Phyllis Diller
Phyllis Diller | |
---|---|
Diller in a 1966 publicity photo | |
Birth name | Phyllis Ada Driver |
Born | Lima, Ohio,U.S. | July 17, 1917
Died | August 20, 2012 Los Angeles, California,U.S. | (aged 95)
Medium | Stand-up, film, television, books |
Alma mater | Sherwood Music School Bluffton College |
Years active | 1952–2012 |
Genres | Insult comedy,observational comedy,musical comedy,improvisational comedy |
Subject(s) | American culture, self-deprecation, everyday life, religion, current events |
Spouse | Sherwood Anderson Diller
(m.1939;div.1965)Warde Donovan Tatum
(m.1965;div.1975) |
Partner(s) | Robert P. Hastings (c. 1985–1996; his death)[1] |
Children | 6 |
Phyllis Ada Diller(néeDriver;July 17, 1917 – August 20, 2012) was an American stand-upcomedian,actress,author,musician,and visual artist, best known for hereccentricstage persona,self-deprecating humor,wild hair and clothes, and exaggerated, cackling laugh.
Diller was one of the first female comics to become a household name in the U.S., credited as an influence byJoan Rivers,Roseanne Barr,andEllen DeGeneres,among others.[2]She had a large gay following.[3]She was also one of the first celebrities to openly championplastic surgery,for which she was recognized by the cosmetic surgery industry.[4]
Diller contributed to more than 40 films, beginning with 1961'sSplendor in the Grass.She appeared in many television series, featuring in numerous cameos as well as her own short-lived sitcom and variety show. Some of her credits includeNight Gallery,The Muppet Show,CHiPs,The Love Boat,Cybill,andBoston Legal,plus 11 seasons ofThe Bold and the Beautiful.Her voice-acting roles included the monster's wife inMad Monster Party,the Queen inA Bug's Life,Granny Neutron inThe Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius,and Thelma Griffin inFamily Guy.
Early life[edit]
Diller was born Phyllis Ada Driver inLima, Ohioon July 17, 1917, the only child of Perry Marcus Driver,[5]an insurance agent, and Frances Ada (née Romshe).[5][6][7]She had German and Irish ancestry (the surname "Driver" had been changed from "Treiber" several generations earlier).[5]She was raisedMethodistbut was a lifelong atheist, even in childhood.[8][9][10]Her father and mother were older than most when she was born (55 and 36, respectively) and Diller attended several funerals while growing up. The exposure to death at a young age led her to an early appreciation for life and she later realized that her comedy was a form of therapy.[11]
Driver attended Lima's Central High School, discovering early on she had comic gifts. Later, Diller observed, "I was always a pro— even as a little tiny kid. I was an absolutely perfect, quiet, dedicated student in class. But outside of class, I got my laughs."[12]Diller studied piano for three[13]years at theSherwood Music ConservatoryofColumbia College Chicago,but decided against a career in music after hearing her teachers and mentors play with much more skill than she thought that she would be able to achieve, and transferred toBluffton Collegewhere she studied literature, history, psychology, and philosophy.
Career[edit]
1930s–1950s[edit]
In 1939, she met Sherwood Diller, the brother of a classmate at Bluffton,[13]and theyeloped,[14]marrying in Bluffton on 4 November 1939.[5]Diller did not finish school and was primarily a homemaker, taking care of their five children (a sixth child died in infancy).[5][15][16]
During World War II, Sherwood worked at theWillow Run B-24 Bomber Plant,inYpsilanti Charter Township, Michigan.[14]
In 1945, Sherwood Diller was transferred toNaval Air Station Alameda[17]Alameda, California,[18]where he was an inspector.[19]
Diller began working as the women's editor at a small newspaper,[20]and as an advertising copywriter for an Oakland department store.[18]
In 1952, Diller began working in broadcasting atKROWradio inOakland, California.In November of that year, she filmed several 15-minute episodes ofPhyllis Dillis, the Homely Friendmaker—dressed in a housecoat to offer absurd "advice" to homemakers.[21]The 15-minute series was aBay Area Radio-Televisionproduction, directed for television by ABC's Jim Baker.[22][21]Diller also worked as a copywriter, later, director of promotion and marketing,[14]atKSFOradio in San Francisco[23]and a vocalist for a music-review TV show calledPop Club,hosted byDon Sherwood.[24][25]
"It took two years of nagging by my husband to get me onto that stage," she (Diller) toldNachman.Finally, she said, she "sat down, called theRed Crossand said, 'I have an act. Where do you want it?' They sent me to theveterans hospitalat thePresidio,where I pushed a piano into a room that had four guys in it. I played, sang, told jokes while they yelled, 'Leave us alone; we're already in pain!'[20]
At age 37, on March 7, 1955, at theNorth Beach, San Franciscobasementclub,[26]The Purple Onion,she made her professional stand-up debut.[20]Up until then, she had only tried out her jokes for fellow PTA members at nearby Edison Elementary School.[27]Maya Angelou,who was already performing at the club, wrote that Diller "would not change her name because when she became successful she wanted everyone to know it was, indeed, her herself".[28]Her first professional show was a success and the two-week booking stretched out to a record[14]89 consecutive weeks.[29]Diller had found her calling and eventual financial success while her husband's business career failed. She explained, "I became a stand-up comedian because I had a sit-down husband."[12]
In a 1986 NPR interview, Diller said she had no idea what she was doing when she started playing clubs and in the beginning, she never saw another woman on the comedy circuit. With no female role models in a male-dominated industry, she initially used props and drew from her educational and work background as a basis for satire, spoofing classical music concerts and advice columns.[30]She wrote her own material and kept a file cabinet full of her gags, honing her nightclub act.Sid Caesar,Milton Berle,andJonathan Winterswere early influences, but Diller developed a singular comedic persona — asurrealversion of femininity. This absurd caricature with garish baggy dresses and gigantic, clownish hair made fun of her lack of sex appeal while brandishing a cigarette holder (with a wooden cigarette because she didn't smoke), punctuating the humor with a hearty cackle to show she was in on the joke.[12]At the time, Diller said, "They had no idea what I was. It was like—'Get a stick and kill it before it multiplies!'"[29]
