Joan Rivers Biography (1933?-)

Born Joan Alexandra Molinsky, June 8, 1933 (some sources say 1935, 1937, or 1939) in Brooklyn, NY; daughter of Meyer C. (a doctor) and Beatrice (maiden name, Grushman) Molinsky; married Jimmy Sanger, 1957 (marriage annulled, 1958);married Edgar Rosenberg (a writer and producer), July 15, 1965 (died August14, 1987); involved with Orin Lehman (a businessman), c. 1993-c. 1999; children: (second marriage) Melissa (an actress and journalist). Addresses:Office: William Morris Agency, 151 El Camino Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90212.; Contact: 1 East 62nd St., New York, NY 10021; P.O. Box 49744, Los Angeles, CA90049.

Nationality: American
Gender: Female
Occupation: Comedienne, actress, writer, producer, director
Birth Details: 1933?; Brooklyn, New York, United States

Famous Works

CREDITS
Television Appearances
Series
Host, That Show Starring Joan Rivers (also known as That Show and The Joan Rivers Show), NBC, 1968
Voice of narrator, "The Adventures of Letterman," The Electric Company, PBS, 1972-77
Semiregular, The Hollywood Squares, syndicated, 1976
Regular guest host, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, NBC,1983-86
Joan Rivers: Can We Talk?, BBC, 1986
Host, The Late Show (also known as The Late Show Starring JoanRivers), Fox, 1986-87
The center square, The Hollywood Squares (also known as The NewHollywood Squares), syndicated, 1987-89
Square One TV, PBS, 1987
The Joan Rivers Show, syndicated, 1989-94
Host, Joan Rivers' Gossip! Gossip! Gossip!, USA Network, 1992-93
Host, Can We Shop?, syndicated, 1993-94
Meredith Dunston, Another World (also known as Another World: Bay City), NBC, 1997
Hollywood Squares, syndicated, 1998
Movies
Irma Summers, How to Murder a Millionaire (also known as Bad Times in Beverly Hills, The Beverly Hills Get Rich Quick Murders, The Couch Potato Murders, and Your Money or Your Wife), CBS, 1990
Herself, Tears and Laughter: The Joan and Melissa Rivers Story (also known as Life after Death and Starting Again), NBC, 1994
Episodic
Joan, "Lucy and Joan Rivers Do Jury Duty," Here's Lucy, CBS, 1973
"Salvaged Romance/Our Son the Lawyer/Gopher's Daisy," The Love Boat, ABC, 1983
Guest, Audience with Joan Rivers, London Weekend Television, 1984
Herself, "You Gotta Have Art," 227, 1990
Alan King: Inside the Comedy Mind, 1991
Herself, The Full Wax, BBC1, 1991
Voice, Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist (animated), Comedy Central, 1995
Herself, Clive Anderson Talks Back, Channel 4, 1995
Edie, "Oh, How They Danced: Parts 1 & 2," Suddenly Susan, NBC,1998
Herself, So Graham Norton, Channel 4, 2000
Also appeared as guest host, Saturday Night Live, NBC; herself, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson; in Later with Bob Costas, NBC.
Pilots
Reporter, Comedy News II, ABC, 1973
Miniseries
Bibi Grant, Jackie Collins's "Lady Boss" (also known as Lady Boss), syndicated, 1992
Herself, The Talk Show Story, 2000
Herself, The Human Face, 2001
Specials
Celebrity Challenge of the Sexes 4, CBS, 1979
Circus of the Stars #5, CBS, 1980
Lily--Sold Out, CBS, 1981
(Archive footage) Herself, The Great Standups (also known as The Great Standups: Sixty Years of Laughter), 1984
Joan Rivers and Friends Salute Heidi Abromowitz, Showtime, 1985
The Real Trivial Pursuit, ABC, 1985
WrestleMania 2, Showtime, 1986
NBC's 60th Anniversary Celebration, NBC, 1986
Kraft Salutes the George Burns 90th Birthday Special, CBS, 1986
The Barbara Walters Special, ABC, 1986
Caesar's 20th Birthday Celebration, Showtime, 1987
Pee-Wee's Playhouse Christmas Special (also known as ChristmasSpecial), CBS, 1988
NBC News Report on America: Stressed to Kill, NBC, 1988
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, NBC, 1989
Second Annual Valvoline National Driving Test, CBS, 1990
Herself, The Horror Hall of Fame, syndicated, 1990
Night of 100 Stars III, NBC, 1990
Happy Birthday, Bugs: 50 Looney Years, CBS, 1990
Comic Relief IV, HBO, 1990
The World of Jewish Humor, PBS, 1990
The Very Best of the Ed Sullivan Show, CBS, 1991
Host, Showtime Comedy Club All-Stars V, Showtime, 1991
Herself, Public Enemy Number 2, Showtime, 1991
Donahue: The 25th Anniversary, 1992
Hats Off to Minnie Pearl: America Honors Minnie Pearl, 1992

