Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project (2007)

80% of critics liked it
(5 reviews)
78% of users liked it
(828 ratings)

As one of the few heavyweight comedians of Vegas's "Golden Age" to topline standup routines in 21st century Glitter Gulch - a time and place that saw him still reeling in massive audiences well into his 70s and 80s - Don Rickles qualifies as a show business legend. Rickles, of course, pioneered the… More As one of the few heavyweight comedians of Vegas's "Golden Age" to topline standup routines in 21st century Glitter Gulch - a time and place that saw him still reeling in massive audiences well into his 70s and 80s - Don Rickles qualifies as a show business legend. Rickles, of course, pioneered the use of insult comedy to mercilessly rib, skewer, and cut down to size anyone who happened to fall into his line of fire, earning him the sobriquets "Mr. Warmth" and "The Merchant of Venom" and lending a whole new meaning to the term "hockey puck." This approach, which seemed unprecedented and even outrageously uncouth in the late 1950s and early 1960s, eventually won Rickles legions of fans and innumerable protégés within show business - everyone from Richard Pryor to Chris Rock and Sarah Silverman. Director John Landis (National Lampoon's Animal House, Trading Places) stands at the forefront of Rickles's fan club and created the documentary Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project as an homage to the comic's life and career. Landis intercuts footage from the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts and Rickles's appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, with extended clips from the shtickmeister's comedy routines and on-camera interviews in which the comedian reflects at length on his approach to comedy and journey through showbusiness. Admirers, colleagues and followers of Rickles also turn up to offer their views on the comedian - including Martin Scorsese, Christopher Guest, Robin Williams, Sarah Silverman, Sidney Poitier, Clint Eastwood and many others. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 30 min.
Directed By: John Landis
Genres: Documentary, Television, Comedy

In Theaters: Feb 19, 2008 Wide
On DVD: Feb 19, 2008

Critic Reviews

Ronnie Scheib, Variety
A hilarious movie about a surprisingly funny man.
Rob Nelson, minnpost.com
Like Scorsese's Casino, in which Rickles had a small role, Mr. Warmth tips its hat to a demolished way of life--Vegas power having transferred from the Mob to the even scarier thugs of corporations.
Peter Canavese, Groucho Reviews
The dichotomy of Rickles' customary matador-theme entrance and tongue-in-cheek but true theme song "I'm a Nice Guy" captures Rickles' secret of success: you gotta love him.
Paul Brenner, Filmcritic.com
Landis doesn't buttress Rickles' shtick with anything but smoke and mirrors, and the film falls away like a cheap suit.
Nick Schager, Slant Magazine
Confirms that Rickles's enduring popularity as the high priest of putdowns can be chalked up to an admirable national trait to not take ourselves too seriously.

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Featured Audience Ratings

Spencer S

Think W.C. Fields meets your dirty grandpa, and you get Don Rickles. Going behind the scenes of Rickles forty year career is a treat, and even a nice glimpse of his act is seen through the eyes of comedians of know him. Emulate him. Love him. It's really an adorable traipse into… More
Think W.C. Fields meets your dirty grandpa, and you get Don Rickles. Going behind the scenes of Rickles forty year career is a treat, and even a nice glimpse of his act is seen through the eyes of comedians of know him. Emulate him. Love him. It's really an adorable traipse into show biz.
James A

Any Rickles fan will love this.
Chris G

If you're looking for hot, juicy gossip in Mr. Warmth you're going to be out of luck. Don Rickles doesn't have any buried skeletons in his closet. There's no big surprise other than the fact that in his eighties Don Rickles is still funny as hell, even in a world… More
If you're looking for hot, juicy gossip in Mr. Warmth you're going to be out of luck. Don Rickles doesn't have any buried skeletons in his closet. There's no big surprise other than the fact that in his eighties Don Rickles is still funny as hell, even in a world that is politically correct. Featuring appearances of some of the biggest names in Hollywood (that are still alive) Mr. Warmth is a look at the last of his kind. A great documentary on a guy that is more than Mr. Potato Head.
Chris W

Funny, insightful, and entertaining. John Landis has made a really good documentary about a really great and talented actor/comedian.
Nate H

Very funny, a brisk and continually interesting look at Rickles and, even better, an era when stars were mythic - and the mob ran Vegas.