Her first national television appearance was as a contestant onGroucho Marx's quiz showYou Bet Your Lifein 1958.[31]Multiple bookings on the Jack PaarTonight Showled to an appearance onThe Ed Sullivan Show,which brought her national prominence as she continued to perform stand-up throughout the U.S.[29][32]
Starting in 1959 and throughout the 1960s, she released multiple comedy albums, including the titlesWet Toe in a Hot Socket!,Laughs,Are You Ready for Phyllis Diller?,andThe Beautiful Phyllis Diller.[33]
1960s[edit]
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a8/Comedienne_Phyllis_Diller_smiles_for_the_camera_as_the_Bob_Hope_Christmas_show_arrives_at_Korat_Air_Base%2C_Thailand..._-_NARA_-_542302.jpg/220px-Comedienne_Phyllis_Diller_smiles_for_the_camera_as_the_Bob_Hope_Christmas_show_arrives_at_Korat_Air_Base%2C_Thailand..._-_NARA_-_542302.jpg)
From 1961 to 1965, Phyllis Diller lived inWebster Groves, Missouriasuburb ofSt. Louis.[34][35][36][37]Several of her children had stayed with Sherwood's relatives in St. Louis, and the oldest, Peter, attendedWashington University.[35]
In the early '60s, Diller performed at the Bon Soir in Greenwich Village, where an up-and-comingBarbra Streisandwas her opening act.[12]She was offered film work and became famous after co-starring with her mentorBob Hope,who described her as "aWarholmobile of spare parts picked up along a freeway. "[38]They worked together in films such asBoy, Did I Get a Wrong Number!,Eight on the Lam,andThe Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell,all critically panned, butBoy...did well at the box office. Diller accompanied Hope toVietnamin 1966 with hisUSOtroupe near the height of theVietnam War.[39]
She appeared regularly as a special guest on many television programs includingThe Andy Williams Show.She was a Mystery Guest onWhat's My Line?but the blindfolded panel (includingSammy Davis, Jr.) were able to discern Diller's identity in three guesses. Diller made regular cameo appearances, making her trademark wisecracks onRowan and Martin's Laugh-In.Self-deprecating to a fault, a typical Diller joke had her running after a garbage truck pulling away from her curb. "Am I too late for the trash?" she'd yell. The driver's reply: "No, jump right in!" She became a semi-regular onThe Hollywood Squares,starting in 1967, appearing in 28 episodes until 1980.[40]
Diller continued to work in film, making an appearance asTexas Guinan,the wisecracking nightclub hostess inSplendor in the Grass.Throughout the 1960s, she appeared in more than a dozen, usually low-budget, films. She also began a career in voice work, providing the voice of the Monster's Mate inMad Monster Party(1967).
Diller also starred in the short-lived TV seriesThe Pruitts of Southampton(1966–1967); later retitledThe Phyllis Diller Show,a half-hour sitcom onABC.She received a Golden Globe nomination in 1967 for her role inPruitts.[41]Diller hosted a variety show in 1968 titledThe Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show.[42]
Beginning December 26, 1969, she had a three-month run inHello, Dolly!(oppositeRichard Deacon), as the second to last in a succession of replacements forCarol Channingin the title role, which includedGinger Rogers,Martha Raye,Betty Grable,andPearl Bailey.After Diller's stint,Ethel Mermantook over the role until the end of the show's run in December 1970.[43][10][44]
1970–2012[edit]
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/84/Phyllis_Diller_Allan_Warren.jpg/170px-Phyllis_Diller_Allan_Warren.jpg)
Diller continued working in television throughout the 1970s and 80s, appearing as a judge on premiere and subsequent episodes ofThe Gong Show[45]and as a panelist on theMatch Game PMshow.[46]She also guest-starred inThe Mouse Factory,Night Gallery,Love American Style,The Muppet Show,CHiPsandThe Love Boat.In 1978, she hosted aShowtimecomedy special which featuredRobin Tyler,who became the first out lesbian on U.S. national television.[47]Between 1999 and 2003 she played roles in7th HeavenandThe Drew Carey Show.
Her successful career as a voice actor continued when Diller guested as herself in "A Good Medium is Rare," a 1972 episode ofThe New Scooby-Doo Movies.In 1998, Diller provided the voice of the Queen inA Bug's Life.Among her other animated films areThe Nutcracker Prince(1990, as Mousequeen),Happily Ever After(1990, as Mother Nature), andCasper's Scare School(2006, as Aunt Spitzy).[48]
She voiced characters in several television series, includingRobot Chicken,Family Guy,Wait Till Your Father Gets Home,Captain Planet,Cow and Chicken,Hey Arnold!as Arnold's grandpa's sister Mitzi,The Powerpuff Girls,Animaniacs,Jimmy Neutronas Jimmy's grandmother,The Wild Thornberrys,andKing of the Hill.[48]She also played Peter Griffin's mother, Thelma, onFamily Guyin 2006.
Retirement[edit]
Citing advanced age and a lack of "lasting energy," Diller retired from stand-up in 2002. Her final performance was at the Suncoast that year in Las Vegas, Nevada. At the time she stated, "If you can't dance to comedy, forget it. It's music."[31]The 2004 documentaryGoodnight, We Love You: The Life and Legend of Phyllis Diller,directed by Gregg Barson, was shot on the night of her last performance. It follows Diller to a press conference, backstage, and into her home, to cover the story of her career.Rip Taylor,Don Rickles,Roseanne Barr,Red Buttons,Jo Anne WorleyandLily Tomlinare featured, discussing Diller's comedy legacy.[49]
Diller suffered a heart attack in 1999, and hasn't done stand-up since being fitted for a pacemaker.[13]
Although retired from the stand-up circuit, Diller never fully left the entertainment industry. In 2005, she was featured as one of many contemporary comics inThe Aristocrats.Diller, who avoidedblue comedy,did a version of an old, risqué vaudeville routine, in which she describes herself passing out when she first heard the joke, forgetting the actual content of the joke.