Joan Rivers: Abroad in London (also known as Showtime Comedy Superstars--Joan Rivers: Abroad in London), Showtime, 1992
The Alistair Cooke Salute, 1992
The Full Wax, 1992
In a New Light '93, ABC, 1993
Laughing Matters (documentary; also known as Funny Business), Showtime, 1993
Host, The Academy Awards Pre-Show, 1995
The Ed Sullivan All-Star Comedy Special (also known as Ed Sullivan's All-Star Comedy Special and The Very Best of Ed Sullivan IV), CBS, 1995
Disney's Most Unlikely Heroes, ABC, 1996
The Life and Death of Sam Kinison: The E! True Hollywood Story, E!Entertainment Television, 1996
Fifty Years of Television: A Celebration of the Academy of TelevisionArts and Sciences Golden Anniversary, HBO, 1997
Host, The 1997 Academy Awards Pre-Show, E! Entertainment Television, 1997
Host, The 1997 Academy Awards Post-Show, E! Entertainment Television, 1997
Host, The 1997 Primetime Emmy Awards Pre-Show, E! Entertainment Television, 1997
Herself, Joan Rivers: The E! True Hollywood Story, E! Entertainment Television, 2001
Awards Presentations
The 38th Annual Emmy Awards, NBC, 1986
The 39th Annual Emmy Awards, Fox, 1987
The 44th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1990
The 11th Annual ACE Awards (also known as The Golden ACE Awards), 1990
The 18th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, CBS, 1991
The 6th Annual American Comedy Awards, 1992
Other
The Shape of Things, 1973
Television Work
Series
Creator, Husbands, Wives, and Lovers, CBS, 1978
Specials
Executive producer, Joan Rivers: Abroad in London (also known as Showtime Comedy Superstars--Joan Rivers: Abroad in London), Showtime, 1992
Film Appearances
Joan, The Swimmer, Columbia, 1968
Second nurse, Rabbit Test, Avco Embassy, 1978
Herself, Uncle Scam, New World Pictures of Philadelphia, 1981
Piggy's coworker, The Muppets Take Manhattan, TriStar, 1984
(Uncredited) President Rivers, Les Patterson Saves the World, Hoyts, 1987
Voice of Dot Matrix, Spaceballs, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1987
(Uncredited) Voice of Julie, Look Who's Talking (also known as Daddy's Home), TriStar, 1989
Wife of pick pocket victim, Life with Mikey (also known as GiveMe a Break), 1993
Herself, Serial Mom, Savoy Pictures, 1994
Voice of Mother Penguin, Napoleon, 1995
Voice, Knitwits, 1997
Mom/Blanche, Goosed, 1999
Dolly Bellows, The Intern (also known as Intern), MoonstoneEntertainment, 2000
Voice of Spike, Whispers: An Elephant's Tale, 2000
Herself, The Best of So Graham Norton, 2000
Also appeared in Shalom Sesame 6--Chanukah, Ergo Home Video.
Film Work
Director, Rabbit Test, Avco Embassy, 1978
Stage Appearances
(Broadway debut) Jill Fairchild, Fun City, Morosco Theatre, New York City, 1972
Kate, Broadway Bound, Broadhurst Theatre, New York City, 1988
Night of 100 Stars III, Radio City Music Hall, New York City, 1990
Sally Marr, Sally Marr ... and Her Escorts, Helen Hayes Theatre, New York City, 1994
RECORDINGS
Albums
Joan Rivers Presents Mr. Phyllis and Other Funny Stories, Warner Bros., 1965
What Becomes a Semi-Legend Most, Geffen Records, 1983
Also appears on Ben Bagley's "Vernon Duke" Revisited, Painted Smiles Records; Carnival of the Animals.
Videos
