I always like the way that when it is a female celeb and Arlene figures out who it is, she gives gracious compliments in the form of a question. Class act
Steve Allen is hysterical! I was already a huge fan, but it’s remarkable to see how good he was even before “Tonight”. Hysterical and classy. He was perfect for WML, but he had a lot of other TV worlds to conquer. I’m just glad we have as much of him on WML as we do to enjoy.
@@joeambrose3260 "I Got Rhythm," "After You've Gone," "This Could Be the Start of Something Big," Theme from "Picnic," "As Time Goes By," "My Melancholy Baby," so many other plus a lot of jazz numbers largely performed by jazz musicians, like himself. You would know so many of his songs, truly. He was a true polymath. He was witty on "The Tonight Show" and on the PBS series he did with great thinkers chatting. But everyone's taste in humor is different. I've never liked Bob Hope, Henny Youngman, Milton Berle, Benny Hill, George Jessel. Some folks disliked Ernie Kovacs on here and I loved him.
@@joeambrose3260 P.S. Just kidding. He recorded a lot because he was a jazz pianist and he sometimes arranged and rewrote lyrics. But you would recognize some of what he'd initiated as an artist other than "This Could Be the Start of Something Big." He wrote many books, too.
Beautiful, talented, and courageous, Jane Froman...I was a little surprised that "With A Song In My Heart" in which Susan Hayward starred and portrayed Jane Froman was not mentioned. It was released in 1952, was a huge hit, and is still considered a beautiful classic film today.
Can I just say I don't know how or why some of the commenters think this but Bennet Cerf was not creepy. He founded Random House and simply enjoyed doing the show. That doesn't make him creepy!
There is an agenda in today's culture to demonize and vilify anything that came before the year 2000-to destroy it, actually! They paint everything that was good in this evil tone, while glorifying the disgusting and depraved culture of today. It is NO WONDER that those who love today's mores say that Mr. Cerf was a pervert. Isaiah 5:20 prophesied this would happen in these last days: "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" We're seeing this in spades today.
Just read about Jane Froman, It is amazing what she went through. She was in a plane crash while travelling with the USO and she nearly died. She was severely injured and when through month's and perhaps a year or so recovering.
Katy Bauer From what I've read on Wikipedia she had years of painkillers then resorted to alcohol when they didn't work anymore. I get the feeling she never did fully recover.
@@sandrageorge3488 That was the first I had ever heard that Hal was supposed to have been on that plane. That was a very sweet moment when he gave Jane a kiss...for all Hal's often inappropriate behavior....that moment was genuine.
Jane Froman USO flight to Europe in February of 1943, her plane crashed into the Tagus River at Lisbon, Portugal. One of the few passengers to survive, although severely injured, she was rescued by the co-pilot of the plane, John Curtis Burn. She was awarded 3 Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Radio at 6321 Hollywood Boulevard; for Recording at 6145 Hollywood Boulevard; and for Television. Her life story was the subject of a Hollywood biopic (With a Song in My Heart (1952)), starring Susan Hayward. Froman supplied Hayward's vocals for the musical numbers.
I will miss Hal Block going forward. I loved the yo-yo man in this episode. He had such a great sense of humor and of course Jane Froman was lovely. What a strong woman she was!
I'm not particularly a fan of Mr Block's style of comedy or discourse, but I must say I very much admire his ability to put on a happy face for these last few episodes after he was told that he was fired. I fear I wouldn't have done so well at that.
I was fascinated by her long, voluminous gowns she wore on her TV shows. I was much too young to understand the reason, but realized years later they were to disguise her braces. The dancers cleverly obscured her movements and the camera work (this was LIVE TV) camouflaged them as well. She was a very brave lady indeed.
@@bencheshire Yes, indeed, a nice thought. Quite a bit inaccurate in the passage of time, but "nice." (By the way, I happily voted your comment "thumb up!"
Hal makes a pun in introducing John at 1:27 which may need a little explanation for younger viewers. He says audiences like John as a news commentator all during the year, except maybe today they'd prefer Heatter; John acknowledges "it's been real cold." Temperatures ranged from 23 to 34°F that day in New York. Gabriel Heatter (1890-1972) was a popular broadcaster for the Mutual radio network, joining WOR in New York in 1933 and retiring in 1961.
When Steve asked if it could be worn outdoors as well as indoors, it should have gotten a "no," as we don't wear saddles indoors -- but I'm glad John missed that and let him continue! (But anyway, is it correct to say that saddles are WORN?)
Steve said "indoors" rather than "in the house." A saddle can be used in a barn or a stable, which by a strict definition would be considered "indoors." Even though the camera isn't on him, John clearing his throat seems to indicate he wasn't quite sure for a moment himself.
I was amazed, too, considering it seemed that the panel, especially Steve Allen, seemed to be led astray numerous times IMO. Made for hilarious viewing, though.
Krista Brewer He was fired. Their sponsor was, “Stopette”, and Hal made a comment none of us would think too much about these days, but back then it was an insult. He said, “Use Stopette and turn your armpits into charm pits.” It’s obvious their was no love lost between him and John, so I think it was just a matter of time regardless.
I personally enjoyed Mr. Block, but then I don't mind or give much credence to low humour, as for his suggestive comments to female contestants, I found more of Bennett Cerf's behaviour to make me feel uncomfortable. It was really a shame he as fired, it seemed to have a huge effect on his career afterward, even though he had quite the career before he joined the WML panel, and it was awful how he met his end.
@@kacym.118 Yep, this was the real reason Block was fired, mocking your sole sponsor is a big no no. Jules Montenier was paying through the nose to sponsor WML. Because the show became popular and played across the country the advertizing costs became enormous but Montenier refused to have a co sponsor because he was very proud of being the sponsor for WML. It broke his heart when he was finally forced to sell his company in 1956 because he couldn't sell enough Stopette to make up for the costs. But Block was very popular with the fans the whole time. CBS even had a deluge of letters from people demanding his return to the show during his suspension before his final 3 episodes
Hal was better in some of the earlier shows, he became too predictable. It's a real shame, I can't help but feel sorry for the fella. At least the show went on with great success! :) Can't wait for those walks in front of the panel to begone.
Thank heavens for Wikipedia, as well as TH-cam, so I could find out Froman's backstory. Much as I love seeing these US celebrities of the time, being English I DO wish the UK episodes weren't lost though so I could see the UK celebs of the day.
Wikipedia is nonsense and filled with bogus information. Use extreme caution when using such crowd sourced opinions moderated by a handful of leftwing activists.
The ironic thing about firing Hal Block is that his crass style of risqué and almost sardonic style of humor would go on to become pretty much the standard style of 1960s comedy in movies and TV shows. If only his career had survived until the next following decade. He probably would've thrived. One could imagine seeing him as appearing in a Jack Lemmon movie or production by Mel Brooks.
Absolutely right. I looked Hal Block up and found that he was one of the most respected comedy writers for radio and TV. Bob Hope said he was a great writer, as did all the big-name performers from that period, including Jack Benny, Milton Berle, Abbott & Costello, Martin & Lewis, for example. Apparently, he was originally an incredibly smart fellow who was going to be a lawyer before he found his true calling. Before Hal Block came on board, WML was floundering until he came on board to liven things up. And when you read the witticisms, cracks, and antics that he did for laughs that sponsors thought to be "too risqué," his material was well within normal family fare when compared to the 1960s material that had later come into vogue. He was just a bit ahead of his time. By the end of 1953, the same year that Hal was canned from WML, Playboy had its first issue published, which likely had a dramatic impact on entertainment and tastes at the time.
There is such a range of comments about Hal Block but here is my 2 cents: he may have been a comedy writer, may have been successful or a degree but what we got in Steve Allen and his QUICK WIT (!) was just what this show needed. He was brilliant and really never off-color. Note his comment at 8:30 - Oh my gosh... “Did you have a particular page in mind?” LOL He was such a funny guy; I didn’t realize until watching all of these shows just how much so.
