Citizendia

Phyllis Diller

Phyllis Diller on February 25, 2007.
BornJuly 17, 1917 (1917-07-17) (age 90)
Lima, Ohio, United States
OccupationComedienne
Spouse
Sherwood Anderson Diller
(November 4, 1939 – September 1965)
Ward Donovan
(October 7, 1965 – July 1975)
Partnered Robert P. Events 180 - Twelve inhabitants of Scillium in North Africa are executed for being Christians Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Lima (ˈlaɪmə is a city in the US state of Ohio and the County seat of Allen County. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience primarily by making them laugh Hastings from c. 1985 until his death, May 1996.
Children5 children
Parents
Perry Marcus Driver
Frances Ada Romshe

Phyllis Diller (born July 17, 1917) is a Golden Globe-nominated American comedienne, considered to be one of the pioneers of female stand-up comedy. Events 180 - Twelve inhabitants of Scillium in North Africa are executed for being Christians Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and Television programs given out each year during a formal dinner The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience primarily by making them laugh Stand-up comedy is a style of comedy where the performer speaks directly to the audience with the absence of the theatrical " Fourth wall " She created a stage character persona that was a wild-haired, eccentrically-dressed housewife who made jokes about a fictional husband named "Fang" while smoking from a long cigarette holder. Another distinct characteristic is her cackling laugh, one of the best-recognized in comedy. Diller is given credit for opening the doors for the stand-up comedy field to women such as Rita Rudner, Totie Fields, Joan Rivers, Lily Tomlin, Sandra Bernhard, Joy Behar, Rosie O'Donnell and Roseanne Barr. Rita Rudner ( 17 September, 1953) is an American comedienne, Writer and Actress. Totie Fields ( May 7, 1930 &ndash August 2, 1978) was an American comedian who was not afraid to poke fun at her own weight problems Joan Rivers (born Joan Alexandra Molinsky; June 8, 1933) is an American Comedian, Actress, Talk show Mary Jean “Lily” Tomlin (born September 1 1939 is an American Actress, Comedian, Writer and producer who has won several Sandra Bernhard (born June 6 1955) is a Jewish Comedian, Singer, Actress and Author. Josephina Victoria "Joy" Behar (née Occhiuto; born October 7 1942 is an Emmy -Nominated American Comedian, Writer, Actress Roseann "Rosie" O'Donnell Roseanne Cherrie Barr, aka Roseanne Barr, aka Roseanne Arnold, aka Roseanne Thomas, aka Roseanne (born November 3 1952 is an Emmy [1]

Contents

Biography

Early life

Diller was born on July 17, 1917[2], to Perry Marcus Driver and Frances Ada Romshe, in Lima, Ohio. Events 180 - Twelve inhabitants of Scillium in North Africa are executed for being Christians Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Lima (ˈlaɪmə is a city in the US state of Ohio and the County seat of Allen County. She attended Lima Central High School, then studied for three years at Sherwood Music Conservatory, Chicago, Illinois. She then transferred to Bluffton College in Bluffton, Ohio, where she met fellow "Lima-ite" and classmate, Hugh Downs. Bluffton University, located in Bluffton, Ohio, United States, is a Christian Liberal arts college affiliated with Mennonite Hugh Malcolm Downs (born February 14, 1921) is a retired American broadcaster Television host They later joked about some of their past antics on some of his television shows.

Diller was a housewife, mother, and advertising copywriter. Advertising is a form of Communication that typically attempts to persuade potential Customers to Purchase or to consume more of a particular Brand In the mid-1950s, she made appearances on The Jack Paar Show and was a contestant on Groucho Marx's quiz show, You Bet Your Life. The 1950s Decade refers to the years of 1950 to 1959 inclusive The Tonight Show with Jay Leno as appropriate --> The Tonight Show is a long-running You Bet Your Life is an American Radio and Television Quiz show.

Although she has made her career in comedy, Diller studied as a serious piano student for many years. She later decided against a career in music after hearing her teachers and mentors play with much more talent than she thought she'd be able to achieve. She still plays in her private life, however, and owns a custom-made harpsichord which she prizes.

