STEVE BLUESTEIN - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED 02/10/1979 - HFSID 270543

STEVE BLUESTEIN
ALS: "Steve Bluestein", 2 pages, 6¼x9, separate sheets. No place, 1979 February 10. To comedienne and actress Phyllis Diller. Begins: "Dear Phyllis". In full: "How wonderful to see you last night & how wonderful you are! Phyllis, how can I put into words what I want to say? It's just, you can't steal from family only share. I swear to you, I was not upset about 'Put to Sleep'. You were warm, & wonderful & giving to me when I needed someone to be. Let's consider it an even trade. So much has happened to me in the last year to change my life. It was my own holocost but it made me so much stronger. Words - jokes are so unimportant in the major Plan of life. We give a gift of our comedy to our audiences - why can't we give a gift to each other. I would love to sit and talk with you. I know how busy you are but please let's try to fit it into your schedule. We could even have a writing session. I could use that right now. In any case, I love you & was thrilled to see you last night. Take Care & use it in good health. With love". Handwritten postscript: "P.S. My new phone number is [telephone number]". Stand-up comedian STEVE BLUESTEIN, who was a writer for The Brady Bunch Hour (1977), has appeared in comedy clubs in the Los Angeles area and Las Vegas, and he has shared his comedic talents on such radio shows as The Bob & Tom Show. Bluestein was seen in two feature films, Cracking Up (1977) and Rabbit Test (1978), as well as the made-for-TV movie, Perfect Gentlemen. We could find no information on the incident mentioned in this letter, which was probably regarding a joke written by Bluestein and used by Diller. Both stand-up comedians can be heard on the five disc compilation, The World's Greatest Stand-Up Comedy Collection, which features performances from the Norm Crosby-hosted TV series, The Comedy Shop, which ran from 1978-1983 (Diller is on disk one; Bluestein is on disk 2). 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). Lightly creased with fold, not at signature. Stapled at upper left blank corners, light paperclip impression at upper margin. Fine condition.