Hey, Hockey Puck! What ya readin’? Can’t you hear him now? For 50 years, Don Rickles has made people laugh, mostly by making fun of them and often venturing into territory no man in his right mind would go. In ‘Rickles’ Book’ (he couldn’t come up with a title), the man chronicles his life from his early days in Brooklyn taking any jobs he could get as an entertainer (bar mitzvahs and weddings were the mainstays back then) to his slow-but-steady rise to fame in the clubs of New York, Miami, Hollywood and eventually Las Vegas. Along the way, this ‘King of Zing’ rubbed shoulders and performed with many of the greats of comedy, TV and the movies. His escapades with everyone from Clark Gable to Jackie Gleason in the 50’s and 60’s, to guys like Johnny Carson and even Ronald Reagan in the 70’s and 80’s, make for a colorful collection of stories. The most heartfelt ones are reserved for his mother, Etta, who managed to manuever ‘the Great Summit’ in Miami, where she convinced Dolly Sinatra to have her boy Frank check out Don’s act while the two were booked in the same city for several weeks. Sinatra and Rickles ended up becoming life-long buddies and Rickles’ stories of Frank in Vegas and Palm Springs make for enjoyable, lighthearted reading. With the passing of a generation of guys like Hope, Berle, Carson, Parr, the Rat Pack and the others referenced in the book, Rickles is certainly one of the last remaining connections to the most famous era of the classic American comedian. That, and his self-revealing story, are what make this book a special read.
It's no secret to those close to me that I think Don Rickles is by far the greatest stand-up act ever. Name me one other act who could put both big name stars like Frank Sinatra and Bob Hope on the same plateau as Jim from Nebraska visiting Las Vegas for the first time? Don's insult humor was always done with a bit of warmth...in fact it may be why Johnny Carson really did refer to Don as "Mr. Warmth". This is a charming book written by Don Rickles that recalls his early days the son of Max and Etta Rickles (both of whom he speaks warmly of) and how he went from a young dramatic actor to a WWII veteran with the U.S. Navy to Las Vegas attraction to comedy legend. Along the way there are stories of Don working on films with big names like Clark Gable, dinners with Jack Benny, failed TV shows, guest appearances with Johnny Carson, hanging out with Bob Newhart and staying over at Frank Sinatra's house. It's a wonderful look at a guy who no matter what he says to you on stage doesn't really doesn't mean any harm and you may even walk out of the casino thinking you struck it rich interacting with him.
What do You think about Rickles' Book: A Memoir (2007)?
Light, zippy, anecdotal read from the "King of the Zing", who proves to be infectiously full of life. Written very conversationally, you can hear his unmistakable voice coming off the page to relate tales of Vegas in the 60's and Miami Beach in the 50's. Rickles really has seen it all and then some, but don't expect a ton of details. This is really 200 pages or so of his memories of his days and longs nights in the biz, and the remarkable run-ins with many a show-biz legend. Maybe his next book will be all about his many travels with Bob Newhart and their families, that's a batch of stories I'd like to hear more of.
—Fred
You won't get anything out of this book that you couldn't get by reading or watching an interview with Rickles. Once you remove all the blank pages, this comes out to be about 100 pages long. It's just a series of 2- and 3-page segments that tell stories from his life, but it's not particularly illuminating. If you see it at a dollar store, feel free to pick it up. Otherwise, watch him on Letterman. The old man is still sharp and does a good job when he's on with Dave. If you'd rather watch him on Leno, there's a good chance that you have no sense of humor and therefore wouldn't be interested in this book in the first place.
—Chris Witt
I think I can best describe this book as feeling like you're on your couch flipping through TV stations and on each one Don Rickles is doing a different talk show telling a different story. It was good quick read, but nothing really resonates. Also I probably would have liked this a lot more if I was from my Dad's generation because there was always at least one person who I never heard of in his stories. Here's me paraphrasing:"So there we were, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, the great Ralphy Yoonenberg, and Rickles getting a steam after a long night out when Dean stands up and yells..."Oh yeah, he refers to himself in the third person a lot.
—Danny