Just to say thanks from the UK for all these uploads, though I do wish the British series survived. After randomly watching episodes and getting hooked (I like John Daly!), I'm now working through them in date order and have reached Hal Block's departure. I didn't take to him at first as the lechery could be rather too much, but I must say now that I'll miss him. Yes he had a one track mind (or played it like that) but he was also oddly sweet in his own way, and I certainly prefer him to Bennett Cerf. (In fact I've already had more than enough of Bennett and there's another fourteen years of him!!) I've enjoyed the little run of episodes with Hal and Steve Allen..if only there could've been more of that and less of BC, but the show was obviously rather cliquey and they wanted Hal out. Shame. Sad to read about his career petering out and the manner of his death, poor man. Has anybody ever come across any pictures of Hal after 1953?
Replying to myself! I've seen some newspaper pics of him in 1954 but nothing beyond that unfortunately. There's a picture of teenage Hal in a 1931 high school year book on Ancestry.com (he also appears to have written on the page!); his little bio reads: "Harold Block - "Hal" can entertain anybody anywhere and was probably the saviour of the soccer and track team in their respective seasons. As Captain of Indoor track, Harold has set a truly remarkable record, and it is a fitting climax to his two years of wisecracking at U. High. He's just one of the boys - Oh-uhoooa!" His WW2 draft card shows him living in Los Angeles and his employers as Burns & Allen; he has 'curly hair' recorded under his obvious physical characteristics. No mention of 'dimples' though!
I largely agree. Short version is the they all had foibles. If nothing else, Mr Block deserves a tip of the cap for transforming the show into the success it was.
A little Block went a long way; although as an old time New Yorker, I totally got him. More of a sweetheart than a shark, although he did sometimes make me squirm. (Though nothing like Jerry Lewis: who was mean.) Although I thought his departure was handled terribly, he ended up doing more than ok; he was a rich guy to begin with and then became richer with investing. In his heyday. he was quite famous and influential. Wrote for some of the biggest acts. I do prefer the Cerf, kilgallen, Francis + one line up. They had certain chemistry and the extremely intelligent Kilgallen was a master player. (I find it hard to watch the years after she died; I miss her terribly.) Personally, I love Cerf. He had a bashful boyishness that countered his cleverness and cheese. He was also the genius co-founder of Random House, extremely well-educated, and a fantastic writer (sensitive, funny, sharp). (I recommend both his memoir and published correspondence between him and RH cofounder Donald Klopfer.) Cerf (and Block) reminds me of relatives I knew growing up in the 60s. Loved both of their East Coast mid 20th century accents. Daly is my ideal host. Class acts all around.
Despite Hal Block usually being rather crass, I think you can see his genuine affection and care demonstrated for Ms. Froman when he came out from behind the dais to warmly kiss her. I think this is one of the few times when you could actually see how much he cared about the people to whom he was close.
I remember when he kissed a Miss America and it was pretty creepy. A few shows later, he attempted to kiss Bette Davis and she wasn't having any of that. He was definitely a problem and pretty disgusting,
@@MarkJohnson-ou6xz you say that because you like non funny nerds like Cerf. Block was edgy on an otherwise stiff show. He brought balance....Cerf was arrogant and boring..... plus his attempts to be funny were weak and embarrassing ..
I could understand why people may not have liked Hal in the 50s, but it seems even among those not old enough to watch then seem to dislike him, which I just don't get. To each his own, I guess.
We are members of the animal kingdom after all, and Hal was the equivalent of the "runt of the litter". Its unfortunate because I get the sense he was not a bad guy all in all
"I have never eaten at Uno Momento's" says Hal under his breath. I thought that was a really good quip and deserved more response. Judging by Allen's prolonged solo laughter, he and I agree.
It's fairly well known the producers/sponsors were not all that enamored of Block's constant sexual innuendos. Jane Froman story: My dad always loved her and the film biography "With a Song in My Heart", where she was portrayed by Susan Hayward. During WWII, my dad was captain of the mess hall at some camp in North Carolina. Whenever the troops were entertained by the USO, my dad assigned the task of specially preparing a dinner for any show's famous celebrities after their performances (mind you, they didn't get Army rations!). He did this for Edward G. Robinson ("a class act"), Tony Martin ("a schmuck!") and lastly, for Jane Froman. What was different about her is she just made a sandwich for herself and made dinner for my dad and some other enlisted men! What a great lady. 😉
RE: the last contestant, Jack Russell the yo-yo demonstrator.... I was surprised that in the "wild guesses," nobody on the panel said, "I think he raises Jack Russell terriers." Perhaps Bennett would have..... I would have too! :-)
Those particular terriers weren't a popular breed back then. I was born in '52 & never heard of Jack Russells till years after I was grown, & we had lots of dogs, many breeds.
I don't know whether this actually happened, but in the movie, shortly before the plane crashed, the woman in the seat in front of Jane asked to trade seats with her and Jane agreed. Jane was severely injured but the other woman died.
She was a singing and recording star in the 1930's and 1940's and had a tv show in the early 1950's. In 1951 they made a movie of her life called "With a Song in My Heart", which starred Susan Hayward.
Hal Block was fired four shows earlier when he leered and acted disgusting to a pretty woman who it turns out was a MINISTER. He had 3 shows left on his contract which wasn't renewed. On an earlier show he kept making suggestive comments to another pretty woman who had already stated that she was MARRIED. They had warned him over and over. Yuck, good riddance, I never liked him.
I never liked Hal and I'm glad he's gone! he was sickening, disgusting and hit on everyone in a skirt. But still, in his defense, he didn't KNOW she was minister
@@kristabrewer9363 I don't know that this was established. The interaction appears to have occurred after her line was revealed, although he made comments earlier when she said she was single.
Because this was Hal's last show, I was more focused than usual on how the others might interact with him. If anything, they (including John Daly) seemed to have less interaction than usual. Were they avoiding it from a sense of discomfort, perhaps? Or am I making something out of nothing?
I find it very interesting that Mr. Cerf was absent from Hal's return from suspension to his final show went to air? Just co-incidence or more to it? He definitely appeared to dislike Hal and on occasions struggled to hide the fact.
Joe Ambrose, then why do you always show up on this channel to make non-funny/non-intelligent wisecracks? Do you really have no other way of showing the world you're a jackass?
I haven't read all the comments, so please forgive me if it's already been mentioned. Jane Froman survived a plane crash in 1943, as did the plane's co-pilot, John Burn. She was married at the time. Five years later she divorced her husband and married John Burn. (They divorced in 1956.)
hal block was well aware this was his last show, he had already been forced to take a vacation, and when he got back they had told him they were letting his contract expire. i'm sure everyone was nervous he would make a scene.
+tomitstube In fact, I think Hal deserves credit for maintaining a professional attitude, and acting much like his usual self -- right down to grabbing a kiss from the MG. He was understandably bitter about being fired (although the decision to let him go was the right one), but he showed no signs of negative emotion during the broadcast. A classy performance from a guy whose behavior wouldn't always be described as classy!
dizzyology yeah, even hal knew burning this bridge would be a bad thing for his career, he didn't do much after this, hal wasn't really much of a socialite which is what this job required so he may have just made peace with it and moved on. the business can be cut throat and cold.
+Robert Melson Thanks, Robert. Hal continued to behave well toward the show that dumped him. I think it was on the show's 5th anniversary that John mentioned on the air the congratulatory telegrams they had received, including one "from our former colleague, Mr. Block." So little is known about Hal -- I see him as a tragic figure, a humane man who felt that the "funnyman" role he had been assigned required crude behavior from him. If so, he paid a heavy price for misunderstanding the role.
+dizzyology I do recall it, and I thought it was gracious of Hal to have done so. All I know of Hal outside the show is from the material that the leader of our cult has dug up and posted on FB. You bring to mind the one other time that I heard Hal's name mentioned on the program; I wish I could recall it better. If my memory serves (and it usually doesn't), it was on a show in the late 50's or early 60's. Steve Allen was a guest panelist, and the panel was having some difficulty with the mystery guest who was manifestly a male comedian. You can hear Steve Allen hazard the guess facetiously off camera that it might be Hal Block. It just might have been the show where MG Danny Kaye gave a false answer to every question and had the panel completely befuddled; I'll check.
