Dick Van Dyke

AS HE RINGS IN HIS CENTURY BIRTHDAY, THE SONG AND DANCE MAN LOOKS BACK ON A LIFETIME OF MAGICAL MEMORIES

- Penelope Clifton

Despite experiencing what he describes as the “physical decay” of living to 100, screen legend Dick Van Dyke will celebrate the rare milestone with a glittering party reminiscent of his glory days.

Before his December 13 birthday, Van Dyke published a letter in The Sunday Times, in which he went into graphic detail about the back end of his century on Earth, and how he was struggling to keep up with his wife, Arlene Silver, who is nearly half his age.

“It's frustrating to feel diminished in the world, physically and socially," the typically optimistic entertainment icon wrote, admitting, “Almost all of my visiting with folks has to happen at my house.”

A father-of-four and grandfather to at least seven, the comedian suggested he'd come full circle. “Like my old characters, I am now a stooper, a shuffler and a teeterer. I have feet problems and I go supine as often as is politely possible,” he admitted.