Don Rickles Biography

Donald Jay "Don" Rickles (born May 8, 1926) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. A frequent guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Rickles has acted in comedic and dramatic roles, but is widely known as an insult comic.

Early life

Rickles was born in the New York City borough of Queens to Max Rickles, who had immigrated in 1902 with his parents Joseph and Frances Rickles (Rikhters) from Kaunas, Lithuania (then in the Russian Empire), and Etta (Feldman) Rickles, born in New York to immigrant parents from the Austrian Empire. His family was Jewish and spoke Yiddish at home. Rickles grew up in the Jackson Heights area.

After graduating from Newtown High School, Rickles enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served during World War II on the USS Cyrene (AGP-13) as a seaman first class. He was honorably discharged in 1946. Two years later, he studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and then played bit parts on television. Frustrated by a lack of acting work, Rickles began doing stand-up comedy performing in hotels in the Catskill Mountains in New York. He became known as an insult comedian by responding to his hecklers. The audience enjoyed these insults more than his prepared material, and he incorporated them into his act. When he began his career in the early 1950s he started calling ill-mannered members of the audience a "hockey puck". His style was similar to an older insult comic, "Mr. Warmth" Jack E. Leonard, though Rickles denies that Leonard influenced his style.

Career

1950s"1960s

While working in a Miami Beach nightclub known as "Murray Franklin's" early in his career, he spotted Frank Sinatra and remarked to him, "I just saw your movie, The Pride and the Passion and I want to tell you, the cannon's acting was great." He added, "Make yourself at home, Frank. Hit somebody!" Sinatra, whose pet name for Rickles was "bullet-head", enjoyed Rickles so much that he encouraged other celebrities to see Rickles' act and be insulted by him. Sinatra's support helped Rickles become a popular headline performer in Las Vegas.

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. When he is introduced to an audience or on a television talk show, Spanish matador music, "La Virgen de la Macarena", will usually 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."

In 1958, Rickles made his film debut in a serious part in Run Silent, Run Deep starring Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster. Throughout the 1960s, he appeared frequently on television in sitcoms and dramatic series. Rickles guest-starred in Get Smart as "Sid", an old war buddy of Max who comes to stay with him. In an episode of the 1960s drama series Run for Your Life, Rickles played a distressed comedian whose act culminates when he strangles a patron while imploring the patron to "Laugh!" Rickles took a dramatic turn in the Roger Corman film X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes as a carnival barker out to exploit the title character.

Rickles also appeared in the popular Beach Party film series. He recalled in his 2007 memoir that at a White House dinner, Barbara Bush teased him about his decision to appear in those films. Rickles' agent, Jack Gilardi, was married to Annette Funicello when Rickles was cast in the Beach Party films.

Subsequently, Rickles began appearing more frequently on television talk shows, first appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1965. He became a frequent guest and guest host, appearing more than 100 times on The Tonight Show during Carson's era. An early Carson-Rickles Tonight highlight occurred in 1968 when, 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. Rickles also made frequent appearances on The Dean Martin Show and became a fixture on The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts specials, which continued until 1984.

In 1968, Rickles released a live comedy album, Hello, Dummy!, which reached #54 on The Billboard 200 album chart. The same year he starred in his own variety show on ABC, The Don Rickles Show, with comedy writer Pat McCormick as his sidekick. The show lasted one season. During the 1960s, Rickles made guest appearances on The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Munsters, The Addams Family, The Mothers-in-Law, Gilligan's Island, Get Smart, The Andy Griffith Show and I Dream of Jeannie.

1970s"1980s

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 13 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 1973 Don Rickles was a popular comedian at The Dean Martin Roasts.

In 1976, he starred in the sitcom C.P.O. Sharkey, which lasted two seasons. The show is primarily remembered for the cigarette box incident when Johnny Carson did an impromptu surprise visit during an episode's taping because he was "incensed" that Rickles broke his cigarette box while he chatted with Bob Newhart (who was sitting in for Carson as the guest host of the The Tonight Show) on the previous night's show. The incident was often replayed in Tonight Show retrospectives and was considered a highlight of the 1970s era of the show.

Rickles occasionally appeared as a panelist on Hollywood Squares and was depicted in comic book form by Jack Kirby during his work on the Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen series.

1980s"1990s

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 stipulated he would not perform unless Rickles was allowed to perform with him. Rickles considers this performance the highlight of his career.

In 1990, he appeared in the second season of Tales From the Crypt in the episode "The Ventriloquist's Dummy".

In 1992, he was cast in the film Innocent Blood, directed by John Landis. In his memoir, Rickles wrote that he recalled that Landis was once a "Production Assistant" to director Brian G. Hutton during the filming of Kelly's Heroes. During the filming of Innocent Blood, Rickles would kid Landis by ordering him to get coffee or to run other errands befitting his one-time "gofer" status.

In 1993, Rickles 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 reprises the latter role in Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3. In 1998 he portrayed a movie theater manager in Dirty Work, starring Norm Macdonald and Artie Lange. Again in 1998, he was the voice of Cornwall, one of the heads of a two-headed dragon, in the movie "Quest for Camelot".

2000s"present

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.

Rickles' memoir, titled 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 won an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program " besting a number of notable comics, including David Letterman, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. To this Rickles remarked, "Stephen Colbert's a funny man, but he's too young. He has got plenty of time to win awards, but this may be my last year and I think that I made it count. On second thought it was probably just a mercy award for an old man."