If you noticed, Hal decided to go out in a bang by kissing Jane Froman on the lips (which went much further than kissing Miss America on the cheek, part of what led to his firing). You could hear Dorothy say something about "being stupid" as Jane shook the hands of the panelists.
The final contestant of the show is very often rushed through due to shortage of time. After the mystery guest has left, there is rarely enough time to do another contestant any justice in terms of time and attention, and it makes me feel uneasy to see such a rush job. I wish they producers had come up with a solution to this situation, but in the days of life television I suppose this was beyond their control.
@karlakor I totally agree with you! In later years, they at least tried to make sure that the final contestant was usually someone who lived in the NY-NJ-CT tri-state area so that if they didn't have time to fit them in at the end of the show, it would be fairly easy for them to come back another time, and if they ended up doing a rushed game with them, at least they hadn't had to travel a long way for such a brief amount of on-air time. In these early episodes, however, sometimes these final contestants have traveled a long distance to be on the show, so I guess that's why they feel obligated to put them on for at least a little while, but I do feel they've been shortchanged when they don't have time to play a full game. And some of these contestants have had particularly interesting occupations, too! The only good thing about these short games is that the contestant is usually assured of getting the full $50 prize by default.
Today's TH-cam Rerun for 9/28/15: Watch along and join the discussion! Today we resume the weekday reruns that were interrupted again in August, starting with the Hal Block's last episode. ----------------------------- Join our Facebook group for WML-- great discussions, photos, etc, and great people! facebook.com/groups/728471287199862/ Please click here to subscribe to the WML channel if you haven't already-- you'll find the complete CBS series already posted, and you'll be able to follow along the discussions on the weekday "rerun" videos: th-cam.com/channels/hPE75Fvvl1HmdAsO7Nzb8w.html
With three shows to go before his contract expired, Hal Block was informed that it would not be renewed. He did this show knowing full well it would be his last one.
Approximately what $600 would buy today. Penny candy (1 cent) was prevalent for kids, nickel soft drink (bottle), new cars for $1,600; average suburban house for $8,000-10,000. You get the picture now with only paper "money" instead of then-90% silver coins (dimes-quarters-halves, ending in 1964) and the 'dollar' was 100% redeemable into gold at a fixed weight of $35 per oz., ending on Aug. 15, 1971? End The Fed (central bank inflation machine) that depreciates the currency, on purpose!
I realize that Hal Block had exasperated many people associated with WHAT'S MY LINE, and that this was Hal Block's final appearance on the show, but still I find John Daly's verbal barbs directed at Hal Block on this show to be extremely mean-spirited and cruel. That much said, I don't think that the show would have lasted for over 17 and a half years as a weekly staple of network television with Hal Block (and his crude brand of humor) on the panel.
Another user claimed Block was fired was, essentially, sexual harassment of female staff members, but I can't find any record of this. According to producer Gil Fates, he was replaced because he didn't fit in to the tone of the show, and it's a valid explanation based only on what we see onscreen. I'm not aware of Daly making cruel comments towards Block on the show (or anyone else for that matter), though the discomfort he caused the rest of the cast is sometimes all too visible. But it's been a while since I watched the episodes with Block. Do you have any examples?
What's My Line? Just a couple of episodes back, the panelists were having a conference and Dorothy mentioned a girdle, and Hal partially stood up and leaned over and John told him to "Sit down Mr Block". I thought it was a bit off.
Doug w. My LONG posts about his in response all seem to be getting lost and I'm tired of it, no fault of your own! Gist being, I like Hal Block on the WML panel, too.
As you continue watching these, you'll find many episodes where the men wear long ties. I've been reviewing the earliest shows, and have seen long ties on Bennett and John from time to time.
I think Hal Block was a combination of three factors that could never work together: naughty humor + rude manners + unattractiveness, he could get away with one of these traits but three together was just too much and made him a natural outcast in the team. You could tell the show found the right dynamics and the episodes are far more enjoyable after his departure, even Daly is more playful and funny. Sometimes, I feel sorry for Block but his mistake was that he tried too much to please the audience while he should have thought about being pleasant to the guests and the team.
@Sdk ElMaruecan - By George, I think you've got it! A few of the very earliest panelists did not fit really, either. This show, thank goodness, hit its stride rather quickly with winning combinations of intelligence, verbal skill, wit, warmth, cultured and curious personalities from widely diverse fields in some respects. Our good luck!
I agree with you. But, I would put it this way. While "WML" tried so hard to be highbrow, Hal Block tried equally hard to be lowbrow. So, Block made himself the odd man out on the show. He just really needed to go. Personally, I thought he got really irritating. He really did need to go.
@@IPlayOneOnT.V. He was irritating because he did not present a happy juxtaposition. He was jarring and made people uncomfortable. I tend to think that most of the panelists who were on frequently were, in fact, cultured people who could be called highbrow, so they gave/lent the show its tone. Whereas, Block was actually, though a city boy, lowbrow and it did not work in this format and with contestants from all over the country who were not among those he played to in his comedy career. He was a talented writer, but he did not have wide appeal as a stand-up comedy performer. He had a niche constituency that included some other comics.
After reading comments, which were almost exclusively about Bennett Cerf, with much mention of perversity., I wonder if commenters are mistakenly thinking Hal Block is Bennett Cerf. Firstly, Bennett Cerf was not on this episode but Hal Block was on the episode. Secondly, this particular episode is the last one for Hal Block. He knew he was being fired and why. He had already been suspended for inappropiate comments about the sponsor's products, along with inappropriate comments toward the female guests. It has been widely reported that many of the women had to actually run away from Mr. Block; he was actually chasing them from time to time. Keeping those couple of things in mind, It would seem Mr. Block was perverse, not Mr. Cerf. Just a thought maybe there was some confusion.
I liked the saddlemaker segment particularly because the answers were mostly yes or no, without a lot of qualification. That made it funnier. Qualifications and conferences are sometimes a bit of a wet blanket.
Mr. Thompson, the turtle-trapper, reminds me very much of some "tough guy" character actor of about this time in history, but I can't think of his name.
@@kevinsullivan136 On second viewing, I see what you mean--but I was thinking of some *character actor*, rather than someone who was once a leading man.
I'm in the minority, but, Hal Block is one of my favorite panelists. I prefer him over Bennett Cerf. Don't get me wrong, Bennett was great at the game, but, his attempts at humor sometimes fell completely flat.
I feel exactly the same way. Cerf was an elitist, Block was an average Joe. I wish he could have reigned his behavior in a bit, because he was so much funnier to watch than Cerf.
Nicolas Good call. I've just read it. Well, well, well. Had I known earlier I would've looked out for Daly's pulling of the right earlobe! Probably too late now that Block's leaving here.
I can't remember if I've said this before somewhere on here, but I don't mind Mr. Block's humor at all, risque or otherwise. I do mind that, in service of his humor, he often steps on other people's lines/time. Also, he's awfully bad at the actual game. Really, for a comic, his sense of timing is just simply not very good. (Which makes sense since most of his experience was in writing, not performing.) I've enjoyed watching what little of his work we have left, and I do think he did well by the show.
Hal Block was a MOST successful and respected comedy writer over many years for several big stars. He added some welcome comedy touches to the show but SOME of his quips and actions were unfortunately ill-timed and contrasted too much with the other panelists and the general atmosphere of the show. But on the whole I would say what he added to the show outweighed any detrimental effect and I will miss him. KAN 12.19 UK
He was fired after 2 seasons. His comments to women and overweight people. The night he was fired, he chased the lady Mayor contestant around back stage. They had talked to him on several occasions. The night he made a very disrespectful remark to a nun. When he was admonished after the show, his reaction was. "But she was a doll." He had absolutely no sense of propriety. The head honcho took him to a pub, and fired him. His response was to throw his glass, shattering it on the floor. He had been given so many chances, but continued to embarrass and disrepect pretty women and overweight people. I found him disgusting.
