Leonard and Rickles Wage
War of Words for Insulter Title

By MARK HAMMEL

Fat Jack E. Leonard, the first of the insult comics, is feeling the heat these days from Don Rickles, who became a big star stealing the style that put Jack E. on the celebrity map. But Jack still considers himself "too big a star" to worry about competition.

"Ah, Rickles, he's my road company," quipped Jack when asked about any real threat from "Mr. Warmth." "He got everything from me," Jack continued. "He's big, real big, but I'll tell you I can still destroy Don Rickles."

Jack did just that recently in Las Vegas, where Rickles was breaking all sorts of house records. Jack went to see his loose-lipped rival perform. When Rickles saw Jack in the audience, the battle of the lips began.

"I got up on the stage and killed him," said Jack, "I say 'listen you little nothing, why don't you keep following me like you've always done?'

"So Rickles gets nervous and starts rubbing his legs. I say 'what's the matter with you, you got venereal disease or what? Say something of your own why don't you?' Rickles was destroyed. He couldn't say anything. Finally he just broke up laughing. I got him."

Jack at 59 is still very quick with a line and unbeatable with an insult. When performing, he wears a suit two sizes too small, which makes him look like an over stuffed turkey.

Leonard has comic charisma. You can't help but laugh when he comes rolling out on stage, peering through his glasses, waving an old battered straw hat. The only thing that's missing is a torn undershirt and a can of beer.

Jack gained new national exposure when he started intruding on TV talk shows. Guests who appeared with Jack were often horrified by his brashness. He didn't care who he offended as long as it got some reaction.

When Jerry Lewis was hosting the Tonight Show, Jack was on as a guest when the talk got to the subject of Lewis' son Gary, a well known pop singer. Fat Jack was ready.

"Let me tell you a few things about your son," Jack said, motioning to Lewis. First of all he's a lousy singer. And second of all, he's not your son, he's mine." Did that blow Lewis' mind? You bet it did! Jack doesn't appear on talk shows much anymore, only as favors.

"There's too many of them," he said. "It's gotten to the point that they can't find people. I'll be in New York at 20 till 6, and the phone will ring, and it's Merv Griffin. He's got his own show in a half an hour and he needs me.

"I don't even watch 'em that much. Even Johnny Carson. He's too damned cute. I can't watch 'em."

Jack is in big demand on the night club circuit, but he thinks the nightclub business is dead.

"The downtown clubs are dead. No one wants to come out and walk the streets. In Detroit, there's not even a nightclub anymore. You've got to go over to Canada. I tell you, this is getting bad.

"The only places the big comedians can play in this country are New York, Vegas and Chicago. Even Miami is no good anymore, everyone's buying those condominiums and staying away from the hotels. Sinatra, he doesn't even go to Miami anymore."

Leonard feels that it takes years of training and experience to become a great comic. "No one can just walk out on a stage with some good jokes and suddenly become great", said Jack.

"There're no great comedians under 50, there can't be. To be great you have to be around all those years, get kicked around a little bit. You just don't start telling jokes and become great.