Born Jacob Cohen and initially going by the stage name of Jack Roy, the 19-year old Rodney Dangerfield ventured into the world of stand-up only to find disappointment. After nine years of going nowhere, he completely dropped out of showbiz and, to support his family, sold household aluminum siding. Twenty-five years later, at the age of 45, Rodney decided to give comedy another try, appearing in clubs at night while still selling siding during the day. He ultimately found success, due to luck, persistence and his enormous comedic talent.
On March 5th 1967, he appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show for the first time. Having seen what the show had done for other comics like Richard Pryor on The Ed Sullivan Show and Joan Rivers on The Ed Sullivan Show, Rodney knew that he was finally getting somewhere. Luckily for viewers, Dangerfield had twenty-five years worth of pent-up comedy when he finally “made it.” He appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show a total of 17 times between 1967 and 1971. Audiences loved his stand-up routines and related to his famous catchphrase, “I don’t get no respect! No respect at all…” His self-deprecating style of comedy, ranging from childhood stories to shopping trip tales, to problems with his wife always resonated with middle America.
Here's a classic performance by Rodney Dangerfield on the The Ed Sullivan Show in 1969.
Enjoy!
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