Twenty years later, when MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS was first shown on PBS in the United States, "poof" would take on a new and "completely different" meaning.....
Being such the crude Oscar Madison on this well-mannered Felix Unger show, I propose Hal Block was the inspiration for "The Odd Couple." In 1950, author Neil Simon wrote stunts for Goodson-Todman's Beat the Clock game show.
John gets the rules backward again at 3:36 when he tells the first contestant "every time you can get a No answer out of them it costs them five dollars."
I may offend some people here, but I occasionally get irritated with Steve Allen’s pandering to the audience with his “befuddled” reaction to some of the audiences’ reactions. It seems very contrived.
I see why they changed mystery guest round to one question at a time because it's not easy to get on a roll like Arlene did and the next panelist may not ask the same question you would have if you could continue until you get a no.
9:30 - Steve Allen, in a joking reaction to John: "I'd like to have a little trouble after the program." Little did they know that Hal Block would be getting real big trouble after this episode.
@@michaelcarter7079 wrong, look it up. Block made statements/jokes concerning the show's sponsors that the sponsors didn't like. The incident gave Goodson and Todman, the show's producers, grounds to jettison Block, which John & the other panellists I'm sure didn't mind as they had many visible differences with Block.
@@HelloooThere Bennett was far from being a “nice man”: Jessica Mitford’s expose of his $48,000,000 Famous Writers School scam was an eye opener to say the least.
I always like the way that when it is a female celeb and Arlene figures out who it is, she gives gracious compliments in the form of a question. Class act
Jane Froman's gown was absolutely stunning! She appeared to thoroughly enjoy herself, and she was so beautiful. I loved watching this!
My Mom looks very much like her - despite now being 20-25 years older than Jane Froman in this show, who is close to my current age here
It's always nice to see how much joy John Daly gets out of his guests.
When they are young, pretty girls he jumps up and down on his chair.
Daly may've been the classiest host in TV history.
I couldn't agree more!
100%.
Totally. Daly is a class act
This was the classiest "game show" in TV history. They called it the Tiffany network for a reason.
A real gentleman
Steve Allen is hysterical! I was already a huge fan, but it’s remarkable to see how good he was even before “Tonight”.
Hysterical and classy. He was perfect for WML, but he had a lot of other TV worlds to conquer. I’m just glad we have as much of him on WML as we do to enjoy.
Never found Allen amusing, claimed he wrote 3000 songs,how many can you name?
@@joeambrose3260 "I Got Rhythm," "After You've Gone," "This Could Be the Start of Something Big," Theme from "Picnic," "As Time Goes By," "My Melancholy Baby," so many other plus a lot of jazz numbers largely performed by jazz musicians, like himself. You would know so many of his songs, truly. He was a true polymath. He was witty on "The Tonight Show" and on the PBS series he did with great thinkers chatting. But everyone's taste in humor is different. I've never liked Bob Hope, Henny Youngman, Milton Berle, Benny Hill, George Jessel. Some folks disliked Ernie Kovacs on here and I loved him.
@@joeambrose3260 P.S. Just kidding. He recorded a lot because he was a jazz pianist and he sometimes arranged and rewrote lyrics. But you would recognize some of what he'd initiated as an artist other than "This Could Be the Start of Something Big." He wrote many books, too.
@@joeambrose3260 Jack Paar would say that Steve Allen wrote 3000 songs and ask the audience to name two.
@@philippapay4352 Joe Ambrose is a troll. don't feed it.
I can't remember ever hearing of Jane Froman so I looked her up. From what I've seen, more people should know about her. A remarkable woman.
Me too.
Diane Miller Watch Susan Hayward’s fantastic performance ( and Oscar nominated) of Froman in “ With A Song In My Heart”
Yes, watch With A Song In My Heart...an amazing portrayal of Jane Froman by Susan Hayward. ....Hayward's 3rd Oscar nomination.
@@stanmaxkolbe (6
Susan Hayward played Froman in a movie about her life
I just love the show, it brings back some wonderful memories, I have a great time watching this show and the others that you have on.
Beautiful, talented, and courageous, Jane Froman...I was a little surprised that "With A Song In My Heart" in which Susan Hayward starred and portrayed Jane Froman was not mentioned. It was released in 1952, was a huge hit, and is still considered a beautiful classic film today.
It was Jane Froman singing the songs in the film. Susan Hayward lip synced them.
Thanks for the uploads. We used to watch this show every Sunday night. A family ritual.
What an amazing singing voice Jan Froman had. Unique and magnificent.
Classically trained!
Can I just say I don't know how or why some of the commenters think this but Bennet Cerf was not creepy. He founded Random House and simply enjoyed doing the show. That doesn't make him creepy!
He was a perv
Yeah.hes not creepy at all. Great guy. Never heard him say anything wrong and he's very mild
Arlene made many insinuations so does that make her a perv. To be clear I don't think so. Bennet was a product of his time.
Bennet was a good man
Bennet was a class act.
Jane Froman: one of the greatest singers of all-time. Oh, how wonderful it would be if there were kinescopes of her TV shows in the early 50s.
th-cam.com/video/-hMOCyUTVTc/w-d-xo.html. Referred to in this show ‘I Believe’
There is an agenda in today's culture to demonize and vilify anything that came before the year 2000-to destroy it, actually! They paint everything that was good in this evil tone, while glorifying the disgusting and depraved culture of today. It is NO WONDER that those who love today's mores say that Mr. Cerf was a pervert. Isaiah 5:20 prophesied this would happen in these last days: "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" We're seeing this in spades today.
Utube has a multitude of old shows., back to 1900s.😊
Just read about Jane Froman, It is amazing what she went through. She was in a plane crash while travelling with the USO and she nearly died. She was severely injured and when through month's and perhaps a year or so recovering.
Katy Bauer From what I've read on Wikipedia she had years of painkillers then resorted to alcohol when they didn't work anymore. I get the feeling she never did fully recover.
She had a great career that was badly affected by her accident.
Hal was supposed to be on that plane with her. They were preforming together, and he missed it. That is why he gave her that kiss.
@@sandrageorge3488 That was the first I had ever heard that Hal was supposed to have been on that plane. That was a very sweet moment when he gave Jane a kiss...for all Hal's often inappropriate behavior....that moment was genuine.
*months
Jane Froman USO flight to Europe in February of 1943, her plane crashed into the Tagus River at Lisbon, Portugal. One of the few passengers to survive, although severely injured, she was rescued by the co-pilot of the plane, John Curtis Burn.
She was awarded 3 Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Radio at 6321 Hollywood Boulevard; for Recording at 6145 Hollywood Boulevard; and for Television. Her life story was the subject of a Hollywood biopic (With a Song in My Heart (1952)), starring Susan Hayward. Froman supplied Hayward's vocals for the musical numbers.
You can see a very young Robert Wagner in that film.
Hal Block missed his plane or he would have been on it with her. They were preforming together.
She later got a divorce and married Burn. They were married for 8 years.
@@MrTruckerf Thanks
@@MrTruckerf Than again get divorce and married third time.
"Good night, John, and have your ups and downs with the yo-yo man." The last words from Hal Block on WML. 26:00
I will miss Hal Block going forward. I loved the yo-yo man in this episode. He had such a great sense of humor and of course Jane Froman was lovely. What a strong woman she was!
He is fab. So funny
I'm not particularly a fan of Mr Block's style of comedy or discourse, but I must say I very much admire his ability to put on a happy face for these last few episodes after he was told that he was fired. I fear I wouldn't have done so well at that.
I MAY HAVE NOT BEEN TOLD until later.
I'd much rather watch Hal than the super boring Bennett Cerf !!!
@@domenicv7962 Bennett is wonderful!
@@lukev7 Whatever floats your boat ....I can't stand him.
