Dangerfield finally gets a little respect.
NEWYORK—Asaboy growing up inKew Gardens, Queens, Jacob Cohen got no respect.
Hismanymenial jobs included delivering groceries to wealthy neighbors. He endured anti-Semi ti sm. He played baseball for a shabbily out fitted team again state am from the more celebrated Forest Hills neighborhood next door, said Carl Ball en as, alocalhistorian.
That disadvantaged boybecameRodney Danger field, a stand-up co median with a self deprecating style based on his woeful up bringing in Kew Gardens.
Go ahead now, reader, and fidget with your imaginary neck tie, mop your beleaguered brow and stammer it, the way Rodney did: No respect, no respect at all,allright?
“The whole‘ no respect’ theme came from his environment ,” Ball en as said.“Kew Gardens was the birth place, the formation of his themed monologues and catchphrase.”
Eager to confer a measure of respect upon Danger field and uponKew Gardens, Ball en as and some of the students at the school where he teaches helped get a memorial plaque made to honor Danger field, who diedin2004at82.
Ball en as watched it being installed last Friday in a small green space next to theKew Gardens station for the Long Island Rail Road. Danger field lived in the neighborhood with his mother and sister in an apartment above what is now Austin’ s Ale House, one ofthebest-knownbarsin Queens.
As workers installed the memorial in anticipation of its formal unveiling this Friday, onlookers were eager torecallone-linersfromthe King of No Respect, often zingers based on uncaring parents, a poor up bringing and other aspect sofa troubledlife.
The plaque, which bore the comic’ s youthful image from his 1939 year book from Richmond Hill High School, lists three of his top film appearances: “Cad dy shack ,”“Easy Money” and “Back to School.”
Also listed are his 1981 Grammy-winning comedy record ,“No Respect ,” and his1983hip-hopsingle, “Rap pin’ Rodney ,” which, the plaque noted, reached No .83 on the Billboard charts.
Danger field was born on Long Island and lived in several New York City neighborhoods before moving with his mother and sister toKew Gardens int he early1930s when he was 10. He remained there throughout his teens.
His father abandoned the family and Danger field grew up“unloved and unwanted ,” with am other who withheld affection and kindness, said his widow, Joan Dangerfield.
“His mother convinced him too pena savings account one summer so he could save up for a football uniform ,” she said, in what sounded like a Danger field joke setup .“Then she stole his money.”
Joan Danger field, who lives in Los Angeles, said in an interview that her husband’ s routines were certainly inspired by the hardship of his boy hood, which included juggling jobs such as working at a snack bar, delivering eggs, selling magazines, delivering groceries, selling ice cream, setting bowling pins and being a barker at a theater.
Joan Danger field recalled that her husband used to joke about “‘ the time I was kidnapped and they sent back a piece of my finger tomyfather—hesaidhe wantedmoreproof.’”
Rodney Danger field occasionally came back to visit the old neighborhood, especially Bailey’ s, the bar that preceded Austin’ s Ale House in the same space.
“Hewouldcomein and break up the place for a few minutes” with an impromptu bit of comedy, said John Ryan, an owner of Austin’s.
Theplaquewillbe unveiled Friday evening during the opening events forthe10-dayKewGardens Festival of Cinema, which includes screening satKew Gardens Cinemas, a popular theater for independent and foreign films.
There are no Danger field films in the festival, said its founder, Jay son Sim ba. There will, however, be a screening of“The Witness ,” a documentary about Kitty Genove se, who was murdered outside herKew Gardens apartment in 1964 in one of the city’ s most infamous crimes.
Asithappens,the Danger fields’ old apartment is adjacent to where Genoveselived—an example of both“tragedy and comedy” residing above Austin’ s Ale House, as Mark Bo cc ia, another owner of the bar,observed.
TheGenovesecase became famous after The New York Times reported that the prolonged, brutal attack of Genove se was ignored by dozens of her neighbors. Some local shame over the attack lingers, along with resentment that the Times article itself has been criticized as having reported exaggerated aspects of the attack. In any case, Genove se has never been honored withaplaque.
Other local attempts to honor Danger field have had complications, including the Ale House’ s recent attempt to get a local street renamed Rodney Danger field Way. This failed after getting no respect—er,support— from theKew Gardens Civic Association or the local city councilwoman.
And a mural painted nearby last year by an Italian artist became contentious after Joan Danger field expressed her disappointment that it did not match a photo she had provided. After her suggested revisions were not made, she had a lawyer sendacease-and-desist letter demanding that the artwork be removed. For now, the mural remains.
Joan Danger field said she would like to see the wall painted over periodically with new renditions of Rodney Danger field by other local artists.
Ball en as said he had assigned a group of middle school honor students to research the comic’ s history inKew Gardens. The students, members of the Aquinas Honor Society at Immaculate Conception Catholic Academy in Jamaica Estates, held a bake sale to raise money and enlisted Joan Danger field’ s support in getting the plaque made and installed.
She conferred with the students by email on the plaque’ s details and wording and even donated one of his red ties and a pair of shoes to the collection of memorabilia the students were amassing for a display in Austin’ s Ale House.
Ball en as acknowledged that choosing Rodney Danger field as middle school curriculum might seem odd. But since many of the school’ s students are immigrants or children of immigrants, he decided that studying a Queens kid who learned the survival skills to triumph over his boy hood obstacles might prove useful for adapting to American culture.
“Rodney Dangerfield turned to humor ,” Ball en as said ,“and got people to laugh with him, not at him .”