Rodney Dangerfield Biography (1922?-)

Original name, Jacob Cohen; name legally changed to Rodney Dangerfield; bornNovember 22, 1922 (some sources cite 1921), in Babylon, NY; married Joyce Indig (a singer), 1949 (divorced, 1961); married Joan Child (an owner of a floral business), December 26, 1993; children: (first marriage) Brian, Melanie. Addresses: Office: Dangerfield's, 1118 First Ave., New York, NY.; Agent:Harry Gold, Gold Liedtke Associates, 3500 West Olive Ave., Suite 1400, Burbank, CA 91505; (voice work) Cunningham/Escott/Dipene and Associates, 10635 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 140, Los Angeles, CA 90025.

Nationality: American
Gender: Male
Occupation: Comedian, actor, writer, producer
Birth Details: November 22, 1922?; Babylon, New York, United States

Famous Works

CREDITS
Film Appearances
Renaldi/The Bat, The Projectionist, Ted Maron, 1971
Al Czervik, Caddyshack, Warner Bros., 1980
Monty Capoletti, Easy Money, Orion, 1983
Thornton Melon, Back to School, Orion, 1986
Loan broker, Moving, Warner Bros., 1988
Voice of title character, Rover Dangerfield (animated), Warner Bros., 1991
Chester Lee, Ladybugs, Paramount, 1992
Ed Wilson, Natural Born Killers, Warner Bros., 1994
Himself, Casper, 1995
Title role, Meet Wally Sparks, Trimark Pictures, 1997
Mayor Johnny Hunt, Casper: A Spirited Beginning (also known as Casper: The Beginning and Casper II: Ghost Central Station), Twentieth Century-Fox Home Entertainment, 1997
The Rodfather, The Godson, Sterling Home Entertainment, 1998
Voice of Bandit the rabbit, Rusty: The Great Rescue (also known asRusty: A Dog's Tale), 1998
Crew member below deck, Pirates: 3D Show, Busch Entertainment/Renaissance Entertainment, 1999
Monte Peterson, My 5 Wives, Artisan Entertainment, 2000
Lucifer, Little Nicky, New Line Cinema, 2000
G-d, Everything's George, Sierra Mar Productions, 2000
Himself (in archive footage), Pornstar: The Legend of Ron Jeremy,Maelstrom Entertainment, 2001
Lupo, The 4th Tenor, Imageworks Entertainment International, 2002
Jake Puloski, Back by Midnight, 2002
Film Work
Executive producer, Rover Dangerfield (animated), Warner Bros., 1991
Producer, Meet Wally Sparks, Trimark Pictures, 1997
Producer, My 5 Wives, Artisan Entertainment, 2000
Coproducer, The 4th Tenor, Imageworks Entertainment International,2002
Television Appearances
Specials
The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World of the Super Bowl, NBC, 1977
Happy Birthday, Las Vegas, 1977
The Robert Klein Show, NBC, 1981
Host, The Rodney Dangerfield Special: It's Not Easy Bein' Me (alsoknown as The Rodney Dangerfield Show: It's Not Easy Bein' Me), ABC, 1982
Host, The Rodney Dangerfield Special: I Can't Take It No More (also known as The Rodney Dangerfield Show: I Can't Take It No More), ABC,1983
The Making of "Easy Money," 1983
Himself (in archival footage), The Great Standups (also known as The Great Standups: Sixty Years of Laughter), 1984
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: 23rd Anniversary, NBC, 1985
Host, Rodney Dangerfield: Exposed, ABC, 1985
Rodney Dangerfield Hosts the 9th Annual Young Comedians Show, HBO,1985
"Rodney Dangerfield: It's Not Easy Bein' Me," On Location, HBO, 1986
Host, Will Rogers: Look Back in Laughter (also known as Will Rogers: An American Hero), HBO, 1987
"Rodney Dangerfield: Nothin' Goes Right" (also known as "Nothin' Goes Right" and "Rodney Dangerfield: Nothin' Is Easy"), On Location, HBO, 1988
"Rodney Dangerfield `Opening Night at Rodney's Place,'" On Location, HBO, 1989
Time Warner Presents the Earth Day Special, ABC, 1990
"Rodney Dangerfield's The Really Big Show," HBO Comedy Hour, HBO,1991
It's Lonely at the Top, 1992
A Tribute to Sam Kinison, Fox, 1993
A Comedy Salute to Andy Kaufman, NBC, 1995
The Life and Death of Sam Kinison: The E! True Hollywood Story, E!Entertainment Television, 1996
Jim Carrey: The Joker's Wild, Arts and Entertainment, 1996
Steve Allen's 75th Birthday Celebration, PBS, 1997
Rodney Dangerfield's 75th Birthday Toast, HBO, 1997

