My first taste of comedienne Don Rickles (1926 -2017) was seeing him play an old army buddy of Max’s in a two-part episode of GET SMART (1965 -1969) called THE LITTLE BLACK BOOK.
He was funny and there was something about his face I liked.
Fast forward forty-five years and yesterday I finished reading a 2022 Don Rickles biography THE MERCHANT OF VENOM.
The book charts his rise up the stand-up comedy ranks and his break-through into tv and film roles.
He appeared in over twenty movies – including those above – before branching into voice work, later in his career.
He graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1948 (the class of ’49 included Grace Kelly) and had his sights set on pursuing a career as a serious dramatic actor. His real talents, however, would take him in another direction.
Rickles lived the grinding-it-out comedian’s lonely travelling life for a decade before his star started to rise.
By the summer of 1967 however, he had become one of the most popular comedians in the United States.
In that year, Don Rickles signed a four-year deal for $1 000 000 ($10 million in today’s money) to appear nightly at the SAHARA HOTEL (& casino) in Las Vegas.
He became a regular on THE TONIGHT SHOW -appearing over 100 times during the Johnny Carson era (1962 – 1992).
On one such appearance, fellow guest Frank Sinatra told this story about Rickles, which appears in the book –
In 1972 he finally got his own prime-time show.
Four years later he played the title role in 37 episodes of a Navy-themed sit-com called C.P.O SHARKEY (C.P.O stands for Chief Petty officer).
Rickles himself had served as a Seaman 1st Class in the United States Navy onboard the USS Cyrene, as an eighteen year old fresh out of high school.
In his later years, he turned to voice work in movies. This included the character of Mr POTATO HEAD in all four TOY STORY movies.
Don Rickles belongs to that old guard of showbiz and Hollywood. A bygone era from long ago.
He will be remembered – by so many, including myself – as one of the great comics of the 20th century.
In 2007, filmmaker John Landis (THE BLUES BROTHERS – BEVERLY HILLS COP 3 – Michael Jackson’s THRILLER video) made a documentary on Don Rickles entitled MR WARMTH. It is available on various streaming platforms.
Rickles lent his name to a number of products throughout his career, including this brand of floor carpet in 1987 –
Calling all HAPPY DAYS fans. You owe it to yourself to click HERE
Very interesting. Didn’t realise Rickles had such a long varied career. And that amount he was paid to appear Sahara Hotel was eye watering.
Thanks so much for checking this post out Janice.
Apparently, Jerry Seinfeld (aged 69) is listed as the world’s richest living comedienne.
The story goes that when his show, SEINFELD, debuted in 1989, his salary was $20 000 per episode. By the final season of the show, 10 years later, that had upped to $1 million per episode.
Despite the potential for a $110 million payday, he is said to have turned down a 10th season of Seinfeld, citing the importance of “proportion in art”. lol
I never watched a single whole episode of SEINFELD. He just wasn’t my style as far as comediennes goes. I was way, like WAY more old school – preferring the likes of Bob Hope, Don Knotts, Rodney Dangerfield and Jerry Lewis… to name a few.
A modern day comedy series I’ve watched – that centers around the inaneness of government bureaucracy (can you possibly relate?) which I sometimes get a chuckle from is on the ABC presently, called UTOPIA.
It stars a bunch of Aussie stand-ups and general funny people such as Rob Sitch – Celia Pacquola – Kitty Flanagan – and Luke McGregor (who looks so much like the son of the family in TRAVEL GUIDES, I reckon).
I would consider it an honor if I’d been able to meet him and get “insulted” by him. It would be the highlight of my life!
I love the Frank Sinatra kiss and the story, of course. Pure Rickles. I’d be so happy if I stopped to say hi at his table and he was like, “Come on, Stace, can’t you see I’m eatin’ here?!”
On a side note concerning how much society has changed, it’s amazing to me that Dean Martin is standing onstage introducing Don with a cigarette in his hand. It seems like a thousand years ago, doesn’t it?
Good pick-up there Stacey.
Knowing Dean Martin, I’m surprised it wasn’t a cigarette AND a (alcoholic) drink in hand.