Dom DeLuise — actor, chef, and father of that guy who was on 21
Jump Street — passed away Monday at the age of 75. Rather than
wallow in misery and grief at the loss of another of cinema’s titans, we
prefer to look back fondly at a movie career mostly spent co-starring
alongside Gene Wilder and Burt Reynolds.
5. “I always wanted to be…Captain America!” — The Cannonball
Run (1981)
Let’s be honest, the best part of any Hal Needham movie is the outtake
reel, and the Cannonball movies are the perfect example. Here,
the experience is that much more rewarding if you enjoy watching Burt
Reynolds slap the shit out of people.
4. “Kill Him!” — History of the World, Part 1 (1981)
DeLuise and Mel Brooks go way back. It’s just nice that Dom was willing
to help his old buddy out in what is widely regarded as the beginning of
Brooks’ long, excruciating directorial decline.
3. “Get the honey, Junior.” — Fatso (1987)
He was capable of showing his tender side, though it was often fleeting.
Take this scene, which quickly devolves from a study in subdued emotion
into a bunch of fat guys talking about stuffing Reese’s Peanut Butter
Cups into jelly doughnuts in a way that’s even more unpleasant than it
sounds.
2. “And *you* got a lovely face!” — The Adventure of Sherlock
Holmes’ Smarter Brother (1975)
It’s comforting to watch a scene with Gene Wilder, Marty Feldman, and
DeLuise from 30 years ago and realize that as long as there are
comedies, unattractive actors will always have options. I’m sure Will
Ferrell, Seth Rogen, and Jonah Hill would agree.
1. “The French Mistake” — Blazing Saddles (1974)
I never really understood the subject of this song until college. And
even now I don’t regard it as a “mistake” so much as an “experimental
period.”
This article appears in Apr 30 – May 6, 2009.
