Don Rickles First Comedy Job in CNY

We all know about Tom Cruise, Richard Gere, the Baldwin brothers, Robert DeNiro, Mel Gibson and more celebrities with ties to CNY, but did you know about Don Rickles?

We have many notables that have come and gone, grew up, now live or have connections in CNY. And why wouldn't we? It's a wonderful place to live, but even we were stunned to discover that Don Rickles had his first comedy job right here in CNY. FultonHistory.com has a story published by the Observer-Dispatch from Sunday, July 25, 1982, reports that Don Lawson would give boat tours through the Fulton Chain of Lakes and this was part of the information he would pass on to his customers.

At the Hollywood Hills Motel on First Lake, more than 26 years ago-Don Rickles, the comedian, was working as a busboy. One weekend, entertainment failed to arrive "They asked him to perform He's been performing ever since. That's a big step' for a busboy."

So there you have it. The Hollywood Hills Motel, located in the town of Webb, employed Don Rickles as a busboy and put on his first show there. The Motel was overlooking the First Lake of the Fulton Chain of lakes and boasted over 1500 acres in the Adirondacks and was a resort for the rich and famous that offered all sorts of amenities.

Our own Rod Sterling and Don Rickles knew each other as Rickles was in the Twilight Zone. It was episode 55, aired March 3, 1961, titled Mr. Dingle. the Strong.

See what a small world it is?

[Information from Fulton History, Wikipedia, and Observer-Dispatch]

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