Editing Don Rickles (section)

==Career==
===Rise to fame===
While working in the "Murray Franklin's" nightclub in [[Miami Beach, Florida]], early during his career, Rickles spotted [[Frank Sinatra]] and remarked to him, "I just saw your movie ''[[The Pride and the Passion]]'' and I wanna tell you, the cannon's acting was great." He added, "Make yourself at home, Frank. Hit somebody!"<ref name="dummy"/><ref name="puck"/> Sinatra, whose pet name for Rickles was "bullet-head", enjoyed him so much that he encouraged other celebrities to see Rickles's act and be insulted by him. Sinatra's support helped Rickles become a popular headline performer in [[Las Vegas]].<ref name="puck">{{cite web| url=http://www.thehockeypuck.com/bio.html| title=Biography| publisher=The Hockey Puck| access-date=May 17, 2007| archive-date=August 12, 2007| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070812091320/http://www.thehockeypuck.com/bio.html| url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5_V9RT8aR8| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211102/q5_V9RT8aR8| archive-date=November 2, 2021| url-status=live| title=Frank Sinatra is Surprised by Don Rickles on Johnny Carson's Show, Funniest Moment| date=August 3, 2011| access-date=April 6, 2017| via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> During a ''[[The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast|Dean Martin Celebrity Roast]]'' special, Rickles was among those who took part in [[Roast (comedy)|roasting]] Sinatra,<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-KeTNU-ods Don Rickles roasts Frank Sinatra], Dean Martin special</ref> and Rickles himself was also roasted during another show in the series.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdPcjIrSvcs| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211102/sdPcjIrSvcs| archive-date=November 2, 2021| url-status=live| title=Comedian Foster Brooks roasts Don Rickles |via=YouTube |date=December 13, 2008 |access-date=April 10, 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Rickles earned the nicknames "The Merchant of Venom" and "Mr. Warmth"<ref name=allmusic/><ref name=latimes>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-0624-don-rickles-20130624-story.html |title=Don Rickles to be honored for busting people's chops |date=June 24, 2013 |author=King, Susan |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=October 20, 2016}}</ref> for his poking fun at people of all ethnicities and all walks of life. When he was introduced to an audience or on a television talk show, Spanish [[matador]] music, "La Virgen de la Macarena", would usually be played, subtly foreshadowing someone was about to be metaphorically gored. As Rickles observed, "I always pictured myself facing the audience as the matador."<ref name="couch" />

In 1958, Rickles made his film debut in a serious part in ''[[Run Silent, Run Deep (film)|Run Silent, Run Deep]]'' with [[Clark Gable]] and [[Burt Lancaster]].<ref name=latimes/> Throughout the 1960s, he often appeared on television in sitcoms and dramatic series. Rickles guest-starred in ''[[Get Smart]]'' as Sid, an old war buddy of Max's, who comes to stay with him. In an episode of ''[[Run for Your Life (TV series)|Run for Your Life]]'', Rickles portrayed a distressed comedian whose act culminates in him strangling a patron while imploring the patron to "Laugh!" Rickles took a dramatic turn in the low-budget [[Roger Corman]] science-fiction/horror film ''[[X (1963 film)|X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes]]'' as a [[carnival barker]] out to exploit the title character (portrayed by [[Ray Milland]]).<ref>{{cite journal| url=https://deadline.com/2017/04/don-rickles-dies-legendary-comic-90-1202063770/| title=Don Rickles Dies: Legendary Comedian Was 90| first=Denise| last=Petski| date=April 6, 2017| journal=[[Deadline Hollywood]]| access-date=April 6, 2017}}</ref>

