@@danielbartell8200 She also played Edith Keeler, a highly tragic figure in _Star Trek_ as despite all the good she was doing early in the Great Depression Kirk still had to let her die; as otherwise her failure to realize that Hitler could not be repelled nonviolently would doom the Earth to being overrun by the Nazis, and the galaxy to being destroyed by the Sphere Builders.
I love What's my line? I am 20 years of age. I always asked the questions of who these people are or were... before looking up on the internment. This gives me a perspective of peoples comments on how and why they viewed these people and how important in their lives were they.
Since most of the participants have gone to their 'reward', we'll let "interment" stand, with no witty rejoinder.(First time, in my fifty-eight summers, I have employed the word, "rejoinder"!)
There's a good 1953 British film with then-20-year-old Joan Collins as one of the cast principals up on TH-cam titled TURN THE KEY SOFTLY. (The other two female principals are Yvonne Mitchell and Kathleen Harrison.) Well worth watching!
Whether you were a well-known and well-to-do singer in America, and abroad, or you were one who twisted pretzels--by hand, and in a factory setting, it did not matter, as all were afforded the same wonderful and respectful acknowledgments in this program. It's September of 2024, now, and there is still much that we can learn about ourselves when it comes to showing mutual respect and honor for all occupations, all livelihoods. Envy, narcissism and arrogance do not belong in this greater arena; instead, what matters is how we go about honoring all people from all walks of life.
Chubby Checker was so handsome, had impeccable manners, and was so talented. Loved seeing him! Thank you for showing us this video! 🥰👏🥰👏👏👏 It's 2023 and he's still performing!
I remember when I was 9 years old (i'm in my late 60s now) my friend ( neighbor) and I were watching American Bandstand with Chubby Checker on there teaching everybody how to twist LOL what fun and memories!❤😁
Love this show. A time when life was less complicated and simpler. Sad to think they passed long ago apart from Joan Collns. Nice to see them smile and dress so smartly. Thank you for sharing.
Joan's greatest role was as Edith Keeler in the "City on the Edge of Forever" episode of the original Star Trek series (won an emmy and was written by Harlan Ellison).
Have a tid-bit of trivia on Chubby. How did he get that name? Fats Domino's wife. They were having dinner together trying to come up with a name for him. Fat's wife said, "Well we have a Fats Domino, why not a Chubby Checker?" and so it began. Have interviewed Chubby a couple of times. Very sharp wit and quite intelligent.
rick charles After school Evans would entertain customers at his various jobs, including Fresh Farm Poultry in the Italian Market on Ninth Street and at the Produce Market with songs and jokes. It was his boss at the Produce Market, Tony A., who gave Evans the nickname "Chubby". The store owner of Fresh Farm Poultry, Henry Colt, was so impressed by Ernest's performances for the customers that he, along with his colleague and friend Kal Mann, who worked as a song-writer for Cameo-Parkway Records,[5] arranged for young Chubby to do a private recording for American Bandstand host Dick Clark. It was at this recording session that Evans got his stage name from Clark's wife, who asked Evans what his name was. "Well", he replied, "my friends call me 'Chubby'". As he had just completed a Fats Domino impression, she smiled and said, "As in Checker?" That little play on words ('chubby' meaning 'fat', and 'checkers', like 'dominoes', being a game) got an instant laugh and stuck, and from then on, Evans would use the name "Chubby Checker".[
Fred Millsaps There are probably dozens of theories out there. It made me regret not asking him while interviewing him. Never thought of it back then. oh well
Just, striving for factual accuracy, the speaker of the Fats/Chubby line was, rather, the wife of Mr. Dick Clark. Love factual accuracy. WHAT is the occupation, of the second contestant?! Nice tie-in, with Mr. Evans' appearance.
Arlene was her usual brilliant self on the pretzel hunt whereas everyone else went down a completely tangential path despite obvious clues from Arlene's start.
It’s good to see Dorothy laugh 😆 at Chubby Checker about “are you one of those Italian boys” and he responded with a different voice which was hilarious 🤣 hilarious 😂
I have decided to watch these from the first show to the last show. I can't help think they're hearing people in the audience say what the line is. Especially Dorothy & Arlene when they are sitting on the end. Never the less it is great fun to watch these shows I saw as a child again at 75 years old.