Totally disagree with your take on Bennett
Jane Froman's long skirt hid a leg brace that she had to wear for the rest of her life as a result of her 1943 plane crash.
I was fascinated by her long, voluminous gowns she wore on her TV shows. I was much too young to understand the reason, but realized years later they were to disguise her braces. The dancers cleverly obscured her movements and the camera work (this was LIVE TV) camouflaged them as well. She was a very brave lady indeed.
She had 39 operations.
Nearly lost her leg.
@@stevenjohnson7442 Wow!
She also had an automobile accident on December 1979.
Even after 50 decades, what’s my line is still fun to watch
Not 50 decades. The show didnt end 500 years ago. Its been a little over 5 decades since its last run
What a nice thought!
@@bencheshire Yes, indeed, a nice thought. Quite a bit inaccurate in the passage of time, but "nice." (By the way, I happily voted your comment "thumb up!"
It's scary that over 25 people gave the comment a thumbs up....
@@wagonstation3709 haha
Hal makes a pun in introducing John at 1:27 which may need a little explanation for younger viewers. He says audiences like John as a news commentator all during the year, except maybe today they'd prefer Heatter; John acknowledges "it's been real cold." Temperatures ranged from 23 to 34°F that day in New York. Gabriel Heatter (1890-1972) was a popular broadcaster for the Mutual radio network, joining WOR in New York in 1933 and retiring in 1961.
The Mutual radio network was established in the mid-30s and went out of business in the late 90s.
I'm impressed by how quickly Arlene figured out the second contestant had something to do with saddles.
When Steve asked if it could be worn outdoors as well as indoors, it should have gotten a "no," as we don't wear saddles indoors -- but I'm glad John missed that and let him continue! (But anyway, is it correct to say that saddles are WORN?)
Steve said "indoors" rather than "in the house." A saddle can be used in a barn or a stable, which by a strict definition would be considered "indoors." Even though the camera isn't on him, John clearing his throat seems to indicate he wasn't quite sure for a moment himself.
@@CamhiRichard They're worn by horses. :)
I was amazed, too, considering it seemed that the panel, especially Steve Allen, seemed to be led astray numerous times IMO. Made for hilarious viewing, though.
I think Hal kissed her like that because they knew each other, they were both touring with the U.S.O. during WWII.
hal did that to most female guests. check out how bette davis reacted to him in 1952 wml
he was pretty filthy minded. I'm not upset that he's leaving, but why is he leaving?
Krista Brewer
He was fired. Their sponsor was, “Stopette”, and Hal made a comment none of us would think too much about these days, but back then it was an insult. He said, “Use Stopette and turn your armpits into charm pits.”
It’s obvious their was no love lost between him and John, so I think it was just a matter of time regardless.
I personally enjoyed Mr. Block, but then I don't mind or give much credence to low humour, as for his suggestive comments to female contestants, I found more of Bennett Cerf's behaviour to make me feel uncomfortable. It was really a shame he as fired, it seemed to have a huge effect on his career afterward, even though he had quite the career before he joined the WML panel, and it was awful how he met his end.
@@kacym.118 Yep, this was the real reason Block was fired, mocking your sole sponsor is a big no no. Jules Montenier was paying through the nose to sponsor WML. Because the show became popular and played across the country the advertizing costs became enormous but Montenier refused to have a co sponsor because he was very proud of being the sponsor for WML. It broke his heart when he was finally forced to sell his company in 1956 because he couldn't sell enough Stopette to make up for the costs.
But Block was very popular with the fans the whole time. CBS even had a deluge of letters from people demanding his return to the show during his suspension before his final 3 episodes
Hal was better in some of the earlier shows, he became too predictable. It's a real shame, I can't help but feel sorry for the fella. At least the show went on with great success! :) Can't wait for those walks in front of the panel to begone.
In the intro, I said to myself-for once Hal isn't gonna scratch his head or stick a finger in his ear and that's when he did just that.
Thank heavens for Wikipedia, as well as TH-cam, so I could find out Froman's backstory.
Much as I love seeing these US celebrities of the time, being English I DO wish the UK episodes weren't lost though so I could see the UK celebs of the day.
It's a damn shame
YOU CAN GOOGLE UK WHATS MY LINE
IF YOU WANT TO WATCH THAT
Wikipedia is nonsense and filled with bogus information. Use extreme caution when using such crowd sourced opinions moderated by a handful of leftwing activists.
@@whoami1939 You are not really getting it here.All but a couple of the UK WMLs are GONE!
@@dnhy7951 sad but true
The ironic thing about firing Hal Block is that his crass style of risqué and almost sardonic style of humor would go on to become pretty much the standard style of 1960s comedy in movies and TV shows.
If only his career had survived until the next following decade. He probably would've thrived. One could imagine seeing him as appearing in a Jack Lemmon movie or production by Mel Brooks.
Absolutely right. I looked Hal Block up and found that he was one of the most respected comedy writers for radio and TV. Bob Hope said he was a great writer, as did all the big-name performers from that period, including Jack Benny, Milton Berle, Abbott & Costello, Martin & Lewis, for example. Apparently, he was originally an incredibly smart fellow who was going to be a lawyer before he found his true calling. Before Hal Block came on board, WML was floundering until he came on board to liven things up. And when you read the witticisms, cracks, and antics that he did for laughs that sponsors thought to be "too risqué," his material was well within normal family fare when compared to the 1960s material that had later come into vogue. He was just a bit ahead of his time. By the end of 1953, the same year that Hal was canned from WML, Playboy had its first issue published, which likely had a dramatic impact on entertainment and tastes at the time.
Hal had a full time job, writing for the most popular comedians. He did WML FOR FUN, NOT THE INCOME!!😊
There is such a range of comments about Hal Block but here is my 2 cents: he may have been a comedy writer, may have been successful or a degree but what we got in Steve Allen and his QUICK WIT (!) was just what this show needed. He was brilliant and really never off-color.
Note his comment at 8:30 - Oh my gosh... “Did you have a particular page in mind?” LOL He was such a funny guy; I didn’t realize until watching all of these shows just how much so.
Goodson and Todman had already identified Allen as a replacement for Block.
here are my 2 cents^
Just to say thanks from the UK for all these uploads, though I do wish the British series survived. After randomly watching episodes and getting hooked (I like John Daly!), I'm now working through them in date order and have reached Hal Block's departure. I didn't take to him at first as the lechery could be rather too much, but I must say now that I'll miss him. Yes he had a one track mind (or played it like that) but he was also oddly sweet in his own way, and I certainly prefer him to Bennett Cerf. (In fact I've already had more than enough of Bennett and there's another fourteen years of him!!) I've enjoyed the little run of episodes with Hal and Steve Allen..if only there could've been more of that and less of BC, but the show was obviously rather cliquey and they wanted Hal out. Shame. Sad to read about his career petering out and the manner of his death, poor man. Has anybody ever come across any pictures of Hal after 1953?
Replying to myself! I've seen some newspaper pics of him in 1954 but nothing beyond that unfortunately. There's a picture of teenage Hal in a 1931 high school year book on Ancestry.com (he also appears to have written on the page!); his little bio reads: "Harold Block - "Hal" can entertain anybody anywhere and was probably the saviour of the soccer and track team in their respective seasons. As Captain of Indoor track, Harold has set a truly remarkable record, and it is a fitting climax to his two years of wisecracking at U. High. He's just one of the boys - Oh-uhoooa!" His WW2 draft card shows him living in Los Angeles and his employers as Burns & Allen; he has 'curly hair' recorded under his obvious physical characteristics. No mention of 'dimples' though!
I largely agree. Short version is the they all had foibles. If nothing else, Mr Block deserves a tip of the cap for transforming the show into the success it was.
