Don Novello
A sly comic writer and performer who created the blissfully inept Father Guido Sarducci, a character that skewered celebrity and sanctity with a beatific smile.
Born 1943 (age 83)·American comedian and actor·Birthday: January 1·The Silent Generation
Biography
Don Novello carved out a unique niche in American comedy as a master of deadpan absurdity, most famously through his signature creation, Father Guido Sarducci. The character, a chain-smoking, gossip-columnist Vatican priest with a thick accent and a worldly glint in his eye, became a staple of 'Saturday Night Live' in the 1970s and '80s. Sarducci's interviews and monologues delivered sharp, subtle satire on religion, media, and fame, all wrapped in a guise of benevolent cluelessness. Beyond the collar, Novello's career showcased his versatility as a writer for shows like 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour' and films such as 'The Blues Brothers,' and as the author of the humorous 'Lazlo Letters,' where he penned faux complaints to corporations. His work, always underpinned by a writer's intelligence, proved that the most effective satire often comes from a character who seems only mildly amused by the madness around them.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Don was born in 1943, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Don Was Born
The biggest hits of 1943
#1 Movie
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Best Picture
Casablanca
Don's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1943Born
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1948Started school
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1956Became a teenager
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1959Could drive
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1961Could vote
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1964Turned 21
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1973Turned 30
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1983Turned 40
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 50
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 60
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 70
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 80
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 83 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- He created and performed the iconic satirical character Father Guido Sarducci on 'Saturday Night Live.'
- He was an Emmy Award-winning writer for his work on 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.'
- He authored 'The Lazlo Letters,' a bestselling book of humorous fabricated correspondence with corporations and politicians.
Did You Know?
He worked as an advertising copywriter in Chicago before breaking into comedy.
He played the role of a Vatican news anchor in the film 'The Godfather Part III.'
His Father Sarducci character's 'Five-Minute University' sketch proposed teaching only the remembered essence of a college education.
“The Pope? He's a nice guy, but he never returns my phone calls.”
