Don Rickles, Master Of The Comic Insult, Dies At 90

Don Rickles, master of the comic insult and longtime nemesis of "dummies" and "hockey pucks" he mocked, died of kidney failure Thursday at his home in Los Angeles, according to his publicist. He was 90.

Rickles became a legend of comedy not with jokes but by delivering rapid barrages of insults from the stage, usually directed at willing members of audiences who paid for the privilege.

He got his first break in show business in 1957 by lobbing an insult at one such person, Frank Sinatra. Rickles did not know the crooner at the time but, spotting him sitting in the audience, the comedian said from the stage, "Make yourself at home, Frank. Hit somebody." Sinatra found the joke hilarious and championed Rickles in show business circles, leading to steady work for the comedian in Las Vegas.

Rickles' spared nobody. In addition to aiming at stars like Sinatra and ordinary men and women in his audience, he frequently ridiculed himself. As The New York Times reported, he even targeted his wife, Barbara, once saying, "she liked to lie in bed, signaling ships with her jewelry," and he often referred to his mother, Etta, as "the Jewish Patton."

His most common insult was directed at people whose intelligence he questioned. He called them "hockey pucks" or, simply, "dummies."

Rickles rarely cussed but his act included remarks that prompted cringes as well as laughter.

He delivered a steady dose of ethnic and racial slurs that were included in his act from his earliest years on stage through his final days performing. He was able to get away with such remarks undoubtedly in part because his delivery was so over-the-top that he gave the appearance of mocking himself as much as his targets.

“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,” his longtime friend Bob Newhart said in a joint statement with his wife, Ginnie Newhart. “We are devastated and our world will never be the same. We were totally unprepared for this.”

As The New York Times reported, Rickles' own theory of his success was that he was rewarded for saying things others wanted to say but couldn’t, remarking more than once, “I’m the guy at the Christmas party who makes fun of the boss on Friday night and still has his job on Monday morning.”

His show business journey began in earnest shortly after serving in the Navy during World War II. After being discharged, he failed to make it in the insurance industry and decided he wanted to be a dramatic actor. With scarce acting opportunities, he began doing standup comedy at Catskills resorts and in strip clubs as a way to make money.

It took years after the start of his regular gigs in Las Vegas for Rickles to break through on the national stage. He had established his comedic style by focusing on audience interaction. It took television to establish him as a top-tier commedian.

In 1965, his first appearance on "The Tonight Show" left Carson in hysterics, and Rickles would make numerous appearances on the shows in the decades that followed. He also became a regular on Dean Martin's televised roasts, a setting perfect for his brand of humor.

David Letterman showed his affection for Rickles in 2015 by inviting him to fill one of the coveted guests slots in the final days of "Late Night With David Letterman."

“Don coming on our show was always a highlight for me," Letterman said in a statement. "Just endless mischief and nonsense, and a guy who would make the audience go completely crazy. Such a professional, such a gentleman. I already miss him.”

His early personal success endured despite dismal results starring in several television series. In 1968, “The Don Rickles Show” bombed as did a second show by the same name that aired in 1972. His most successful show was “CPO Sharkey,” a Navy comedy, which aired from 1976 to 1978.

Rickles' success as an actor came late in his career. In 1995, Martin Scorsese cast him in “Casino,” and he is best known by young people for his role as the voice of Mr. Potato Head in the hugely successful animated feature “Toy Story,” and its sequels. He also played the long-lost husband of Betty White’s character on the sitcom “Hot in Cleveland.”

Donald Jay Rickles was born in the Jackson Heights neighborhood of Queens on May 8, 1926, son of Max Rickles, an insurance salesman, and the former Etta Feldman.

After his service in the Navy, he studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. He remained single until he was nearly 40, when he married Barbara Sklar. His wife survives him, as do a daughter, Mindy Mann, and two grandchildren. His son, Lawrence, died in 2011.

Comedians around the world paid tribute to Rickles as news of his death spread.

Scorseses described Rickles as a genius.

“Don Rickles was a giant, a legend … and I can hear his voice now, skewering me for being so lofty,” Scorsese said in a statement. “Experiencing Don, and tuning into his mind, I witnessed the evolution of his comedy. It was like listening to a great jazz musician wail. Nobody else did what he did. He made comedy into an art form. And like all geniuses, comic or otherwise, he’s irreplaceable.”

Funeral services are expected to be private. Donations can be made to the Larry Rickles Endowment Fund at Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

PHOTO: George Brich / Associated Press ; City News Service contributed to this report