Career

Residing in the East Bay city of Alameda, California, near the Naval Airbase, Diller began her career as a stand up at San Francisco's legendary nightclub, The Purple Onion, for 87 straight weeks. Alameda is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city The Purple Onion is a celebrated Cellar club in the North Beach area of San Francisco California located at 140 Columbus (between Jackson and Pacific This is where she cultivated her talent and perfected her act. In her heyday, Diller achieved a record twelve laughs per minute, a record that still stands today in the Guinness Book of World Records. Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records (and in previous U Diller's fame was expanded when she co-starred with Bob Hope in 23 TV specials and three films in the 1960s: Eight on the Lam, The Private Navy of Sgt. Bob Hope, KBE KCSG ( May 29, 1903 &ndash July 27, 2003) was an American comedian and actor who appeared in The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969 O'Farrell, and Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number!. Boy Did I Get a Wrong Number! is a 1966 Comedy film starring Bob Hope and Elke Sommer. All of these films were failures at the box office, but Hope invited Diller to perform with him in Vietnam in 1966 with his USO troupe during the height of the conflict in that country. Vietnam (ˌviːɛtˈnɑːm Việt Nam) officially Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. "USO" redirects here for other uses see USO (disambiguation The United Service Organizations Inc

Diller seemed to be everywhere in pop culture in the 1960s. The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969 She appeared regularly as a special guest on many television programs during that decade. For example, she did a stint as one of the What's My Line? Mystery Guests on the popular Sunday night CBS-TV program. The following is an alphabetized list of persons who were Mystery Guests (originally called Mystery Challengers) on one (or both version(s of the United States version of the CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network. The blindfolded panel on that evening's broadcast included Sammy Davis, Jr., and they were able to discern Diller's identity by way of her distinctive laugh in just three guesses. Samuel George “Sammy” Davis Jr (8 December 1925 &ndash 16 May 1990 was an American Entertainer. Also, Diller made regular cameo appearances making her trademark brief & pithy wisecracks on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In. Here Comes The Judge redirects here for the 1968 song see Shorty Long. 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?" she'd yell. The driver's reply: "No, jump right in!"

Though her main claim to fame is her stand-up comedy act, Diller also has appeared in other films besides the three mentioned above, including a cameo appearance as Texas Guinan, the wisecracking nightclub hostess in the 1961 Hollywood production of Splendor in the Grass. A cameo role or cameo appearance (often shortened to just cameo) is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the Performing arts, such as Mary Louise Cecilia "Texas" Guinan ( January 12, 1884 &ndash November 5, 1933) was a saloon keeper actress and Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Splendor in the Grass, an American movie from 1961, tells a story of Sexual repression, love and heartbreak She appeared in more than a dozen, usually low-budget movies, including as The Monster's Mate in the Rankin/Bass animated cult classic Mad Monster Party (1967), co-starring Boris Karloff. Mad Monster Party? is an animated movie that was released in 1967 by Embassy Pictures for Rankin/Bass Productions Inc Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. Boris Karloff ( 23 November, &ndash 2 February,) was an English actor who emigrated to Canada in the 1910s

Diller also starred in two brief television series: The Pruitts of Southampton on ABC in 1966 and the variety show The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show on NBC in 1968. A television program (US television programme (UK or television show (U The Pruitts of Southampton was a Situation comedy that aired during the 1966-67 season on the ABC network The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network. Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. A variety show or variety entertainment is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts especially Musical performances and Comedy Skits and The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. More recent television appearances for Diller have included a guest spot on the long-running family drama, 7th Heaven, where she hilariously boozed it up while cooking dinner for the household, and The Drew Carey Show, as Mimi Bobek's grandmother. 7th Heaven is an Emmy -nominated American drama television series, created and produced by Brenda Hampton The Drew Carey Show is an American Sitcom (set in Cleveland Ohio) that aired on ABC from 1995 to 2004 She posed for Playboy, but the photos were never run in the magazine. Playboy is an American Men's magazine, founded in Chicago Illinois, by Hugh Hefner and his associates which has grown into Playboy Her voice can be heard on Scooby Doo as herself, Jimmy Neutron as Jimmy's grandmother, and on Family Guy. Scooby-Doo is a long-running American animated series produced for Saturday morning television in several different versions from 1969 to the James Isaac "Jimmy" Neutron (voiced by Debi Derryberry) is a fictional character in the TV series The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius Family Guy is an animated American television sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane that airs on Fox and regularly on other