[[File:Don Rickles and Lorne Green.jpg|thumb|left|240px|Rickles and [[Lorne Greene]] on ''The Don Rickles Show'' in 1968]]
Rickles appeared in the ''[[Beach Party film|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.<ref name=Rickles2007>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5IbANRNF1UIC&q=rickles+memoir+bush&pg=PA202 | title=Rickles' Book: A Memoir |author1=Rickles, Don |author2=David Ritz |publisher=Simon & Schuster |isbn=978-0-7432-9305-1 |year=2007 |page=202}}</ref> Rickles's agent Jack Gilardi was married to [[Annette Funicello]] when Rickles was cast in the ''Beach Party'' films. He subsequently began to appear more frequently on television talk shows, first appearing on ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson]]'' in 1965.<ref name=allmusic/> Rickles 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 foot massage, Rickles walked onto the set.<ref>{{YouTube|gauYtZ8S1zs}}</ref> Rickles also made frequent appearances on ''[[The Dean Martin Show]]'' and became a fixture on ''[[The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast]]'' specials.<ref name="latimes" />

In 1968, Rickles released a live comedy album titled ''Hello, Dummy!'', which reached number 54 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] album chart.<ref>{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p218|pure_url=yes}}|title =Don Rickles Charts & Awards|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=May 17, 2007}}</ref> The same year, he starred in his own variety show on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]], ''The Don Rickles Show'', with comedy writer Pat McCormick as his sidekick; the show lasted only 17 episodes and was replaced by a prime time version of the game ''[[Let's Make a Deal]]''. 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 Twilight Zone]]'' episode "[[Mr. Dingle, the Strong]]",<ref>{{cite web |title=Twilight Zone, The: Mr. Dingle, The Strong (TV) |url=https://www.paleycenter.org/collection/item/?item=T:01969 |website=Paley Center for Media |access-date=June 15, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Mr. Dingle, the Strong – The Twilight Zone (Season 2, Episode 19) |url=https://tv.apple.com/au/episode/mr-dingle-the-strong/umc.cmc.7ax3h2n513c31g5mpavaa8j8g?showId=umc.cmc.3tg58h9lglzj81tldi0n9167g |website=Apple TV |access-date=June 15, 2022 |language=en-AU |date=March 2, 1961}}</ref> ''[[The Andy Griffith Show]]'', ''[[Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.]]'', and ''[[I Dream of Jeannie]]''.

===Mid-career===
[[File:Don Rickles and Louise Sorel, 1971.jpg|thumb|Rickles and [[Louise Sorel]] on ''The Don Rickles Show'']]
In 1970, Rickles had a notable role as Crapgame in ''[[Kelly's Heroes]]'', sharing the marquee poster with co-stars Clint Eastwood, [[Telly Savalas]], [[Donald Sutherland]], and [[Carroll O'Connor]]. In 1972, he starred in ''The Don Rickles Show'' (his second series with that title)'','' which lasted for 13 episodes.<ref>{{cite book |page=38 |title=Single Season Sitcoms, 1948–1979 |first=Bob |last=Leszczak |publisher=McFarland |year=2012 |isbn=978-0-7864-9305-0 |chapter=The Don Rickles Show |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UvE6snvtSesC&q=don+rickles |access-date=February 4, 2022}}</ref> He also starred in a series of television specials. In his memoirs, Rickles acknowledged a scripted sitcom was not well-suited to his ''ad lib'' style of performing,<ref name=latimes_obit>{{cite news| url=https://www.latimes.com/la-me-don-rickles-snap-20170406-story.html| title=Don Rickles, aggressively caustic comedian dubbed 'Mr. Warmth,' dies at 90| date=April 6, 2017| access-date=April 6, 2017| newspaper=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> as he had earlier said that he never wrote down his jokes.<ref>{{cite interview |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-et-from-the-archives-don-rickles-interview-20170406-story.html |title=From the Archives: A 1967 interview with Don Rickles, the ever-busy insult comic who never writes anything down |last=Rickles |first=Don |interviewer=Don Page |date=October 13, 1967 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times}}</ref>

