One of the best episodes of the Dick Van Dyke Show involved guest star Jack Carter as Lyle Schenk, an old acquaintance from Rob's days in small town independent television in Danville, Illinois. It touched on a situation that is universal, something we've all had to face. Someone who did us a good turn back in the day and now milks for all it's worth.
Lyle Schenk made an introduction way back when and it landed Rob Petrie that job in Danville and from then Rob made good and eventually wound up doing network television as head writer on the Alan Brady Show. And Schenk never lets him forget way back when he made the connection through him and over the years gets Rob to constantly do favors for him, job-wise. Of course for one reason or other these jobs never work out and Carter's constantly over the years asking for one more favor.
This in a funny way is the parallel situation in Marjorie Morningstar where Martin Milner goes on to Broadway success leaving Gene Kelly behind directing camp shows. How Dick Van Dyke liberates himself from Jack Carter is the basis of one of the best Dick Van Dyke Shows.
Lyle Schenk made an introduction way back when and it landed Rob Petrie that job in Danville and from then Rob made good and eventually wound up doing network television as head writer on the Alan Brady Show. And Schenk never lets him forget way back when he made the connection through him and over the years gets Rob to constantly do favors for him, job-wise. Of course for one reason or other these jobs never work out and Carter's constantly over the years asking for one more favor.
This in a funny way is the parallel situation in Marjorie Morningstar where Martin Milner goes on to Broadway success leaving Gene Kelly behind directing camp shows. How Dick Van Dyke liberates himself from Jack Carter is the basis of one of the best Dick Van Dyke Shows.
