While publicizing the May 13 broadcast of "The Mary Tyler Moore" reunion special, actress Mary Tyler Moore admitted to talk-show host Larry King that she and Dick Van Dyke — who co-starred together in "The Dick Van Dyke Show" — were planning to work together again. Liz Smith revealed in her May 16 column that the duo will team up for a production of The Gin Game.
In her May 20 column Smith confirmed that Moore and Van Dyke will film a performance of Gin Game in Los Angeles for a future PBS-TV broadcast. Although no further details have been confirmed, Charles Nelson Reilly — who helmed the 1977 revival of the play — has been mentioned as director.
D. L. Coburn's The Gin Game bowed on Broadway in Oct. 1977 in a production directed by Mike Nichols. Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy starred in the two-character play, and Tandy was rewarded with a Tony Award for her work (Cronyn also received a Tony nomination). The aforementioned 1997 revival for the National Actors Theatre cast Julie Harris and Charles Durning in the roles originated by Tandy and Cronyn.
Beloved actress Mary Tyler Moore shot to fame in the 1960's on "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and later starred in her own sitcom, "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," which garnered more Emmy Awards than any other show in television history. Moore's theatrical credits include Breakfast at Tiffany's, Whose Life Is It Anyway?, Noises Off, The Octette Bridge Club, Joe Egg, Benefactors and Sweet Sue. Moore was nominated for an Oscar for her performance in the film "Ordinary People."
Dick Van Dyke has starred in several TV series, including "The Dick Van Dyke Show," "The New Dick Van Dyke Show," "Van Dyke and Company" and "Diagnosis Murder." He has been seen on the silver screen in "Mary Poppins," "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" and "Dick Tracy," and his theatrical credits include The Girls Against the Boys; Bye, Bye Birdie and The Music Man. Set in an "old folks home," The Gin Game concerns the story of Weller Martin and Fonsia Dorsey who discuss a variety of issues over a heated game of Gin Rummy.
—By Andrew Gans
