Earl Wilson
Howland Bandwagon
New York
5/26/76

The world's a funny place to Bobby Van, who started out in life as Bobby Stein and changed his name each time his vaudeville act flopped. His agent was always saying, "I've got a great new kid for you." His name would be Bobby Wilson, Bobby Harris or Bobby McDonald, but it would be the same kid with the act that bombed.

"One day I went into my sister's room and she had a picture of Van Johnson. I said, 'That's it. From now on I'm Bobby Van.' I took the act to Pittsburgh and it worked. I've been Bobby Van since. I'm glad my sister didn't have a picture of Maria Ouspenskaya!"

Bobby's dancing is a big hit in "That's Entertainment, Part 2"; he did it back in 1954 with Jane Powell in "Small Town Girl." And he's starting a new TV series, "The Fun Factory," which NBC and Columbia Pictures TV have spent on heavily.

"We have 11 writers -- more writers than on any daytime TV show," says Bobby. If they get only one good joke a week out of the writting staff, they have 11 jokes a week -- more than most shows.

Bobby's wife of eight years, beautiful blonde Elaine Joyce, a Marilyn Monroe look-alike, with a sensational figure, recently did some pregnancy scenes in an NBC-TV series, "City of Angels." Hollywood actors came up to her, patted her on the stomach, and said, "That's some pillow you got there, honey."

"That's no pillow!" retorted Elaine Van.

Six weeks from now he'll let us know the result.*

*Bobby and Elaine had a daughter, Taylor.

• Download the PDF file •