On Conan, Bob Newhart remembers meeting Don Rickles, and the joke thief who changed Newhart’s career

On Monday night’s Conan, Bob Newhart reminisced about his dearly departed friend, Don Rickles — they and their wives were fast friends for five decades. Newhart recalled the first night he and his wife got to see Rickles perform live in Las Vegas. Even though Rickles was performing late-night in a casino lounge, while Newhart was performing in another casino’s mainstage, Rickles knew just how to level the playing field.

Newhart also told Conan O’Brien about how a joke thief — whom Newhart declined to name, even though the thief has died — changed Newhart’s career. He had thought about becoming a comedy writer and selling jokes, but decided after this to tell them all himself.

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

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