Hater Hall of Fame: Mr. Warmth

Today’s Hater Hall of Fame ceremony is dedicated to the oldest living member inducted thus far; although he has been dubbed an insult comic over the course of his career, I prefer to think of him as more of an acute observer.

Donald “Don” Rickles,  Born May 8, 1926

Donald Rickles was born in Queens, NY, the only child of Max and Etta Rickles.  After graduating from high school, Rickles enrolled in the U.S. Navy; he served in WWII on the U.S.S. Cyrene, but was honorably discharged in 1946.  Two years later he began studying at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and had a few small parts in various TV shows.  When the limited availability of roles began to affect his career, Rickles turned to stand-up comedy.  He started out as a regular comic, but soon became known more for heckling the audience during shows – and Mr. Warmth was born.

Early in his career, Rickles was doing a set at Murray Franklin’s nightclub in Miami Beach;  while performing, he spotted the legendary Frank Sinatra sitting amongst the crowd.  In classic Rickles fashion, he addressed Sinatra by saying, “”I just saw your movie, The Pride and the Passion and I want to tell you, the cannon’s acting was great.” – and then added “Make yourself at home Frank.  Hit Somebody!”  Sinatra soon began telling his friends (The Rat Pack) that they had to go see Rickles’s show and be insulted by him.  This support propelled Don’s career, and he soon became a regular headliner on the Las Vegas circuit.

Througout the 50′s & 60′s, Rickles began appearing in several films and TV shows.  As his fame increased, Rickles also started to receive invites from the popular talk shows during that time.  He made his first appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson in 1965, and became a staple of the show soon after – he appeared over 100 times, and even co-hosted on a few occasions.  Rickles was then given his own self-titled variety show on ABC in 1968, and although it only lasted one season, the comedian was now a household name.

Rickles has not stopped working since the late 60′s, and this staying power is a tribute to his genius.  His style of comedy would now be labeled as politically incorrect, but he understands that laughter trumps all.  While much of his material involves making fun of different ethnicities and social classes, he does not discriminate in any way shape or form.  In Rickles’ eyes, we are all funny and odd people in our own way.  This 83-yr old icon shows no signs of slowing down either.  He has dates booked through 2009, and when asked about retirement he replied, “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.”  — the feeling is mutual Bullet-head.

Clearly, this material is dated - but it’s still very funny.

More videos from YouTube and Dailymotion featuring Don Rickles