TOTIE FIELDS 1960s Standup Comedy Act

The great and sadly missed Totie Fields performs her standup comedy routine in this 1960s clip.

"You're gonna see lips, like you've never seen before,
You're gonna see hips, you'll remember ever more,
You're gonna see passion, that'll set your pulses on fire!
You're gonna see fashion, not many women acquire.
And when you put them all together, what do you see?
Fascinating, Intoxicating, Scintillating, Captivating - stunning me!

You're gonna see eyes; like you've never dreamed before,
You're gonna see thighs, that could start another war —
And when you put them all together, what do you see?
You see adorable, wonderful, beautiful, sexy me!"
— (excerpt) the morbidly obese Totie Fields, lyrics from "Stunning Me" original music
with orchestra for Las Vegas revue ca. 1971

Totie Fields (May 7, 1930 — August 2, 1978) American comedian, singer and actress. Fields was famous for her self-effacing humor, ad-lib wit and ebullient good humor. All her life she battled a weight problem, (she weighed 200 pounds and was only five feet tall) but instead of letting it get her down incorporated it into her act with great results. She never used obscene humor but her use of double entendre was extensive. In addition to stand up comedy, she was a talented singer who could tackle serious ballads but mostly enjoyed regaling audiences with humorous songs written for her performances.

"Shirley Temple had charisma as a child. But it cleared up as an adult."
— Totie Fields

Sophie Feldman was born in Hartford, Connecticut. The family moved to Boston not long after and she started singing in clubs in Boston at a very young age. She began a serious career in comedy in the famous "Borscht Belt" in the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York. Their were nightly shows at these resorts, which catered to a predominately Jewish clientele.
She was brought to the attention of Ed Sullivan show after he saw her performing in a New York City night club. She was a hit and went on to appear on Sullivan's show forty times. When not appearing in Las Vegas or New York night clubs, she appeared on television talk shows, including the Mike Douglas Show and frequented the Merv Griffin show.

The versatile Fields wrote a funny diet book entitled "I Think I'll Start on Monday: The Official 8 1/2 oz. Mashed Potato Diet (New York: Hawthorn Books, 1972).

"Do you like to shop? Ya like to bargain? I do. The other day I bought 20 pairs of panty hose for fifteen cents a piece. They had the seam running up the front. What can you do? I figured I'd learn to walk backwards."
— Totie Fields

Michael West as Steve & Eydie

This piece is taken from "Together At Last", a wonderful around the world-of-the-stars tour de force by Michael West.

"Marijuana" Bette Midler Live 1972

Over 35 years ago Bette Midler was affectionately known around Manhattan as "Bette Mildew" since she spent many hours working in a queer bathhouse called The Continental (which would gain notoriety years later in the slapstick comedy "The Ritz"). It was at this bath house that she honed her craft and mastered the art of working an audience. Within a couple of years Bette was so famous that she couldn't even take the time out to perform at RENO SWEENEY'S, a club which was created specifically for her!

This particular clip- "Marijuana" was shot at The Continental around 1970-1972(if you know more info, please place a comment on the page for me!) Bruce Valanch was probably already writing her material and Barry Manilow was definitely behind the keys.

Lady Bunny and Lahoma at Boy Bar

September 1, 1988: The Lady Bunny and special guest Lahoma Van Zandt take The Now Explosion's "Stuff" and make it their own.

"Heroes" by Tally Brown

Tally Brown inspires with "Heroes",from Rosa von Praunheim's 1980 documentary "Tally Brown, New York.