A Secret Recurring Character Was Hiding in ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show’ All Along

Only sharp-eyed viewers of The Dick Van Dyke Show would notice the name Frank Adamo popping up regularly in the closing credits. The late Adamo—Dick Van Dyke’s real-life assistant—functioned as the show’s Alfred Hitchcock, inserting himself in one oddball cameo after another (although Frank Adamo, unlike Hitchcock, had some minimal dialogue).

Adamo’s brief (but memorable, if you caught them) appearances added an offbeat element to one of television’s greatest shows ever. Let’s break down his five episodes.

The Distracted Deliveryman

Adamo gets a brief speaking role in season 1’s “Where Did I Come From?”. He plays a messenger from a guaranteed rush dry-cleaner’s. The imperative to rush is put to the test as Adamo gets momentarily distracted by the allurements of a pastry cart.

He Delivers a Singing Telegram

Rob Petrie (Van Dyke), head writer of The Alan Brady Show, endures a bit of needling about a supposedly subpar episode of the show—courtesy of best friend and next-door neighbor Jerry Helper. The needling escalates into full-fledged harassment in season 1’s “Punch Thy Neighbor.”

The high point (or low point) in Jerry’s defamation campaign culminates in a very off-key Adamo arriving on Rob’s doorstep and belting out a derogatory singing telegram.

He's a Pompous Poet

One thing that made the Adamo appearances so funny is that they ran the gamut. In season 2’s “I’m No Henry Walden,” Adamo has a brief—but memorable—turn as a pretentious wordsmith who’s penned Lavender Lollipops and Point Me to the Moon. One can only imagine the quality of the verses.

Frank Adamo: Synagogue-goer

Season 5’s justifiably famous (and genuinely moving) “Buddy Sorrell: Man and Boy” involves the character of Alan Brady staff writer Buddy going through an adult bar mitzvah. The episode closes with snippets of the bar mitzvah, complete with some actual, uninterrupted cantorial chanting. In a don’t-blink moment, the ever-adaptable Adamo can be seen in one of the synagogue rows. 

The Library Scold

Adamo had the perfect knack for rendering wonderfully unpleasant bit roles. In season 4’s “The Lady and the Baby Sitter” he delivers a brief, all-too-convincing role as a prim library user who won’t stand for any bit of talking from the other patrons.

The Dick Van Dyke Show ran for five seasons from 1961 to 1966, starring Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Larry Matthews, Morey Amsterdam, and Rose Marie. The award-winning series is widely regarded as one of the best sitcoms of all time. Despite its popularity, we wouldn’t be surprised if many fans didn’t even notice Adamo’s repeated appearances.

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