On January 24, 2007, Diller appeared onThe Tonight Showand performed stand-up before chatting withJay Leno.Leno has stated that Diller would infrequently call him to contribute jokes during his time as the host ofThe Tonight Show.[50]The same year she had a cameo appearance portraying herself in an episode ofBoston Legal.In 2011, she appeared in an episode of her friendRoseanne Barr's reality showRoseanne's Nuts.
In January 2012, she recorded a version ofCharlie Chaplin's song "Smile"withPink Martini'sThomas Lauderdalefor the albumGet Happy.[51]
Author[edit]
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ad/Phyllis_diller_2-25-2007.jpg/220px-Phyllis_diller_2-25-2007.jpg)
Publishing her first best seller in 1966 and releasing more throughout the decade, Diller's books on domestic life featured her self-deprecating humor. The titles includePhyllis Diller's Housekeeping Hints,Phyllis Diller's Marriage Manual,andThe Complete Mother.[29]In 1981 she publishedThe Joys of Aging & How to Avoid Them.[12]
Her autobiography,Like a Lampshade in a Whorehouse – My Life in Comedy,co-written with Richard Buskin, was published in 2006. In it, Diller told of an unhappy childhood with undemonstrative, emotionally withholding parents, and an equally unhappy first marriage. From these beginnings, her performing style—telling rapid-fire jokes—emerged, which she compared to music: "One joke followed the other with a flow and a rhythm.... Everything had a natural feel to it."[23]
In the early 1990s, Diller had many short, humorous pieces published inEllery Queen's Mystery Magazine.
Musician[edit]
Diller had studied the piano for many years and was an accomplished player but decided against a career in music after hearing her teachers and mentors play with much more skill than she thought that she would be able to achieve. She still played in her private life, however, and owned a custom-madeharpsichord.[52]
Between 1971 and 1981, Diller appeared as a piano soloist with symphony orchestras across the country under the stage name Dame Illya Dillya. Her performances were spiced with humor, but she took the music seriously. A review of one of her concerts inThe San Francisco Examinercalled her "a fine concert pianist with a firm touch."[53]
Artist[edit]
Diller, a self-taught artist, began painting in 1963. She worked in acrylics, watercolors, and oils throughout the 1970s and filled her Brentwood, California home with her portraits and still lifes. In 2003, at age 86, she held the first of several "art parties," selling her artwork along with her stage clothes and costume jewelry.[54][55]
Personal life[edit]
Diller credited much of her success to a motivational book,The Magic of Believing[56](1948) by Claude M. Bristol, which gave her confidence at the start of her career.[57][35][58]She was married and divorced twice. She had six children from her marriage with her first husband Sherwood Anderson Diller, and she outlived two of her grown children.[10]
Diller's second husband was actor Warde Donovan, whom she married on October 7, 1965. She filed for divorce three months later, after discovering Donovan was bisexual and an alcoholic, but they reconciled on the day before the divorce was to become final. The couple divorced in 1975.[10]Robert P. Hastings was her partner from 1985 until his death on May 23, 1996.[6]In a 2000 interview, she called him the love of her life, saying that he admired her for being an independent person.[59]The character of "Fang," the husband whom she frequently mentioned in her act, sprang from an appropriation of elements of the comic stripThe Lockhorns.[60]
Diller portrayed herself as a horrible cook in her stand-up routines, but she was reputed to be an excellent cook. She licensed her recipe for chili and sold it nationally as "Phyllis Diller Chili".[61]
Diller candidly discussed herplastic surgery,a series of procedures first undertaken when she was 55, and she wrote that she had undergone 15 procedures.[10]Her numerous surgeries were the subject of a20/20segment on February 12, 1993.
Illness and death[edit]
By 1997, as she passed her 80th birthday, Diller began to suffer from various ailments. In 1999, her heart stopped during a hospital stay. She was fitted with apacemakerbut had a bad drug reaction and became paralyzed. Through physical therapy, she was able to walk again.[59]Approaching age 90, Diller retired from stand-up comedy appearances.
On July 11, 2007,USA Todayreported that she had fractured her back and had to cancel an appearance onThe Tonight Show,during which she had planned to celebrate her 90th birthday. On May 15, 2012, Diller conducted her final interview accepting the "Lifetime Achievement" award from her hometown of Lima, Ohio, as part of a panel of comedians.[62]
Diller died at home in theBrentwoodneighborhood of Los Angeles on August 20, 2012, at age 95, fromheart failure.She was cremated, and her ashes were scattered at sea.[63][64][65]
Influence and legacy[edit]
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4a/Phyllis_Diller_stage_costume_and_pump_organ_at_the_Alameda_Museum%2C_California.jpg/220px-Phyllis_Diller_stage_costume_and_pump_organ_at_the_Alameda_Museum%2C_California.jpg)
Diller was one of the first solo female comedians in the U.S. to become a household name. She stated that making people laugh is a powerful art form.[66]As a pioneering woman in the stand-up field, she inspired many female comedians includingJoan Rivers,Lily Tomlin,[27]Ellen DeGeneres,[67]Margaret ChoandRoseanne Barr.[68]Diller herself was influenced by comedy books andappropriatedfrom sources likeThe Lockhorns.[60]
Barr, who listened to Diller's records as a child, called her a true artist and revolutionary, saying, "It was timeless, that wacky, tacky character she created; the cigarette holder was genius, paradoxically regal. She was a victorious loser hero, the female iteration of Chaplin'sLittle Tramp."[68]
Fellow comic Joan Rivers paid tribute to Diller's early-career woman's point of view, saying, "She was the first one that there was such rage and such anger in her comedy. She had the anger that is now in all of us. And that's what made it so funny because she spoke for all these women that were sitting home with five children and a husband that didn't work."[15]
Diller had a large gay following from the beginning of her career, once saying, "My first audience were gay people because they have a great sense of humor."[69]An obituary in Queerty noted her popularity with gay audiences calling her a "strong-willed entertainer who challenged the status quo regarding gender and sexuality." She enjoyed the company of gay men,[70]writing in her memoir,Like a Lampshade in a Whorehouse: My Life in Comedy:"Gay men have the most wonderful sense of humor. And they are willing to laugh. They appeal to me and I appeal to them."[3]In 2021,Ginger Minjportrayed Diller in theSnatch Gameof Love on thesixth seasonofRuPaul's Drag Race All Stars.