She appeared on Broadway in 1969 in the long-running Hello, Dolly as the last in a succession of replacements for Carol Channing, following Ginger Rogers, Martha Raye, Betty Grable, and Pearl Bailey. Carol Elaine Channing (b January 31 1921, Seattle Washington) is an American Singer and actress. Ginger Rogers ( July 16, 1911 &ndash April 25, 1995) was an Academy Award -winning American film and stage actress Martha Raye ( August 27, 1916 &ndash October 19, 1994) was an American comic actress and standards singer who performed Betty Grable ( December 18, 1916 &ndash July 2, 1973) was an American Dancer Singer, and actress Pearl Mae Bailey ( March 29, 1918 – August 17, 1990) was an American singer and actress

Hollywood films have continued to capitalize on Diller's charm and recognizability. In 1998, Diller parlayed her unique cackle into the vocals for the Queen in Disney/Pixar's animated movie A Bug's Life. Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Walt Disney Pictures refers to several different entities associated with The Walt Disney Company: Walt Disney Pictures, the film banner was established Pixar Animation Studios is a CGI animation production company based in Emeryville California. A Bug's Life is a 1998 CGI-animated Film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Buena Vista Distribution in the In 2005, Diller was featured as one of many contemporary comics in a documentary film, The Aristocrats. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Aristocrats is a 2005 documentary Film about the formerly obscure Dirty joke of the same name. Diller, who avoids working blue, 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. Blue comedy is comedy that is Off-color, risqué, Indecent, Profane, or Obscene[http //www

On January 24, 2007, she appeared on The Tonight Show and performed stand-up, before chatting with Jay Leno. Events 41 - Gaius Caesar (Caligula, known for his eccentricity and cruel Despotism, is Assassinated by his disgruntled The Tonight Show with Jay Leno as appropriate --> The Tonight Show is a long-running James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno (born April 28 1950 is an Emmy Award -winning American Stand-up comedian and Television host Leno asked her to come back on her birthday for a celebration, and she said she'd be delighted.

Diller had a cameo appearance in an episode of ABC's Boston Legal on April 10, 2007. Boston Legal is an American Legal drama - Comedy created by David E Events 879 - Louis III becomes King of the Western Franks. 1407 - the lama Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. She appeared as herself, confronting William Shatner's Denny Crane character, alleging to have had a torrid love affair with him in the past. William Alan Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian double Emmy - Golden Globe - and Saturn Award -winning They seemed to have enjoyed a romantic moment in a foxhole during World War II. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including

Diller is a member of the Society of Singers, which supports singers in need. The Society of Singers (established 1984 is a 501(c3 non profit charitable organisation based in Sherman Oaks, California. In June 2001 at the request of fellow Society member and producer Scott Sherman, she appeared at Kansas City and Philadelphia Pride events in support of gay pride and rights. In the Music industry, a record producer or music producer has many roles among them controlling the recording sessions coaching and guiding the musicians organizing Kansas City Missouri only Items for the metro area Kansas City Kansas or North Kansas City MO should go on their respective pages Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə LGBT pride or gay pride refers to a world wide movement and philosophy asserting that LGBT ( Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and The mayor of Philadelphia officially proclaimed June 8, 2001, as "Phyllis Diller Day" in Philadelphia. Events 68 - The Roman Senate accepts emperor Galba. 536 - St Silverius becomes Pope (probable Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Onstage she was presented an official proclamation to a standing ovation. In 2006, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom proclaimed February 5, 2006 "Phyllis Diller Day in San Francisco," which she accepted by phone. Gavin Christopher Newsom (born October 10 1967 is the current mayor of San Francisco. Events 1576 - Henry of Navarre converts to Roman Catholicism in order to ensure his right to the throne of France. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.

She has also recorded at least five comedy LP's, one of which was Born To Sing, released as Columbia CS 9523.

Although known for decades for waving cigarette holders in her comedy act, Diller is a lifelong nonsmoker, and the cigarette holders were stage props that the nonsmoking comedian had specially constructed as props.

