Chapter 9: The Songbird – Totie Fields's Rise, Fall, and Comeback

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

Totie Fields, born Sophie Feldman in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1927, was a natural performer from childhood. She dreamed of show business despite her father's opposition and early singing failures. While performing at a Revere Beach club, she met comedian George Johnston, who encouraged her to shift from singing to comedy. After marrying Johnston, she paused her career to raise two daughters but soon returned with a new self-deprecating persona focused on her weight and everywoman struggles. She landed a manager, Howard Hinderstein, played the Borscht Belt resorts, and eventually broke into the Copacabana and The Ed Sullivan Show in 1963. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, she became a top-earning Vegas headliner, appearing on countless talk shows. However, after elective plastic surgery in 1976, complications from diabetes led to the amputation of her left leg. She staged a triumphant comeback, but further health problems—including breast cancer—followed. She filed a malpractice suit and died in 1978. Her legacy as a resilient, brassy comedian who paved the way for women in stand-up remains significant.

Key Events

Totie's early singing career at Revere Beach, where audiences laughed at her husky voice.
Meeting George Johnston; she proved her comedic instinct by performing his act better than he did.
Marriage and two daughters (Jody and Debbie) during the early 1950s; she returned to performing when they started school.
Self-deprecating weight jokes become the foundation of her persona, disarming audience mockery.
Manager Howard Hinderstein signs her; she relocates to New York in 1961.
Regular Catskills bookings and mentorship from club owner Lou Booth.
First Variety review in December 1960; comparisons to Roberta Sherwood and Sophie Tucker.
Breakthrough at the Copacabana in 1963, followed by her Ed Sullivan Show debut.
Headlining at the Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas; her own TV specials and numerous talk-show appearances.
Elective eye surgery in March 1976 triggers phlebitis, heart attacks, gangrene, and leg amputation.
Comeback at the Sahara in April 1977, filmed by HBO as Totie Returns.
Renewal of wedding vows with George Johnston; further health crises including breast cancer.
Malpractice lawsuit against Dr. William Keavy (settled after her death for $850,000).
Legacy: two posthumous musicals, Totie and Sophie, Totie, and Belle.

Character Development

Totie Fields: Transforms from a shy singer into a bold, self-deprecating comedian who controls the room. She evolves from a "toy" for her siblings into a driven professional who believes in her own stardom. After her amputation, she reframes her identity as the "Bionic Yenta," turning tragedy into material. She softens toward rivals like Joan Rivers, showing vulnerability.
George Johnston: Supports Totie's career as husband and musical conductor. He encourages her comedy, helps raise their daughters, and stands by her through every health crisis.
Howard Hinderstein: The manager who recognizes Totie's talent and elevates her from small clubs to national prominence.
Joan Rivers: Initially a rival whom Totie blackballed, but they reconcile backstage after Totie's leg amputation, sharing a meaningful conversation about comedy.
Lou Booth: A nightclub owner who acts as a mother figure, advising Totie on business and dealing with men in the industry.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Self-deprecation as armor: Totie makes jokes about her weight before anyone else can, turning a potential weakness into a source of power. She explicitly states this disarms hecklers and wins audiences.
The everywoman persona: Unlike earlier female comics who used masks (child, old lady, rube), Totie presented as a real housewife, making her relatable and non-threatening.
Body and illness as material: After losing her leg, she jokes about it, transforming tragedy into a new chapter of her act. The line "I finally weigh less than Elizabeth Taylor!" symbolizes her ability to subvert catastrophe.
The Borscht Belt as a crucible: The Catskills resorts provided a training ground where Totie honed her clean but rowdy act, and where talent scouts discovered her.
Ambition vs. contentment: Even at the peak, Totie felt her success was "the same thing as Revere Beach—just nicer drapes," highlighting the emptiness of pure ambition.
Perseverance: Despite repeated medical disasters, Totie never doubted she would work again. Her motto: "I didn't lose my talent, I didn't lose my sense of humor, I just lost a leg."

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter rescues Totie Fields from being a footnote in comedy history. It shows how a woman comedian in the 1950s–70s navigated gender discrimination by turning her body into a joke on her own terms. Her story is a case study in resilience—both in career and health. The chapter also illustrates the changing landscape of stand-up: the move from nightclubs to television, the importance of the Borscht Belt, and the limited opportunities for women. Totie's rivalry with Joan Rivers and her eventual reconciliation reveal the pressures of being one of the few female comics. Her legacy, though not as remembered as those of Phyllis Diller or Joan Rivers, is essential to understanding the evolution of women in comedy.

Study Questions and Answers

1. How did Totie Fields use self-deprecation as a strategic tool in her act, and why was it effective?
Totie made jokes about her weight before the audience could. By saying "I'm fat!" first, she deprived hecklers of ammunition. She also made herself the butt of every joke, ensuring no one in the audience could be offended. This approach disarmed critics and built goodwill, allowing her to then poke fun at husbands, kids, and daily life. Her honesty made people believe in her persona.

2. What role did the Borscht Belt play in Totie Fields' career development?
The Catskills resorts were the proving ground where Totie honed her clean, brassy act for family audiences. They also connected her to talent scouts and bookers from big-city clubs. The resorts were a natural fit for her everywoman persona, and managers like Hinderstein used them to build her reputation before her Copacabana break.

3. How did Totie Fields' response to her leg amputation reflect her overall character and career philosophy?
Rather than retiring, she turned her disability into new material, joking about her lighter weight and prosthetic leg. She insisted on returning to the stage within a year, proving her determination. She told Joan Rivers that talent and humor weren't lost with a limb. Her comeback on HBO and the Friars Club luncheon demonstrated that she refused to be defined by tragedy—only by her ability to make people laugh.