ANew York Timesremembrance noted that Diller's flamboyant look is echoed inLady Gaga's concert attire and thatEddie Murphyalso punctuated jokes with a loud laugh, in a style reminiscent of Diller's persona.[11]
Diller was an outspoken proponent ofplastic surgeryat a time when cosmetic procedures were secretive. Her public admission to having several facelifts, nose jobs and other procedures added promotional and comedic value to her act.[29]She told Bob Hope in 1971 that she had had a facelift because "I got sick and tired of having the dog drag me out to the yard and bury me."[71]The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery gave her an award for bringing plastic surgery "out of the closet."[4]
In 2003, after hearing of the donation ofArchie Bunker's chair to theSmithsonian Institution,Diller opened her doors to theNational Museum of American History.She offered them some of her most iconic costume pieces, as well as her gag file, a steel cabinet with 48 file drawers with more than 50,000 jokes she had written on index cards during her career. In 2011, the Albert H. Small Documents Gallery at theNational Museum of American Historydisplayed Diller's file and some of the objects that became synonymous with her comedic persona—an unkempt wig, wrist-length gloves, cloth-covered ankle boots, and a bejeweled cigarette holder.[12]
Awards and honors[edit]
- HonoraryHouse mother,Alpha Epsilon PiFraternity atUCLA,1966[72]
- Golden Apple Awardfor Most Cooperative Actress – 1966.
- Laurel Awardfor Female New Face 11th place – 1967.
- Golden Globenomination for Actress in a Television Series –The Pruitts of Southampton– 1967.[41]
- Awarded Star on theHollywood Walk of Famefor her contribution to Television – January 15, 1975.[73]
- Women's International Center Living Legacy Award – 1990.[74]
- American Comedy Awardfor Lifetime Achievement – 1992.[75]
- Diller lived in St. Louis with her family from 1961 to 1965 and was inducted into theSt. Louis Walk of Famein 1993.[76][77]
- Daytime Emmy Awardnomination for Outstanding Service Show Host –A Tribute to Bob Hope– 1998.
- Women in FilmLucy Award,recognizing her achievements in enhancing the perception of women through the medium of television – 2000.[78]
- San Diego Film FestivalGovernor's Award – 2004.[79][80]
- Lifetime Achievement Award from hometown Lima, Ohio – 2012.[15]
- Diller's July 17 birthday is officially "Phyllis Diller Day" in Alameda, California, where she got her start in radio and television.[27]
Filmography[edit]
Film[edit]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1961 | Splendor in the Grass | Texas Guinan | film debut |
1966 | The Fat Spy | Camille Salamander | |
Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number! | Lily | ||
1967 | Mad Monster Party? | The Monster's Mate | Voice |
Eight on the Lam | Golda | ||
1968 | The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell | Nurse Nellie Krause | |
Did You Hear the One About the Traveling Saleslady? | Agatha Knabenshu | ||
1969 | The Adding Machine | Mrs. Zero | |
1975 | The Sunshine Boys | Performer on Fictional Television Program | Uncredited |
1977 | The Great Balloon Race | unknown role | |
1979 | A Pleasure Doing Business | Mrs. Wildebeest | |
1982 | Pink Motel | Margaret | |
1988 | Doctor Hackenstein | Mrs. Trilling | |
1989 | Pucker Up and Bark Like a Dog | Mrs. Frasco | |
Happily Ever After | Mother Nature | Voice | |
Hanna-Barbera's 50th: A Yabba Dabba Doo Celebration | Herself | ||
1990 | The Nutcracker Prince | The Mouse Queen | Voice |
1991 | The Boneyard | Miss Poopinplatz | |
Wisecracks | Herself | Documentary | |
1993 | The Perfect Man | Mother | |
1994 | The Silence of the Hams | Old Secretary | |
1997 | Peoria Babylon | Painting Owner | |
1998 | A Bug's Life | Queen | Voice |
1999 | The Debtors | unknown role | |
The Nuttiest Nutcracker | Sugar Plum Fairy | Voice,Direct-to-Video | |
2000 | Everything's Jake | Victoria Pond | |
2002 | The Last Place on Earth | Mrs. Baskin | |
Hip! Edgy! Quirky! | Mrs. Higgenbothen | ||
2004 | Motocross Kids | Louise | |
West from North Goes South | The Cashier | ||
2005 | The Aristocrats | Herself | |
2006 | Unbeatable Harold | Mrs. Clancy | |
Forget About It | Mrs. Hertzberg | ||
2008 | Light of Olympia | Pelops | Voice |
2009 | The Hipsters | unknown role | |
Family Dinner | Grandma Liz O'Connell | Short; Uncredited |
Television[edit]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1958 | You Bet Your Life | Herself (Nightclub Performer) | Episode: "#8.19" |
1961-1970 | The Ed Sullivan Show | Herself (Guest) | 6 episodes |
1963-1964 | What's My Line? | Herself (Mystery Guest) | 2 episodes |
1964-1967 | I've Got a Secret | Herself (Guest / Panelist) | 4 episodes |
Match Game | Herself (Team Captain) | 20 episodes | |
1964-1971 | The Bob Hope Show | Herself (Guest) | 10 episodes |
1965-1971 | The Andy Williams Show | Herself (Guest) | 5 episodes |
1965-1974 | The Dean Martin Show | Herself (Guest) | 8 episodes |
1966 | Batman | Scrubwoman | Episode: "The Minstrel's Shakedown" uncredited |
