Don Rickles has been insulting so many people for so many decades, you'd think they'd be itching to turn the tables on the guy. But no - praise for Rickles is effusive in "Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project."

Among the many stars singing Rickles' virtues are Clint Eastwood, Robert De Niro, Whoopi Goldberg, Bob Newhart, Sidney Poitier, Martin Scorsese, Jay Leno, George Lopez, Chris Rock and John Landis, who directed the film and first met Rickles 40 years ago as a lowly production assistant on the set of the film "Kelly's Heroes." Rickles is also known for his roles in "Run Silent Run Deep," "Casino" and "Toy Story."

"Mr. Warmth" includes footage from recent Rickles performances, as he wades into the audience at Vegas showrooms seeking out new people to snipe at, as well as the comic's own recollections of his life.

Rickles, 81, spoke recently with LA.COM (and didn't insult us!) about the film, his career and hockey pucks.

Q: Why did you decide to do a film like this now?

A: My son (Larry, a producer on the film) has been asking me for months and years. Never had my performance been filmed, because I thought it wouldn't be done right. But finally my son came along, and he had John Landis with him, and I thought, "I must be a part of this." On "Kelly's Heroes," (Landis) was the guy who brought me coffee and cake. When I was working for him on (the 1992 film) "Innocent Blood," I told him, "Just bring me coffee, no cake." Everyone interviewed were all asked unbeknownst to me. I was surprised to see Sidney Poitier, since he's not so much for doing that sort of thing. Neither is De Niro, so I was pleased to see him.

Most of them spoke in fun, though Sidney was more serious, so I enjoyed that.

Q: In the film, you recall how difficult it was to get your wife Barbara to laugh when you met her. What got her to laugh?

A: That was 42 years ago. The thing that got her to laugh is that she married me.

She's bright and aware. She's very low-key. I'll get through with a show and come backstage and say, "Honey, the show went great," and she'll say (dryly), "Let's go to dinner." Not that she didn't enjoy it, but she has an even balance to her. It makes it kind of great, rather than having a wife who's constantly saying, "Isn't he the greatest?" That wouldn't suit my personality.

Q: There's much fond remembrance of the Vegas of the '60s. How would you compare '60s Vegas to today?

A: When I first went there, there was a lot of sand and few hotels. The great part of working for the mob, which I like to call the "group of men," is you knew the boss, you hung out with the people who hired you. It was more of a family working together. Now it's big corporate stuff, it's family oriented, which is fine. But back then, if you wanted to throw a big party for 300 people, you'd just call the boss, and he'd say fine, go ahead and get you a room.

Now, it's more of a rigmarole. Back then, there wasn't the atmosphere or the politics of today.

Q: You first wanted to be an actor. Did your acting career go as planned?

A: Not really - my act caught on quickly, and by the time I started working in film, my stage show took up a great deal of time, and the money was good. Some producers, I think, were a little afraid of me, but even though I insulted people I was never mean-spirited - otherwise, I wouldn't have headlined for 55 years. Every film I was in I worked with someone who liked me personally. But I have no regrets. At the time, I couldn't do both stage and films.

But I've done the whole cycle. At age 81 to get this sort of recognition, it's like putting a top on the bottle. At this stage in life, it's great to receive these accolades.

Q: What did a hockey puck ever do to you for you to turn it into an insult?

A: I'm asked this all the time, and for the life of me, I can't figure out.I always did a lot of ad-libbing, and 30, 40 years ago, I just said to someone, "Don't be a hockey puck." It had a funny sound to it, and so that stuck with me. In no time at all, people would come down the street and say to me, "Rickles, you hockey puck!"

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MR. WARMTH: THE DON RICKLES PROJECT

What: Star-studded documentary examining the life and career of the original insult comic.

Where: HBO.

When: 8 p.m. Sunday, also 2:30 and 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, 10 p.m. Friday, 4:30 p.m. Dec. 9, 10 a.m. Dec. 13.