17/07/2025
Carrying the mantle from earlier trailblazers like Moms Mabley, Marie Lloyd, F***y Brice & Gracie Allen, Phyllis Diller kicked down the doors to mainstream television — and held them open for every female comic who wanted to follow.
Born 17th July 1917, She was fearless, self-deprecating, loud, unapologetic and impossible to ignore. The TV-era industry framed her as the “first lady of laughter” because she was marketable and “safe” for 1960s America — but Phyllis always credited the funny women who came before her, and never claimed to be the first.
Watch her as she takes a number from West Side Story and makes it her own.