About
Phyllis Diller, born Phyllis Ada Driver in Lima, Ohio, in 1917, was a pioneer of female stand-up comedy in the United States. She began performing at age 37 at The Purple Onion nightclub in San Francisco in 1955, where a two-week booking extended to nearly two years. Her eccentric persona – wild wig, cackling laugh, and jokes about her fictional husband 'Fang' – made her famous. She appeared on national television, collaborated with Bob Hope, acted in films and TV series, and performed as a classical pianist with over 100 symphony orchestras under the pseudonym 'Dame Illya Dillya'. She was also a painter and author of several books. In 2003, she donated her gag file of over 52,000 joke cards to the Smithsonian.
* 1917-07-17 — † 2012-08-20
Major works
- Phyllis Diller's Marriage Manual (1967)book
- The Joys of Aging and How to Avoid Them (1981)book
- Like a Lampshade in a Whorehouse (2005)autobiography
- The Pruitts of Southampton (1966)TV series
- Hello, Dolly! (1970)musical
Key milestones
- 1955Professional debut at The Purple Onion nightclub in San Francisco.
- 2003Donates her gag file of 52,569 joke cards to the Smithsonian.
- 1992Receives the American Comedy Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Themes
Self-deprecationMarriage and domestic lifeAgingWomen's role in comedyEccentricity and performance
Sources: id.loc.gov · si.edu · britannica.com