Captain Kangaroo and His Friends, The Corporation, 1985
A Woman's View of Pro Football, NFL Films, 1993
Joan Rivers' Shopping for Fitness, Capital Cities/ABC Video, 1996
Taped Readings
Enter Talking, Dove Audio (Beverly Hills, CA), 1986
Still Talking, Dove Audio, 1991
WRITINGS
Screenplays
(With Jay Redack) Rabbit Test, Avco Embassy, 1978
(With Robert Keeshan, Dolly Parton, and Phil Donahue) Captain Kangarooand His Friends, The Corporation, 1985
(With Tom Perew) Writer of jokes and baby dialogue, Look Who's Talking (also known as Daddy's Home), TriStar, 1989
Television Episodes
The Late Show (also known as The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers), Fox, 1986-87
The Joan Rivers Show, syndicated, 1989-94
Also wrote for Candid Camera, CBS; collaborated with Michael McWhinney for portions of The Ed Sullivan Show, CBS.
Television Movies
(With Agnes Gallin) The Girl Most Likely To ... (adapted from Rivers's story), ABC, 1973
Television Specials
Joan Rivers and Friends Salute Heidi Abromowitz, Showtime, 1985
Joan Rivers: Abroad in London (also known as Showtime Comedy Superstars--Joan Rivers: Abroad in London), Showtime, 1992
Television Pilots
(With Hal Dresner) Husbands and Wives (basis for series Husbands, Wives, and Lovers), CBS, 1978
Plays
(With Lester Colodny and husband, Edgar Rosenberg) Fun City, Morosco Theatre, 1972
Nonfiction
Having a Baby Can Be a Scream, illustrated by Frank Page, Hawthorn(New York City), 1975
(With Richard Meryman) Enter Talking, Delacorte (New York City), 1986
(With Meryman) Can We Talk?, Random House, 1991
(With Meryman) Still Talking, Turtle Bay Books/Random House (New York City), 1991
Jewelry by Joan Rivers, with photographs by Gordon Munro and Elizabeth Watt, Abbeville (New York City), 1995
Bouncing Back: I've Survived Everything ... and I Mean Everything ...and You Can Too!, HarperCollins (New York City), 1997
From Mother to Daughter: Thoughts and Advice on Life, Love and Marriage, Carol Publishing Company, 1998
Don't Count the Candles: Just Keep the Fire Literature!, HarperCollins, 2000
Other
The Life and Hard Times of Heidi Abromowitz: A Totally Unauthorized Biography, Delacorte, 1984
Nationally syndicated columnist for the Chicago Tribune, 1973-76;wrote for entertainers Phyllis Diller and Zsa Zsa Gabor.

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Books

Press, Skip, Melissa and Joan Rivers, Crestwood House (Parsippany,NJ), 1996

Periodicals

Broadcasting & Cable, June 9, 1997, p. 24
Entertainment Weekly, August 16, 1996, p. 76; February 6, 1998, p.11
Forbes, August 2, 1993, p. 18; April 25, 1994, p. 19
Inc., June, 1999, p. 107
Interview, January, 1993, p. 28
Ladies Home Journal, November, 1991, p. 140
New Yorker, January 30, 1995, pp. 33-35
People Weekly, May 26, 1986, pp. 30-35; February 19, 1990, pp. 67-69; June 21, 1993, pp. 70-75; May 16, 1994, pp. 65-66; May 23, 1994, p. 37; April 29, 1996, p. 128; May 6, 1996, p. 51; June 24, 1996, p. 59; April 21, 1997, p. 37; September 1, 1997, p.39; October 20, 1997, p. 55
Time, April 11, 1983, pp. 85-86; May 16, 1994, p. 79
Vanity Fair, February, 1997, p. 166

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