We are saddened by the recent loss of our dear friend Dom DeLuise. We were blessed to have had Dom grace our radio program with his wit, charm and keen sense of humor for over a decade.
We remember vividly the first time that we met Dom. We were the home fix-up duo on the Home & Family television show at Universal Studios in Hollywood. Early one morning as we drove on to the back lot, Dom’s name appeared on the show’s marquee as the guest star that day. Though the names of many well-known entertainers and stars had appeared on that billboard during our tenure with the show, we were never as full of excitement and anticipation as we were at the prospect of meeting the one and only Dom DeLuise. As we anxiously awaited his arrival to the set, our minds were filled with visions of movies and television shows in which Dom had starred.
Our first recollection of seeing Dom on the big screen was in a zany comedy called The Glass Bottom Boat, co-starring with Doris Day and Arthur Godfrey. Throughout the years, we continued to enjoy his many memorable movies which included The Cannonball Run I & II; Fatso; The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas; History of the World Part I; Smokey and the Bandit Part II; The End; The World’s Greatest Lover; Robin Hood: Men it Tights and Blazing Saddles – to name a few. Youngsters best recognize Dom for the voices that he performed in many animated features such as the character Itchy in All Dogs Go to Heaven; the voice of Tiger in An American Tale; and the voice of Jeremy in The Secret of NIMH.
Dom was equally recognizable on the small screen too. Although he guested on almost every variety, talk and comedy show ever produced, we best remember him for his work on the Dean Martin Show where he sang, danced and generally created chaos. According to Lee Hale, a choreographer and producer for the Dean Martin Show, Dom constantly had Dean – and everyone else -- in stitches. It didn’t make a difference who you were; Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Mae West, Ethel Merman, Kate Smith, Burt Reynolds, Jackie Gleason, Mel Brooks, Jerry Lewis, Phyllis Diller, John Wayne, Dinah Shore, Buddy Hackett, Sammy Davis, Jr. – just a few of the notables with whom he worked -- or just the average Joe, Dom could tickle your funny bone, make you feel like a member of the family and leave you begging for more – food, laughter and fun, that is.
The three of us had a lot in common. We all had Italian blood; we loved to eat; and we all had similar waistlines. We were quite the trio with Dom donning his signature red spaghetti bib and chef’s hat and we clad in our bright colored bib overalls and wild shirts. Can you imagine what a sight we were?
We were immediately at ease with one another and became fast friends when, during our first visit to his home, Dom hand fed us Italian sausage and peppers right out of the skillet. We were seated at a picnic table in his back yard plotting to construct a gazebo as part of a segment we were producing for the television show. Constructing the gazebo for Dom was one of the most delightful experiences that we have had in our careers and stands out as our favorite project during our tenure on the TV show.
Aside from being one of the world’s greatest entertainers, Dom was an extremely talented chef. He had a passion for food and loved sharing his culinary delights with people – and the occasional bird. It was his zeal for food and his yearning to nourish the stomachs and souls of anyone with an appetite for good food and fun that brought us together. From the moment we met, we were, as Forest Gump so aptly put it, “like peas and carrots.”We enjoyed one another’s company immensely and regularly checked-in by phone. We traveled together, dined together, laughed ALOT together and did our share of crying together. And the meals! Oh boy, did we ever enjoy some wonderful meals together. Dining on lamb together in Chicago’s Greek Town while Dom shared a story about Lambchop and performing on the Sherri Lewis Show. That was Dom.
And then there was the time that we went to see Annie Get Your Gun on Broadway in New York starring Dom’s good friend Bernadette Peters. The play was preceded by an Italian feast at the famed Sardi’s restaurant, where Dom’s caricature graces the walls among other stars. We always knew that Dom was a big star, but it wasn’t until the walk from Sardi’s to the theatre that we realized the profound impact that Dom had on humanity. Dom was greeted with shouts of “Hey, Dom! How ya doin?”from people of all ages, races and walks of life. Everyone knew Dom and he responded with the same enthusiasm and exuberance -- as if he had just met up with an old friend. That was Dom. What you saw was what you got. He was as funny, sweet, thoughtful and kind in person – to everyone – as he was on the big and little screens.
