Larry Mathews, who played young Ritchie Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show, recently shared a poignant memory from his childhood acting days. He recalled the moment he and the rest of the cast learned about President John F. Kennedy’s assassination while rehearsing on set. Matthews was only a little boy at the time, but the day left an unforgettable mark.
The cast had been preparing a season 3 episode centered on Ritchie’s birthday when series creator Carl Reiner walked in and stopped everything. Reiner delivered the heartbreaking news that President Kennedy had been assassinated. What followed, according to Matthews, was a haunting silence as the reality of the national tragedy sank in.
The ‘Dick Van Dyke Show’ set froze upon learning about JFK’s death
‘Dick Van Dyke Show’ Star Larry Mathews Recalls Learning of JFK Assassination
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For fans, The Dick Van Dyke Show JFK moment represents an intersection of entertainment history and national sorrow. Matthews recalled how the cast gathered in the Petrie family’s living room on set. Reiner turned on a prop radio, and everyone listened quietly to Walter Cronkite’s live broadcast about the assassination.
Production was immediately halted, and Reiner told everyone to go home. Filming resumed the following week, but the memory lingered. The episode they had been rehearsing, “Happy Birthday and Too Many More,” eventually aired months later and was one of the few filmed without a live audience due to the nation’s somber mood.
A child star’s lasting memory
Matthews recalled the experience to have been surreal, more so for a child within a comedy show. At his tender age, there was the utmost seriousness to this moment. He remembered that he saw among those around him how the adults acted, gravely stunned, and united in their grieving. It was that kind of valued moment where time stood still even on a Hollywood set.
Twenty years later, it remains a vivid memory to Matthews, not just as a bit of history, but as an intensely human experience. His account provides an insight into the manner in which national tragedy resonates throughout all aspects of life, even life behind sitcom lenses.