A Little Respect For Mr. Dangerfield Quiz

Answer: 1921

Rodney was born on November 22, 1921 in Babylon Long Island. He was the son of Jewish parents. His father was a vaudeville performer.

Answer: Jack Roy

Jack Roy was the name he chose. His father used the name Phil Roy, so Rodney was actually the son of Phil Roy. Rodney didn't do very well at first. He gave up performing after about nine years. Obviously, he didn't use Rodney Dangerfield as his name at that time. Philip Cohen was his father's birth name, and Jacob Cohen was his birth name.

Answer: All of them

Yes, he did all these jobs during the 1950s and early 1960s while not performing his comedy act. He was once quoted as saying "At the time I quit, I was the only one who knew I quit." He started on the road to rebuilding his career in the early 1960 by creating an "image" for himself that would result in the Dangerfield character we all came to know and love.

Answer: He was a last minute replacement on a television show.

The "Ed Sullivan Show", which was probably the most popular variety show in U.S. history (and could be very influential in the career of any act that performed on the show), needed a last minute replacement for another act. Dangerfield's first joke was "I get no respect.

When I was a kid I played hide and seek and they wouldn't even look for me", and he was on his way. Dangerfield's appearance on the show resulted in many, many calls to the CBS television network requesting more information on Dangerfield, and when he would appear again.

Answer: True

Rodney was a semi-regular guest on "The Tonight Show", especially during the tenure when Johnny Carson was there, also making a number of appearances during the tenure of Jay Leno. He was one of Carson's personal favorites, and if you can ever catch a clip or an old show when Dangerfield appeared, Carson spent most of the time in uncontrollable laughter.

Answer: True

He won for Best Comedy album in 1981 for his album titled appropriately "No Respect". This album also spawned an actual single that made it onto the Billboard charts called "Rappin Rodney" in which he "raps" some of his most famous one-liners with a group of girls singing a chorus of "no respect, no respect" in the background.

The song made VH-1's list of the "100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s" coming in at number 89.

Answer: Caddyshack

Rodney was in all four of the movies listed, but it was "Caddyshack" (1980), that established Rodney as a motion picture star. The film was about the travails of a young man who was a golf caddy one summer to earn money to go to college, and the cast of crazy characters he met along the way.

He ended up competing for the Caddy Scholarship, which was awarded annually. Rodney played the role of Al Czervik, the flamboyant, rowdy, real estate tycoon who played havoc with the establishment on the golf course, and ended up competing against a judge with a large wager on the line.

The young man was caddy for the judge, but switched allegence mid match and ended up getting the cash at the conclusion. This was ranked as one of the funniest films ever, with such stars as Chevy Chase, Bill Murray and Ted Knight in addition to Dangerfield.

Answer: Natural Born Killers

Stone directed all four pictures but Dangerfield's role was in "Natural Born Killers" (1994). The plot of the movie revolved around two lovers who went on a cross country killing spree, in part due to their abusive childhoods, and their portrayal in the news and media coverage that surrounded them.

Their M.O. was to attack a group of people and kill all but one, who would be left alive to tell what happened. It also recounted their eventual escape from prison after being caught. Dangerfield's role was that of an abusive father named Ed Wilson and his daughter was played by Juliette Lewis.

Answer: His trademark white shirt and red tie

The Smithsonian actually put his trademark white shirt and red tie on display in the 1990s. Rodney was once asked about the honor and his reply was "they are using the shirt to clean Charles Lindbergh's plane."

Answer: Rodney Dangerfield...There goes the neighborhood

This was his final epitaph, still waiting for the respect that he so richly deserved. Dangerfield passed away due to complications from brain surgery. The comedic community gave Rodney all the respect he really deserved and he lives on in the memory of those who enjoyed the work of this comedic genius.