Dom DeLuise died on Monday in Santa Monica after a prolonged illness at the age of 75.
Dom DeLuise's career ran over 45 years and included everything from serious dramas like 1964's Fail-Safe to flat-out farce's like the Mel Brooks comedies Blazing Saddles and History of the World: Part I. But anyone with an appetite for car movies will always remember him as Captain Chaos from 1981's Cannonball Run.
It was inspired superhero lunacy in a goofball movie that took its time actually getting around to the cross country car race it was supposed to be about. And in a film overstuffed with big names like Burt Reynolds, Farrah Fawcett-Majors, Sammy Davis, Jr., Dean Martin and Roger Moore, it was the only memorable performance. Well, okay, the late Jack Elam was pretty tremendous as Dr. Nikolas Van Helsing too.
Always graceful despite his girth, he was known not just for his ability to make people laugh but for his joyous embrace of all life had to offer. Besides being an actor he was also a noted cook and gourmand who would prepare elaborate meals for his family and friends and any strangers that happened to show up. His close friendship with Burt Reynolds meant that he not only appeared alongside him in Cannonball Run and its inferior 1984 sequel, but in Smokey and the Bandit II and at least four other films and dozens of times on television.
DeLuise leaves behind his wife of 44 years, actress Carol Arthur, his three sons, and three grandchildren.
Captain Chaos however, lives forever. -- Lee Pray, Contributor
editor_karl says:
02:36 PM, 05/ 5/09
A class act to be sure. Godspeed good sir.
rick8365 says:
07:46 PM, 05/ 6/09
Well said. RIP.