{"product_id":"don-rickles-the-merchant-of-venom-9780806541730","title":"Don Rickles: The Merchant of Venom","description":"\u003cb\u003eAn entertaining, hilarious, biting biography of \"Mr. Warmth,\" the infamously prickly comic who dominated Hollywood and Las Vegas for decades, making an artform out of heckling his friends, family and \u003ci\u003eespecially\u003c\/i\u003e his audiences - and they couldn't get enough of it.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eHaving ridden a wave of success that lasted more than sixty years, Don Rickles is best known as the \"insult\" comic who skewered presidents, royalty, celebrities, and friends and fans alike. But there was more to \"Mr. Warmth\" than a devilish ear-to-ear grin and lightning-fast put-downs. Rickles was a loving husband, an adoring father who suffered a devastating loss, and a loyal friend to the likes of Bob Newhart and Frank Sinatra. Don was also a young student at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and intended to become a serious actor. But it was in small nightclubs where Rickles found success, steamrolling hecklers, honing his acerbic put-downs, and teaching the world to love being insulted. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eDon Rickles, The Merchant of Venom\u003c\/i\u003e traces career from his rise in the 1950s to a late-in-life resurgence thanks to the \u003ci\u003eToy Story\u003c\/i\u003e franchise, his role in Scorsese's \u003ci\u003eCasino\u003c\/i\u003e, and scores of TV appearances from Carson to Seth Meyers. In the intervening decades, Rickles conquered every medium, including the stage, where the Vegas legend was still performing at the age of eighty-five. In his highly memorable career, he was idolized by a generation of younger comedians including Jerry Seinfeld, Jay Leno, and many others. And all along, Rickles performed in the shadow of a shocking open secret: he was the nicest man in town.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eMichael Seth Starr\u003c\/b\u003e covered television at the\u003ci\u003e New York Post\u003c\/i\u003e as a reporter, columnist, critic, and editor for over 28 years. He has written a filmography of Peter Sellers and biographies of Rodney Dangerfield, Don Rickles, Bob Newhart, Art Carney, Joey Bishop, Bobby Darin, Raymond Burr, William Shatner, Redd Foxx, and Ringo Starr. He has made frequent appearances on television including \u003ci\u003eThe Today Show\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003e Access Hollywood\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eGood Morning America\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003e The Early Show\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eLarry King Live\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003e Extra\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003e The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003e Inside Edition\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003e Entertainment Tonight\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eTavis Smiley\u003c\/i\u003e. He lives in New Jersey and can be found online at MichaelSethStarr.com.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Citadel Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50899846824210,"sku":"9780806541730","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_85bed615-7038-4f22-88ea-02e9d78f86f7.jpg?v=1765357028","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/don-rickles-the-merchant-of-venom-9780806541730","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}