A little Block went a long way; although as an old time New Yorker, I totally got him. More of a sweetheart than a shark, although he did sometimes make me squirm. (Though nothing like Jerry Lewis: who was mean.) Although I thought his departure was handled terribly, he ended up doing more than ok; he was a rich guy to begin with and then became richer with investing. In his heyday. he was quite famous and influential. Wrote for some of the biggest acts. I do prefer the Cerf, kilgallen, Francis + one line up. They had certain chemistry and the extremely intelligent Kilgallen was a master player. (I find it hard to watch the years after she died; I miss her terribly.) Personally, I love Cerf. He had a bashful boyishness that countered his cleverness and cheese. He was also the genius co-founder of Random House, extremely well-educated, and a fantastic writer (sensitive, funny, sharp). (I recommend both his memoir and published correspondence between him and RH cofounder Donald Klopfer.) Cerf (and Block) reminds me of relatives I knew growing up in the 60s. Loved both of their East Coast mid 20th century accents. Daly is my ideal host. Class acts all around.
Lovely lady, lovely voice.
Despite Hal Block usually being rather crass, I think you can see his genuine affection and care demonstrated for Ms. Froman when he came out from behind the dais to warmly kiss her. I think this is one of the few times when you could actually see how much he cared about the people to whom he was close.
I remember when he kissed a Miss America and it was pretty creepy. A few shows later, he attempted to kiss Bette Davis and she wasn't having any of that. He was definitely a problem and pretty disgusting,
@@sbalman you must have preferred the super boring and vastly over rated Bennett Cerf !
He was a jerk!
@@MarkJohnson-ou6xz you say that because you like non funny nerds like Cerf. Block was edgy on an otherwise stiff show. He brought balance....Cerf was arrogant and boring..... plus his attempts to be funny were weak and embarrassing ..
@@domenicv7962 I say it because he was a JERK!
I could understand why people may not have liked Hal in the 50s, but it seems even among those not old enough to watch then seem to dislike him, which I just don't get. To each his own, I guess.
We are members of the animal kingdom after all, and Hal was the equivalent of the "runt of the litter". Its unfortunate because I get the sense he was not a bad guy all in all
"I have never eaten at Uno Momento's" says Hal under his breath. I thought that was a really good quip and deserved more response. Judging by Allen's prolonged solo laughter, he and I agree.
"Bathtub rings": Steve is so sharp and quick!
It's fairly well known the producers/sponsors were not all that enamored of Block's constant sexual innuendos. Jane Froman story: My dad always loved her and the film biography "With a Song in My Heart", where she was portrayed by Susan Hayward. During WWII, my dad was captain of the mess hall at some camp in North Carolina. Whenever the troops were entertained by the USO, my dad assigned the task of specially preparing a dinner for any show's famous celebrities after their performances (mind you, they didn't get Army rations!). He did this for Edward G. Robinson ("a class act"), Tony Martin ("a schmuck!") and lastly, for Jane Froman. What was different about her is she just made a sandwich for herself and made dinner for my dad and some other enlisted men! What a great lady. 😉
Did he mention Hal Block preforming with her?
I think Hal kissed hrr as he was emotional, after saying he wss supppsed to be on the same plane.
I think so too. It wasn't the same as the day he kissed Miss America. He was being lecherous that day.
@@jacquelinebell6201 I'd like to see that kiss! Was it the prior year Miss America for 1952 or before?
RE: the last contestant, Jack Russell the yo-yo demonstrator.... I was surprised that in the "wild guesses," nobody on the panel said, "I think he raises Jack Russell terriers." Perhaps Bennett would have..... I would have too! :-)
Those particular terriers weren't a popular breed back then. I was born in '52 & never heard of Jack Russells till years after I was grown, & we had lots of dogs, many breeds.
Lucinda Sommer Hmm... I suppose that could explain it, if the panel had never even heard of them. Thanks for the info. :)
I hate dogs.
They hate you too.
Steve Allen’s wild guess: “I think he makes saddles for turtles.” Steve is a lot of fun.
HER LIFE STORY IS THE FILM "WITH A SONG IN MY HEART" MADE IN 1951....
I don't know whether this actually happened, but in the movie, shortly before the plane crashed, the woman in the seat in front of Jane asked to trade seats with her and Jane agreed. Jane was severely injured but the other woman died.
Yes, this did happen.
Jane had a beautiful speaking voice.
And an even more beautiful singing voice.
It seems to me that the ladies on the panel r the ones who guess the answer.
And in a lot of episodes Bennett sets it up , asks the question that leads them in the right direction.
I was almost a b month old then and I find these programs fascinating.
Hal Block would be considered an intellectual in today's America
SOOOOOOOOOO TRUE......
Really? Cannot imagine how anyone would think that.
@@sbalman Hal Block was a complete idiot.
Agreed. The dumbing down of America is tragic.
Errors, I got a laugh out of that and it's true. I'm glad he's gone but do feel a bit sorry for him.
Hal Block was only 39 in this episode. He seems so much older.
He was a breath of fresh air on a show that replaced him with a very boring Bennett Cerf
@@domenicv7962 I wish Kanye West was on it
@@Lelski I wish for world peace...but guess what?
@@domenicv7962 i wish we could all live in one world government, all races and cultures…except Somalians
@@Lelski You won, Lexi.
I think I saw Hal stick his gum on the desk right at the beginning of the show.
Five dollars was a tidy sum back in them there days... the $50 was almost as much as a week's salary of approximately $87!
Chuck Turner min wage was $1.25. Afar distance from today. I read Congress is looking at $15.00 per hour
@@chuckendweiss4849 inflation.
$50.00 in 50s = $500.00 today.
@@donaldmanthei1224 wow!
The $5 to $50 is approximately what $60 to $600 would purchase today (Dec. 2022).
I was born in the 1940's, and never heard of Jane Froman...
She was a singing and recording star in the 1930's and 1940's and had a tv show in the early 1950's. In 1951 they made a movie of her life called "With a Song in My Heart", which starred Susan Hayward.
Hal Block was fired four shows earlier when he leered and acted disgusting to a pretty woman who it turns out was a MINISTER. He had 3 shows left on his contract which wasn't renewed. On an earlier show he kept making suggestive comments to another pretty woman who had already stated that she was MARRIED. They had warned him over and over. Yuck, good riddance, I never liked him.
What about how Bennet & Daly, both married, often behaved with women half their age? At least Hal was funny. What’s special about a MINISTER?
I agree with you about Bennett and Daly. They were more powerful, that’s why they got away with it. Today, they would not be able to do that.
He was extremely funny but if he was warned repeatedly about his behaviour, then you just know how it's going too end.
Such a shame.
I never liked Hal and I'm glad he's gone! he was sickening, disgusting and hit on everyone in a skirt. But still, in his defense, he didn't KNOW she was minister
@@kristabrewer9363 I don't know that this was established. The interaction appears to have occurred after her line was revealed, although he made comments earlier when she said she was single.
Because this was Hal's last show, I was more focused than usual on how the others might interact with him. If anything, they (including John Daly) seemed to have less interaction than usual. Were they avoiding it from a sense of discomfort, perhaps? Or am I making something out of nothing?
Probably cause they all just wanted him gone, especially Daly, who never liked his antics.
I noticed that too
I find it very interesting that Mr. Cerf was absent from Hal's return from suspension to his final show went to air? Just co-incidence or more to it? He definitely appeared to dislike Hal and on occasions struggled to hide the fact.
You might find this interesting. There are five parts:
th-cam.com/video/IR483LEArUc/w-d-xo.html
GOOD! I'm GLAD he's gone!
Who did the firing? could John do the firing or would it have had to be a producer?
The Turtle Trapper is a funny game!
The whole show was funny…delightful.
That was sad when Hal said "I'm glad we're all here." And then he was gone
Sal Bazaz he probably knew he was leaving..
Man, how can you bring a yo-yo demonstrator on a tv show without letting him show a few tricks?
Tommy Smothers Yo-Yo Man.
I know, this show blows
Joe Ambrose, then why do you always show up on this channel to make non-funny/non-intelligent wisecracks? Do you really have no other way of showing the world you're a jackass?
@@joeambrose3260 You wish.
A game show, not talent show.😂
Check out the With A Song In My Heart-The Jane Froman Fan Page. It is very nice.
