Totie Fields was one of the funniest women to play the big rooms in Las Vegas as well as a daytime TV talk and game show Diva. Blessed with a lightning quick wit, she always had audiences rolling in the aisles with her caustic, observational humor. She was sassy and cutting, a refreshing change from the demure commedienes that preceded her.
This is an early Totie appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show where she made her national TV debut in the 1960s. She became a big draw on the Strip and in nightclubs after routines like this in primetime... and following her trips to the Carson Tonight show where she killed.
On the Jerry Lewis Telethon
Totie Fields got punked on Tattletales, a 1970s afternoon game show where stars appeared with their spouses. But you couldn't get over on Totie, she was too fast.
Say what you will about how cheesy those '70s game shows were there was some astonishingly good entertainment available in the afternoons on TV then. Totie especially always had a new or mostly new set when she made one of her frequent appearances on The Mike Douglas Show, Dinah and The Merv Griffin Show.
In 1976 Totie had her left leg amputated and lost a breast to cancer but she took it all in stride, in public at least, and was funnier than ever talking about her misfortunes. Sadly she passed away in 1978 never having fully recovered from her first operation. She was only 48 years old.
More Las Vegas Legends!
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