Phyllis Diller

Phyllis Diller was interviewed for three hours plus in Los Angeles, CA.  Ms. Diller spoke of her beginnings as a successful comic breaking out of her shell as a middle-aged housewife when she appeared for the first time on stage at San Francisco’s “Purple Onion.”  She spoke of her first appearance in television on Groucho Marx’s You Bet Your Life.  She spoke of her many appearances on television variety shows including numerous appearances on The Jack Paar Show and The Ed Sullivan Show.  She spoke of her long association with Bob Hope in films and on television— making more appearances on his specials than anyone else.  She talked about her television series The Pruitts of Southampton (1966-67), a sitcom; and The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show (1968), a variety-talk series, as well her roles on the comedy-anthology series Love American Style. She spoke of her appearance as a regular panelist on television’s The Gong Show (1976-80) and her regular role from 1995-96 on the daytime serial The Bold and the Beautiful.   She spoke of her work as a trend-setting female comic and detailed her successful formula for stand-up comedy. The interview was conducted by Fred Wostbrook on March 8, 2000.