Insult Master Don Rickles Isn't Warm, But He's Hot

Nov. 30, 2007 — -- Mr. Warmth appears to be a pretty cool guy.

He's better known as Don Rickles, one of the earliest politically incorrect comedy performers and subject of HBO documentary Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project, premiering Sunday (8 p.m. ET/PT).

Bookending the 90-minute film are bits from two 2006 Las Vegas performances, the first Rickles ever allowed to be filmed. Director John Landis captures a sharp-witted octogenarian who has been enthralling fans for six decades.

Rickles targets his audiences with staccato-paced zingers. No fan is immune; Rickles lobs good-natured jabs and mock disgust at ethnic and racial minorities, foreigners, even his orchestra. Most are in on the jokes.

Beyond Rickles' Vegas routine, Mr. Warmth is part biography and part celebrity roast, tracing his life from his upbringing in Queens, N.Y., to A-list performer while marking his ties to an eclectic batch of celebrities.

"They finally gave Rickles his due, which is kind of sweet and nice," Rickles says.

The comedian was reluctant to let Landis delve too far into his personal life or psyche. "I wanted to talk about the highlights of my career," he says. Rickles' publicity-shy wife, Barbara, had to be prodded to appear in the film, Landis says. There's little mention of Rickles' kids or grandchildren, although Rickles' son, Larry, collaborated on and co-produced Mr. Warmth.

"It's a really nice slice" of my life, Rickles says. "I'm proud of it. Landis and my son did a hell of a job."

The World War II Navy veteran mostly struggled as a serious actor and as a stand-up comic until he found his niche -- self-styled, largely unscripted theatrical performances that blend stories, sarcasm, faux disgust and spur-of-the-moment audience jabs.

"It's not really stand-up comedy. I don't tell jokes. It's a lot of emotion and attitude," Rickles says.

That's part of what Landis sought to capture. "What he does is unique," Landis says. "He's not just an insult guy. He's a performance artist. I've seen his act many times --