Heaven knows that the late Dom DeLuise found himself in numerous terrible projects (Cannonball Run II, Haunted Honeymoon, The Silence of the Hams, etc.), but every once in a while (usually thanks to Mel Brooks), he would find himself in a comedy that best employed his talents. Here, in chronological order, are his five funniest film roles.
1. As the Emperor in History of the World: Part I (1981).
2. As Melvin P. Thorpe in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982).
3. As the voice of Tiger in An American Tail (1986) and An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991).
4. As Pizza the Hutt in Spaceballs (1987).
5. As the Brando-esque Don Giovanni in Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993).
This article appears in May 5-12, 2009.
Oh heck no, do not disrespect the classic that was Cannonball Run 2. Yes those five you listed are highlights in his career but so are both Cannonball Runs and his appearence in Smokey And The Bandit as the doctor with the elephant. He will be missed by a generation who loved those movies.