The Adding Machine

When I was in high school in the early 70s, we studied The Adding Machine in an English class. For some reason, I remember that we focused on the scene where Mrs. Zero nags Mr. Zero mercilessly. We kept reading that scene over and over. A few months later, this movie aired on PBS. I was mesmerized by Ms. Diller's portrayal of Mrs. Zero, particularly that scene that had bored me to tears in English class. I had every word in her lines memorized. She brought the role to life.

It's too bad that she didn't get more dramatic roles. I understand that she was a concert pianist and was a trained singer, but her trademark laugh ruined her singing voice. What a shame.