[5] A job maintaining engines of speedboats owned by the president of Vitagraph Studios provided an opening for him to get into films.

[2] J. Stuart Blackton, founder of Vitagraph, saw Van as a natural comedian and put him in a starring role in his film debut in 1910.

For five years, Van was director general for the Hallmark Company, "a producing firm with 26 exchanges throughout the country".

In April 1941, Van announced establishment of Royal Palms Productions in Miami, Florida, with himself as president.

[7] Van was married to Anitra MacTavish, an actress in musical comedies.