The legendary Don Rickles is heading to mobile devices by bringing his unique style of comedy to smartphones and tablets. The Don Rickles Mr. Warmth App is now available to download from the iTunes App Store or Android Market for $2.99. The app turns portable gadgets into a laugh-out-loud night club featuring the renowned Don Rickles, who zings everyone and anything.
Fans of “Mr. Warmth” can shake their smartphone or tap Rickles’ animated head to hear a random zinger. Users can also choose from a variety of topical categories to hear Rickles’ wisecracks about celebrities, political candidates, sports stars, and many others. No one is spared – Sarah Palin, Snooki, Tiger Woods, Donald Trump, Paris Hilton, not even Oprah, or the giants of late night including David Letterman, Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel and Craig Ferguson. This application is sure to be a hit with “hockey pucks” who will enjoy new quips from Rickles, delivered in his classic style.
“After over 50 years in show business, going into the app world is exciting, even though I still have trouble with fast forwarding on my DVD player,” says Rickles.
The app features over 100 pointed zingers from Rickles himself, with read-along text that scrolls with the audio. Users can also share their favorites on Facebook, Twitter or email. App updates will include new and even tastier zingers.
The Don Rickles Mr. Warmth App was devised by MediaMine in conjunction with the Winbrook Entertainment production company. MediaMine is a media management company that consults with content and brand owners to realize the full potential of their assets.
“We recorded over four hours of new content that encapsulates Don’s comedic persona and stage act,” says MediaMine Co-Founder Barry Snyder. “Then we transcribed everything, employing MediaMine’s technology and expertise to create a manageable collection of assets, and oversaw the development of a unique app for sharing Rickles’ zingers.”
Rickles, who received two Primetime Emmy® Awards for the 2008 HBO Special Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project, earned the nicknames “The Merchant of Venom” and “Mr. Warmth” (coined affectionately by Johnny Carson) for his style of humor in which he pokes fun at people of all ethnicities and walks of life. Rickles began doing comedy after studying acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. When he began his career in the early 1950s, he started calling ill-mannered members of the audience “hockey puck,” a term associated with Rickles to this day.
Rickles has appeared in many movies and TV shows, including Casino, The Lucy Show, I Dream of Jeanie, Get Smart, Newhart, Murphy Brown, Saturday Night Live, C.P.O. Sharkey, Kelly’s Heroes, The Rat Race, Run Silent, Run Deep, and is the voice of Mr. Potato Head in the Toy Story films. Another memorable TV moment came in 1985 when, at the request of Frank Sinatra, Rickles performed at Ronald Reagan’s second inaugural ball. Rickles considers this a highlight of his career.
Rickles has also found success in the areas of live theater, recordings and books. He toured in the award-winning stage play “The Odd Couple,” starring alongside Ernest Borgnine. Rickles has had two best-selling albums, and authored “Rickles’ Book,” which landed on The New York Times Best Seller List.
More recently, Rickles joined Joe Pesci in an oft-seen commercial for Snickers candy bar, and made a surprise appearance in a “cliff-hanger” episode as the “thought to be dead” husband of Betty White’s character on the TV Land comedy Hot In Cleveland. He returned to that show for a second episode for the “payoff.”
His free-wheeling style has been beloved by talk show hosts, having appeared on Johnny Carson over 100 times. He is still a much sought after guest on the talk show circuit frequently appearing with the greats of late night television.
The Don Rickles Mr. Warmth App is available for iOS 4 or later and Android products, and is compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod Touch (3rd and 4th generation), and iPad. For more information on Don Rickles, visit www.donrickles.com, or follow Don on Twitter (@DonRickles).
For more information on MediaMine, visit www.media-mine.com.
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