A Funny Thing Happened . . .
Like a lot of other people, I was sad to hear that Dom DeLuise had passed away earlier this week. I always loved his "Godfather" parody in Robin Hood: Men in Tights and work in other Mel Brooks movies like Blazing Saddles and History of the World: Part I. Yet at the same time, I felt like I didn't have a special connection to the guy. Three movies hardly qualify a devastating reaction on my part.
However, after looking through his IMDb profile, I realized that DeLuise was actually a much bigger part of my childhood than I realized.
I first noticed the pattern when his bit part on The Muppet Movie popped up. While I don't really remember him in that movie, I loved it when I was younger. Then came two animated movies that I watched way too many times when I was in elementary school: The Secret of NIMH and An American Tail. That first one may seem a little obscure now, but all the kids in my class who had to read the book, including me, naturally flocked to the movie version at the time. And An American Tail? What'90s kid didn't love Fievel and the rest of the Mousekewitz family?
DeLuise's resume continued to feature staples of any '90s childhood. Next up was the Disney reworking of Oliver Twist called Oliver & Company, adorable animals included. His animal-themed movie from the following year however, really cemented him as an icon for children: All Dogs Go to Heaven. Not only was he involved in this classic kids' movie, he was one of the lead characters, Itchy Itchiford. You know, the little dog with the backwards baseball cap? Yep, we have Dom to thank for him.
I could continue dissecting DeLuise's past work, which also includes A Troll in Central Park and a stint on Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, but the point I'm trying to make here is that he shouldn't just be remembered for his admittedly hilarious work with Mel Brooks. He was making kids laugh way before they could appreciate a Brooks parody. Even if he was usually just a voice behind some beloved character, he was an enormous presence in '80s and '90s children's movies that will truly be missed. For while any Mel Brooks regular is a gifted comedian, one who cares that much about kids is extraordinary.