Celebrating the Popular Tradition of the New York Friars Club Roasts

If you are under 50 years old, you probably associate comedy celebrity roasts with Comedy Central. However, the New York Friars Club originated the comedy roast format in the 1950s, and comedians and celebrities were not the original targets.

The Friars Club opened as the Press Agent’s Association in 1904. In its early years, the fraternal social club members were representatives of the Broadway theatre scene. Several years later, this private social club began accepting comedians, actors, and musicians as members.

From its inception, the Friars Club held annual toasts for one of its noted members, including such theatrical luminaries as Oscar Hammerstein in 1908. These annual toasts eventually evolved into comedy roasts. In 1950, comedians Joe E. Lewis and Sam Levenson became the first New York Friars Club members to be roasted.

In the early 60s, NBC began televising the private events as part of its Kraft Music Hall series, and the network eventually moved the coverage of the event to the Dean Martin Show in the 70s. Comedy Central carried on the tradition by airing the annual event from 1998 to 2002 before starting its own Comedy Central Celebrity Roasts.

Why Are Celebrity Roasts So Funny?

During the Friars Club’s annual roasts, celebrity panelists and the roast master combine heartfelt tributes with cringe-worthy insults intended to make the honoree wince and laugh at the same time. These events often seem like a competition to see who can be the most vulgar and cruel. However, all the verbal jabs remain in the spirit of the Friars Club motto, “We only roast the ones we love.” This combination has become a hit comedic formula.

The Best Friars Club Celebrity Roasts

Since the televised years, Friars Club Roasts have continued the tradition in a more low-key way. However, you can view many of the most famous Friars Club Roasts on YouTube and other online video catalogs. In addition, there are videos featuring roasts of past and contemporary entertainment stars like Milton Berle, Robert De Niro, Lucille Ball, Whoopi Goldberg, Frank Sinatra, Jerry Lewis, and Chevy Chase.

Without a doubt, the Friars Club hosted many of the most memorable celebrity roasts in the genre’s history. Here are a few.

The King of Insulters, Don Rickles

Don Rickles made a career of insulting all sorts of people. He even got his first big break by insulting Frank Sinatra during one of his routines. However, on a Kraft Music Hall Friars Club Roast in 1968, Rickles took his turn as the target of funny put-downs from a panel of roasters including Milton Berle, Dick Cavett, Alan King, George C. Scott, and Henny Youngman.

Johnny Carson, the famous late-night TV host, handled the roast master’s duties for the night. During his introductory monologue, Carson mercilessly tore into his long-time friend’s life story with made-up details and stinging humor. He even brought up Rickles’ failed ABC television show. Nevertheless, Don took every jab from each panelist with plenty of laughs before getting his rebuttal at the show’s end.

After becoming a regular panelist on Dean Martin’s Celebrity Roasts, Rickles had plenty of opportunities to get revenge on his Friars Club colleagues. However, his most memorable celebrity roast performance occurred when he roasted then-California Governor Ronald Reagan.

Lucille Ball, The First Woman Roasted

The Friars Club was off-limits to women until 1988, but the club honored two female celebrities before then. The first female honoree was Lucille Ball in 1961. As a sign of that era, the male roasters avoided using four-letter words. However, Milton Berle jokingly referred to her as “Lucille Testicle.”

Lucille Ball eventually became a full-fledged member of the New York Friars Club. In 2008, the club paid tribute to her by dedicating one of its chambers in her name. It was the first time in its 115-year history the New York Friars Club paid tribute to a woman in this manner.

Sammy Davis Jr., Man of the Hour

In 1975 on the Dean Martin Celebrity Roast, entertainment legend Sammy Davis was the target of razor-sharp and hilarious ribbing from a panel of his fellow Friars Club Members. Also, since Sammy and Dean were fellow rat packers, the legendary entertainers shared a special friendship in which nothing was off-limits, including race, religion, or physical stature. The list of roasters included Milton Berle, Nipsy Russell, Freddie Prinze, Don Rickles, Phillis Diller, Dion Warwick, and Foster Brooks.

Although this large group of Hollywood A-listers came armed with some of the best comedic material ever, Foster Brooks stole the show as he seemed to struggle with Sammy’s name during his entire routine. Through the course of his routine, Brooks had everyone rolling in laughter as he used his patented drunk performance style to stumble through a slew of backhanded comments about Sammy’s wild lifestyle and talent.

Plus, legendary singer Dion Warwick added a unique moment when she revealed that she and Sammy had dated each other early in her career. She quipped that she started singing Gospel music at the age of 6, and Sammy began breaking the ten commandments at the age of 7. However, Sammy Davis Jr. took all the verbal jabs in stride, noting that, “The day they stop making fun of you is the day they no longer give a damn about you.”

The Friars Roast Legacy

The New York Friars Club’s glory days may be behind it, but there is no denying that the club’s celebrity roasts hold a coveted spot in entertainment history. In its heyday, the venue provided a safe place for comedians and other celebrities to push social and political values to the brink. In addition, they offered a candid view of some of the most talented people ever.