Conversation so far:
What was Rodney Dangerfield's early career like?
In the early 1960s he started down what would be a long road toward rehabilitating his career as an entertainer, still working as a salesman by day.
Why did his career need rehabilitation?
He came to realize that what he lacked was an "image", a well-defined on-stage persona that audiences could relate to.
How did he create one?
After being shunned by some premier comedy venues, he returned to the East Coast where he began developing a character for whom nothing goes right.
Was this successful?
CANNOTANSWER.
Are there any other interesting aspects about this article?
The Benny character, who also received little or no respect from the outside world, served as a great inspiration to Dangerfield while he was developing his own comedy character.
Did he receive a lot of criticism in his early career?
CANNOTANSWER.

Question: What other things did he do during his early career?
Self-contained rewrite: In addition to being salesman by day, what other things did Rodney Dangerfield do during his early career?