Totie Fields
Totie Fields | |
---|---|
Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | |
Resting place | Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles |
Other names | Totie Fields Johnston |
Occupation | Comedian |
Years active | 1954–1978 |
Spouse(s) | George William Johnston, Jr. (1950–1978; her death; 2 children) |
Totie Fields (born Sophie Feldman; May 7, 1930 – August 2, 1978) was an American comedian.[1][2]
Early life
Fields was born Sophie Feldman in Hartford, Connecticut. She started singing in Boston clubs while still in high school, taking the stage name of Totie Fields.[3] She was Jewish.[4]
Career
Fields gained fame during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.
It was on Mike Douglas in 1974 that Totie met the band Kiss, who were making their first national TV appearance.[13] Fields joked that it would be funny if bassist Gene Simmons, under the makeup, turned out to be "just a nice Jewish boy." Simmons (who is not only Jewish but was born in Israel) responded "You should only know", to which Fields said, "I do! You can’t hide the hook!" (Simmons and Fields became friends and corresponded until her death.)[14]
Fields also appeared on various television game shows in the late 1960s and 1970s, including multiple episodes of both Hollywood Squares and Tattletales with her husband George Johnston.
In 1972, Fields wrote a humorous diet book titled I Think I'll Start on Monday: The Official 8½ Oz. Mashed Potato Diet.[15]
Health problems
Fields was plagued with health problems in the last years of her life. She suffered from
Fields' last television appearance before her surgery was in a rare straight dramatic guest-starring role on the CBS-TV drama series Medical Center, which aired on February 23, 1976. In that episode, "Life, Death, and Mrs. Armbruster", Fields played Phoebe Armbruster, a hospital janitor plagued by heart problems.[19]
In June 1977, a much-thinner Fields starred in the
In October 1977, Fields was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a mastectomy to remove her right breast and also had an eye operation.[17] However, Fields continued to perform, incorporating her health problems into her act.[23] As a result, this changed the tone of her humor. Actor Van Johnson, who was a friend of Fields, was said to have remarked, "When Totie lost weight, she wasn't funny anymore."
Nevertheless, in 1978, during the last year of her life, Fields was voted "Entertainer of the Year" and "Female Comedy Star of the Year" by the American Guild of Variety Artists.[2]
Death
On August 2, 1978, Fields was scheduled to begin a two-week engagement at Las Vegas’
See also
References
- ^ "Totie Fields eulogized for paving way for women". Eugene Register-Guard. August 3, 1978. Retrieved July 24, 2011.
- ^ a b c Fraser, C. Gerald (August 3, 1978). "Totie Fields Dead. Comedienne was 48". The New York Times. p. B2. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
- ^ Shevey, Sandra (September 27, 1977). "Totie Fields' Image One That Evolved Over Years". Indianapolis News. p. 39. Retrieved May 15, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Artsy, Avitai (November 7, 2017). "This Raucous Jewish Stand-Up Comedienne Made Fat Jokes Before They Were in Style". Jewniverse. Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
- ^ Lardine, Bob (February 16, 1967). "A heavy favorite". New York Sunday News. p. 4-Coloroto Magazine. Retrieved May 15, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Wilson, Earl (September 1, 1963). "Totie Fields A BIG Hit". Miami News. p. TV-12. Retrieved May 15, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Robinson, Barry (August 1, 1964). "Totie Fields--Homey Humor With Much Polish". Asbury Park Evening Press. p. 5. Retrieved May 15, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Totie Fields Very Big on the Comedy". The Austin American. April 5, 1964. p. Show World-16. Retrieved May 15, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Shevey, Sandra (September 28, 1977). "Before Totie Reached Top, It Was Tough". Indianapolis News. p. 4. Retrieved May 15, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Humphrey, Hal (September 22, 1968). "Totie Fields Tells Secrets of Success". Chicago Tribune. p. 10-2. Retrieved May 15, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Today's top television viewing". The Santa Fe New Mexican. February 17, 1971. p. B3. Retrieved May 15, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Totie Fields joins Lucille Ball on 'Here's Lucy' tonight at 8 o'clock (photo)". The Decatur (Illinois) Daily Review. June 4, 1973. p. 7. Retrieved May 15, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Werts, Diane (August 15, 2007). "Kiss and tell: Glam band vs. Snyder". Newsday. p. B21. Retrieved May 15, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Kretsch, Ron (August 15, 2015). "Just A Nice Jewish Boy: A Young Gene Simmons on 'The Mike Douglas Show,' 1974". Dangerous Minds. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
- ^ Fields, Totie (1972). I Think I'll Start on Monday: The Official 8½ oz. Mashed Potato Diet. New York: Hawthorn Books, 1972.
- ^ Shevey, Sandra (September 26, 1977). "'Didn't Lose My Talent, Just Lost a Leg,' Totie Tells 'Em". Indianapolis News. p. 3. Retrieved May 15, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Variety. April 12, 1978. p. 2.
- ^ Dorschner, John (May 15, 1977). "Totie Fields May Have Been Down, But She Was Never Out". Concord (California) Transcript. p. Family Weekly-6. Retrieved May 15, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Totie Fields leaves her comedy routines for a dramatic role on 'Medical Center" (photo)". Modesto (California) Bee. February 22, 1976. p. TVWeek-10. Retrieved May 15, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Benbow, Charles (June 25, 1977). "Totie cleans up Home Box Office's act, temporarily". St. Petersburg Times. p. 5B. Retrieved May 16, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "John Warner met Liz Taylor at dinner -- with Queen Elizabeth". AP NEWS. 26 May 2021. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
- ^ Tocci, Deborah (August 18, 1977). "Laughter Totie's Best Medicine". The Post-Star (Glens Falls, New York). p. 3. Retrieved May 15, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Totie Fields Rotund Comic Was Entertainer of Year". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. August 3, 1978.