SMOTHERS BROTHERS (TOM SMOTHERS) - TYPED LETTER SIGNED - HFSID 270415

THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS: TOM SMOTHERS
TLS: "Tom", 1 page, 4¼x5½. No place, no date. On imprinted "The Smothers Brothers" letterhead to comedienne and actress Phyllis Diller. Begins: "Dear Phyllis". In full: "I thought you would enjoy playing a little tennis or golf with us - it's a great tournament. I hope you can join us. Best wishes". TOM SMOTHERS (1937-2023) and his younger brother, Dick Smothers, first appeared professionally at the Purple Onion in San Francisco in 1959. In 1961, they were regulars on The New Steve Allen Show, and later hosted two series of their own: The Smothers Brothers Show (1965-1966) and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1967-1970). Tom, an accomplished yo-yo trick performer, often incorporated his "Yo-Yo Man" act into performances and was "straight man" to his zany brother. The Smothers Brothers, now in their 47th year together, the longest for any comedy team, continue to tour, regularly appearing in Las Vegas. Tom has also appeared on several TV shows, including several episodes of Love, American Style, The Love Boat and Suddenly Susan, and in films, including the made-for-TV movie, Once Upon a Mattress (2005). 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). Slightly creased. Light paperclip impression (barely visible) at blank left margin. Fine condition.