Rickles reprised the role of Mr. Potato Head in the Toy Story Midway Mania! attraction at Disney California Adventure Park and Disney's Hollywood Studios. He voiced the character again in Toy Story 3.

In 2009, Rickles appeared on Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List and met Griffin's mother, Maggie, to fulfill one item on Maggie's "bucket list".

In 2010, he appeared in a commercial during Super Bowl XLIV as a talking rose.

On June 27, 2010, he appeared on the 37th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards on CBS TV.

In 2011, Rickles reunited with his Casino-co-star Joe Pesci in a Snickers advertisement highlighting the actors known for their "short fuses." Also in 2011, he made a surprise appearance as the late husband of Elka (Betty White) on the TV Land original comedy Hot in Cleveland"?a "surprise" because Rickles' character was thought to be dead.

Rickles remains very active on the stand-up comedy scene and has no plans to retire, as he recently stated 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." At 87, he's still a frequent guest on late night talk shows, including the Late Show with David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.

Style

It is well known that Rickles has nothing against the people he insults during his routines, and that it's all just part of the act. Although sarcastically nicknamed "Mr. Warmth" due to his offensive and insensitive stage personality, most know him to be quite genial and pleasant. In addition, many also say that being insulted by him is like "wearing a badge of honor".

Rickles addressed his comedic style and whether he ever feared it might become too offensive in an interview with Jay Leno: "You know, every night when I go out on stage, there's always one nagging fear in the back of my mind. I'm always afraid that somewhere out there, there is one person in the audience that I'm *not* going to offend!"

Personal life

Rickles married Barbara Sklar, a native of Philadelphia, on March 14, 1965. The couple had two children: a daughter, Mindy, and a son, producer Larry Rickles (d. 1981). According to Rickles' memoir, his grandchildren, Ethan and Harrison Mann, are much more impressed by his role as "Mr. Potato Head" than by any of his other achievements. Although a lifelong Democrat, he performed at the inaugurations of Republican presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush with his friend Frank Sinatra.

Rickles considers comedian Bob Newhart to be his best friend, an unusual partnership in that Newhart's low-key, hesitant, self-effacing comic persona is almost completely the opposite of Rickles' high energy, rapid-fire act. 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, which included footage of the "cigarette box incident". The two also appeared together on the television sitcom Newhart, and for previous episodes of The Tonight Show where Newhart or Rickles were guest-hosts. Rickles, Newhart, and their wives often vacation together.

Works

Filmography

• 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)
• Toy Story 3 (2010) (voice)
• Hawaiian Vacation (2011) (voice)
• Zookeeper (2011) (voice)
• Small Fry (2011) (voice)
• Partysaurus Rex (2012) (voice)

Selected television work

• The DuPont Show with June Allyson (1959 episode " "No Place to Hide and the 1960 episode " "The Women Who")
• The Twilight Zone (1961 episode " Mr. Dingle, the Strong)
• Hennesey (1961 episode - as CPO Ernie Schmidt in Professional Sailor)
• The Addams Family (1964 episode " Hallowe'en With the Addams Family)
• The Dick Van Dyke Show (1964 episodes - "4 1/2" and "The Alan Brady Show Goes to Jail")
• The Dean Martin Show (1965"1974) (Guest Star)
• Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (1965 Episode My Buddy, the War Hero) (Sergeant Jim Mason)
• The Andy Griffith Show (1965) (Newton Monroe)
• F-Troop (1965 episode - The Return of Bald Eagle) (Guest Star)
• The Munsters (1965 episode " Dance With Me, Herman)
• The Beverly Hillbillies (1965 episode - Jed's Temptation) (Guest Star)
• Kibbee Hates Fitch (1965) (unsold pilot)
• The Wild Wild West (1966 Episode - The Night of the Druid's Blood) (Asmodeus)
• Gilligan's Island (1966) (Guest Star)
• The Lucy Show (1967)
• Get Smart (1968 episode " The Little Black Book, Parts I and II)
• Laugh-In (1968"1969)
• The Don Rickles Show (1968"1969)
• The Don Rickles Show (1972)
• The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts (1974"1984)
• 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)
• Tales from the Crypt (The Ventriloquist's Dummy) (1990)
• Daddy Dearest (1993)
• Mike & Spike (1995) Episode: "Person To Shoe" as Ace Feathers
• The Larry Sanders Show (1997)
• Muppets Tonight (1997)
• The Bernie Mac Show (2002)
• 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 Show with David Letterman (2008)
• The Daily Show (2008)
• Late Night with Conan O'Brien (2008)
• Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2009)
• The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (2009)
• Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List (2009)
• Late Show with David Letterman (2009)
• Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2009)
• Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2010)
• Late Show with David Letterman (2010)
• The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (2010)
• The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (2010)
• Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2011)
• Late Show with David Letterman (2011)
• Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2011)
• The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (2011)
• The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (2011)
• Hot in Cleveland (2011)
• Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2012)
• The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (2013)
• Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee (2013)

Discography

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

Books

• Rickles' Book: A Memoir by Don Rickles with David Ritz (Simon & Schuster, 2007), ISBN 978-0-7432-9305-1
• Rickles' Letters by Don Rickles with David Ritz (Simon & Schuster, 2008), ISBN 978-1-4165-9663-9