The Red Skelton Hour | Clara Appleby | Episode: "Love at First Fright" | |
1966-1967 | The Phyllis Diller Show | Phyllisa Pruitt | Series regular; 30 episodes |
1966-1969 | The Hollywood Palace | Herself (Host) | 6 episodes |
1967 | The Carol Burnett Show | Herself (Guest) | Episode: "#1.6" |
1967-1980 | The Hollywood Squares | Herself (Panelist) | 28 episodes |
1968 | The Red Skelton Hour | Greta Gargoyle | Episode: "Dial M for Moron" |
It Takes Two | Herself | Episode: "Pilot" | |
The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show | Herself (Host) | 4 episodes | |
1968-1973 | Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In | Herself (guest) | 6 episodes |
1969 | The Red Skelton Hour | Bobo Van Beacon | Episode: "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep, Unless You're a Banana" |
That's Life | unknown role | Episode: "Chalk Can Be Sexy" | |
Love, American Style | Daphanie Daniels | Episode: "Love and the Phonies" | |
The Liberace Show | Herself (Guest) | Episode: "#5.23.1969" | |
Get Smart | Maxwell Smart | Episode: "Pheasant Under Glass"(uncredited) | |
The Good Guys | Lilli Resphighi | Episode: "No Orchids for the Diner" | |
1970 | Swing Out, Sweet Land | Belva A. Lockwood | Television Movie |
The Mad, Mad, Mad Comedians | Herself | Voice, Television Movie | |
1971 | Night Gallery | Pamela | Voice, episode: "Pamela's Voice" |
Love, American Style | Bella | Episode: "Love and the Heist" | |
Love, American Style | Edna | Episode: "Love and the Vacation" | |
The Reel Game | Herself (Celebrity Guest) | Episode: "#1.18.1971" | |
The Red Skelton Hour | Herself (Killer Diller) | Episode: "Sheriff Hater" | |
The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour | Herself (Guest) | Episode: "#1.5" | |
1972 | The New Scooby-Doo Movies | Herself | Voice, episode: "A Good Medium Is Rare" |
1973 | Wait Till Your Father Gets Home | Detective Phyllis Diller | Voice, episode: "The Lady Detective" |
Love, American Style | Sally Walker | Episode: "Love and the Comedienne" | |
The Bobby Darin Show | Herself (Guest) | Episode: "#1.10" | |
1974 | Tattletales | Herself | 11 episodes |
Celebrity Roast | Herself | Episode: "Bob Hope/Telly Savalas" | |
1975 | Uncle Croc's Block | Witchy Goo-Goo | Series regular; 16 episodes |
Celebrity Roast | Herself | Episode: "Lucille Ball/Jackie Gleason/Sammy Davis Jr./Michael Landon/Valerie Harper" | |
1976 | The Gong Show | Herself (Guest Judge) | Episode: "Phyllis Diller" |
The Muppet Show | Herself (Special Guest Star) | Episode: "Phyllis Diller" | |
1977 | The Bobby Vinton Show | Herself (Guest) | 2 episodes |
1978 | America 2-Night | Herself (Guest) | Episode: "Phyllis Diller" |
CHiPs | Wanda | Episode: "Crack-Up" | |
Comedy Roast | Herself | Episode: "Jack Klugman/George Burns/Betty White" | |
1979 | The Love Boat | Viola Penny | Episode: "The Scoop/The Audit Couple/My Boyfriend's Back" |
1980 | Password Plus | Herself (Celebrity Contestant) | 2 episodes |
1981 | Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell sisters | Herself | 1 episode |
1982 | The Love Boat | Martha Morse | Episode: "The Anniversary Gift/Honey Bee Mine/Bewigged, Bothered and Bewildered" |
Madame's Place | Herself | Episode: "But Please, No Jokes" | |
1983 | All-Star Family Feud Special | Herself (Celebrity Contestant) | Episode: "Richard's Rosebuds vs. Phyllis Fighters" |
1984 | As the World Turns | Fairy Godmother | Episode: "Cinderella Concert" |
Comedy Roast | Herself | Episode: "Joan Collins" | |
1984-1985 | Body Language | Herself (Panelist) | 15 episodes |
1985 | The Jeffersons | Herself | Episode: "You'll Never Get Rich" |
Tales from the Darkside | Nora Mills | Episode: "The Trouble with Mary Jane" | |
Glitter | unknown role | Episode: "Rock 'n' Roll Heaven" | |
1987 | Jonathan Winters:On the Ledge | Jonathan's Mother | Television film |
Alice Through the Looking Glass | The White Queen | Voice, television film | |
1987-1989 | Super Password | Herself (Celebrity Contestant) | 25 episodes |
1988 | Full House | Herself | Episode: "But Seriously, Folks" |
Night Heat | Mrs. Malik | Episode: "Better Part of Valor" | |
1989 | Family Feud | Herself (Contestant) | Episode: "The Funny Men vs.the Funny Women" |
1990 | 227 | Louanne Costello | Episode: "The Class of '90" |
1991 | Captain Planet and the Planeteers | Dr. Jane Goodair | Voice, episode: "Smog Hog" |
1992 | Carol: Leifer: Gaudy, Bawdy & Blue | Herself | Television film |
1993 | Dream On | Mrs. Barish | Episode: "Oral Sex, Lies and Videotape" |
1993-1994 | Blossom | Mrs. Peterson/Herself | 4 episodes |
1994 | Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle | unknown role | Episode: "The Never-Want-To-Go-To-Bedders Cure" |
Boy Meets World | Madame Ouspenkaya | Episode: "Who's Afraid of Cory Wolf?" | |
1996 | Cybill | Herself | Uncredited, Episode: "Romancing the Crone" |
1996-2012 | The Bold and the Beautiful | Gladys Pope | recurring role; 18 episodes, (final appearance) |
1998 | Animaniacs | Suzy Squirrel | Voice, episode: "The Sunshine Squirrels" |
Diagnosis Murder | Herself | Episode: "Talked to Death" | |
