I don’t know about you, but growing up as a kid in the early ’80s, comedies had a special quality to them that just isn’t around anymore, and for me, Dom DeLuise was one of those actors that just seemed to show up in all the fun movies that stuck in my mind. To this day, I can’t think of them without cracking a smile and wanting to watch them all over again.

To hear he died this past Tuesday at the age of 75 was indeed sad news, but in true DeLuise style, I thought it’d be fun to take a look at the good times he brought us.

Here are five films starring DeLuise (and more often than not, Burt Reynolds) that hold a special place in my heart:

Hot Stuff

Probably one the simplest and sweetest films of DeLuise’s career, Hot Stuff works around a fairly basic premise—a group of cops looking to get over on the bad guys set up their own fencing sting operation in hopes of catching thieves on videotape as they bring in their stolen goods. Add in the unknowing people off the street who think the cops’ storefront is nothing more than a pawn shop, some interference from the mob, DeLuise on the highest of highs and I’d say you’ve got comedy gold.

With a cast of familiar faces of the ’70s like Jerry Reed, Susan Pleshette, Ossie Davis and Luis Avalos, performances are spot-on for delivering both laughs and tender moments. DeLuise (also serving as director) pulls the most weight and adds his own special mix of comedy and heart to the flick.

The bad news is that you’ll be out of luck finding a copy of Hot Stuff anywhere on DVD. Your best bet is probably to catch it on cable sometime or dig out that old VCR (if you even still have one) for a copy on VHS.

Smokey and the Bandit II

Sure, the first Smokey and the Bandit was one of the highest grossing films of 1977 and a sequel was surely to be expected, but 1980′s Smokey and the Bandit II was something else entirely. There was the requisite black Trans-Am, an 18-wheeler, the Bandit, Snowman, Frog and Sheriff Buford T. Justice, but this go ’round saw two unexpected additions to the mix in the form of an pregnant elephant named Charlotte (a classy nod to the GOP) and DeLuise’s stranded gynecologist Frederico Carlucci.

For the uninitiated, Smokey and the Bandit II takes everything from the first film and amplifies it a hundred-fold, including more car chases, more stunts, more laughs and and in a way, more heart, thanks to that darn elephant and DeLuise’s doctor who just wants to take care of her. Whether your watching him get down to some Don Williams or take the Bandit to task for risking the life of said pachyderm, the addition of DeLuise to the cast seemed to only encourage more on-screen pairings with Burt Reynolds.

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas

First things first, I don’t traditionally take to musicals. One of the reasons I’ll forever remember The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas is because of the cast, including Burt Reynolds, Dolly Parton and of course, Dom DeLuise, in a role based on real-life Houston investigative reporter Marvin Zindler.

The other reason? Well, let’s just say that in 1982, a film titled The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas got no appreciation in my household, so there was a certain taboo associated with it based on the title alone. When I finally did get to see it years later, I was somewhat impressed that a musical with this raucous bunch actually worked for the most part.

The Cannonball Run/Cannonball Run II

Based from the law-breaking cross-country race organized by veteran automotive journalist Brock Yates, The Cannonball Run and Cannonball Run II takes the idea and lets it all loose. The results are two crash-and-dash slapstick comedies with some of the biggest ensemble casts ever captured on film. In front of it all are Burt Reynolds and Dom DeLuise masquerading as an EMS crew and in the sequel, as a military emissary and his private driver.

With Reynolds’ J.J. McClure doing his best to stay on course and keep a cool head with the ladies, it’s DeLuise’s Victor Prinzim that balances the equation by bumbling his way through life and adding just enough awkward-but-sensitive energy to keep things light. That and did I mention he’s also a superhero? Be careful when you wish for Captain Chaos, because Him ain’t no joke.

- • -

All in all, Dom DeLuise was an incredibly prolific performer, including many other film roles and years of work on stage and television, voice acting roles in animated features, and even a successful career as a cookbook author. One thing that permeated all of Dom DeLuise’s work was his good-hearted nature and ability to make audiences laugh, and even though these five flicks are undoubtedly stuck in a specific era of cinema history, DeLuise’s mark on them is everlasting, I’d say.