Personal life

Diller, a longtime resident of Brentwood, California, credits much of her success to Bob Hope, in large part because he included her in the pictures and Vietnam USO shows mentioned above. Brentwood is an affluent district in western Los Angeles, California, United States; it is not to be confused with Brentwood California, in California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Bob Hope, KBE KCSG ( May 29, 1903 &ndash July 27, 2003) was an American comedian and actor who appeared in She is an accomplished pianist as well as a painter.

Diller has candidly discussed her plastic surgery, a series of procedures first undertaken when she was 55, and which changed her persona from being deliberately ugly to somewhat chic for her age. Plastic surgery is a medical specialty interested in the correction of form and function Following the initial procedures, Diller also adopted a more stylish hairdo, and opted for more conservative and flattering make-up and clothing. Diller's efforts have drawn numerous awards and acknowledgments from plastic surgeons and medical organizations. In 1993, she was inducted into the St. Louis Walk of Fame. The St Louis Walk of Fame honors well-known people from St Louis Missouri who made contributions to Culture of the United States.

Diller has been married three times, divorced twice, and widowed once. She also dated, and was friends with, Earl "Madman" Muntz, a pioneer in oddball TV and radio ads. Earl William "Madman" Muntz (January 3 1914 – June 21 1987 was an American Businessman and Engineer who sold and promoted cars and Consumer She has five children from her marriage to her first husband, Sherwood Anderson Diller. One of Diller's daughters has suffered from schizophrenia for most of her life. Diller's second husband was Warde Donovan. Diller is a grandmother to four — Paul, Michael, Chris and Cory. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times in December 2006, Diller briefly mentioned that one (or possibly more) of her children predeceased her, and that her youngest son Perry, now 55, oversees her affairs today. The Los Angeles Times (also known as the LA Times) is a daily Newspaper published in Los Angeles California and distributed

Recently, Diller has suffered serious medical problems, including a heart attack in 1999. Myocardial infarction ( MI or AMI for acute myocardial infarction) also known as a heart attack, occurs when the blood supply Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) After a hospital stay she was fitted with a pacemaker and released. For other uses see Pacemaker (disambiguation A pacemaker (or artificial pacemaker, so as not to be confused with the heart's natural pacemaker A bad fall resulted in her being hospitalized for tests on her head and pacemaker in 2005. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. She has since retired from stand-up comedy appearances. She wrote her autobiography in 2005, titled Like a Lampshade in a Whorehouse. An autobiography, from the Greek αὐτός autos "self" βίος bios "life" and γράφειν graphein "to write" A direct-to-DVD version of the project, complete with early live clips of Diller, and interviews with her showbiz colleagues including Don Rickles, among others, was released in December, 2006. DVD (also known as " Digital Versatile Disc " or " Digital Video Disc " - see Etymology)is For the radio and television announcer see Donald Rickles (announcer. A screenplay about Diller's early years in stand-up, according to blind items in the trades, is in preproduction with Patricia Clarkson slated to play the comedienne in a film due to be released in 2007. A blind item is a News story, usually Gossip, in which the details of the matter are reported while the identities of the people involved are not revealed Patricia Davies Clarkson (born December 29, 1959) is an American Academy Award -nominated and Emmy-winning Actress. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.

On July 11, 2007, it was reported by USA Today that she fractured her back and had to cancel a Tonight Show appearance, during which she had planned to celebrate her 90th birthday. Events 911 - Signing of the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple and Rollo of Normandy. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. USA TODAY is a national American daily Newspaper published by the Gannett Company.

Quotes

"The reason why women don't play football is because eleven of them would never wear the same outfit in public. "

Filmography

Upcoming:

TV work

Footnotes

  1. ^ Phyllis Diller - Yahoo! TV
  2. ^ Phyllis Diller (I) - Biography

External links

Events 1618 - Johannes Kepler discovers the third law of planetary motion. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Events 70 - The Destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem by the Romans. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Wait Wait… Don't Tell Me! is an hour-long weekly radio News quiz Game show produced by Chicago Public Radio and National Public Radio
© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
 Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic