King of Insult Comedy, Dies at 90
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SATURDAY, APRIL 8, 2017 Legendary Don Rickles, king of insult comedy, dies at 90 e was only kidding. Really. Don Rickles loved Reaction to the death of Don Rickles everybody: Black or white, gay or straight, fat or Hthin. But don’t get him started on his wife, or the Reaction to the death of comedy “I’ve known Don Rickles almost 65 time she dove into their swimming pool while wearing legend Don Rickles: years since we first met as teenagers. all her jewelry. And drowned. For more than half a centu- I can only imagine his first conversa- ry, the hollering, bald-headed “Mr. Warmth” let everyone “He was the love of my life. Don tion with God. He might send him have it. Insults rained on the meek and the mighty, from Rickles is funnier right now in death back. I love him and I miss him; the unsuspecting fans to such fellow celebrities as Frank than most comics are in life.” world is a sadder place without him.” Sinatra, Dean Martin and Johnny Carson. And few — Chris Rock via Twitter. — Steve Lawrence in a statement. seemed to mind. Rickles, who died Thursday at age 90, was among the most loved people in the business. “He was so beloved by everyone. To “Being skewered by Don Rickles was be insulted by him was the greatest side-splitting funny. A gentle soul The grandmaster of insult honor. Having the privilege to know with rapid fire wit.” He was the acknowledged grandmaster of insult com- him a bit personally, I can tell you — Barbra Streisand via Twitter. edy. Despite jokes that from other comics might have that he was the warmest, kindest inspired boycotts, he was idolized by everyone from Joan man you could know, with an “Whenever I wanted to be enter- Rivers and Louis CK to Chris Rock and Sarah Silverman. unflinching love for his family and tained and just laugh and enjoy life, I James Caan once said that Rickles helped inspire the close friends, especially his best would go to see Rickles. We knew blustering Sonny Corleone of “The Godfather.” An HBO friend and love of his life, Barbara. But each other very well from a long, long special was directed by John Landis of “Animal House” you didn’t have to know him person- time ago. I loved him as an entertain- fame and included tributes from Clint Eastwood, Sidney ally to know that he was love and er and I loved him as a person.” Poitier and Robert De Niro. Carl Reiner would say he kindness personified. If he wasn’t, — Marty Allen by phone. knew he had made it in Hollywood when Rickles made none of his material would work.” fun of him. — Sarah Silverman in a statement. “We lost a great one. fast furious brilliant Rickles appeared everywhere from strip joints to the for decades the definition of genius.” 1985 inaugural gala for President Ronald Reagan and “He was called ‘The Merchant of — Sandra Bernhard via Twitter. remained a popular act well after his ethnic and racial Venom,’ but in truth, he was one of humor had become outdated. In 2008, he won an Emmy In this June 7, 2012 file photo, comedian Don the kindest, caring and most sensitive for best individual performance in a variety show for the Rickles attends the AFI Life Achievement Award “God Bless Don Rickles, aka, Mr. human beings we have ever known. Landis film “Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project.” At the Honoring Shirley MacLaine at Sony Studios in Warmth! Proud to have been heckled We are devastated and our world will ceremony, he joked: “I’ve been in this business for 55 Culver City. — AP photos never be the same. We were totally by him from the stage many times!” years and the biggest award I got was an ashtray from barged in the middle of a live taping to complain that unprepared for this.” — LeVar Burton via Twitter. the Friars in New York.” The Friars gave him a nice stat- Rickles had broken his cigarette box when the comedian — Bob and Ginnie Newhart uette in 2013 when they presented him a lifetime had appeared on “The Tonight Show” the night before. in a statement. “A God died today. Don Rickles, we achievement award. The tireless Rickles left behind a 10-episode TV series, did not want to ever lose you. Never.” Rickles’ many friends returned the wisecracks, “Dinner with Don,” in which De Niro, Billy Crystal, Jimmy “Farewell to a comedic legend & dear — Tom Hanks via Twitter. whether labeling him as a man everyone loved to hate Kimmel, Amy Poehler and others joined him to eat and friend, Don Rickles. I know you’re or, as his pal Bob Newhart once joked, a man with whom chat. Distribution and a release date for the AARP Studios cracking them up in the Great “In lieu of flowers, Don Rickles’ family it was annoying to travel. But the topper came, from all production have yet to be announced. Beyond!” has requested that people drop their people, radio host Casey Kasem, who dressed up as Hitler Rickles had set out to be a serious actor, enrolling in — Samuel L. Jackson via pants and fire a rocket.” at a Martin roast in Rickles’ honor and told the comedian: New York’s American Academy of Dramatic Arts, where Instagram. — Patton Oswald via Twitter. “You are the only man I know who has bombed more classmates included Jason Robards. He had little luck places than I have.” finding acting jobs, however, and supported himself by “Don Rickles was one the absolute “You brightened our lives every time selling used cars, life insurance and cosmetics - badly, he greats. I feel lucky for the times I was you were on screen.” Top of the mountain said. (“I couldn’t sell air conditioners on a 98-degree ever in his orbit, my thoughts are — Ruth Buzzi via Twitter. Placed by Jerry Seinfeld on the “Mount Rushmore” of day.”) He finally decided to try comedy, appearing at with his family today.” comedy, Rickles patented a confrontational style that small hotels in New York’s Catskill mountains and in run- — James Corden via Twitter. “Don Rickles, you kept us laughing stand-up performers still emulate, but one that kept him down nightclubs. The turning point came at a strip joint for so many years. We will miss you on the right side of trouble. He emerged in the late in Washington, DC. “Those were the days, my friend dearly. Thanks for the zingers. You 1950s, a time when comics such as Lenny Bruce and Mort “The customers were right on top of you, always @DonRickles We thought they’d nev- were one of a kind.” Sahl were taking greater risks, becoming more politicized heckling, and I gave it right back to them,” he recalled er end. We loved you so.” — George Takei via Twitter. and more introspective. in 1982. The audience laughed and wanted more. In a — Dick Van Dyke via Twitter. Rickles managed to shock his audiences without cut- style sometimes compared to an earlier insult comic, “One of the funniest people that ever ting social commentary or truly personal self-criticism. Jack E. Leonard, Rickles continued to hone his act and “One of the all-time great men & lived, you dumb schmuck.” He operated under a code as old the Borscht Belt: Go far - got another big break through an unlikely facilitator, comics Don Rickles passed, always a — Billy Eichner via Twitter. ethnic jokes, sex jokes, ribbing Carson for his many mar- his mother. Etta Rickles had befriended Frank Sinatra’s class act & funny as hell. RIP condo- riages - but make sure everyone knows it’s for fun. “I mother, Dolly, and persuaded her to encourage her lences to his family & to America.” “90 years of Don Rickles weren’t think the reason that it (his act) caught on and gave me a son to check out Don Rickles’ act. When the singer — Whoopi Goldberg via Twitter. enough. One of the sweetest and wonderful career is that I was never mean-spirited,” he stopped by one night in 1957, comic history was made. most lovely people I had the pleasure once said. “Not that you had to like it, but you had to be “Hey, Frank, make yourself at home,” Rickles snapped. “He never was Politically Correct and of knowing.” under a rock somewhere not to get it.”In the 1960s, “Hit somebody.” he never apologized for it.” Rickles was welcomed for the first time to the “Tonight Instead of being angered, the volatile singer was — Jimmy Kimmel via Twitter. — Gilbert Gottfried via Twitter. Show” with Carson. He sat down on the couch and mut- overcome with laughter. Rickles became the unofficial tered, “Hello, dummy.” The studio audience was initially court jester of Sinatra’s Rat Pack, ridiculing his singing, “Awwww man Rickles is dead. Rest In “He was a brilliant improvisational startled, but when the host began laughing uncontrol- his love life and his alleged connections to organized comedian. And an excellent actor. Peace buddy.” lably, so did everyone else. He appeared countless more crime. In a famous 1966 profile of Sinatra for Esquire And a very nice man. — Danny DeVito via Twitter. times, haranguing Carson about not being invited more magazine, Gay Talese described a Rickles performance in I’m so happy we had him this long.” often or mocking his own love life. “I love my wife, but Las Vegas attended by the singer and his entourage. “His — Robert Klein by phone.