Dominick DeLuise (August 1, 1933 – May 4, 2009) was an American actor, comedian and author. Known primarily for comedy roles, he rose to fame in the 1970s as a frequent guest on television variety shows. He is widely recognized for his performances in the films of Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder, as well as a series of collaborations and a double act with Burt Reynolds. Beginning in the 1980s, his popularity expanded to younger audiences from voicing characters in several major animated productions, particularly those of Don Bluth.
DeLuise was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Italian American parents Vincenza "Jennie" (née DeStefano), a homemaker, and John DeLuise, a public employee (garbage collector). He was the youngest of three children, having an older brother, Nicholas "Nick" DeLuise, and an older sister, Antoinette DeLuise-Daurio.[2] DeLuise graduated from Manhattan's High School of Performing Arts and later attended Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, where he majored in biology. DeLuise was Roman Catholic and had a particular devotion to the Virgin Mary.
DeLuise's paid stage debut, at age 18, of Bernie the dog was in the drama Bernie's Christmas Wish. His first steady gig was as an intern at the Cleveland Play House, 1952–54, as stage manager and actor.
In 1961, DeLuise played in the off-Broadway musical revue Another Evening with Harry Stoons, which lasted nine previews and one performance. Another member of the cast was 19-year-old Barbra Streisand. He was also in the off-Broadway play All in Love, which opened on November 10, 1961, at the Martinique Theatre and ran for 141 performances. Other New York theater performances included Half-Past Wednesday (off-Broadway) (1962); Around the World in 80 Days (off-Broadway) (1963); The Student Gypsy (Broadway) (1963); Here's Love (Broadway) (1963); and Last of the Red Hot Lovers (Broadway) (1969).
DeLuise generally appeared in comedic parts, although an early appearance in the movie Fail-Safe as a nervous USAF technical sergeant showed a broader range. His first acting credit was as a regular performer in the television show The Entertainers in 1964. He gained early notice for his supporting turn in the Doris Day film The Glass Bottom Boat (1966). In his review in The New York Times, Vincent Canby panned the film but singled out the actor, stating, "The best of the lot, however, is a newcomer, Dom DeLuise, as a portly, bird-brained spy."
In the 1970s and 1980s, he often co-starred with his real-life friend Burt Reynolds. Together they appeared in the films The Cannonball Run and Cannonball Run II, Smokey and the Bandit II, The End, and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. DeLuise was the host of the television show Candid Camera from 1991 to 1992. He was a mainstay of Burke's Law, an American television series that aired on CBS during the 1993–1994 and 1994–1995 television seasons.
DeLuise also lent his distinctive voice to various animated films and was a particular staple of Don Bluth's features, playing major roles in The Secret of NIMH, An American Tail, A Troll in Central Park and All Dogs Go to Heaven (also with Reynolds). All Dogs Go to Heaven also featured Reynolds' voice as Charlie B. Barkin while DeLuise voiced Itchy Itchiford, Charlie's best friend, wing-man and later partner in business. Unlike DeLuise, however, Reynolds would not contribute a voiceover to any of the eventual film or television series or sequels.
DeLuise also voiced the incarnation of Charles Dickens' Fagin in the Walt Disney film Oliver & Company and made voice guest appearances on several animated TV series.
The handprints of Dom DeLuise in Atlantic City, New Jersey
TV producer Greg Garrison hired DeLuise to appear as a specialty act on The Dean Martin Show. DeLuise ran through his "Dominick the Great" routine, a riotous example of a magic act gone wrong, with host Martin as a bemused volunteer from the audience. Dom's catchphrase, with an Italian accent, was "No Applause Please, Save-a to the End". The show went so well that DeLuise was soon a regular on Martin's program, participating in both songs and sketches.
Garrison also featured DeLuise in his own hour-long comedy specials for ABC. (Martin was often off-camera when these were taped, and his distinctive laugh can be heard.)
In 1968, DeLuise hosted his own hour-long comedy variety series for CBS, The Dom DeLuise Show. Taped in Miami at The Jackie Gleason Theater, it featured many regular Gleason show cast members including The June Taylor Dancers and The Sammy Spear Orchestra. DeLuise's wife Carol Arthur also regularly appeared. The 16-week run was the summer replacement for The Jonathan Winters Show. He later starred in his own sitcom, Lotsa Luck (1973–1974).