1998-1999 | Emily of New Moon | Great Aunt Nancy Priest | 2 episodes |
1999 | King of the Hill | Lillian | Voice, episode: "Escape from Party Island" |
Cow and Chicken | Red's Mom / Cop | Voice, episode: "Professor Longhorn Steer/I.M. Weasel: He Said, He Said/A Couple of Skating Fools" | |
I Am Weasel | Red's Mother | Voice, episode: "I Am Artiste" | |
The Wild Thornberrys | Samantha | Voice, episode: "Two's Company" | |
Hey Arnold! | Mitzi | Voice, episode: "Grandpa's Sister" | |
7th Heaven | Mabel | Episode: "Nobody Knows" | |
2000 | Hollywood Off-Ramp | unknown role | Episode: "Unfunny Girl" |
2001 | Arli$ | Herself | Episode: "As Others See Us" |
Kiss My Act | Herself | Television Movie | |
The Test | Herself (Panelist) | Episode: "The Cajones Test" | |
2001-2002 | Titus | Grandma Titus | 2 episodes ( "Grandma Titus" and "Houseboat" ) |
2002 | The Drew Carey Show | Bebe | Episode: "Look Mom, One Hand!" |
Even Stevens | Coach Korns | Episode: "Snow Job" | |
2002-2003 | 7th Heaven | Gabrielle | 2 episodes |
2002-2004 | The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron | Grandma Neutron | Voice, 2 episodes |
Hollywood Squares | Herself (Panelist) | recurring role; 30 episodes | |
2003 | Life with Bonnie | Phyllis Frost | Episode: "It's a Wonderful Job" |
Star Dates | Herself | Episode: "Phyllis Diller" | |
2004 | The Powerpuff Girls | Mask Scara | Voice, episode: "A Made Up Story" |
2005 | Quintuplets | Aunt Sylvia | Episode: "Chutes and Letters" |
Robot Chicken | Herself / Various | Voice, recurring role; 3 episodes | |
2006 | Casper's Scare School | Aunt Spitzy | Voice, Television Movie |
Robot Chicken | Herself / Various | Voice, episode: "Easter Basket" | |
2006-2007 | Family Guy | Thelma Griffin | Voice, 3 episodes |
2007 | Boston Legal | Herself | Episode: "Brotherly Love" |
2011 | Roseanne's Nuts | Herself | Episode: "Grannies Night Out" |
Music videos[edit]
Year | Title | Artist(s) | Role | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2001 | "Love You Madly" | Cake | Herself | [81] |
Discography[edit]
Albums[edit]
Year | Title | Label | Format | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1959 | Wet Toe in a Hot Socket | Mirrosonic/London/Hallmark | vinyl/CD | with The Three Flames at the Bon Soir, CD reissued 2016 |
1961 | Laughs | Verve | vinyl | at the Bon Soir NY March 1961 |
1962 | Are You Ready for Phyllis Diller? | Verve | vinyl | produced by Jim Davis |
1968 | Born to Sing | Columbia | vinyl/streaming | produced byDavid Rubinson |
2001 | Live From San Francisco | Laugh | CD/streaming | recorded 2000 |
2009 | On Comedy | Laugh | CD/streaming | interviewed byKelly Carlin |
Compilations[edit]
Year | Title | Label | Format | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1964 | Great Moments of Comedy | Verve | vinyl | Celebrity Series |
1967 | The Best of Phyllis Diller | Verve/Laugh | vinyl/CD/streaming | CD reissued 2002 |
1968 | The Beautiful Phyllis Diller | Verve | vinyl/streaming | Celebrity Series, photography byRoddy McDowall |
1968 | What's Left | Verve | vinyl/CD | Celebrity Series |
Home videos[edit]
Year | Title | Studio | Format |
---|---|---|---|
1977 | On Location with Phyllis Diller | HBO/Standing Room Only | broadcast / DVD 2006 |
1987 | How to Have a Moneymaking Garage Sale | J2 Communications | VHS |
2001 | Live in Concert | Laugh | DVD |
2004 | Goodnight, We Love You: The Life and Legend of Phyllis Diller | Mansfield Avenue Productions/Image Entertainment | theatrical / DVD 2006 |
2007 | Not Just Another Pretty Face | MPI Media Group | DVD / streaming |
References[edit]
- ^"Robert Hastings Obituary - Los Angeles, California - Tributes".tributes.
- ^Phyllis Diller Dies; Groundbreaking Comedian Is Dead at 95,People,Stephen M. Silverman,August 20, 2012, retrieved November 4, 2015
- ^ab"Comedy Legend Phyllis Diller Dead at 95,"Queerty, August 20, 2012. Retrieved on November 2, 2015.
- ^abPhyllis Diller Comedienne & Humanitarian,Women's International Center. Retrieved on November 2, 2015.
- ^abcde
- "Genealogy of Phyllis Diller".Archived fromthe originalon January 4, 2010.RetrievedAugust 23,2012.
by Rhonda R. McClure, hosted at genealogy
- famousfolks/phyllisd/nindex
- Perry Marcus Driver
- "Genealogy of Phyllis Diller".Archived fromthe originalon January 4, 2010.RetrievedAugust 23,2012.
- ^abKeepnews, Peter (August 20, 2012)."Phyllis Diller, Sassy Doyenne of Rapid-Fire Comedy, Dies at 95".The New York Times.
- ^The censuses from 1920 and 1930 state that the Driver family lived on West Mark Street, in Lima
- ^"Roseanne Barr: 'Phyllis Diller was a genius'". Hollywood. August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 25, 2012. Barr admits Diller never believed in God and she often joked about heaven.
- ^Nachman, Gerald(2003).Seriously Funny: The Rebel Comedians of the 1950s and 1960s.New York, NY: Pantheon Books. p. 219.ISBN9780375410307.OCLC50339527.
- ^abcdeDiller, Phyllis; Buskin, Richard (2005).Like a Lampshade in a Whorehouse: My Life in Comedy.New York: Penguin Group. pp.53–69, 204–207, 210–211, 213, 224, 233, 258.ISBN1-58542-396-3.
