"U.S.O. Tour" (Korea) Bob Hope
[on Bob Hope] Bob Hope couldn't be here tonight, he's looking for a war.
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Poll: Goodbye Mr. Warmth
Legendary insult comic Don Rickles has passed away at the age of 90. He got his break when he spied Frank Sinatra at a club in Miami Beach and said, "I just saw your movie, The Pride and the Passion and I want to tell you, the cannon's acting was great." Sinatra admired Rickles' daring and he encouraged other celebrities to go see his act. This led to gigs headlining in Vegas and he became well-known and in high demand for acting gigs in movies and on TV and especially late night talk show appearances and live performances.
Rickles' nicknames, "The Merchant of Venom" and "Mr. Warmth" were a nod to his act, not his real-life persona. Rickles was married to his wife Barbara for 52 years and was a long-time best friend to fellow comic Bob Newhart. "He was called 'The Merchant of Venom,' but in truth, he was one of the kindest, caring and most sensitive human beings we have ever known," Newhart said, referring to himself and his wife. "We are devastated and our world will never be the same. We were totally unprepared for this."
While Mr. Rickles had more than 80 acting jobs, including his most recent role as Mr. Potatohead in the Toy Story movies, he is best known for his sharp one-liners. Which of his best quotes makes you laugh most?
Make Your Choice
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Johnny Grant, Bob Newhart, and Don Rickles
[on his long friendship with Bob Newhart] Bob Newhart made the claim that I am his closest friend. I have never met Bob Newhart. -
Clint Eastwood and Don Rickles in Kelly's Heroes (1970)
[at a tribute to Clint Eastwood] Clint, I’m sorry, but I just gotta say what’s on everybody’s mind here tonight: You’re a terrible actor. -
Robert De Niro and Don Rickles in Casino (1995)
[on Robert De Niro] De Niro is sitting there, he's one of the great actors of our time. You ask him. -
"Academy Awards: 32nd Annual" Elizabeth Taylor and Eddie Fisher
[on Taylor and Fisher] Eddie Fisher married to Elizabeth Taylor is like me trying to wash the Empire State Building with a bar of soap. -
Johnny Carson and Don Rickles at an event for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962)
[to Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show] It's so good to see you. I didn't know you were still on. -
Robin Williams in Death to Smoochy (2002)
[on Robin Williams, upon seeing his forearms] I've never met an ape. -
Don Rickles
[to an audience member] Oh my God, look at you. Anyone else hurt in the accident? -
Orson Welles in Jodorowsky's Dune (2013)
[on Orson Welles] Orson Welles, this great man was married to a great many women. They're all flat now. -
Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese in Taxi Driver (1976)
[on making Casino] Scorsese was our director. He had phone books under his ass so he could see the actors. -
Don Rickles
[on his career] Show business is my life. When I was a kid I sold insurance, but nobody laughed. -
Don Rickles
[on Vegas] The thing I love about Vegas is that it's a melting pot. It's like working Ellis Island. -
Johnny Carson and Don Rickles at an event for The Kraft Music Hall (1967)
[to Johnny Carson] This is a good jacket… come in with cotton candy tomorrow night, and you can work the carnival. -
Frank Sinatra at a recording session / June, 1964
[on Frank Sinatra] When you enter a room, you have to kiss his ring. I don't mind, but he has it in his back pocket. -
Ronald Reagan
[to Ronald Regan] You are a politician. Black, white, Jew, gentile, we’re all working for one cause: to figure out how you became governor. -
Don Rickles at an event for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (2014)
[on Late Night] You don’t have to call me 'sir' ... King of All Jews is enough. -
Don Rickles
[on his comedy style] 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!
