WEB EXCLUSIVE

Killing Jokes

If this interview is any indication, Don Rickles will slay ’em in A.C. this weekend.

by Sara Kelly

Widely recognized as the original insult comic, Don Rickles plays three shows this weekend at the Tropicana in Atlantic City. But his act isn’t just for those old enough to remember his glory days. Rickles has become a hipster icon in recent months with the publication of the best-selling Rickles’ Book and the debut of the HBO documentary Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project, which mixed war stories from the old guard (chiefly Rickles co-conspirator Bob Newhart) with tributes from the youngsters (Dave Attell, Chris Rock, Sarah Silverman) who can thank him for making the world safe for put-down comedy—if not so safe in general. See, Rickles has a nasty habit of threatening interviewers’ lives. (All in good fun, of course.) PW risked death recently to speak with him.

In Mr. Warmth , Bob Newhart talks about the old Vegas disappearing, and the corporate world taking over in a way that makes it a little less interesting.
“It’s not less interesting. It’s a different world. When we were there we knew all the guys that ran the place, and it was a one-on-one relationship. Today it’s all corporate and it’s 14 million bosses.”

Does it make it any harder for you?
“Not it my case. Of course not. But it was a different world. A different style, a different atmosphere, a different thing. But time marches on, and we change.”

How do you feel about Atlantic City these days?
“It’s great. I worked there—I was the third act in Resorts, believe it or not. The first act was Bill Cosby, then Steve and Edie, and then me.”

And now there are the new casinos like the Borgata. They’re a little more slick.
“They’re trying to be another Vegas. They’re still way far behind to be another Vegas, but they’re coming along.”

What are your memories of being in Philly?
“I worked Philadelphia. God, I worked Philadelphia. The Two-Four Club and the Celebrity Room. Then I worked the Latin Casino out in Cherry Hill. I worked in a lot of after-hours clubs in those days, and I had great times in Philadelphia.”

What do you think about it now?
“It’s a great city. What’s not to like?”

We’re kind of having some rough times these days.
“In what way?”

Lots of shootings.
“Welcome to the club. That’s all over.”

You’re kind of like a hipster, young-person icon these days. How’d that happen?
“The young audiences say, ‘My father told me to see you. When I was a kid you were on Johnny Carson, and I was too young to watch, and blah, blah, blah.’ A lot of them became fans, and I’m very flattered by that. That I’m seeing more and more young people coming to see my performance makes me very happy because I’m not dated. In other words, what I do on the stage is about situations, and I don’t tell jokes. I do a theatrical performance. And it just embellishes all the surroundings, making fun of life and people. And I’m never mean-spirited. So that makes it kind of fun.”

Have you changed your act fundamentally at all over time?
“No. I have a beginning, middle and end. My act changes every night about 10 percent.”

Do you study the young up-and-coming comedians?
“No. Not that I’m indifferent. When you’re around this 55 years, when I’m away from it, I watch the ballgame, I watch television, I go out with my wife. Not that I have anything against it, but I don’t go to comedy clubs because I’ve seen it, I’ve had it. I just don’t take time out to do that. I see a lot of them on television, and I enjoy them, but that’s about it.”

Do you think there’s any more ground to break?
“There always is. I don’t know if I’ll be around to see it, but somebody will make it different.”

People always say you push the envelope in a way that was not as acceptable when you first started doing it.
“When I first started doing it, it was unheard of. Nobody criticized it because it was something completely different. Now they say ‘politically incorrect,’ but Don Rickles has been doing that for so many years that I’m a guy that’s accepted and has always been accepted for what I do because I’m an originator.”

Did you ever get any heat back in the day for the things you said?
“I always say this: ‘When you stand on the stage, not everybody loves you. You’re selling yourself.’ I have no props up there. I have no toys. I have nothing. I have no ties, no shirts, no pants to sell.”

What do you do to prepare for each performance?
“Nothing. After you do it 55 years, you don’t prepare. You just sit in the dressing room, have a vodka and go onstage.”

Ever get hecklers?
“No, I don’t. Hecklers—that was 30 years ago.”

So you did back in the day? I’m sure you dispatched them quickly.
“Well, they didn’t have Blue Cross, and they died … I worked what they called joints in those days. Those were not pleasant places to work. They had all kinds of derelict crowds. Those days are over.”

How ’bout the mob?
“I’m not talking about the mob. You wanna hurt my family? That’s what you’re trying to do. You’re trying to get me killed! For no reason, you’re turning on me with the mob! Forget the mob! You go look for the mob!”

How’d you end up in Casino ?
“Marty Scorsese thought I fit in with that world. I know that world because I’ve been around it, and he thought my presence in the film would do it some good. I was delighted I was part of it.”

Was it really you that you were portraying, or was it a role?
“Gimme a break, huh? Gimme a break, sweetheart. You think I walk around looking like that, with that depressed, vicious look? You’ve gotta snap out of it! I don’t know why you’re turning on me like this. I’m a person like you. I go to the bathroom. I go to the toilet. I brush my teeth. I play cards once in a while. I don’t play cards. I take that back. But I go and I do things like any other person. I don’t walk around going, ‘I’m with the mob.’”

You’re 81 years old. You’re pretty old to be moving around like this.
“Stop that! What the? You talk like that to your family? You got a father?”

Somewhere.
“Is he alive?”

I don’t know.
“Oh, you don’t know your father? Well that’s why you’re asking me these dumb questions. ‘You’re so old, you’re so old.’ Why do you say that? Don’t you know 81-year-old people that live and are pretty bright and sharp?”

Oh yeah, I do.
“Well, you’re talking to one.”

I know. But I don’t know how you do it. I’m not as old as you are, but I don’t know if I could do it.
“You’ll find out when you’re 81, and you’re spitting up and coughing and—you’ll say, ‘Why didn’t I listen to Rickles?’”

So you’re in Atlantic City for three shows this weekend. What are you gonna do when you’re not performing?
“I’m gonna come to Philly, get a gun, and find where you live. That’s what I’m gonna do. And I’m gonna shoot you!”

Don Rickles
Fri., Jan. 11-Sat., Jan. 12, 9pm; Sun., Jan. 13. 7pm. $25-$40. Tropicana Showroom, Tropicana Casino and Resort, Brighton and the Boardwalk, Atlantic City, N.J. 800.THE.TROP. www.tropicana.net