I haven't read all the comments, so please forgive me if it's already been mentioned. Jane Froman survived a plane crash in 1943, as did the plane's co-pilot, John Burn. She was married at the time. Five years later she divorced her husband and married John Burn. (They divorced in 1956.)
Remember, watching Jane Froman on the first television we had The little farm!
Jane Froman was so beautiful my god
hal block was well aware this was his last show, he had already been forced to take a vacation, and when he got back they had told him they were letting his contract expire. i'm sure everyone was nervous he would make a scene.
+tomitstube In fact, I think Hal deserves credit for maintaining a professional attitude, and acting much like his usual self -- right down to grabbing a kiss from the MG. He was understandably bitter about being fired (although the decision to let him go was the right one), but he showed no signs of negative emotion during the broadcast. A classy performance from a guy whose behavior wouldn't always be described as classy!
dizzyology yeah, even hal knew burning this bridge would be a bad thing for his career, he didn't do much after this, hal wasn't really much of a socialite which is what this job required so he may have just made peace with it and moved on. the business can be cut throat and cold.
+dizzyology An extremely accurate and appropriate comment. Wish I could +5 it...
+Robert Melson Thanks, Robert. Hal continued to behave well toward the show that dumped him. I think it was on the show's 5th anniversary that John mentioned on the air the congratulatory telegrams they had received, including one "from our former colleague, Mr. Block." So little is known about Hal -- I see him as a tragic figure, a humane man who felt that the "funnyman" role he had been assigned required crude behavior from him. If so, he paid a heavy price for misunderstanding the role.
+dizzyology I do recall it, and I thought it was gracious of Hal to have done so. All I know of Hal outside the show is from the material that the leader of our cult has dug up and posted on FB. You bring to mind the one other time that I heard Hal's name mentioned on the program; I wish I could recall it better. If my memory serves (and it usually doesn't), it was on a show in the late 50's or early 60's. Steve Allen was a guest panelist, and the panel was having some difficulty with the mystery guest who was manifestly a male comedian. You can hear Steve Allen hazard the guess facetiously off camera that it might be Hal Block. It just might have been the show where MG Danny Kaye gave a false answer to every question and had the panel completely befuddled; I'll check.
If you noticed, Hal decided to go out in a bang by kissing Jane Froman on the lips (which went much further than kissing Miss America on the cheek, part of what led to his firing). You could hear Dorothy say something about "being stupid" as Jane shook the hands of the panelists.
But he was friends with her. Missed the plane she was on or would have been dead or injured also.
He also kissed Bette Davis.
@@beadyeyedbrat Bette Davis dodged him like an old pro lol
If you bloggers over 70 remember watching WML on a school night awake at 10:30 Eastern/9:30 Central/8:30 Mountain, please share your memories
This ain't a blog.
The final contestant of the show is very often rushed through due to shortage of time. After the mystery guest has left, there is rarely enough time to do another contestant any justice in terms of time and attention, and it makes me feel uneasy to see such a rush job. I wish they producers had come up with a solution to this situation, but in the days of life television I suppose this was beyond their control.
@karlakor I totally agree with you! In later years, they at least tried to make sure that the final contestant was usually someone who lived in the NY-NJ-CT tri-state area so that if they didn't have time to fit them in at the end of the show, it would be fairly easy for them to come back another time, and if they ended up doing a rushed game with them, at least they hadn't had to travel a long way for such a brief amount of on-air time. In these early episodes, however, sometimes these final contestants have traveled a long distance to be on the show, so I guess that's why they feel obligated to put them on for at least a little while, but I do feel they've been shortchanged when they don't have time to play a full game. And some of these contestants have had particularly interesting occupations, too! The only good thing about these short games is that the contestant is usually assured of getting the full $50 prize by default.
Jane had a great voice
Listen to the interview with Bennett Cerf after the show had ended. Not sure what year it was but very interesting!
Here’s Part One of the Bennet Cerf interview. An eye opener - especially his comments about Dorothy Kilgallen ... Rowby.
Bennett was always sour. I for one, prefer hal over him.
@@rowbygoren1830 Where?
@@davmax7751 oops I forgot to include the link Here it is th-cam.com/video/kxA4UQ3gcbw/w-d-xo.html
Today's TH-cam Rerun for 9/28/15: Watch along and join the discussion!
Today we resume the weekday reruns that were interrupted again in August, starting with the Hal Block's last episode.
-----------------------------
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Please click here to subscribe to the WML channel if you haven't already-- you'll find the complete CBS series already posted, and you'll be able to follow along the discussions on the weekday "rerun" videos: th-cam.com/channels/hPE75Fvvl1HmdAsO7Nzb8w.html
With three shows to go before his contract expired, Hal Block was informed that it would not be renewed. He did this show knowing full well it would be his last one.
$50 must have been some prize back in the 50s
Approximately what $600 would buy today. Penny candy (1 cent) was prevalent for kids, nickel soft drink (bottle), new cars for $1,600; average suburban house for $8,000-10,000. You get the picture now with only paper "money" instead of then-90% silver coins (dimes-quarters-halves, ending in 1964) and the 'dollar' was 100% redeemable into gold at a fixed weight of $35 per oz., ending on Aug. 15, 1971? End The Fed (central bank inflation machine) that depreciates the currency, on purpose!
You can't see it, but Frohman's wearing a leg brace, because of her injuries
I realize that Hal Block had exasperated many people associated with WHAT'S MY LINE, and that this was Hal Block's final appearance on the show, but still I find John Daly's verbal barbs directed at Hal Block on this show to be extremely mean-spirited and cruel. That much said, I don't think that the show would have lasted for over 17 and a half years as a weekly staple of network television with Hal Block (and his crude brand of humor) on the panel.
Another user claimed Block was fired was, essentially, sexual harassment of female staff members, but I can't find any record of this. According to producer Gil Fates, he was replaced because he didn't fit in to the tone of the show, and it's a valid explanation based only on what we see onscreen.
I'm not aware of Daly making cruel comments towards Block on the show (or anyone else for that matter), though the discomfort he caused the rest of the cast is sometimes all too visible. But it's been a while since I watched the episodes with Block. Do you have any examples?
What's My Line? Just a couple of episodes back, the panelists were having a conference and Dorothy mentioned a girdle, and Hal partially stood up and leaned over and John told him to "Sit down Mr Block". I thought it was a bit off.
What's My Line? i thought hal was hilarious. i hate that ppl found him so repulsive
Doug w. My LONG posts about his in response all seem to be getting lost and I'm tired of it, no fault of your own! Gist being, I like Hal Block on the WML panel, too.
Doug w. I agree I think he was funny and harmless. He added a different dimension to the show.
This is the only time, that I recall, that one of the men of the show, here Steve Allen, wore a necktie instead of a bow tie.
He wore a necktie on the tribute shows immediately following the deaths of Fred Allen and later Dorothy Kilgallen (as did Bennett).
What's My Line? Thanks. Don't know which of us is the bigger nerd - me for noticing or you for knowing. lol
juan galt Let's call it a tie.
(Sorry, I was possessed by Bennett's spirit for a moment there.)
+What's My Line?
I bow to your wit.
As you continue watching these, you'll find many episodes where the men wear long ties. I've been reviewing the earliest shows, and have seen long ties on Bennett and John from time to time.
I think Hal Block was a combination of three factors that could never work together: naughty humor + rude manners + unattractiveness, he could get away with one of these traits but three together was just too much and made him a natural outcast in the team. You could tell the show found the right dynamics and the episodes are far more enjoyable after his departure, even Daly is more playful and funny. Sometimes, I feel sorry for Block but his mistake was that he tried too much to please the audience while he should have thought about being pleasant to the guests and the team.
@Sdk ElMaruecan - By George, I think you've got it! A few of the very earliest panelists did not fit really, either. This show, thank goodness, hit its stride rather quickly with winning combinations of intelligence, verbal skill, wit, warmth, cultured and curious personalities from widely diverse fields in some respects. Our good luck!