Here's a story on Lavinia Berdge from a 2006 e-mail newsletter for the community of Mt. Gretna (PA). Since the story is buried in the newsletter which has rudimentary formatting, I am going to copy and paste it here: QUESTIONS READERS ASK [] Here in Burbank, Calif., I’m working to track down people who were on the classic TV game show, “What’s My Line?” In 1962, a young woman named Lavinia Berdge appeared as a “lipstick tester.” Since it was live TV (without repeats), she probably has never seen her episode. But according to my research on the Internet, The Mt. Gretna Newsletter several years ago mentioned someone by that name. She may not be the same Lavinia Berdge, but how many could there be? Anyway, we would like to offer her a DVD copy of her appearance in exchange for her memories of the show. If you have a way to contact her, could you please pass along this request? We can-and did. Lavinia no longer lives in Mt. Gretna. But she still reads this newsletter from her home in Arizona. And she was indeed the “lipstick tester” on “What’s My Line” 44 years ago. A PR guy thought up the idea and suggested Lavinia’s name, since she worked in quality control at the former Hazel Bishop cosmetics company’s R&D lab. A producer on the show liked the concept and called one morning asking Lavinia to rush to the studio and fill in for a contestant who had suddenly cancelled. Remember, this was in the days of live TV. Lavinia scrambled across Manhattan from her New Jersey apartment, arriving just 15 minutes before airtime. Before she knew it, she was onstage, facing the blackboard and hearing John Daly say, “And now our next contestant. Will you enter and sign in please?” “Somehow I immediately remembered my name and wrote, ‘Lavinia Berdge.’ Everything after that was a cup of tea. Arlene Francis, Bennett Cerf, Dorothy Kilgallin and Martin Gable were the panelists, and they were good. They guessed my ‘secret’ in just seven questions. But Mr. Daly flipped the cards to the maximum of $50 (about 25 percent of my weekly salary then). It wasn’t bad for about ‘10 minutes of fame’,” she says. The experience led to other TV appearances. During a controversy about the safety of hair sprays, Lavinia became a spokesperson for the company on NBC and other New York stations. She spent 43 years in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries before retiring to Exton, where she owned an art gallery and frame shop before moving here. She left a few years ago for her new home in Prescott, Ariz. Now, she’s looking forward to receiving that DVD of her first TV appearance and seeing herself-“44 years younger and 45 pounds lighter.”
Ms. Collins was and is, a real piece of work. I'll give it to her, for her fortitude and pluck. Ms. Joan is definitely a 'goer'. Joan and Jackie, a couple of 'feisty' Collins sisters....RIP Jackie....
it was an innocuous remark so the audience wouldn't have reacted regardless of the race of the mystery guest BUT i will say if he wasn't a mystery guest Martin may have not made that remark
@@brookehanley3659 As she is still alive (and writing) ‘had’ seems incorrect against has. Some people might think that at 90 years she is still beautiful. I’m not and never have been a ‘fan’ … I was taking issue solely with the tense employed in your observation.
- That's for sure. I watch mostly political programming that terrifies me so I turn to WML for calming and for laughs. I also watch opera on You Tube. How many hundreds of yr
I lived in Lititz PA part of Lancaster County, that bakery from the second contestant, Mr Shreck, is still making pretzels, although now it's more a tourist destination and sort of a working museum. It is called the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery, and my nieces and nephews loved it.
More likely Dorothy was referring to Kim Novak, who was promoted by her studio for sleeping on lavender sheets and she even tinted her hair lavender at one time. In a 1961 episode of WML, Dorothy asks Mickey Rooney--before she knew the mystery guest was male--if he slept on lavender sheets. Bennett says she was referring to Kim.
I'm surprised nobody else has mentioned this yet. Listen closely to Martin's initial question for the lipstick tester at about 19:10: "Am I to assume that when it touches the person, that's not the normal place for it to be?" He clearly deserved a "no" to the question as he posed it, but he got John and the rest of the panel (and perhaps even himself, unless he knowingly misled John) so mixed up reviewing the question that John ended up incorrectly giving him a "yes" for it!
+BLAIR M Schirmer It was not a typical role for Joan Collins. She did a fabulous job in it. It was certainly one of the most memorable episodes from The Original Series and one that provided a lot of food for thought. How the fictional Edith Keeler might have changed history has a real life parallel in Eli Whitney's cotton gin.
There is nothing wrong with the fringe bangs they are cool. With a face like that they are perfect. None of the panelists should have even brought it up. Joan Collins was a true beauty.
B Kavanaugh In those days that large puffy bouffant hairdo was new and different. Shaped something like a Jackie Kennedy hat. Crossed with a French knot. Later, there were similar styles like "the beehive" but not as high as Marge Simpson's.
John missed his chance to say they were adding a few "twists" to the program tonight. Not like him to miss a pun like that and then rub in Bennett's face at the end.
