Jackie Mason gets a large charge out of himself. The second the curtain rises on Jackie Mason: Freshly Squeezed, he ambles onstage in a black blazer, black shirt and tie, and purple trousers, looking like a stack of dark dumplings. He begins telling jokes and badgering front-row patrons in his signature mumble, all the while amusing himself so much that he breaks into wide smiles and short guffaws. (It's a style that also made schoolteacher-turned-comic Sam Levenson a household name 50 years ago.)

The tic is well-nigh irresistible -- and why would anyone want to resist it? Mason lets you know within minutes that he's not going to put up with guff from anyone, including himself. "The sho[...]