Movie theaters across the United States will mark Dick Van Dyke’s 100th birthday in December by screening a new documentary about the actor, comedian and singer, Fathom Entertainment said Wednesday.
“Dick Van Dyke: 100th Celebration,” a feature-length portrait that has been in the works for more than three decades, will be shown in theaters over Van Dyke’s birthday weekend on Dec. 13 and 14. Tickets go on sale Oct. 31.
In an email to The Associated Press, Van Dyke called the theatrical celebration “wonderful; a total surprise for me,” adding, “If you don’t think luck has a lot to do with it, then you’re mistaken.”
Filmmaker Steve Boettcher said the documentary weaves together clips from Van Dyke’s classic films, including “Mary Poppins,” “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” and “Bye Bye Birdie,” as well as television work such as “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and “Diagnosis: Murder.” New interviews with Van Dyke provide personal recollections and previously unheard stories from his decades in show business.
The film is bookended by a return to Van Dyke’s roots in Danville, Illinois, where he visits his childhood home, the radio station where he began as a DJ at 16 and his old high school. Boettcher described a scene in which Van Dyke joins students onstage to perform songs from his films, saying the moment is a “sweet coming home.”
Over the past 30 years, Boettcher interviewed many of Van Dyke’s closest friends and collaborators, including Mary Tyler Moore, Carl Reiner, Rose Marie, Morey Amsterdam, Betty White, Tim Conway and Chita Rivera. Several of those figures have since died; Boettcher said the filmmakers sought people who were “there at the scene, on set with him and working with him.”
The filmmakers had not planned to time the release for Van Dyke’s centennial, Boettcher said, but opted to take advantage of the milestone once it came into focus. The documentary will premiere in early December at Danville’s Fischer Theatre, where Van Dyke said he first fell in love with movies and the idea of being an entertainer while watching Laurel and Hardy on Saturdays.
Fathom Entertainment, which is distributing the two-day theatrical event, has previously hosted special screenings and theatrical releases timed to anniversaries and cultural moments. The Dec. 13–14 run will give audiences an opportunity to see the documentary on the big screen during the weekend closest to Van Dyke’s birthday.
Van Dyke’s career spans more than eight decades and includes stage, film and television roles that have influenced multiple generations. The documentary’s use of archival footage and interviews aims to trace that career arc while offering personal and behind-the-scenes perspectives from collaborators and friends.
Tickets for the theatrical engagement will be available beginning Oct. 31, and the Fischer Theatre premiere is scheduled for early December in Danville. Fathom Entertainment announced the plans Wednesday; further distribution details and screening locations are expected to be released as ticket sales begin.