Starting in 1973, he became a popular [[dais]] comedian appearing on ''[[The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast]]'' specials. In 1976–1978, he starred in ''[[C.P.O. Sharkey]]'', which lasted two seasons.<ref name=latimes_obit/> The series is remembered for the [[C.P.O. Sharkey#The Tonight Show cigarette box incident|cigarette box incident]] when [[Johnny Carson]] made an impromptu visit during a ''Tonight Show'' taping to the adjacent TV studio during an episode's taping, feigning "incensed" ire that Rickles, an ex-smoker,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.maxim.com/entertainment/interview-icon-don-rickles/ | title=Notorious Insult Comic Don Rickles Reveals His Darkest Secret of All: He's Actually Nice - Maxim | date=April 6, 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ebay.com/itm/373996075841 | title=Don Rickles Laugh in guest spot smoking cigarette Original 35mm Transparency }}</ref> broke Johnny Carson's wooden box, from 1967, on the previous night, while a guest on ''The Tonight Show'', on which [[Bob Newhart]] was the guest host. The incident was often replayed in ''Tonight Show'' [[retrospective]]s and was considered a highlight of the 1970s era of the series.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/17/arts/television/don-rickles-recalls-his-cpo-sharkey-days.html| title=Don Rickles Recalls His 'CPO Sharkey' Days| first=Dave| last=Itzkoff| date=May 15, 2015| access-date=April 6, 2017| newspaper=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> Rickles retorted that he would replace the box with an X-ray of Johnny Carson's lungs.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://heavy.com/entertainment/2017/04/watch-don-rickles-johnny-carson-cigarette-box-bit-incident-cpo-sharkey-tonight-show-original-clip-video-youtube/ | title=WATCH: Don Rickles & Johnny Carson's Famous Cigarette Box Incident | date=April 6, 2017 }}</ref>

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 (part of [[Jack Kirby's Fourth World]]).<ref>{{cite book| last1=McAvennie| first1=Michael| editor-last=Dolan| editor-first=Hannah| chapter=1970s| title=DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle| publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]] |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-7566-6742-9 |page=146 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9mmgDwAAQBAJ&q=rickles |quote=In one of Jack Kirby's strangest tales, Jimmy Olsen met real-world funnyman Don Rickles' costumed likeness, 'Goody' Rickles. |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{cite comic| writer=[[Jack Kirby|Kirby, Jack]]| penciller=Kirby, Jack| inker=[[Vince Colletta|Colletta, Vince]]| story=The Guardian Fights Again!!!| title= Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen| issue=139| date=July 1971}}</ref><ref>{{cite comic| writer=Kirby, Jack| penciller=Kirby, Jack| inker=Colletta, Vince| story=Will The Real Don Rickles Panic?!?| title=Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen| issue= 141| date=September 1971}}</ref>

In the early 1980s, Rickles began to perform with [[Steve Lawrence]] in concerts in Las Vegas. In 1983, the duo co-hosted ''[[Foul-Ups, Bleeps & Blunders]]'', an imitation of ''[[TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes]]''. In 1982, he was in "Death of a Lodger", an episode of ''[[Archie Bunker's Place]]''. In 1985, when Frank Sinatra was asked to organize and perform at [[Ronald Reagan]]'s second presidential inaugural celebration, he insisted Rickles be allowed to perform and do it unrehearsed.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XMNqakiGzw;t=17m33s |title=Don Rickles discussing Reagan inaugural performance |via=YouTube |date=December 25, 2016 |access-date=April 10, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3kJ7VPJnmI | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211102/K3kJ7VPJnmI| archive-date=November 2, 2021| url-status=live| title=Don Rickles performing at Ronald Reagan's 2nd inaugural |via=YouTube |date=March 5, 2011 |access-date=April 10, 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Rickles considered this performance the highpoint of his career.<ref name="insults">{{cite news |url=http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070316/ENT09/703160315/1091/ENT |title=Insults still flying from legendary Don Rickles |author=Darrow, Chuck |newspaper=[[Daily Record (Morristown)|Daily Record]] |location=Parsippany, NJ |date=March 16, 2007 |access-date=May 17, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130102091810/http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20070316%2FENT09%2F703160315%2F1091%2FENT&nclick_check=1 |archive-date=January 2, 2013}}</ref>

