Don Rickles

For the radio and television announcer, see Donald Rickles (announcer).

Donald Jay Rickles (born May 8, 1926 in New York City, New York)^[4] is an American comedian and actor.

Rickles was born in the New York City borough of Queens to Jewish parents Max and Etta Rickles. He grew up in the borough's Jackson Heights neighborhood.^[4] After graduating from Newtown High School, he served in the U.S. Navy in World War II aboard the USS Cyrene as a S1/c until he was honorably discharged in 1946. Two years later he studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and played occasional bit parts on television. Frustrated with the lack of acting work, he began doing stand-up comedy. He eventually became known as an insult comedian by learning to respond to hecklers. The audience liked these insults more than his prepared material, so he developed them as part of his act. His act reminded some observers of the older insult comic Jack E. Leonard, though Rickles has denied that Leonard had any influence on his style.^[5]

While working in a Los Angeles nightclub early in his career, he spotted Frank Sinatra, and said "I just saw your movie, The Pride and the Passion and I want to tell you, the cannon's acting was great." and "Make yourself at home, Frank: hit somebody!"^[4][6] Sinatra, whose pet name for Rickles was "bullet-head", enjoyed Rickles so much that he encouraged fellow celebrities to see Rickles' act and be insulted by him. Sinatra's support helped Rickles become a popular headline performer in Las Vegas.^[6]

Rickles earned the nicknames "The Merchant of Venom" and "Mr. Warmth" for his insult comedy in which he pokes fun at people of all ethnicities and walks of life. Often when he is introduced to an audience or on a television talk show, Spanish matador music, usually "La Virgen de la Macarena", will be played subtly foreshadowing that someone is about to be metaphorically gored. Rickles has said "I always pictured myself facing the audience as the matador."^[5]

In 1958, he made his film debut in Run Silent, Run Deep Throughout the 1960s, he appeared frequently on television in sitcoms and dramatic series. In an episode of the 1960s drama series Run for Your Life, Rickles played a distressed comedian whose act culminates with him strangling a patron while imploring the patron to "Laugh!" He also appeared in the popular Beach Party film series. He reported in his memoirs that at a White House dinner, Barbara Bush teased him about his decision to appear in those films: "Was your career really going that badly?"

As his career progressed, he made more and more appearances on television talk shows, making his first appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1965. He became a frequent guest and guest host and would make over 100 appearances on The Tonight Show throughout its run during Carson's era. He also began making frequent appearances on The Dean Martin Show and became a fixture on Martin's roast specials, which continued until 1984.

In 1968, he came out with the live comedy album Hello, Dummy! which reached #54 on Billboard's Hot 100.^[7] That same year, he starred in his own variety show The Don Rickles Show which lasted for one season.

In 1970, Rickles had a notable role as the con man Sgt. Crapgame in the hit film Kelly's Heroes with Clint Eastwood. In 1972, he starred in the sitcom The Don Rickles Show which lasted for thirteen episodes. He also starred in a series of television specials. In his memoir, Rickles acknowledged that a scripted sitcom was not well-suited to his ad-lib style of performing.

In 1976, he began starring in the sitcom C.P.O. Sharkey which lasted for two seasons. It is mostly remembered for the cigarette box incident that occurred during the show. This incident was often replayed in Tonight Show retrospectives and was considered a highlight of the 1970s era of the show.

Another Carson-Rickles Tonight highlight, also often replayed, came several years earlier. While two Japanese women treated Carson to a bath and massage by foot, Rickles walked onto the set. At one point, he decided to play massage therapist to the prone and towel-clad Carson. Rickles leaned over and wrapped his arms around Carson, ad-libbing, "I'm so lonely, Johnny!" Carson broke into hysterical laughter, got up, grabbed Rickles and tossed the suit-clad comedian into the bathtub.

In the early 1980s. Rickles began performing with singer Steve Lawrence in concerts in Las Vegas. In 1983, the duo co-hosted the short-lived ABC-TV series Foul-Ups, Bleeps & Blunders, an imitation of NBC's TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes.

