ELLEN DEGENERES - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED - HFSID 270329

ELLEN DeGENERES
The comedienne sends a letter of thanks to fellow comedienne Phyllis Diller
Autograph Letter Signed: "Ellen", 1 page, 5½x4¼. Los Angeles, California, no date. On inside panel of card by "The Velvet Garden" to comedienne and actress Phyllis Diller. Begins: "Dear Phyllis". In full: "You are truly amazing. It was such a joy having you on my show. I will always treasure the painting entitled 'Ellen' To further our conversation please call my assistant Craig anytime work [two telephone numbers added in her hand] With love". The winner of Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Talk Show Host and Outstanding Talk Show (Executive Producer) in 2005 for The Ellen DeGeneres Show, comedienne and actress Ellen DeGeneres (born in 1958) began her career in stand-up. When she made her debut on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1986, Ellen, who performed her signature telephone call to God, became the first female comic to be honored with an invitation to sit on his couch. Her exposure led to a cross-country tour and several cable TV specials, and she later appeared on the short-lived television series, Laurie Hill (1992), before getting her own series, Ellen (1994-1998). After making TV history by "coming out of the closet" on the series, Ellen had another series, The Ellen Show (2001-2002) before starring on and executive producing her successful daytime talk show since 2003. After making her film debut in 1993's Coneheads, Ellen has appeared in such films as Trevor (1994), The Love Letter (1999) and EDtv (1999), and she has lent her vocal talents to Doctor Doolittle (1998) and Finding Nemo (2003). She has also penned two best-selling books, including My Point...And I Do Have One (1996). Comedienne PHYLLIS DILLER (1917-2012), known for her outrageous appearance, zany outfits, distinctive laugh and a stand-up act that featured frequent references to her fictional husband, "Fang", and zingers about her sex appeal and numerous plastic surgeries, got her big break in March 1955 (at age 37), when she debuted at San Francisco's Purple Onion club. A subsequent appearance on The Tonight Show hosted by Jack Paar launched her national career, which got a big boost after Bob Hope saw Diller in a Washington, D.C. club. A favorite of the comedian, Diller would appear in three of Hope's films and 23 of his TV specials. Diller, who recorded her first comedy record album in 1959, took her groundbreaking "funny hausfrau" act to nightclubs and television variety shows and specials and she also appeared on the big screen. Her feature film credits include Splendor in the Grass (1961), The Fat Spy (1966), Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number! (1966), The Sunshine Boys (1975) and The Silence of the Hams (1994), and she provided the voice of the Queen in A Bug's Life (1998). By 2000, the comedienne, who had trained as a concert pianist before her marriage (1939-1965) to Sherwood Anderson Diller, had appeared as a piano soloist with 100 symphony orchestras across the U.S. Despite retiring from nightclub/stage tours in May 2002 at the age of 84, Diller continued to make films (Motorcross Kids, 2004; Forget About It, 2005) and occasionally appear on TV programs, including two episodes of 7th Heaven (2002, 2003) and a guest shot on The Wayne Brady Show (2004). "Ellen Degenerous" (sic) written (unknown hand) on back panel, which is slightly soiled. Fine condition.