“THE ROOM WENT SILENT BEFORE HE EVEN
A Quiet Moment
Nearly 100, Dick Van Dyke shifted the room without music or lights.
After leading a two-hour Malibu sing-along with his wife, Arlene Silver,
he turned reflective, carrying the same warmth audiences have long loved.
Purpose Beyond Nostalgia
The fundraiser supported the Van Dyke Endowment of the Arts and a planned museum,
but Van Dyke said the day was really about restoring “the art of conversation.”
He calmly observed how people now sit together while mentally elsewhere.
The Line That Landed
Without drama, he shared that he “doesn’t own a cell phone.”
The silence that followed underscored his point: technology isn’t the problem,
but what it has replaced—casual talk and shared presence.
Legacy and Message
He still sang classics like “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.”
Nearing 100, his focus is simple: joy, decency, and remembering how good it feels to truly connect.