In 1990, he appeared in the second-season episode of ''[[Tales from the Crypt (TV series)|Tales from the Crypt]]'' titled "The Ventriloquist's Dummy". In 1992, he was cast in ''[[Innocent Blood (film)|Innocent Blood]]'', directed by [[John Landis]]. In his memoir, Rickles wrote that he recalled Landis was a "production assistant" to [[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 titled ''[[Daddy Dearest]]'', with [[Richard Lewis (comedian)|Richard Lewis]]. In 1995, he played Billy Sherbert in the Universal Pictures film ''[[Casino (1995 film)|Casino]]'' and voiced Mr. Potato Head in the Disney and Pixar film ''[[Toy Story]].'' He reprised his role as Mr. Potato Head in ''[[Toy Story 2]]'' (1999).<ref>{{cite news| url=https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/don-rickles-dead-dies-comedian-insult-vegas-1202025068/| title=Don Rickles, Legendary Insult Comic, Dies at 90| first=Richard| last=Natale| date=April 6, 2017| newspaper=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]| access-date=February 4, 2022}}</ref> Rickles starred as [[George Everett Wilson|George Wilson]] in 1998's ''[[Dennis the Menace Strikes Again]]''; that same year, he portrayed a film theater manager in ''[[Dirty Work (1998 film)|Dirty Work]]'' and voiced Cornwall, one of the heads of a two-headed dragon, in ''[[Quest for Camelot]]''. In 1999, he briefly appeared in a fictionalized form in ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode "[[Viva Ned Flanders]]".

===Later works===
Rickles made a cameo appearance as himself in a recurring [[dream sequence]] in "[[Sub Conscious (The Unit)|Sub Conscious]]", an episode of ''[[The Unit]]'', which aired in February 2007.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tv.com/the-unit/sub-conscious/episode/963722/summary.html |title=The Unit – Season 2, Episode 13: Sub Conscious |website=[[TV.com]] |access-date=May 19, 2015}}</ref>

On May 8, 2006, on his 80th birthday, [[Simon & Schuster]] released his memoir titled ''Rickles' Book''. ''[[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 a [[Primetime Emmy Award]] for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program|Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program]], besting a number of notable comics, including [[David Letterman]], [[Jon Stewart]], and [[Stephen Colbert]]. 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."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/the_colbert_report/ |title=Gold Derby |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |access-date=May 19, 2015}}</ref> 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, and appeared on the 37th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards on CBS TV on June 27, 2010.

He reprised his role as Mr. Potato Head in ''[[Toy Story 3]]'' (2010). In 2011, Rickles reunited with his ''[[Casino (1995 film)|Casino]]'' (1995) co-star [[Joe Pesci]] in a [[Snickers]] advertisement highlighting actors known for their "short fuses".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://theadbuzz.com/2011/05/joe-pesci-and-don-rickles-join-the-snickers |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120720151251/http://theadbuzz.com/2011/05/joe-pesci-and-don-rickles-join-the-snickers |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 20, 2012 |title=Joe Pesci and Don Rickles Join the Snickers "Party" |website=The Ad Buzz |date=May 18, 2011 |access-date=May 11, 2012}}</ref> Rickles also portrayed the supposedly late husband of Elka ([[Betty White]]) on ''[[Hot in Cleveland]]''— a "surprise" because his character was believed dead.<ref>{{cite news| first=Mark| last=Dawidziak| newspaper=[[The Plain Dealer]]| location=[[Cleveland]]| url=http://www.cleveland.com/tv-blog/index.ssf/2011/08/don_rickles_shows_up_as_elkas_husband_in_hot_in_cleveland_season_finale.html| title=Don Rickles shows up as Elka's husband in 'Hot in Cleveland' season finale| date=September 2011| access-date=February 4, 2022}}</ref>