DeLuise was probably best known as a regular in Mel Brooks's films. He appeared in The Twelve Chairs, Blazing Saddles, Silent Movie, History of the World, Part I, Spaceballs, and Robin Hood: Men in Tights. Brooks' wife, actress Anne Bancroft, directed Dom in Fatso (1980).
DeLuise exhibited his comedic talents while playing the speaking part of the jailer Frosch in the comedic operetta Die Fledermaus at the Metropolitan Opera, playing the role in four separate revivals of the work at the Met between December 1989 and January 1996. In the production, while the singing was in German, the spoken parts were in English. A lifelong opera fan, he also portrayed the role of L'Opinion Publique in drag for the Los Angeles Opera's production of Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld.
An avid cook and author of several books on cooking, he appeared as a regular contributor to a syndicated home improvement radio show, On The House with The Carey Brothers, giving listeners tips on culinary topics. He was also a friend and self-proclaimed "look-alike" of famous Cajun chef Paul Prudhomme and author of seven children's books.
In 1964, while working in a summer theater in Provincetown, Massachusetts, DeLuise met actress Carol Arthur. They married in 1965 and had three sons, all of whom became actors, writers, and directors themselves: Peter, Michael, and David DeLuise.
DeLuise died in his sleep of kidney failure on May 4, 2009, at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California, at age 75. He had cancer for more than a year prior to his death and also had high blood pressure and diabetes.
Burt Reynolds paid tribute to DeLuise in the Los Angeles Times, saying: "As you get older and start to lose people you love, you think about it more, and I was dreading this moment. Dom always made you feel better when he was around, and there will never be another like him." Mel Brooks also made a statement to the same paper, telling them that DeLuise "created so much joy and laughter on the set that you couldn't get your work done. So every time I made a movie with Dom, I would plan another two days on the schedule just for laughter. It's a sad day. It's hard to think of this life and this world without him."
- SERVES
- 8
- SERVING SIZE
- 4 meatballs per serving
- COOK TIME
- 20 Min
This fun spin on the classic meatball recipes that you know and love is sure to please even the pickiest of eaters. You see, the pineapple and the bell pepper mix together to make the best Hawaiian Meatballs that you've ever tasted!
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/2 cup finely crushed butter-flavored crackers
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/3 cup white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 (8-ounce) can pineapple chunks in syrup, with syrup reserved
- 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch chunks
- Preheat oven to 350º. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine beef, onion, crackers, egg, water, onion powder, salt, and black pepper; mix well. Form mixture into 1-inch balls and place on baking sheet.
- Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until no longer pink in center.
- Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, cornstarch, vinegar, soy sauce, and reserved pineapple juice. Cook until mixture starts to thicken. Add pineapple and bell pepper and continue to cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until thickened and heated through.
- Place meatballs in a large bowl. Pour sauce over and toss until evenly coated.
And births this date include...
On August 2nd, National Ice Cream Sandwich Day encourages us to cool off with one of our favorite frozen treats. Whether it’s vanilla, strawberry or Neapolitan between two chocolate wafers, the dessert sure will hit the spot on a hot summer day.
The original ice cream sandwich sold for a penny in 1900 from a pushcart in the Bowery neighborhood of New York. Newspapers never identified the name of the vendor in articles that appeared across the country. However, the ice cream sandwiched between milk biscuits became a hit. Soon, pushcarts popped up around the city and country during the summer months selling the portable treats. Early pictures show beach goers at Atlantic City getting their ice cream sandwiches for 1¢ each.
Once ice cream sandwiches became popular, recipes for home cooks filled the papers. The sandwich layers included everything from angel food and sponge cake to shortbread cookies. Restaurants offered the ice cream sandwich as a decadent dessert for travelers. By 1940, grocers sold sandwiches made with crispy wafers.
One account claims the modern ice cream sandwich with the chocolate wafer was invented in 1945 by Jerry Newberg. The ice cream maker sold his creation at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, PA. At the time, the storied location was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and Steelers.
If the chocolate brownie wafer doesn’t appeal to you, don’t hesitate to mix it up. All variety of cookies make excellent sandwich parts. Change up the ice cream, too. Around the world, ice cream sandwiches go by a variety of names including the Monaco Bar, Giant Sandwich, Maxibon, Cream Between, Vanilla Slice, and many more.
HOW TO OBSERVE
Enjoy an ice cream sandwich today!
