Dom DeLuise was a roly-poly delivery-system for joy. Whether he was clowning with Dean Martin on TV or making his buddy Burt Reynolds crack up in films like Cannonball Run, DeLuise’s effusive happiness was infectious. He radiated funniness through his popping eyes and his rapid-fire way of talking.
DeLuise was an old-fashioned stand-up comic and actor who got his laughs from the way he delivered a line as much as from the joke itself. Sometimes he played up an Italian accent; sometimes he just jabbered with great artistry: his nonsense made great comic sense.
DeLuise appeared in Mel Brooks films such as Blazing Saddles, Silent Movie, and The Twelve Chairs. He was in a bunch of Burt Reynolds movies. This is the work he’ll probably be remembered for, because it’s what is most accessible. But he first came to prominence in nightclubs and then TV, where he was throughout the 1960s and ’70s a superb talk-show and game-show guest, really quick with improvised lines. Just watch this clip of Dom with Johnny Carson:
DeLuise had a sweetness that was tinged with naughtiness. He was the very embodiment of loveable, which is something you can’t say about many comedians.
Dom was great in “The 12 Chairs” and the “Adventures of Sherlock Holmes’ Smarter Brother.” Seek them out for some truly inspired comic performances.
Goodnight, sweet prince.
If it wasn’t for Dom DeLuise Robin Williams would have no material. RIP Dom, thanks for the many laughs and chuckles.
Fatso was beautiful – and I mean that with all my heart. May your wheezing laugh bring joy to the angels.
He was great. He signed some items for my kids a couple of years ago and put little doodles all over them even on the envelopes. Nice guy.
MisterHate: I think you’re confusing DeLuise with Jonathan Winters. Other than being rotund, they are not that similar.
Funny guy. He was the embodiment of a body, really.
Sad news. RIP, Dom. Thanks for the laughs.
R.I.P. Captain Chaos.
Thanks for all the laughs and that great laugh of yours.
Funny guy. He made me ache in Silent Movie. The guy was fearless.
what a character Bacuss in human form he will be missed. R.I.P.
My sympathies. I enjoyed him, most of the time. I must say, he hasn’t been relevant for years.
Don’t forget his memorable voice work in movies like The Secret of NIMH, An American Tail, Oliver & Company, and All Dogs Go to Heaven. He was as funny in animated movies as he was in live-action movies.
My favorite line of his from “Blazing Saddles”…
“It’s like steam escaping!”
rockgolf: Doh! You are correct. Pardon my brain freeze. Just trying to say that RW is not as original as what everyone gives him credit for. Thanks!