Name: Pia Zadora on Letterman, March 23, 1982
Uploaded: 2017-04-04T17:06:17.000Z
Description: Watch the stand-up comedy video 'Pia Zadora on Letterman, March 23, 1982' from Don Giller on Comedy Buff. Published 2017-04-04. Transcript available.

Watch the stand-up comedy video 'Pia Zadora on Letterman, March 23, 1982' from Don Giller on Comedy Buff. Published 2017-04-04. Transcript available.

My first guest: If you don't know the name...
Pia Zadora, you must have been hibernating recently.
Since the premiere of her first film, Butterfly, Pia has become somewhat of a
household name.
And I believe we're going to look at some footage of that motion picture now.
The way in which this woman has become a star, however, has been criticized in
the press,
on television comedy shows, people begin to make jokes about her.
We've done our share of Pia Zadora jokes here.
We thought we'd invite her on to tell us what it's like to be Pia Zadora.
And here she is.
David, I don't know if I'm allowed to be on this show.
No, it's fine. Everything's fine. Just have a seat if you will.
David, did you know that there's a nude girl posing right behind that curtain?
That's right. We're having the...
And did you know that it's not Pia Zadora?
No, that's right. We're conducting an art class.
Oh.
We're teaching people how to drive.
Everything's perfectly on the up and up.
Okay.
It's not like one of those parties at Paula's house.
Or Jimmy's.
I don't know Jimmy.
Oh, Jimmy's the friend you interviewed last week.
Oh, yes. Last time I started.
I'm swatching you from Chicago.
Yeah, yeah.
Will Jimmy be coming on later?
Will Jimmy be coming on later?
No, Jimmy won't be out later.
Let me...
How are you?
I'm great. How are you?
Fine. Now, this is an interesting name. Pia Zadora.
Yeah.
Now, I don't know many Pias.
You don't?
No. What is the origin of that name? What nationality?
Well, Pia is Italian. It's a very common name in Italy.
And Zadora is Polish. I'm half Italian and I'm half Polish.
And you recently received an honor from some people in Italy?
Yes.
What was that?
I'm going to be the woman of the year, Boys Town.
Boys Town.
Congratulations on being the...
Thank you.
Yes.
Now, you're...
Are you okay?
I'm a little nervous.
Oh, okay.
I get this way when there's a nude woman nearby.
I referred in the introduction to Pia Zadora jokes.
And how do you... you've heard them, I guess.
Yes.
Yeah, how do you respond to those?
I think it's terrific.
I was...
I'm on the road now promoting my new single,
which is number 87 now on the charts in the country, the top 100.
It's called I Love Again.
And, um, I was doing a radio show and someone said to me,
"Well, I guess when Johnny Carson starts talking about you, you know you've
made it."
That's right.
I have a sense of humor and I think it's terrific.
Do you have a favorite joke?
Actually, I haven't really heard a good one yet.
Maybe you can come up with one?
The one that I sort of thought, and this is, oh, never mind. I can't. No, no,
no. Come on. Is it a dirty one? No, it's not a dirty one. It's just, it's, it's,
but it's good that it doesn't bother you that people are including your name. I
mean, it's a very, it's a, you know. Yeah. And congratulations on your motion
picture.
And you were, you were given the Golden Globe Award for your appearance? Yes.
Yeah. Now, what, what is the Golden Globe Award? I haven't won one, so I don't
know what they are. Well, a Golden Globe Award is an award for, uh, motion
pictures. It's similar to the Academy Awards. Only the voting members are the
Foreign Press Association of Hollywood. And, uh, that was a recent award. And,
and after you were given that award, there were a lot of discussion in the
press and, and people saying, uh, well, what were they saying exactly?
They didn't think that everything was on the up and up or something with the
awards or? Yes, but we know that's ridiculous, David. The, the Golden Globes
can't be bought. Everyone knows that.
I think the reason it caused such a, kind of a shock is that the picture hadn't
been released yet. But there are 80 members of the Foreign Press, and they're
the ones that vote on the picture.
So, uh, despite the fact that it hadn't been released, these guys had seen it.
