In 'Rickles' Letters', 'Mr. Warmth' Goes Postal

Fresh Air

Published December 1, 2008 at 10:43 AM EST

Don Rickles (left, with Don Adams in 1973) won a 2008 Emmy Award for his HBO documentary <em>Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project</em>. — Don Rickles (left, with Don Adams in 1973) won a 2008 Emmy Award for his HBO documentary *Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project*.

The 1950s insult comic Don Rickles made a name for himself — and earned several notable nicknames, including "The Merchant of Venom" and "Mr. Warmth" — by poking fun of audiences and public figures.

His new book, Rickles' Letters, is a collection of imaginary correspondences to a variety of historical and contemporary figures, from Mary Todd Lincoln and Ben Franklin to Santa Claus.

In this segment, Rickles talks about the origins of his comedy and how early audiences responded to his act.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

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