Joan
Rivers
began performing on stage as an
actress, then developed
a stand-up comedy
routine that she took to
TV and Las Vegas. In the
1960s she had her own
television show, That
Show With Joan Rivers,
and was a frequent guest
on The Tonight Show
and The Ed Sullivan
Show. By the 1980s
she had written
best-selling books,
performed on Broadway,
wrote and directed a
feature film and had a
late night talk show on
television. In the late
'80s her show was
cancelled, her husband
committed suicide and
her career seemed
doomed. Within a few
years Rivers bounced
back with a gig hosting
a cable TV shopping
channel, followed by
more books, stage
performances and a radio
show.
