LIFE was into Carol Burnett early. Her first appearance in the magazine came in 1957, when she was just 24 years old and still building her name in show business. LIFE identified Burnett as a “singer” in a story about novelty song she had performed, “I Made a Fool of Myself Over John Foster Dulles,” in which Burnett pretended to have an unrequited crush on President Eisenhower’s Secretary of State.
The next year Burnett would collaborate with LIFE staff photographer Nina Leen for a high-concept shoot that satirized a popular novel called The Best of Everything, about young career women in New York City. The shoot shows that even early on. Burnett was establishing a distinctive brand of wit. The next year Burnett would win a Tony award for her breakout performance in the musical Once Upon a Mattress, and land her first regular TV role, on a variety series knows as The Garry Moore Show.
Burnett would be before LIFE’s cameras many more times, including when she made the cover in 1971. That happened in the middle of her career-defining run on The Carol Burnett Show, which was the first variety show hosted by a female, and which would earn 23 Emmy awards over its 11 seasons.
Burnett reflected on her magnificent career in early 2026, at the age of 92, when she appeared on the podcast Good Hang with Amy Poehler. Much of the conversation centered on Burnett’s experiences in her early years in show business. After their chat was over, an emotional Poehler addressed the audience, reflecting on her conversation with the comedy pioneer, and said “…It just also makes me think about all the women that we talked about in this interview: Lucille Ball, Betty Grable, Linda Darnell, Phyllis Diller, Elaine May. All these different actresses, do yourself a favor and check them out.”
And so, inspired by that interview, we present this gallery of images of Carol Burnett and also all those other women Poehler named, each of whom posed for the photographers of LIFE.
As Ms. Poehler said, check them out.
Carol Burnett made her first appearance in LIFE magazine in 1957 for singing a comedic song called “I Made a Fool of Myself Over John Foster Dulles,” about a woman who had a crush on the U.S. Secretary of State.
Yale Joel/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Carol Burnett posed for a conceptual photo shoot inspired by the Rona Jaffe novel “The Best Of Everything,’ about young career women in Manhattan, 1958.
Nina Leen/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Carol Burnett posed for a conceptual photo shoot inspired by the Rona Jaffe novel “The Best Of Everything,’ about young career women in Manhattan, 1958.
Nina Leen/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Carol Burnett posed for a conceptual photo shoot inspired by the Rona Jaffe novel “The Best Of Everything,’ about young career women in Manhattan, 1958.
Nina Leen/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Carol Burnett posed for a conceptual photo shoot inspired by the Rona Jaffe novel “The Best Of Everything,’ about young career women in Manhattan, 1958.
Nina Leen/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Carol Burnett posed for a conceptual photo shoot inspired by the Rona Jaffe novel “The Best Of Everything,’ about young career women in Manhattan, 1958.
Nina Leen/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Carol Burnett during a TV appearance, 1959.
Peter Stackpole/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Carol Burnett during a TV appearance, 1959.
Peter Stackpole/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Carol Burnett guest starred on “The Jack Benny Program,” 1962.
Allan Grant/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Carol Burnett guest starred on “The Jack Benny Program,” 1962.
Allan Grant/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Carol Burnett guest starred on “The Jack Benny Program,” 1962.
Allan Grant/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Carol Burnett guest starred on “The Jack Benny Program,” 1962.
Allan Grant/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Carol Burnett performing on set, 1963.
Yale Joel/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Carol Burnett performing on set, 1963.
Yale Joel/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Lucille Ball, 1942
John Florea The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Lucille Ball, 1951
Loomis Dean The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Original caption: “In the course of a day Betty’s legs walk, climb stairs, dance and are generally flexed like other legs. Here the legs are shown as she prepares morning shower at home.”
Walter Sanders The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Betty Grable, in her dressing room at 20th Century-Fox studios, pulled on black mesh stockings for a scene that would feature her famous legs, 1943.
Walter Sanders The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Actress Linda Darnell, 1950.
Ed Clark/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Actress Linda Darnell, 1950.
Ed Clark/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Comedian and actress Phyllis Diller read a copy of Vogue magazine, St. Louis, April 1963.
Francis Miller/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Phyllis Diller read the names of the well-known (including Frank Sinatra, Vic Damone and the Vagabonds) and the not so well-known on a wall after circling her own name (center), 1963.
Francis Miller/Life Pictures/Shutterstock
Mike Nichols and Elaine May doing skit on recent TV scandals during “Fabulous Fifties” TV special, 1960.
Alfred Eisenstaedt/Life Pictures/Shutterstock
Elaine May doing voice work for the movie “Luv,” a 1967 romantic comedy that also starred Jack Lemmon and Peter Falk..
Bill Ray/LIfe Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Carol Burnett
DMI
