Dom DeLuise R.I.P. 1933 – 2009

It was really sad that when I told 10 people that Dom DeLuise had passed away this morning that more than half of them responded with: Who? Thankfully, it was really just an issue of recognizing the name and not the man. Truth is, that even though Dom hadn’t acted much in the last few years, he’d been a vital part of pop culture since he first appeared on the Munsters in 1966.

In his early years, DeLuise worked on “The Entertainers” in with Carol Burnett, appeared for eight years on “The Dean Martin Show” and did was a frequent guest on “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” and “The Flip Wilson Show.”

It was the 1970’s when DeLuise’s star really started to rise. two professional partnerships made up for the bulk of what people know him for today. The first, with Mel Brooks led him to be in “The Twelve Chairs”, “Blazing Saddles”, “Silent Movie” , “History of the World — Part I” , “Spaceballs”, and “Robin Hood: Men in Tights”.

Meanwhile, his friendship with Burt Reynolds led him to films like”The End”, “Smokey and the Bandit II”, “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas”, and the “Cannonball Run” films.

His love of children led him to roles in the The Muppet Movie, The Muppet Show, American Tail, The Secret of NIMH and several other films. He also wrote two children’s books of his own. That said, the writing he is best known for is his cook books.

Along with a great body of work, Dom also leaves behind an amazing family including his wife and three sons. His sons have all grown up to be successful in their own rite both in front of and behind the camera.