When it came right down to it, the finest meal in the best restaurant paled by comparision to having a meal at Dom’s dinner table in his home. It made no difference who was there; family members, well-known entertainers or friends, the drill was the same. Dom would orchestrate the entire meal as if it was a symphony. He would gently, yet firmly command you to pass your plate to allow him to fill it with the fair of the day, which might consist of fresh fish, pasta with a marinara sauce, Italian sausage, his famous meatballs, assorted vegetables, home baked bread, artichoke or spinach frittata, baked chicken and a few leftovers. And that was just for starters. It was just about that time that Dom would announce that he had prepared “just a little snack.” Oh, and did we mention that the “snack”was preceded by minestrone soup and a salad that contained every color in the rainbow? And we can’t forget desert. One never knew what to expect when it came to desert – a pie, a luscious cake or other sinful Dom DeLuise creation such as his famous “Death By Chocolate.” What a way to go!
Although most people associate Dom with cooking, what they might not know is that Dom was equally fervent with his interest in home improvement and gardening. He was always tinkering with something around the house and took great pleasure in tending the vegetable garden in his back yard, which, by the way, he cheerfully relocated to make room for the gazebo.
Dom once told us that his interest in home improvement came from his father who was a garbage man. In fact, he shared this experience as part of the humorous, yet touching, forward that he authored in our book “Home Remodeling For Dummies.” Dom wrote; “When I was a teenager, growing up in Brooklyn, New York, I was in charge of one household job that was all mine – the straightening of bent nails. I got to be very good at it. My father’s workbench had an enormous vise with a convenient flat area that was great for straightening nails. You would have to tap in this direction and that direction and those wounded nails would almost look okay. I was also asked from time to time to nail one of these straightened creatures, and it was oh so hard to get one of those babies in the wood because you would have to tap the head of the nail like this and it would bend and then you would have to tap it from the northwest while applying pressure in the southeast if you were to sink it. I always hammered those used nails in and bent them of course, and then I’d flatten the side of the nail into the wood and my father’s angry voice would go up an octave or two.”
Dom went on; “I shall never forget the day in wood shop at school. The teacher handed me some brand-new nails and I was shocked: You mean that people actually used new nails? You gotta be kidding! I couldn’t believe it. You can imagine how betrayed I felt when I realized that the rest of the world was using new nails to hold their wood together.” That was Dom.
Every Saturday was a new and exciting experience with Dom on the radio program. We looked forward with great anticipation to the poignant story or comedic zinger that would characteristically accompany his recipe. Dom’s delivery was deliberate and filled with emotion. It was like experiencing great opera. As Dom approached the end of his creation, we were usually in tears and saliva was dripping from our chins. It was Pavlovian. Dom also did a yeoman’s job of helping us tackle home fix-up questions. He had a genuine interest in home repair and more often than not came up with a solution that made great sense and was completely doable. That was Dom.
Among the things that we will most miss about Dom – besides his cooking – are his stories. Not only did he have an unlimited supply of stories to share, his delivery and timing were superb. He was the consummate storyteller. It was always thrilling to hear his stories about working in the entertainment industry. How exciting it must have been to work with so many stars over the nearly 50 years that spanned his career.
We shall always cherish the time that we had together and will forever hold Dom close to our hearts. We extend our heartfelt condolences to Dom’s wife Carol and their three sons, Peter, Michael and David and their families. They were the center of Dom’s universe and personify the meaning of the word “family.” We will always be grateful to Dom for making us feel like part of his family.
Dom always ended every telephone conversation with the words; “Big Hug, Big Kiss.” Well Dom, for you our dear, sweet friend; Big Hug, Big Kiss.”
The DeLuise family thanks you for your thoughts and prayers at this time and would like to take this moment to say, "It's easy to mourn to his death, but easier to remember a time when he made you laugh."
The Elixir Fund, www.elixirfund.org
The Lily Sanctuary, www.lilysanctuary.org
Hydrocephalus Foundation, Inc., www.hydrocephalus.org
The Pearl S. Buck Foundation, www.pearl-s-buck.org
