Bobby Van

Bobby Van was an American actor, singer, and dancer who was born in The Bronx to vaudeville parents and grew up backstage. He began his career as a trumpet-playing musician before filling in as a song and dance man at a Catskills venue, which led to Broadway musicals. In the early 1950s he signed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and appeared in films such as Because You're Mine (1952), Kiss Me, Kate (1953), and the lead in The Affairs of Dobie Gillis (1953). He later appeared with Mickey Rooney on television and film, including three episodes of the sitcom Mickey, and did choreography. He hosted game shows Showoffs, The Fun Factory, and Make Me Laugh. He starred in No, No, Nanette on Broadway in 1971, earning a Tony nomination, and was in the musical remake of Lost Horizon (1973). He also appeared on television, including an episode of Battlestar Galactica in 1979.