| Bobby Van | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name: | Robert Jack Stein |
| Born: | December 6, 1928 |
| Birth Hometown: | The Bronx, New York, U.S. |
| Died: | July 31, 1980 |
| Place of death: | Los Angeles, California |
| Occupation: | actor, singer, dancer, game show host |
| Years active: | 1950-1980 |
| Known for: | Starring in Small Town Girl |
Bobby Van (born Robert Jack Stein December 6, 1928 – died July 31, 1980) was a Broadway musical, movie & television actor and game show host in the 1950s and 1970s.
Career[]
Bobby Van spent the bulk of his career in the Broadway world, appearing in plays such as: No, No, Nanette, Lost Horizon and Small Town Girl. Before all this, he started as a trumpeter, but his career skyrocketed when he was asked to fill in as a song & dance man for another act.
Throughout the 50s & 60s Bobby did work for film & television shows sometimes with Mickey Rooney, especially in Mickey's short-lived self-titled sitcom.
Personal Life[]
Bobby Van was married twice, the first time was with starlet Diane Garrett and later with another Broadway actress Elaine Joyce which was the more successful of the two. Elaine & Bobby appeared on several game shows together including TattleTales and Match Game. That seemed to open the door for Bobby's career as a game show host himself. His first was Showoffs (replacing the late Larry Blyden), next was The Fun Factory and finally Make Me Laugh!.
Death[]
Bobby Van passed away in 1980 after an unsuccessful battle with cancer.
Shows appeared[]
- Beat the Clock (1979 All-Star Era)
- Match Game
- TattleTales
Shows hosted[]
- Showoffs
- The Fun Factory
- Make Me Laugh! (1979-80 version)