Totie Fields, the comedian known for her self-deprecating humor about her weight, built a career that spanned radio, nightclubs, and television before her life was cut short by a series of health crises. Born Sophie Feldman in Hartford, Connecticut, on May 7, 1930, she began singing ona local radio stations at age four. In her teens, she performed inthe resorts of the Catskill Mountains, a circuit known asthe Borscht Belt, before moving onto Boston nightclubs, whereshe combined singing with comedy routines. After marrying comic George Johnston in 1950 and having two daughters, Fields began gaining weightand turned that change into a central part of her act, filling her performances with jokesabout being heavy and dieting.
Standing just 4 foot 11 and weighing around170 pounds, she presented herself as perpetually cheerful, embracing her appearance rather than hiding it. Ed Sullivan gave Fields her first major television break, booking her on his show after seeing her perform at the Copacabana in New York City. She went on to appear frequently on his program, as well as other popular shows of the era, including The Mike Douglas Show, The Merv Griffin Show, and The Tonight Show. Her television credits also included The Carol Burnett Show, Here’s Lucy, Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, and the drama Medical Center.
During a 1974 appearance on The Mike Douglas Show, Fields met the band KISS, who were making their first national television appearance. She joked that it would be funny if lead singer Gene Simmons, hidden under his stage makeup, turned out to bea nice Jewish boy. Simmons, who is Jewish and was born in Israel, responded, “You should only know. ” The two became friends and remained close until herdeath.
Fields also appeared on several game shows inthe late 1960s and1970s, including Hollywood Squares and Tattletales, often alongside her husband. Reflecting on that era, she once remarked that game shows were a daily staple of television, though she doubted they could thrive again, noting that audiences seemed to lack the patience for that format in later years. Fields faced numerous health problems throughout her adult life. She suffered from diabetes, and in March 1976, she underwent surgery to remove a blood clot.
The procedure failed, and she developed phlebitis. By April of that year, her left leg was amputated. While recovering from that amputation, Fields suffered two heart attacks in October 1977. Later, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and doctors removed her right breast.
Despite these setbacks, she continued to perform. On August 2, 1978, Fields was preparing fora two-week engagement at The Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas. The night before she was set to open, she was stricken at home by a blood clot, suffering a pulmonary embolism. She was rushed to nearby Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, butdied shortly thereafter at age 48.
Her ashes were interred at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles. Throughout her career, Fields embodied the motto “The show must go on,” continuing to work even as her health declined.