In 1985, when Frank Sinatra was asked to perform at Ronald Reagan's Second Inaugural Ball he stated he would not perform unless Rickles was allowed to perform with him. Rickles considers this performance the highlight of his career.^[8]

In 1992, he was cast in the film Innocent Blood, directed by John Landis. In his memoir, Rickles reported that he recalled the then-unknown Landis being a "Production Assistant" to director Brian Hutton during the filming of Kelly's Heroes. During the filming of Innocent Blood, he would sometimes tease Landis by yelling at him to go get coffee or to run other errands befitting his one-time "gofer" status.

In 1993, he starred in another short-lived sitcom, Daddy Dearest, with comedian Richard Lewis. In 1995, he made a return to film in two high-profile projects: a dramatic role as Robert De Niro's trusted colleague in Martin Scorsese's Casino, and voicing Mr. Potato Head in the Pixar computer-animated film Toy Story. He reprised the latter role in Toy Story 2.

Rickles continues to be very active on the stand up comedy scene to this day. He is still a popular performer in Las Vegas and has many dates booked through the end of 2008.^[9] He has no plans to retire as he recently said in an interview: "I'm in good health. I'm working better than I ever have. The audiences are great. Why should I retire? I'm like a fighter. The bell rings and you come out and fight. My energy comes alive. And I still enjoy it."^[8]

In February 2007, Rickles made a cameo appearance (as himself) in a strange, recurring dream sequence that was woven through an episode (titled "Sub Conscious") of the CBS dramatic series, The Unit.^[10]

Rickles' memoir, Rickles' Book, was released on May 8, 2007 by Simon & Schuster. Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project, a documentary about Rickles directed by John Landis, made its debut on HBO on December 2, 2007.

Rickles and his wife Barbara are close friends with comedian Bob Newhart and his wife, Ginny, and they often vacation together. Rickles and Newhart appeared together on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on January 24, 2005, the Monday following Johnny Carson's death, reminiscing about their many guest appearances on Carson's show, including footage of the "cigarette box incident".

Rickles has been married for over 41 years to his wife, Barbara, who is from Philadelphia. They have a daughter, Mindy, a son, Larry and two grandchildren, Ethan and Harrison Mann. According to Rickles' memoir, his grandchildren are much more impressed by his having played "Mr. Potato Head" than by any of his other career achievements.

• Run Silent Run Deep (1958)
• The Rabbit Trap (1959)
• The Rat Race (1960)
• X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (1963)
• Muscle Beach Party (1964)
• Bikini Beach (1964)
• Pajama Party (1964)
• Beach Blanket Bingo (1965)
• Enter Laughing (1967)
• The Money Jungle (1968)
• Where It's At (1969)
• Kelly's Heroes (1970)
• The Love Machine (1971)
• Keaton's Cop (1988)
• Innocent Blood (1992)
• Casino (1995)
• Toy Story (1995) (voice)
• Redux Riding Hood (1997) (short subject) (voice)
• Off the Menu: The Last Days of Chasen's (1997) (documentary)
• Quest for Camelot (1998) (voice)
• Dirty Work (1998)
• Dennis the Menace Strikes Again! (1998)
• Toy Story 2 (1999) (voice)
• Goodnight, We Love You (2004) (documentary)
• The J-K Conspiracy (2004) (documentary)
• The Aristocrats (2005) (documentary)
• The Last Laugh (2006) (documentary)
• Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project (2007) (documentary)

• Kibbee Hates Fitch (1965) (unsold pilot)
• The Munsters (1965 episode - Dance With Me, Herman)
• The Don Rickles Show (1968-1969)
• The Don Rickles Show (1972)
• C.P.O. Sharkey (1976-1978)
• For the Love of It (1980) (TV movie)
• Foul-Ups, Bleeps & Blunders (1984-1985)
• Don Rickles: Rickles on the Loose (1986) (television special)
• Daddy Dearest (1993)
• The Wool Cap (2004) (TV movie)
• The Catch (2005) (unsold pilot)
• Live with Regis and Kelly (2007)
• The Daily Show (2007)
• Jimmy Kimmel Live (2007)
• Late Night with David Letterman (2008)

• Hello Dummy! (1968)
• Don Rickles Speaks! (1969)

• Don Rickles - Offical Site

• Don Rickles at IMDb

• The Hockey Puck - fansite

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