Monday, Sep. 26, 2011
Rodney Dangerfield
"I don't get no respect" may have been Rodney Dangerfield's signature catchphrase, but his movies Caddyshack and Back to School suggest otherwise. His woe-is-me shtick winningly translated from the stand-up pulpit to the big screen, resulting in huge popularity for the bug-eyed comic. With his daffy grin and bulbous features, he was hardly the leading-man prototype, but his comedic timing and delivery were enough to propel him toward top-billing roles. Even though he carefully orchestrated his schmucky persona, Dangerfield lamented that most people didn't know him for his more intelligent real self. But if his bumbling-failure act helmed such classics, why mess with the formula?