The late Rodney Dangerfield was an anachronism. Back in the ’60s, he was a Borscht Belt comedian who parlayed his success on that circuit into Tonight Show and Ed Sullivan Show appearances, which gave him a national following for his stand-up comedy. But, as new, edgier comedians like George Carlin, Richard Pryor, and Steve Martin started to dominate the stand-up scene in the ’70s, it appeared Dangerfield’s brand of humor had passed its expiration date. Nobody ever would have expected that, in the 1980s, Dangerfield would come roaring back and experience the greatest popularity surge of his career. A lot of that came from his casting in several hit movies, starting with Caddyshack in 1980. That led to starring roles in several more successful movies, including Easy Money, Back to School, and, perhaps most surprising, Ladybugs, in which he played the coach of a young girls’ soccer team. By that time, he had expanded his audience to include several generations, a fact that, when we spoke to him years ago, he found both amusing and exciting. (Click on the media bar below to hear Rodney Dangerfield)
Dangerfield’s movies, including Caddyshack, Ladybugs, Easy Money, and Back to School, are available on DVD and most digital platforms.
The late Rodney Dangerfield was an anachronism. Back in the ’60s, he was a Borscht Belt comedian who parlayed his success on that circuit into Tonight Show and Ed Sullivan Show appearances, which gave him a national following for his stand-up comedy. But, as new, edgier comedians like George Carlin, Richard Pryor, and Steve Martin started to dominate the stand-up scene in the ’70s, it appeared Dangerfield’s brand of humor had passed its expiration date. Nobody ever would have expected that, in the 1980s, Dangerfield would come roaring back and experience the greatest popularity surge of his career. A lot of that came from his casting in several hit movies, starting with Caddyshack in 1980. That led to starring roles in several more successful movies, including Easy Money, Back to School, and, perhaps most surprising, Ladybugs, in which he played the coach of a young girls’ soccer team. By that time, he had expanded his audience to include several generations, a fact that, when we spoke to him years ago, he found both amusing and exciting. (Click on the media bar below to hear Rodney Dangerfield)