Yes. See, the bylaws are different from the Academy Awards. You know, it is
eligible if it hasn't been released yet.
Mm-hmm. And, and, uh, so you, you won. And so I won. You know, the award, David,
is not what you would call an acting award.
It's a newcomer award that they give to the person that they think makes the
strongest impact as a personality.
As a, as a newcomer. Marilyn Monroe got the same award 30 years ago. Yeah. And
everyone said, who?
Yeah. Now you won't be eligible for that award 10, will you?
No, I don't think so.
I do.
Okay.
I don't think there's any chance of that.
Uh, we're, uh, despite what you may be thinking at home, we're coming back.
Uh, we're going to pause and we'll be returning here.
All right. The door. I'm sorry. I forgot the phone.
Yeah, let me say it once more.
Do you have a middle name?
No, that's my whole name.
Yeah, well, that's certainly enough, but I thought maybe Pia something.
I don't think your real middle name is Pia Alfreda.
Pia Alfreda Zadora.
Yeah, that's, uh, poetic. It sounded like something, uh, that, uh, Jerry Bale
would sing.
And maybe he will.
Uh, well, that's what I'm going to ask about your husband.
A wealthy guy, I understand. Owns a lot of stuff.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
And, uh, is it fair to ask you that, uh, is there an impression that he has
helped you in your career in show business?
Is that an unfair question, or?
No, he certainly has helped me.
Uh, I did have a career before I got married.
I started when I was six years old on Broadway with Tallulah Bankhead.
I was in Fiddler on the Roof, the original youngest daughter.
I was in The Sound of Music and Dames at Sea and Henry, Sweet Henry.
Mm-hmm.
When I met my husband, I was going to give up my career, but he urged me to go
ahead and continue.
Mm-hmm.
And, uh, he's been behind me ever since.
Just like any husband would support their wife, only he has a little more to
support me with.
Now, uh, he has a hotel in Las Vegas and you work there.
Yes, but I work all over the country, not just in that hotel.
But you know what I'm getting at here, and this is a very uncomfortable...
Is there anything wrong with it?
Is he going to support his mistress?
Well...
It's better he's supporting...
You know what they say, David, if you're going to sleep with a producer, it
might as well be your husband.
Right, now, but...
Uh, you know what I'm saying?
There are...
You're a very young woman, and there are women your age who probably are still
waiting in that long,
lonely line in the show business who would maybe feel, you know, envious of you.
Certainly.
It's, you know, it has its pros and its cons.
What would a...
Give me a con.
What you're saying right now is a con.
I mean, you're picking on me because I have a wealthy husband.
And really, I'm...
I can work just as hard as the next guy, and I've been working for a long time.
You know, the little utzes.
I wouldn't change it for the world.
Early.
You know, but...
Yeah.
But now, I wasn't picking on you.
No, but I mean what you said before.
Would you change it, and...
No, but...
Were other people envious?
But it just seemed to be like one day there wasn't a Pia Zadora, and then
suddenly...
Yes, but you know, it's the same old story as David.
You're an overnight sensation after 19 years.
That's right, yeah.
People shouldn't care what I was doing 19 years ago, but I was working
legitimately on Broadway,
and I had a career.
Yeah, I know that.
Where were you 19 years ago?
19 years ago?
Let's see, I'm 34, 19...
Will somebody do the math on that for me?
I was 15, um, prison.
Wait a minute.
I knew I had a...
No, hand me that card, if you will, Pia.
Yes, yes.
Now, does it bother your husband that you're in this movie, you're periodically
gross?
Yes, he goes crazy.
He goes and sees it every night.
Yeah.
And then he comes from ravenously hungry.
I'm hungry.
What do you...
What may we look forward to next from you?
Well, I have another picture coming out with Desi Arnaz Jr. and Telly Savalas,
called Fake Out.
And I'm starting a new project, and it's called Lonely Lady.
I'm starting to shoot in Rome in April.
It's Harold Robbins.
Great.
Well, certainly good luck to you.
It's a pleasure.
It's a pleasure meeting you.
Thank you, David.
Pia Zadora, ladies and gentlemen.
We'll be right back.