The Dick Van Dyke Show - "Where You Been, Fassbinder?"

The Dick Van Dyke Show Season One DVD

Original Air Date: March 14, 1962
Starring: Rose Marie, Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore
Also Starring: Orangey
Directed by: John Rich

Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains spoilers for this episode!

Synopsis: Sally (Rose Marie) gets a surprise date on her birthday but her friends believe she is making up the man’s name, Fassbinder, so they plan a surprise party for her.

Cinema Cat: Sally owns an orange tabby cat named Mr. Henderson which appears occasionally in the series whenever the scene is set in Sally’s apartment. Mr. Henderson is Sally’s confidant when she is feeling sad, especially about the lack of men in her life.

The Dick Van Dyke Show - Where You Been, Fassbinder - Mr. Henderson orange tabby cat held by Sally

In this episode, Mr. Henderson comes running after Sally gets some food out of her small refrigerator.

The Dick Van Dyke Show - Where You Been, Fassbinder - Mr. Henderson orange tabby cat comes running for food

Sally ends up giving the food to her cat, saying that it’s 150 calories she doesn’t need anyway.

The Dick Van Dyke Show - Where You Been, Fassbinder - Mr. Henderson orange tabby cat eating Sally's food

Later she finds he has finished the food and picks up Mr. Henderson when she hears meowing from outside. She carries the cat to the door, yelling to Penelope, the cat outside, that he’s coming. When she sets Mr. Henderson outside she says, “Come back for breakfast. I bought lox!”

The Dick Van Dyke Show - Where You Been, Fassbinder - Mr. Henderson orange tabby cat held up by Sally

Later when Sally is expecting her birthday dinner guest she reaches over the couch to pick up Mr. Henderson and put him outside.

The Dick Van Dyke Show - Where You Been, Fassbinder - Sally reaches over couch for Mr. Henderson orange tabby cat

Later after some misunderstandings between her and the high school friend, Leo Fassbinder, whom she was anxious to spend the evening with, she is feeling depressed. Mr. Henderson meows at the door and she opens it to let the cat in. She picks up Mr. Henderson and hugs him, noting that she only has to go through heartbreak one time while the cat would have to live through it nine times.

The Dick Van Dyke Show - Where You Been, Fassbinder - Sally hugging Mr. Henderson orange tabby cat

Frank Inn worked on many of Sheldon Leonard’s shows and this program was no exception. Mr. Henderson was played by Orangey, or rather one of the many stable of cats Inn had on hand under that name (aka Rhubarb).

The Dick Van Dyke Show - Where You Been, Fassbinder - Mr. Henderson orange tabby cat brought inside