SECAUCUS AND BEYOND — In an interview with Al Sullivan of the Reporter eight years ago, Secaucus resident Dan Resin pledged to help “lick” his Parkinson’s disease. He fought valiantly with the disorder for another eight years before he died a few days ago.
Resin is an actor who played the “Ty-D-Bol Man” in commercials and also had appeared as “Dr. Beeper” in the cult movie “Caddyshack.”
During a career that started on the stage during the 1950s, Resin had developed a reputation for taking odd roles – a comic character actor who could deliver a message along with a laugh.
He was still doing voice overs into his 70s.
Resin, who has been a resident of Secaucus since 1959, always wanted to be an actor. But in the very practical world of South Bend, Ind. where he grew up, acting was not seen a career choice. After graduating from Indiana University in 1954, Resin got drafted and found himself serving in Fort Monmouth, N.J. Benefits he derived from his service allowed him to go to Columbia University in New York City after he was discharged, where one of his professors gave him his first break into the entertainment industry. The teacher was involved with “Your Show of Shows.”
During the early years of their marriage, he and his wife lived in Weehawken and Union City until they could afford to buy a house in Secaucus in 1959. He pounded the streets looking for work, seeking out teachers who would provide him with the skills he needed. He auditioned for parts, and eventually got steady work on the stage.
Little by little, he built a successful off-Broadway and Broadway career, playing historic roles such as Freddie Eynsford-Hill in the original Broadway cast of My Fair Lady in 1956, in which Resin sang On the Street Where You Live.
Resin was in also the original off-Broadway production of “Once Upon a Mattress,” and moved onto Broadway when the production moved up from downtown. His Broadway stage productions include Don’t Drink the Water, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, Fade Out-Fade In, and Young Abe Lincoln.
Resin’s movie career included Caddyshack, Wise Guys, Sunshine Boys, Secret Files of J. Edgar Hoover, and The Happy Hooker. Resin even played the role of a young Richard Nixon in a parody film called Richard.
His television career included a CBS show, On Our Own; the soap opera Edge of Night; Lovers and Friends; David Frost Review; and an NBC show, Go USA. He made appearances on the kids show Captain Kangaroo, and was featured in the 1978 syndicated comedy Madhouse Brigade.
One day in 1996, he was visiting family members when one of his sisters commented that he didn’t look exactly right. A friend of the family who happened to be a doctor apparently recognized the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and suggested he visit a neurologist.
Parkinson’s is a disorder of the central nervous system that affects over one million Americans, with more than 60,000 new cases diagnosed each year. The primary symptoms are rigidity, slowness of movement, poor balance, and tremors, and over time, it progresses, stealing away from people their ability to walk, speak, swallow and even breathe.
He went on to raise money through the Parkinson’s Unity Walk and other fund-raisers. “If we all pull together,” he said years ago, “we can lick this thing.”
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