram to share a scene from “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” In the caption, she wrote, “In honor of @official_dick_van_dyke’s 100th, I’m so happy to share this amazing footage with my Daddy.”
In the clip, which included Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore, Gilbert’s father played a boorish guy at the bar. As Van Dyke and Moore’s characters tried to enjoy their time sitting at the bar, Paul Gilbert’s character was drunk, obnoxious, and intrusive.
Gilbert split the video of the scene into two parts, shared across two slides in the Instagram post. In the second clip, the two men faced off and things actually got physical. While Van Dyke took a hit to the nose, Moore ultimately won the battle with a slick move that nobody could have seen coming.
The title of the 1964 episode with Paul Gilbert as a guest star on “The Dick Van Dyke Show” was aptly titled, “My Mother Can Beat Up My Father.” His character was named Mr. Cavenidish.
The description of the episode read, “When a drunk accosts Laura and Rob in a downtown bar, Laura surprises Rob by using a judo throw that flattens the man.”
As the episode progressed, “Rob begins to feel inadequate as the ‘protector’ of his household and sets out to prove a point with Laura.”
Feeling inadequate, Van Dyke’s character ultimately seeks out some judo lessons for himself. Unfortunately, things take a turn that leads to a stint in the hospital.
Hallmark Fans Loved Melissa Gilbert’s Sweet Post
In her Instagram caption, the “When Calls the Heart” star added, “Thank you for sharing with me such a wonderful memory of my dad.”
Gilbert continued, “On this birthday I wish for you, all the happiness, love, health, peace and LAUGHTER!!!”
As People noted, Van Dyke celebrated his 100th birthday on December 13. He celebrated with loved ones, and his wife, Arlene Silver, told the media outlet it was “perfect.”
The comment section of Gilbert’s post was filled with celebratory comments and lots of emojis. There were birthday wishes for Van Dyke. One fan even noted that her family had the iconic entertainer’s shows playing all day in honor of his birthday. Several people mentioned their love for Gilbert’s father’s work as well.
“I remember him in Cat Balou too. He was a great character actor,” one fan wrote.
Another gushed, “What an amazing memory!”
“I love them so much. Haven’t seen that show in a while,” someone else added.
Happy Birthday! I am so happy for you that you could be able to live this long to celebrate this mile stone.