Dom DeLuise passes at 75

Some of my younger readers may not be familiar with the comedic actor Dom DeLuise. Some might just know him as a chef. But that would be a severe misunderstanding as this was a very funny and accomplished man.

Dom DeLuise was not just an actor. He was a director, an actor, writer of several children's books, and a chef. Which says nothing of his being a father to 3 sons, each of which went on to have success of their own.

If you were alive in the 1980's you could not miss DeLuise. He was in a host of movies with Burt Reynolds including: Canonball Run, Smokey and the Bandit II, and All Dogs Go To Heaven. If you are a fan of Mel Brook's movies you again would note DeLuise as he was in Blazing Saddles, Spaceballs, Robin Hood: Men In Tights to name just a few. But he was a biger actor than just this selection of his work. He was in Johnny Dangerously with Michael Keaton. He was star of his own ABC hour-long comedy show. And if you wondered about his range, pay attention to the original Fail-Safe to see him in a serious role. He even did operetta at the Metropolitan Opera.

This is no small career. His career spanned 50 years, just counting movies and television. 67 movies, 33 television series or shows, the voice of over a dozen animated characters, 7 children's books, and 4 cookbooks. All this from a man from Brooklyn who lived a quiet life, never on the tabloids or in scandals.

Dom DeLuise may not have been the leading man or mega-star status of Burt Reynolds, or other Hollywood entertainers, but he was a fixture of Hollywood in the way that counts most. He helped make the movies and television shows he was in better. He worked consistently because he was skilled. He was a good man.

I am saddened to hear of his loss. Though there is some comfort to know that he passed in his sleep, without pain or suffering. For 50 years Dom DeLuise gave the world laughter and a reason to smile, such a loss cannot go without being noticed.

My condolences to his family and friends.

All it takes is a phone call and a dream

Timing is everything

This truism applies to everything in life. From buying or selling stocks, hitting a baseball, crossing the street, asking someone out on a date to getting a starring role in a opera.

Yes, starring in an opera.

Adriano Graziani is the well-fated man who called into the Welsh National Opera – planning to get tickets for Friends of Welsh National Opera performance – and wound up getting an offer for the lead role. Not only did he take the offer, his performance was so strong that he will now star in that opera company’s production of La Bohème in 2009.

Now before every opera hopeful starts dialing the Metropolitian Opera, there is a bit more to the story. Graziani was a student at the Cardiff International Academy of Voice, and part-time singer when not at his full-time banking job. So they had heard him sing before. In addition the lead tenor had taken ill that day, and Graziani is a tenor.

So it was a combination of a lot of work before hand, talent, and timing that all came together. But once they did it was lightning in a bottle.

It’s kind of like Paul Potts – the winner of the Britain's Got Talent television show. I featured a video of Potts before in the post The uplifting theme of 2007



Like they always say,

Success is 90% hard work and 10% luck