Totie Fields
Who Totie Fields is
Totie Fields (born Sophie Feldman in Hartford, Connecticut) was a comedian who rose from nightclubs to national fame after Ed Sullivan booked her in 1964, having seen her act at New York's Copacabana. She became a frequent guest on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Mike Douglas Show, The Merv Griffin Show and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and after a leg amputation in 1976 she worked her health struggles into her act, starring in HBO's Standing Room Only in 1977. In 1978, the last year of her life, the American Guild of Variety Artists named her Entertainer of the Year and Female Comedy Star of the Year.
At a glance
- Born
- 1930
- Died
- 1978
- Style
- Body comedy, Body and identity
- Came up through
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
- Stand-up specials
- Standing Room Only
- Podcasts
- I Think I'll Start on Monday: The Official 8½ Oz. Mashed Potato Diet
- On screen
- The Ed Sullivan Show, The Mike Douglas Show, The Merv Griffin Show and 5 more
Specials, shows and podcasts
Stand-up specials
- Standing Room Only 1977, HBO
On screen
- The Ed Sullivan Show guest, from 1964
- The Mike Douglas Show guest
- The Merv Griffin Show guest
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson guest
- The Carol Burnett Show guest, 1971
- Here's Lucy guest, 1972
- Hollywood Squares panelist
- Medical Center Phoebe Armbruster, 1976
Podcasts
- I Think I'll Start on Monday: The Official 8½ Oz. Mashed Potato Diet book, 1972
Where they got their start
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson frequent guest
Came up the same way
Other comedians in SUCDb who came through The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson:
Comedians like Totie Fields
Each linked to them by something on the record — a stage they both came through, a bill, a show, a style or a home town.
- Shecky Greene also in The Ed Sullivan Show
- Moms Mabley also in The Ed Sullivan Show
- Buddy Hackett also in Hollywood Squares
- Dick Shawn also in The Ed Sullivan Show
- Elayne Boosler also in Hollywood Squares
- Flip Wilson also in The Ed Sullivan Show
- Joan Rivers also in Hollywood Squares
- Rodney Dangerfield also in The Ed Sullivan Show
Career timeline
- 1930Born
- 1964The Ed Sullivan Show (guest, from 1964) On screen
- 1971The Carol Burnett Show (guest, 1971) On screen
- 1972Here's Lucy (guest, 1972) On screen
- 1972I Think I'll Start on Monday: The Official 8½ Oz. Mashed Potato Diet (book, 1972) Book
- 1976Medical Center (Phoebe Armbruster, 1976) On screen
- 1977Standing Room Only (1977, HBO) Special
- 1978Died
Questions about Totie Fields
What stand-up specials has Totie Fields released?
Standing Room Only.
What podcast do they host?
I Think I'll Start on Monday: The Official 8½ Oz. Mashed Potato Diet.
What TV shows and films are they in?
The Ed Sullivan Show, The Mike Douglas Show, The Merv Griffin Show, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Carol Burnett Show and Here's Lucy, among 8 credits.
Where did they get their start?
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (frequent guest).
Who are some comedians like them?
Shecky Greene (also in The Ed Sullivan Show), Moms Mabley (also in The Ed Sullivan Show), Buddy Hackett (also in Hollywood Squares), Dick Shawn (also in The Ed Sullivan Show) and Elayne Boosler (also in Hollywood Squares).
The full SUCDb record
The full record — the career in order, the specials and credits, and the sources for each — is on SUCDb, with their place on the Legends ballots.
Sources
- Wikipedia — Totie Fields ↗ Birth and death years, Hartford, Ed Sullivan break in 1964, TV guest spots, Medical Center, HBO Standing Room Only 1977, AGVA awards 1978, diet book
Updated 5 October 2026 · the record checked 27 September 2026