MAUREEN REAGAN - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED CO-SIGNED BY: PHYLLIS DILLER - HFSID 270371

MAUREEN REAGAN and PHYLLIS DILLER
Maureen Reagan sends an autograph letter to Phyllis Diller who adds a note
Autograph Letter signed: "Maureen", 1p, 7¼x10½. No place, no date. On personal letterhead to actress/comedienne Phyllis Diller. In full: "A zillion thank yous for the darling pot holders. How did you know mine have seen better days. I will think of you constantly. After seeing Loni with Sally yesterday - I think you're right. Look forward to seeing you soon. Love." She has written her phone number at bottom left (blacked out on image). In the left margin, is an unsigned, autograph note in Diller's hand: "Make sure we have this # [arrow points to phone number]". MAUREEN REAGAN (1941-2001) was the daughter of President Ronald Reagan and his first wife, actress Jane Wyman. Maureen Reagan co-chaired the Republican National Committee (1987-1989) and sought (unsuccessfully) Republican nominations for the U.S. Senate (1982) and House (1992) from California. She headed the U.S. delegation to the UN Decade for Women conference in Kenya (1985). An author and radio talk show host, she was close to her father but didn't hesitate to disagree with him on public issues, such as abortion. After the former President was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, Maureen became active in the fight against the illness, joining the board of the Alzheimer's Association. 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). Diller's note and Reagan's phone number have been emphasized by yellow highlighter (unknown hand). Fine condition.