Nobody’s feelings were spared at the Dean Martin Roasts. The celebrities weren’t able to take themselves too seriously because they were all the subject of jokes. But, that’s why Hollywood’s A-List of the day wanted to attend and we wanted to tune in to the Roasts on our televisions.
Man of the Hour Sammy Davis, Jr.
One of the most memorable roasts was when Sammy Davis, Jr. was the Man of the Hour. Sammy was in the Rat Pack with Dean Martin, so the pair had a special friendship.
Dean rolled out the red carpet in 1975 for his pal Sammy so of course, Foster Brooks was there to honor Mr. Show Business.
Dean Martin introduced Brooks as the Chairman of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. Foster couldn’t quite get Sammy’s name right. Everyone was howling with laughter throughout Foster’s performance.
He even had to hit Dean Martin to settle him down. Don Rickles might have been laughing harder than anyone.
Sammy Davis, Jr. thoroughly enjoyed this good-natured ribbing from Foster Brooks. Nothing was sacred during this drunk performance!
Watching the video below might cause your side to hurt from laughing so hard. It’s that funny!
Foster Brooks Brings Down the House
Foster Brooks is probably my favorite performer at these Roasts. He brought down the house every time!
Sammy was laughing so hard that his tongue was sticking out! Television was so fun to watch back then.
Comedians were able to be hilarious without even swearing and everyone dressed sharp.
Sammy wasn’t someone who took himself too seriously. He called himself “the only black, Puerto Rican, one-eyed, Jewish entertainer in the world.”
At 5’6″ and 120 pounds, he couldn’t be sensitive to anyone’s jokes.
He loved laughing and having a good time, even at his own expense. He was an extraordinary performer who helped break through a lot of racial barriers of the day.
Why Wasn’t Don Rickles In The Rat Pack?
Besides his laugh and his outrageous humor, Rickles was actually a “cool” guy, too – he was best friends with Frank Sinatra!
He once sat down with Billy Crystal to chat about Frankie, and the reasons why Rickles was never in the infamous troupe. Take a look!
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