One morning I walk in for our regular interview, and Henry hands me a Polaroid photo of Henry and Nancy on either side of Joan Rivers, her arms on either side of Henry and Nancy like a family photo.
I want you to confirm that my wife Nancy looks like a movie star. Look at this face (tapping the photo. )
Joan Rivers? Ok, how is it that Joan Rivers is in your gallery of friends?
Nancy worked in St. Barnabus hospital in the Bronx, and one of the doctors coming for advice was Dr. Molinsky. His name was different than hers (Rivers). He was the father of Joan Rivers. He was very good joke teller. She was a little kid, nothing special when I saw her, before she got all her operations. The father was the biggest joke teller in the hospital, he always told Nancy “this daughter of mine wants to be come a comedienne!’ And what happen? She become a comedienne and famous.
When Joan Rivers was here in 1984, we call her and said we were friendly with your father. Joan Rivers sent us tickets. We went to see her downtown Phoenix. We saw her yesterday, if you want to know. She was performing at the Gila River Indian Reservation. No good girl. Every other word is F___. And shit. She is getting old. Somebody make funny story about how the girl is sitting on the toilet seat – that’s not humor. But I laugh . . . . over 60 the men make gas – over 70 they are losing smell – and that’s the jokes. Nancy didn’t laugh at all.
When Joan Rivers was here in 1984, we call her and said we were friendly with your father. Joan Rivers sent us tickets. We went to see her downtown Phoenix. We saw her yesterday, if you want to know. She was performing at the Gila River Indian Reservation. No good girl. Every other word is F___. And shit. She is getting old. Somebody make funny story about how the girl is sitting on the toilet seat – that’s not humor. But I laugh . . . . over 60 the men make gas – over 70 they are losing smell – and that’s the jokes. Nancy didn’t laugh at all.
Joan Rivers saw everyone in life. She met the Queen of England when she was little. She saw everybody early in life. We knew her before she was anybody. – Henry Zguda
Note – the Polaroid photo with Joan Rivers is another piece of memorabilia that disappeared later. However, I take Henry and Nancy at their word. The web site biography.com confirms Joan Rivers was born in Brooklyn to Russian immigrant parents. It specifically states “her father was a doctor who had a great sense of humor.”