On May 28, 2014, Rickles was honored by [[Spike TV]]'s ''[[Don Rickles: One Night Only|One Night Only: An All-Star Comedy Tribute to Don Rickles]]''. Recorded live at New York City's [[Apollo Theater]], [[Jerry Seinfeld]] was the master of ceremonies for the two-hour special, with live monologues by [[Johnny Depp]], [[Martin Scorsese]], [[Robert De Niro]], [[Jon Stewart]], [[David Letterman]], [[Tracy Morgan]], [[Brian Williams]], [[Regis Philbin]], [[Amy Poehler]], and [[Tina Fey]]. Recorded segments included bits from [[Bob Newhart]], [[Bill Cosby]], [[Jimmy Kimmel]], and [[Eddie Murphy]]. Seinfeld described Rickles as a part of the "Mount Rushmore of Stand-up Comedy" with [[George Carlin]], [[Richard Pryor]], and Bill Cosby.<ref name=comics>[http://thecomicscomic.com/2014/05/28/highlights-from-one-night-only-an-all-star-tribute-to-don-rickles-for-his-88th-birthday/ "Highlights from One Night Only: An All-Star Tribute to Don Rickles"]. ''The Comic's Comic''. May 28, 2014.</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/rickles-trades-shots-best-spike-salute-article-1.1803561 |title=Don Rickles and guest-star roasters like Jerry Seinfeld, David Letterman, Amy Poehler and Tina Fey trade shots |author=Kaplan, Don |date=May 27, 2014 |access-date=October 20, 2016 |newspaper=[[New York Daily News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/2014/05/07/don-rickles-tribute-jokes/ |title= Don Rickles: Comedy legends' salute 2014 |author=Hillary Busis |magazine= [[Entertainment Weekly]] |accessdate=July 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150329011431/https://ew.com/article/2014/05/07/don-rickles-tribute-jokes/ |archive-date=March 29, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

{{quote|"The camaraderie and the comedy made the show a cross between a traditional roast and a dignified lifetime achievement award, spanning emotions ranging from admiration and gratitude to, well, degradation. And as the evening reached its climax, when Rickles got his say after all that had said about him and his nearly 60-year-long career, fittingly, he had the last laugh." – ''TV Week''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tvweek.com/blogs/2014/05/spike-tvs-all-star-don-rickles-tribute-turning-up-the-heat-on-mr-warmth.php |title=Spike TV's All-Star Don Rickles Tribute: Turning Up the Heat on 'Mr. Warmth' |website=TVWeek |access-date=May 19, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140729051831/http://www.tvweek.com/blogs/2014/05/spike-tvs-all-star-don-rickles-tribute-turning-up-the-heat-on-mr-warmth.php |archive-date=July 29, 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>}}

He was still a frequent guest on [[late night talk show]]s, including ''[[Jimmy Kimmel Live!]]'', ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon]]'', ''[[The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson]]'' among others, during the later months of his life. On May 11, 2015, Rickles appeared as a guest on one of the final episodes of ''The Late Show with David Letterman''. He also made a cameo appearance in ''[[Grandfathered (TV series)|Grandfathered]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine| url=https://www.tvguidemagazine.com/john-stamos-inherits-a-new-full-house-with-foxs-grandfathered/| title=John Stamos Inherits a New Full House With Fox's 'Grandfathered'| date=September 24, 2015| access-date=February 4, 2022| magazine=TV Guide}}</ref>

In an interview in 2014, he dismissed thoughts of retiring, stating: <blockquote>"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."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.turlockjournal.com/archives/25588/ |title=Comedy legend Don Rickles heads into Turlock |author=Stafford, Sabra |date=May 8, 2014 |access-date=October 20, 2016 |newspaper=[[Turlock Journal]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021011056/http://www.turlockjournal.com/archives/25588/ |archive-date=October 21, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref></blockquote> Up until his death in 2017, despite being impeded by multiple surgeries following a bout with [[necrotizing fasciitis]] in 2013, he continued touring across the United States.<ref name="Post"/>

He was reportedly slated to reprise his role as Mr. Potato Head in ''Toy Story 4'' (2019), but he died without recording any of his lines of dialogue. With permission from his wife Barbara Rickles, [[Josh Cooley]] used unused archival audio from the previous three ''[[Toy Story]]'' films to honor him and dedicate to his memory.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Schaefer |first1=Sandy |title=Toy Story 4 Has A Tribute To Mr. Potato Head's Don Rickles |url=https://screenrant.com/toy-story-4-potato-head-don-rickles-tribute/#:~:text=Speaking%20at%20Pixar's%20Toy%20Story,have%20a%20tribute%20to%20him. |website=screenrant.com |date=May 2019 |access-date=February 5, 2023}}</ref>