A Casual Allusion to One of Gertrude's Speeches in The Dick Van Dyke Show

“My Husband is the Best One.” By Martin Ragaway. Perf. Dick Van Dyke, Rose Marie, Morey Amsterdam, and Carl Reiner. Dir. Jerry Paris. The Dick Van Dyke Show. Season 3, episode 15. CBS. 8 January 1964. DVD. Allied Vaughn, 2023.

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After a brief trip to Twelfth Night, The Dick Van Dyke Show returns to Hamlet, the old standby for brief allusions to Shakespeare.

In this episode, Rob Petrie gives an interview—and the resulting article states unequivocally that Rob is the true genius behind The Alan Brady Show.

The letter is published—but with an additional note from the editor. In this clip. Rob is asked to read that to the other key players in the show:

You may have spotted the "doth protest too much" lifted from Gertrude's comment about the play-within-the-play. It's shorthand for "Well, yes, but there's something more going on here."

Again, I'm intrigued by the casual way it's worked in. The presumption is that the viewer will recognize the phrase's origins. Stanley Fish would, I suppose, have a lot to say about the way that reveals "The Implied Reader" (or Implied Viewer in this case).

Note: This episode represents a transitional stage in the portrayal of the character of Alan Brady. The original idea was never to have Alan Brady appear at all; this then became a resolve never to show Brady's face when he did appear in a scene. Later, he appears just as all the other actors do. At this point in the run, they are still making half-hearted attempts to avoid showing Alan's face. That explains the awkwardness of the blocking in the scene above.

Next up, a subtler use of Shakespeare!

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Links: The Episode at IMDB.

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Double Twelfth Night Quotes in The Dick Van Dyke Show

“Big Max Calvada.” By Bill Persky and Sam Denoff. Perf. Dick Van Dyke, Rose Marie, Morey Amsterdam, Sheldon Leonard, and Arthur Batanides. Dir. Jerry Paris. The Dick Van Dyke Show. Season 3, episode 9. CBS. 20 November 1963. DVD. Allied Vaughn, 2023.

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And now . . . back to our series.

In this third-season episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show, Rob, Sally, and Buddy are pressured by Big Max Calvada, the local gangster, to write for his talentless nephew. 

This clip gives you the threatening approach and the reluctant (but resolute) agreement by the writers.

And then it gives you not one but two quotes from Twelfth Night:

The first is what Sebastian says to Antonio in gratitude for his help and his friendship. The extended version in the Riverside Shakespeare is

I can no other answer make but thanks,

And thanks; and ever [thanks; and] oft good turns

Are shuffled off with the uncurrent pay;

But were my worth as is my conscience firm,

You should find better dealing. (III.iii.14–18)

Note: I'm suppling the [thanks; and] to the Riverside. There's no note about this (as there would be if it were an editorial choice), and there's no quarto of the play that might give this alternate reading. Have I stumbled upon a rare typo in the Riverside?

The second (slightly-misquoted and certainly misattributed) quote is from the letter Malvolio finds in Act II. Here's how the Riverside Shakespeare puts it:

Some are [born] great, some [achieve] greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon ’em. (II.v.145–46)

Note: Here, the editorial brackets are the Riverside's. The note attributes [born] to Rowe—F1 has "become"; [achieve] is found in F2—F1 has "atcheeues." Gesundheit.

The pin of the scene is the attribution to "Al Capone." It's a mildly-amusing way to point back to the gangster's threats.

As a final note, you may recognize the henchman from "That Which Survives," a third-season episode of Star Trek: The Original Series. As the crew's geologist he lasts two short scenes—just until the mysterious woman says, "I am for you, Lieutenant D'Amato." Then he plays a corpse for a little bit. 

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Links: The Episode at IMDB.

Click below to purchase the entire run of the show from amazon.com
(and to support Bardfilm as you do so).

A Shakespeare Plot Works its Way into an Episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

“The Muse.” By Majel Barrett and René Echevarria. Perf. René Auberjonois and Majel Barrett. Dir. David Livingston. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Season 4, episode 20. Syndicated television. 29 April 1996. DVD. Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment, 2021.

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Because the podcast Star Trek: The Next Conversation has reached this point in its trek (ha!) through Deep Space Nine, we need to take a break from cataloguing all the Shakespeare in The Dick Van Dyke Show to consider a little more Shakespeare in Star Trek.

Although I'm not a fan of any of the Lwaxana Troi episodes, they do sometimes have Shakespearean connections (for which, q.v.). I was pleased to find that the tradition continues in Deep Space Nine.

This episode's A-plot is pretty awful. Lwaxana is in the B-plot, and that only thing that makes it any better is the possible Shakespearean influence. Let me give you the opening; keep your eye out for the Shakespeare plot that it's emulating: 

Is everyone with me? It's a clear retelling of one of the key conflicts in A Midsummer Night's Dream!

To be fair, I'll acknowledge that it's very subtle. But the argument between Oberon and Titania in Shakespeare's play hinges on who should be in charge of raising the child of a votaress of Titania's who died in childbirth. Since the child is male, Oberon considers it time for him and the male side of the fairy world to take over his upbringing; Titania, with her deep connection to the votaress, disagrees. And that's what we have mirrored here.

I'm not sure I'll go as far as to say that Odo is a Puck analogue (since he's more in league with Lwaxana (our Titania), he's more like Moth or Mustardseed, I suppose), but there's something very Dreamlike in the setup.

Actually, as the plot moves forward (Caution: Spoilers ahead), the only solution is for Odo to convince the husband that he (Odo) is in love with Lwaxana. Perhaps Odo is Bottom the Weaver!

In any case, it's not an episode I'd recommend—except for the conceivable (ha!) Shakespearean connection.

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Links: The Episode at IMDB.

For more connections between Star Trek and Shakespeare, head to Shakespeare and Star Trek Complete.

Click below to purchase the DVDs from amazon.com

(and to support Bardfilm as you do so).