Before They Were Stars: Dick Van Patten Does a Commercial in Diapers

Veteran actor Dick Van Patten passed away yesterday at the age of 86 and though I wasn’t overly familiar with the guy’s work, just about everyone from my generation should recognize him from his portrayal of King Roland in Spaceballs. In particular, he was immortalized for his usage of the combination, “1-2-3-4-5”, which is the kind of thing an idiot would have on his luggage. Anyway, here’s a bizarre vintage ad that Van Patten did for Ivory Snow laundry detergent. I’m unsure of the exact time period and to tell you the truth, I have no idea if Van Patten was a well-known actor at this point. But either way, this clip needs to be posted, if only to demonstrate that showcasing a grown man in a diaper hanging out with babies is probably not the best way to sell laundry detergent!