In the recently concluded Marvel Cinematic Universe offering, “WandaVision,” fans were given a crash course on sitcom tropes, some even half-a-century old. Grief-stricken and hopeless, Wanda Maximoff — one of the titular protagonists — finds solace in The Dick Van Dyke Show, which ultimately serves as the template for her “perfect” life in Westview.
If you’ve also grown curious about the famous 60s sitcom — and wish to see why Wanda picked the show as her template — you might find yourself looking into some characters of the show. Randy Twizzle is one such curious character of the famous show, and today, we’ll take a look at the man who brought it to life. So, without further ado, let’s get to it.
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Who played Randy Twizzle in The Dick Van Dyke Show?
The character, “Randy Twizzle,” was played by Jerry Lanning in The Dick Van Dyke show. He was a super-talented singer and dancer who was out to make it big in the world. The name of the episode is “The Twizzle” and pretty much evolves around Lanning’s Randy.
Jerry Lanning made several one-off appearances during the 60s, hoping to get a helping hand in launching his singing career. He even released his album — “Jerry Lanning Sings” — in 1966, attempting to impress the masses. However, it didn’t go as planned, and his singing career pretty much took a nosedive even before it took off.
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What is the plot of the episode?
The Randolph Eisenbower AKA. Randy Twizzle-starrer “Twizzle,” was the 23rd episode of the first season of The Dick Van Dyke show. In it, Lanning’s Randy Twizzle is presented as a local talent, who is discovered by Sally in a bowling alley. Not only does the boy have his vocals in order, but he also appears to have invented a crazy and hip dance move called the “Twizzle.” Soon enough, Randy impresses Mel, Buddy, and Rob with his moves, urging Mel to offer him a contract for the “The Alan Brady Show.”
Surprisingly, Twizzle seems apprehensive about the offer, which soon links backs to his dad and the 18-year-old talent’s willingness to perform another song. The band eventually gives in, and we get another shining example of Lanning’s singing abilities.
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A showcase for Lanning
For a one-off character, The Dick Van Dyke Show surely paid a lot of attention to Jerry Lanning’s Randy Twizzle. Unfortunately, they made no efforts to flesh him out, as if the creators knew that they would never go down this road again.
Jerry Lanning was eager to follow the footsteps of his mother, Roberta Sherwood, who did a fine job of making a name for herself. This episode was meant to nudge Jerry in the right direction, as the entire episode was dedicated only to showcase his talent. His performances were pretty neat, of course, but not enough to catapult his career.
The regulars of The Dick Van Dyke Show looked underutilized over the course of the episode, which contributed to a rather forgettable experience.
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Image Via: ThisWasTV