- ^abZinoman, Jason."Phyllis Diller and Her Comic Craft,"The New York Times,August 22, 2012. Retrieved on November 2, 2015.
- ^abcdef"The Phyllis Diller Gag File,"Smithsonian Institution– Albert H. Hall Documents Gallery. Retrieved on November 2, 2015.
- ^abc"Phyllis Diller Turns 95!".Television Academy Interviews.October 27, 2017.RetrievedAugust 16,2023.
- ^abcdMcLellan, Dennis (August 21, 2012)."Phyllis Diller dies at 95; outlandish comedian".Los Angeles Times.
- ^abc"Phyllis Diller to receive Lifetime Award from her hometown".Cleveland 19 News. May 15, 2012. Archived fromthe originalon February 9, 2013.RetrievedAugust 20,2012.
- ^Ellis, Kate."Lima's Funniest Lady: Phyllis Diller still remembered as one funny local,"ArchivedJuly 10, 2015, at theWayback MachineThe 419, Ohio, July 13, 2015. Retrieved on November 24, 2015.
- ^ab"Life on the Island: Alameda says goodbye to a star, hello to a new bike business".The Mercury News.August 23, 2012.RetrievedAugust 15,2023.
- ^Nachman, Gerald(August 26, 2009).Seriously Funny: The Rebel Comedians of the 1950s and 1960s.Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. p. 220.ISBN978-0-307-49072-8.
- ^abcMcLellan, Dennis (August 21, 2012)."Outlandish and outstandingly funny stand-up comic".The Sydney Morning Herald.RetrievedAugust 15,2023.
- ^ab
- Temple, T.R. (November 19, 1952)."Video Notes: DILLER MAKES GOOD".Hayward Daily Review.Hayward, California: Floyd L. Sparks.RetrievedAugust 15,2023– via tralfaz.blogspot.
- "diller19Nov1952.jpg (image)".1.bp.blogspot.Archived fromthe originalon December 10, 2022.
- ^Baker, James F (1968).Gypsy Rose Lee. Episode #721: Chita Rivera and Paul Lynde.American International Television, Inc.RetrievedAugust 16,2023– via The New York Public Library.
Videotaped for KGO-TV, Channel 7, San Francisco, Calif., Feb. 20, 1968
- ^abStern, Jane and Michael."'Like a Lampshade in a Whorehouse': Desperate Housewife,"New York Times Sunday Book Review,March 13, 2005. Retrieved on November 2, 2015.
- ^Phyllis Diller on Pop Club - April 23, 1955onYouTube
- ^Anderson, Greg (March 1, 2010)."Phyllis Diller in the News: Pyllis Diller: April 23, 1955".
- ^Haley, Alex(August 14, 2018)."Phyllis Diller: The Unlikeliest Star".Alex Haley.RetrievedAugust 15,2023.
- ^abcLevaux, Janet."Alameda: Fans organize Phyllis Diller Day on Island,"Contra Costa Times,July 16, 2014. Retrieved on November 2, 2015.
- ^Angelou, Maya (1976).Singin' and swingin' & gettin' merry like Christmas.Random House. pp. Chapter 10.ISBN9780394405452.
- ^abcdeHorowitz, Susan (1997)."Queens of Comedy: Lucille Ball, Phyllis Diller, Carol Burnett, Joan Rivers, and the New Generation of Funny Women,"pp. 46, 48. Gordon and Breach Publishers, The Netherlands.ISBN2884492437.
- ^Fresh Air Remembers Comedian Phyllis Diller,1986 interview with Terry Gross, NPR, August 21, 2012. Retrieved on November 2, 2015.
- ^abWeatherford, Mike."Phyllis Diller dies at 95 in Los Angeles; final performance was in 2002 at Suncoast,"Las Vegas Review-Journal,August 20, 2012. Retrieved on November 2, 2015.
- ^Pioneers of Television – Phyllis Diller's TV Debut – PBSonYouTube
- ^Phyllis Diller Records and CDsMusicStack
- ^"The St. Louis Homes of Harry Caray, William S. Burroughs, Chuck Berry, Vincent Price, Phyllis Diller, and Miles Davis".St. Louis Magazine.SLM Media Group. August 21, 2012.RetrievedAugust 16,2023.
- ^abc"The Webster Groves housewife who made us all laugh".STLtoday.August 21, 2012.RetrievedAugust 16,2023.
- ^"From 1966: Comedienne Phyllis Diller carries on".STLtoday.July 17, 2023.RetrievedAugust 16,2023.
- ^Murphy, Kevin (August 24, 2012)."Remembering Comedian Phyllis Diller: 1917-2012".Webster-Kirkwood Times.WKTimes LLC.RetrievedAugust 16,2023.
- ^Coveney, Michael."Phyllis Diller Obiturary,"The GuardianAugust 21, 2012. Retrieved on November 2, 2015.
- ^Third Marine Division's Two Score and Ten History.Paducah, Ky.: Turner. 1992. p. 13.ISBN978-1563110894.
- ^Pioneers of Television – Phyllis Diller,PBS. Retrieved on November 15, 2015.
- ^ab"Phyllis Diller".goldenglobes.
- ^Orenstein, Bernie, (interview). Posted 2016."The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show,"Archive of American Television, emmytvlegends.org. Retrieved on March 1, 2017.
- ^"Hello, Dolly!replacement cast members at IBDB ".Archived fromthe originalon October 23, 2006.
- ^"Ethel Merman – Broadway Cast & Staff".IBDB.
- ^Diller, Phyllis (posted June 25, 2012)."Phyllis Diller on being a celebrity judge on The Gong Show,"Archive of American Television. Retrieved on March 1, 2017.
- ^Sullivan, Robert Dave. (February 26, 2014)."10 Match Game episodes that hit viewers right in the blank."A.V. Club.Retrieved on March 1, 2017.
- ^Gianoulis, Tina (2008)."Tyler, Robin (b. 1942)"(PDF).GLBTQ Archive.
