About
"Little by little by little, I was getting to my persona. I will never forget, when I was working Boston, the guy that I worked for there said, 'you should do something about wardrobe.' To me, wardrobe was a piece of furniture you put clothes in. He meant I should think about dressing more theatrically."
In her three-hour-plus interview, Phyllis Diller (1917-2012) speaks 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 speaks of her first appearance on television, on Groucho Marx's You Bet Your Life. She talks of her many appearances on television variety shows including numerous appearances on The Jack Paar Show and The Ed Sullivan Show. She discusses her long association with Bob Hope in films and on television— making more appearances on his specials than anyone else. She talks 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 describes 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 describes her work as a trend-setting female comic and details her successful formula for stand-up comedy. Fred Wostbrock conducted the interview on March 8, 2000 in Los Angeles, CA.
Highlights

Phyllis Diller on her trademark laugh

Phyllis Diller on her costume; gloves, cigarette holder, boots

Phyllis Diller on her television debut on Groucho Marx's You Bet Your Life

Phyllis Diller on the The Pruitts of Southampton, which later became The Phyllis Diller Show

Phyllis Diller on her advice to aspiring comics
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On her early years in Lima, Ohio; on her education
On marrying, and moving to California, having a family, and starting in newspaper and radio copywriting
Chapter 2
On starting her career in standup comedy
On her TV debut on You Bet Your Life; on creating her stage persona; on Jack Paar's influence
Chapter 3
On crafting her onstage look and act
On performing on television; on the rise of her career and headlining in Las Vegas
Chapter 4
On her early television show; on working with Bob Hope
On working with iconic show hosts including Johnny Carson, Steve Allen, Mike Douglas, and Bob Hope
On starring in the sitcom The Pruitts of Southampton
Chapter 5
On The Pruitts of Southampton; on some of her guest roles
On The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show; on her stagework; on appearing on the Tiny Tim episode of The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson; on plastic surgery
Chapter 6
On Jonathan Winters, Liberace, George Burns, and others she's worked with; on her concerts; on her appearance on Night Gallery
On The Gong Show; on The Friars Club; on appearances in the 1970s and 1980s
Chapter 7
On her advice to aspiring comics
On the importance of laughter; on her legacy
Shows
Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show, The
Phyllis Diller on starring in the short-lived The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show
Bob Hope Specials
Phyllis Diller on Bob Hope's comic sensibilities
Phyllis Diller on Bob Hope
Bold and the Beautiful, The
Phyllis Diller on her recurring character "Gladys Pope" on The Bold and the Beautiful
Ed Sullivan Show, The aka Toast of the Town
Phyllis Diller on appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show; on Ed Sullivan
Gong Show, The
Phyllis Diller on being a celebrity judge on The Gong Show
Night Gallery
Phyllis Diller on guest starring on the Night Gallery episode "Pamela's Voice" (airdate: January 13, 1971)
Pruitts of Southampton, The
Phyllis Diller on her 1966 sitcom, The Pruitts of Southampton
Phyllis Diller on the The Pruitts of Southampton, which later became The Phyllis Diller Show
Tonight
Phyllis Diller on Steve Allen
Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The
Phyllis Diller on being a guest on the Tonight Show for the wedding of Tiny Tim and Miss Vicki (airdate: December 17,1969)
Tonight Starring Jack Paar aka The Jack Paar Show
Phyllis Diller on her first appearance on The Tonight Show; on Jack Paar
Tony Orlando & Dawn
Phyllis Diller on a funny incident that happened when she guest-starred on Tony Orlando and Dawn
You Bet Your Life
Phyllis Diller on her television debut on Groucho Marx's You Bet Your Life
Professions
Comedian
Phyllis Diller on her trademark laugh
Phyllis Diller on her advice to aspiring comics
Genres
Late Night
Phyllis Diller on appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show; on Ed Sullivan
People
Steve Allen
Phyllis Diller on Steve Allen
Bob Hope
Phyllis Diller on Bob Hope's comic sensibilities
Phyllis Diller on Bob Hope
Gypsy Rose Lee
Phyllis Diller on Gypsy Rose Lee
Groucho Marx
Phyllis Diller on her television debut on Groucho Marx's You Bet Your Life
Jack Paar
Phyllis Diller on her first appearance on The Tonight Show; on Jack Paar
Red Skelton
Phyllis Diller on comedian Red Skelton
Ed Sullivan
Phyllis Diller on appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show; on Ed Sullivan
Tiny Tim
Phyllis Diller on being a guest on the Tonight Show for the wedding of Tiny Tim and Miss Vicki (airdate: December 17,1969)