I agree with you. But, I would put it this way. While "WML" tried so hard to be highbrow, Hal Block tried equally hard to be lowbrow. So, Block made himself the odd man out on the show. He just really needed to go. Personally, I thought he got really irritating. He really did need to go.
@@IPlayOneOnT.V. He was irritating because he did not present a happy juxtaposition. He was jarring and made people uncomfortable. I tend to think that most of the panelists who were on frequently were, in fact, cultured people who could be called highbrow, so they gave/lent the show its tone. Whereas, Block was actually, though a city boy, lowbrow and it did not work in this format and with contestants from all over the country who were not among those he played to in his comedy career. He was a talented writer, but he did not have wide appeal as a stand-up comedy performer. He had a niche constituency that included some other comics.
Jane introduced "I Believe", an inspirational standard.
love hal block he cracks me up
Arlene was the last living early panelists alive in the 2000's a little bit over 50 years after airing.
Not even a cursory farewell from anyone on his final show. He really wasn't liked.
☹️
After reading comments, which were almost exclusively about Bennett Cerf, with much mention of perversity., I wonder if commenters are mistakenly thinking Hal Block is Bennett Cerf. Firstly, Bennett Cerf was not on this episode but Hal Block was on the episode. Secondly, this particular episode is the last one for Hal Block. He knew he was being fired and why. He had already been suspended for inappropiate comments about the sponsor's products, along with inappropriate comments toward the female guests. It has been widely reported that many of the women had to actually run away from Mr. Block; he was actually chasing them from time to time. Keeping those couple of things in mind, It would seem Mr. Block was perverse, not Mr. Cerf.
Just a thought maybe there was some confusion.
I liked the saddlemaker segment particularly because the answers were mostly yes or no, without a lot of qualification. That made it funnier. Qualifications and conferences are sometimes a bit of a wet blanket.
He meant nothing by that kiss, he just appreciated how courageous she was.
Mr. Thompson, the turtle-trapper, reminds me very much of some "tough guy" character actor of about this time in history, but I can't think of his name.
519DJW He kind of looks like an older Errol Flynn with the pencil thin mustache
@@kevinsullivan136 On second viewing, I see what you mean--but I was thinking of some *character actor*, rather than someone who was once a leading man.
I hear You regarding leading vs character actor. He somewhat also resembles Noah Beery, Jr also. Maybe I'm too fixated on an actor with a mustache
14:46 (that line is HILARIOUS in retrospect!)
Block had been fired from the show by the producers.
I'm in the minority, but, Hal Block is one of my favorite panelists. I prefer him over Bennett Cerf. Don't get me wrong, Bennett was great at the game, but, his attempts at humor sometimes fell completely flat.
I feel exactly the same way. Cerf was an elitist, Block was an average Joe. I wish he could have reigned his behavior in a bit, because he was so much funnier to watch than Cerf.
Definitely!
I totally agree with you.
I agree, I found Bennett's pun annoying rather than funny, whereas I found Steve Allen's puns delightful.
Hal Block article on Wikipedia is interesting to read. It says much about WML.
Nicolas Good call. I've just read it. Well, well, well. Had I known earlier I would've looked out for Daly's pulling of the right earlobe! Probably too late now that Block's leaving here.
I can't remember if I've said this before somewhere on here, but I don't mind Mr. Block's humor at all, risque or otherwise. I do mind that, in service of his humor, he often steps on other people's lines/time. Also, he's awfully bad at the actual game.
Really, for a comic, his sense of timing is just simply not very good. (Which makes sense since most of his experience was in writing, not performing.)
I've enjoyed watching what little of his work we have left, and I do think he did well by the show.
juliansinger Agreed. His interjections are ill-timed rather than merely ill-suited.
Must be lots of shows missing as Hal listed asv124 episodes on imdb
There are a lot of episodes from the first two years that are lost today.
Hal Block was a MOST successful and respected comedy writer over many years for several big stars. He added some welcome comedy touches to the show but SOME of his quips and actions were unfortunately ill-timed and contrasted too much with the other panelists and the general atmosphere of the show.
But on the whole I would say what he added to the show outweighed any detrimental effect and I will miss him.
KAN 12.19 UK
He irritates the 💩 out of me lol
He was fired after 2 seasons. His comments to women and overweight people. The night he was fired, he chased the lady Mayor contestant around back stage.
They had talked to him on several occasions.
The night he made a very disrespectful remark to a nun. When he was admonished after the show, his reaction was. "But she was a doll."
He had absolutely no sense of propriety.
The head honcho took him to a pub, and fired him. His response was to throw his glass, shattering it on the floor. He had been given so many chances, but continued to embarrass and disrepect pretty women and overweight people.
I found him disgusting.
Twenty years later, when MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS was first shown on PBS in the United States, "poof" would take on a new and "completely different" meaning.....
Getting rid of Hal Block was the best move Gil Fates ever made with What’s My Line.
Jane Froman is stunning!
Being such the crude Oscar Madison on this well-mannered Felix Unger show, I propose Hal Block was the inspiration for "The Odd Couple." In 1950, author Neil Simon wrote stunts for Goodson-Todman's Beat the Clock game show.
At 4:19, Dorothy asks, “Is it smaller than a breadbox?” (3rd use of the term)
John gets the rules backward again at 3:36 when he tells the first contestant "every time you can get a No answer out of them it costs them five dollars."
How do they guess so fast. It's amazing.
You pre-suppose they guess.
TURTLE TRAPPER
SADDLE MAKER
YO-YO DEMONSTRATOR
Can't say I liked Hal Block but he died in a horrible way. He was seriously burned from a fire in his appartment and died later in the hospital.
My God things were much simpler back then...
They could have at least acknowledged it was Hal's last episode.
Perhaps it was only known to the producers. This is a March episode, well before the end of the season, which tells me it was an abrupt departure.
Under the circumstances, Mark Goodson and Bill Toddson couldn’t do that because they were giving him the heave ho.
right, and told everyone he was getting fired for being obnoxious
Hal Block would be diagnosed with ADHD today. High functioning, but difficult.
Hal showed he was a pro, and could take it on the chin.
Alton Pitts At the risk of sounding like Hal, I bet he wished someone else would've taken it on the chin for it too!!
Dave Sanderson You’re on target, Dave.Haha😀
I may offend some people here, but I occasionally get irritated with Steve Allen’s pandering to the audience with his “befuddled” reaction to some of the audiences’ reactions. It seems very contrived.
That's offensive.
Was the Jack Russel dog named after the final contestant on the show?
Absolutely!!!!
Block makes my flesh crawl....
I see why they changed mystery guest round to one question at a time because it's not easy to get on a roll like Arlene did and the next panelist may not ask the same question you would have if you could continue until you get a no.
Jane Froman appears at 17:00
9:30 - Steve Allen, in a joking reaction to John: "I'd like to have a little trouble after the program." Little did they know that Hal Block would be getting real big trouble after this episode.
I'm certainly not upset that he's going, but why did he get in trouble? (as if I probably didn't know)
@@kristabrewer9363, his attack on the contestants with the ladies and made them uncomfortable to be on show.
@@michaelcarter7079 wrong, look it up. Block made statements/jokes concerning the show's sponsors that the sponsors didn't like. The incident gave Goodson and Todman, the show's producers, grounds to jettison Block, which John & the other panellists I'm sure didn't mind as they had many visible differences with Block.
I loved Hal Block, I don't see him as rude in any way, and Bennett Serf, who has a totally different presence, but is charming in his way (:
Bennett flirted in his sophisticated manner, as much Hal did. Which goes to show it's not what you do as much as how you do it.
John 'flirted' too, but it was never offensive or snarky. The difference, as you say, was in the manner in which it is done.
The DIFFERENCE was that Bennett or John, as you say wasn't offensive or snarkey. Hal WAS!!
Bennett was far from perfect….
@@HelloooThere Bennett was far from being a “nice man”: Jessica Mitford’s expose of his $48,000,000 Famous Writers School scam was an eye opener to say the least.