- ^abMinovitz, Ethan (August 20, 2012)."Stand-up comedienne Phyllis Diller dead at 95".Big Cartoon News. Archived fromthe originalon December 5, 2012.RetrievedAugust 20,2012.
- ^"Goodnight, We Love You: The Life and Legend of Phyllis Diller,"The New York Times.Retrieved on November 2, 2015.
- ^Littleton, Cynthia (January 21, 2015)."Jay Leno on Bill Cosby: 'I Don't Know Why It's So Hard to Believe Women'".Variety.RetrievedFebruary 12,2015.
- ^"Official Bio".Pink Martini. June 4, 2013.RetrievedOctober 31,2013.
- ^Press Release. (August 21, 2013)."Property from the Estate of Phyllis Diller – The First Lady of Stand-up Comedy,"Julien's Auctions. Retrieved on March 1, 2017.
- ^Phyllis Diller BiographyGood Night We Love You, 2005. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
- ^Friend, Tad."Diller at Ninety-two,"The New Yorker,January 11, 2011. Retrieved on November 2, 2015.
- ^Ryon, Ruth."It's Still Her Dream House,"Los Angeles Times,February 3, 2002. Retrieved on November 2, 2015.
- ^Bristol, Claude M. (1948).The Magic of Believing.RetrievedAugust 16,2023.
- ^"Phyllis Diller Obituary (2012) - Saint Louis, MO - St. Louis Post-Dispatch".Legacy.RetrievedAugust 16,2023.
- ^Interview with Phyllis Dilleron "The Magic of Believing" by Claude M. Bristol, YouTube, November 3, 2011.
- ^abPhyllis Diller interview with Fred Wostbrook,Archive of American Television, March 8, 2000. Retrieved on November 5, 2015.
- ^abOliar, Dotan; Sprigman, Christopher (2008)."There's No Free Laugh (Anymore): The Emergence of Intellectual Property Norms and the Transformation of Stand-Up Comedy".Virginia Law Review.94(8): 1848.JSTOR25470605.RetrievedSeptember 16,2020.
There is also evidence in the [Diller archive...at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.] file suggesting that Diller appropriated from other sources [apart from self-creation or using her writing team], including newspaper comic strips and comedy books. For example, a number of Diller's jokes about her dysfunctional marriage to her fictional husband 'Fang' appear to have been inspired by a comic strip, 'The Lockhorns,' that Diller followed obsessively over the course of nearly a decade. The Diller joke files contain hundreds of 'Lockhorns' panels cut out of newspapers and mounted on index cards.
- ^"Phyllis Diller gets the last laugh".EW.
- ^McGlynn, Katla. (May 25, 2011)."Anderson Cooper: 'Queens Of Comedy' Kathy Griffin, Joy Behar, Phyllis Diller & Joan Rivers Talk Betty White, OWN & More,"The Huffington Post.Retrieved on March 1, 2017.
- ^Severo, Richard; Keepnews, Peter (August 20, 2012)."Laughs Were on Her, by Design".The New York Times.
- ^Buerger, Megan (August 20, 2012)."Phyllis Diller, comedian, dies at 95".The Washington Post.RetrievedAugust 21,2012.
- ^Duke, Alan (August 22, 2012)."Comedian Phyllis Diller dies 'with a smile on her face'".CNN.RetrievedNovember 14,2012.
- ^Donnelly, Liza."The Power Of Comedy And Phyllis Diller,"Forbes,August 21, 2012. Retrieved on November 2, 2015.
- ^Pioneers of Television – Phyllis Diller,PBS. Retrieved on November 2, 2015.
- ^abBarr, Roseanne."Roseanne Barr Hails the Comedic Genius of Phyllis Diller,"The Daily Beast,August 21, 2012. Retrieved on November 2, 2015.
- ^Hernandez, Greg."Gays mourn the passing of legendary comic Phyllis Diller at age of 95,"GayStarNews, August 20, 2012. Retrieved on November 2, 2015.Archived.
- ^Karpel, Ari."Ladies We Love: Phyllis Diller,Out,March 18, 2011. Retrieved on November 2, 2015.
- ^Gilbert, Joanne R. (2004)."Performing Marginality: Humor, Gender, and Cultural Critique,"p. 118. Wayne State University Press, Detroit, MI.ISBN0814328032.
- ^Hackley, Gene (May 10, 1966)."Comedienne Phyllis Diller being awarded honorary house mother of Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity at UCLA, 1966".UCLA, Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library.Los Angeles Times.RetrievedAugust 15,2023– via calisphere.
- ^Phyllis DillerHollywood Walk of Fame.
- ^Phyllis Diller Biography,WIC.
- ^Phyllis Diller – American comedienne and actressEncyclopædia Britannica.
- ^"The Webster Groves housewife who made us all laugh,"St. Louis Post-Dispatch,August 21, 2012. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
- ^"Phyllis Diller".St. Louis Walk of Fame. Archived fromthe originalon August 23, 2012.RetrievedApril 25,2013.
- ^"Past Recipients".Women in Film Los Angeles.Archived fromthe originalon June 30, 2011.RetrievedAugust 20,2012.
- ^"San Diego Film Festival".cinema.
- ^"Award Winners".August 28, 2010. Archived fromthe originalon August 28, 2010.RetrievedSeptember 23,2019.
- ^Brunner, Rob."A look at Cake's latest video,Love You Madly".Entertainment Weekly.
External links[edit]
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Phyllis Dillerat theTCM Movie Database
- Phyllis DilleratIMDb
- Phyllis Dillerdiscography atDiscogs
- Video
- Phyllis DilleratThe Interviews: An Oral History of Television
- Phyllis Diller's TV Debut with Groucho Marxvideo, 13 min.
- Phyllis Diller stand-up comedy show, 1977onYouTubevideo, 6 min.
- Diller InterviewComedy Hall of Fame, Archives, 2006
- One of the last full length interviews with Phyllis Diller on how she wants to be rememberedonYouTube
- Audio
- 1917 births
- 2012 deaths
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