Vendor, Sea World and Busch Gardens Adventures: Alien Vacation!, CBS, 1997
Himself (in archive footage), A Really Big Show: Ed Sullivan's 50th Anniversary, 1998
Sam Kinison: Why Did We Laugh?, Comedy Central, 1999
Comedy Central Presents Behind-the-Scenes at the American Comedy Awards, Comedy Central, 1999
Episodic
The Ed Sullivan Show, multiple appearances, CBS, between 1967 and1971
On Broadway Tonight, CBS, 1964
Guest panelist, The Hollywood Squares, 1978
"The Day the Gambling Stopped," Vegas, ABC, 1980
Host, Saturday Night Live (also known as NBC's Saturday Night, Saturday Night, and SNL), NBC, 1980
Late Night with David Letterman, 1986
The Jerry Springer Show, syndicated, 1991
Voice of Larry Burns, "Burns Baby Burns," The Simpsons (animated),Fox, 1996
Artie, "Cold Turkey," Suddenly Susan, NBC, 1996
Himself, "Kept Man," The Single Guy, NBC, 1996
Saturday Night Live (also known as NBC's Saturday Night, Saturday Night, and SNL), NBC, 1996
Saturday Night Special, 1996
Host, Mad TV, 1996
Himself, "Mercy Killing," Night Stand, 1997
Himself, "Thanksgiving," Home Improvement, ABC, 1997
"Day Planner," Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist, 1997
The Howard Stern Show, 1997
Penn and Teller's Sin City Spectacular (also known as Sin CitySpectacular), FX, 1998
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, 2001
Dangerfield made more than seventy appearances on The Tonight Show, NBC; also appeared in episodes of In Living Color, The Late LateShow with Craig Kilborn, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, This IsYour Life, Toast of the Town, and What's My Line.
Series
The Dean Martin Show (also known as The Dean Martin Comedy Hour), NBC, 1972-1973
Pilots
Manager, Benny and Barney: Las Vegas Undercover (also known as Benny and Barney, the Aristocrats and Las Vegas Undercover), NBC,1977
Where's Rodney? (also known as Oh, Rodney, Rodney Jr., and Young Rodney), NBC, 1990
Awards Presentations
The 59th Annual Academy Awards Presentation, ABC, 1987
The 9th Annual American Comedy Awards, ABC, 1995
The 10th Annual American Comedy Awards, ABC, 1996
Television Work
Specials
Executive producer, Rodney Dangerfield Hosts the 9th Annual Young Comedians Special, HBO, 1985
Executive producer, "Rodney Dangerfield's The Really Big Show," HBO Comedy Hour, HBO, 1991
Producer, It's Lonely at the Top, 1992
Executive producer, Rodney Dangerfield's 75th Birthday Toast, HBO,1997
Stage Appearances
Rodney Dangerfield on Broadway!, Mark Hellinger Theatre, New YorkCity, 1988
RECORDINGS
Albums
I Don't Get No Respect, Bell, 1980
Rappin' Rodney, RCA Victor, 1983
Easy Money (soundtrack recording), Columbia, 1983
What's in a Name, MCA Special Products, 1988
Rodney Dangerfield--The Loser, Decca, 1990
Videos
Rodney, Guide to Golf Style and Etiquette, 1995
Adam Sandler Goes to Hell, New Line Home Video, 2001
Appeared in the music video "Tell Her about It" by Billy Joel.
WRITINGS
Screenplays
Easy Money, Orion, 1983
Rover Dangerfield (animated), Warner Bros., 1991
(With Harry Basil) Meet Wally Sparks, Trimark Pictures, 1997
My 5 Wives, Artisan Entertainment, 2000
The 4th Tenor, Imageworks Entertainment International, 2002
Film Music
(With Billy Tragesser) Rover Dangerfield (animated), Warner Bros.,1991
Television Specials
The Rodney Dangerfield Special: It's Not Easy Bein' Me (also knownas The Rodney Dangerfield Show: It's Not Easy Bein' Me), ABC, 1982
The Rodney Dangerfield Special: I Can't Take It No More (also known as The Rodney Dangerfield Show: I Can't Take It No More), ABC, 1983
Rodney Dangerfield: Exposed, ABC, 1985
"Rodney Dangerfield: It's Not Easy Bein' Me," On Location, HBO, 1986
"Rodney Dangerfield: Nothin' Goes Right" (also known as "Nothin' Goes Right" and "Rodney Dangerfield: Nothin' Is Easy"), On Location, HBO, 1988
"Rodney Dangerfield's The Really Big Show," HBO Comedy Hour, HBO,1991
It's Lonely at the Top, 1992
Rodney Dangerfield's 75th Birthday Toast, HBO, 1997
Videos
Guide to Golf Style and Etiquette, 1995
Books
I Couldn't Stand My Wife's Cooking so I Opened a Restaurant, Jonathan David, 1972
I Don't Get No Respect, Price, Stern (Los Angeles), 1973

Further Reference

ADAPTATIONS

The film Back to School, released by Orion in 1986, was based on astory by Dangerfield, Greg Fields, and Dennis Snee.

OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals

Esquire, May, 1992, p. 49; October, 2000, pp. 174-75
People Weekly, January 27, 1997, p. 37; December 24, 2001, p. 15
Time Out New York, February 6, 1997

Electronic

Rodney Dangerfield, http://www.rodney.com, December 23, 2002

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