Arlene was fabulous. She was so elegant. She was also a rather good actress. Have you seen her in One Two Three with James Cagney? A Billy Wilder masterpiece.
when I was a kid in school I would watch What's my line every Sunday night before going to bed. It was the last bit of fun on the weekend . Chubby was not the first one to record the Twist
There was that great joke in the Golden Girls where Bea Arthur’s character compares a pair of boots to Joan Collins’ waterbed in regards to how many miles they have on them. I love that subtle humor.😊
+tomitstube In light of her recent loss (sister Jackie), I think this show was broadcast maybe six weeks before Joan lost her mother. She seemed to be holding up pretty well here, as she has since the death of Jackie.
Chubby Checker was the only artist to ever have FIVE record albums in the Top 12 at the same time. He was actually more famous for introducing various dances: the Twist, the Pony, the Limbo and the Fly were the most famous.
I thought the answer of "yes" to the question to Chubby Check of "are you less famous for singing than something else" was a little misleading. I can only assume they meant he was more famous for "The Twist" however he was famous for that dance because of the song he sang about it.
The national obsession with 'the twist' is certainly documented over the course of this and the last few episodes. In a few months time, four Liverpudlian lads will release their first single (although the US won't catch wind of it for a couple of years)....the sea change is on its way!
Arlene, to her husband: “ you don’t wear a pancake, but it touches you!” LOL I smiled all the way through the show, I don’t know what I would do without WML❣️
"Phoning to Rome" means she was milking and double checking her sources in Cinecitta to get info on the Elizabeth Taylor -- Richard Burton scandal. That scandal also eventually produced a movie called "Cleopatra." If I were Chubby Checker and Joan Collins, I am not sure I would want to be associated with an April Fools broadcast. It's too bad the production staff did not have the courage to pawn off a complete unknown as a mystery guest on such an occasion. Now that would be funny.
+soulierinvestments The idea of a complete unknown as a mystery guest sounds clever, but might be too clever by half as it would be impossible for the panel to have any chance of guessing the person. What occurred to me as an April Fool's possibility would be to have as a Mystery Guest at the beginning of the program an entertainer known for his impersonations. For example, let's say it was David Frye. He would have come on and the entire time being questioned, he would do Nixon or LBJ, for example. Then for the third segment, they would bring Frye back, doing someone completely different, like Liberace or Truman Capote.
I'm not sure it would come off as funny. Remember when Danny Kaye thought it would be funny to lie when he was a mystery guest? He had a blast himself, but it was frustrating and distracting, and at least for me, watching it fell flat.
This was a time when women were publicly referred to as *BROADS* or 'girls' by men. This was also a time when almost EVERY FAMOUS WOMAN ACTRESS (whether they admit it or not) had sex with studio brass at one time or another to get a significant part or a leading part in high budget movie or Broadway play. Men and women would act sophisticated and proper in public but whored around in private, cheated on their spouses, and looked down on each other. Dorothy Kilgallen was cheating on her husband while filming the show and her husband had numerous sexual flings while married to her. Dorothy would drink heavily and used various drugs for depression and to rest. This was also a time of EXTREME racism in the entire nation (including New York) Nat King Cole stated in an interview, when asked about being on WML, that he had to come into the theater at the back entrance and remain in a dirty room the size of a small closet until his guest appearance at the end of the show. ALL the famous African American guests had to stay in a small, dirty dressing room until called to the show at the end.
I was not quite 5 yrs old when he appeared on that episode so by the time I got older the novelty worn off and honestly I cannot really recall him speaking much about it other than and this he spoke of often.......This episode was the 2nd time he went to be taped in NY. The first taping was postponed and he had to return then appeared on this episode. That episode that was canceled had Darren McGavin on it. Every time Darren McGavin appeared on TV my father would go on and on how he met him. He became a fan of the show the Night Stalker, I had assumed it was because he met Darrin and talked with him. That is what stands out on his talking of this show. I am sure he spoke of Chubby and Joan but I cannot recall. He passed in 1980 so I can't ask him. He was big in the Pretzel business it was his passion and he had to do with the rotating gear driven carousel soft pretzel machines that were popular in the 60-80's. . When the net got popular I did a lot of research on trying to find this episode, this was some 10 years ago. I had no idea what year it was or who was on it. I went to the show's website going through the archives using Darren McGavin as a starting point and after a lot of watching films I came upon it, it took quite a while. I put a request on the site who I was and how do I obtain a copy. An enthusiast of the show contacted me and offered to send me a DVD of this episode he refused any compensation for it he enjoyed helping folks out. I received the DVD and made copies for my fathers sisters and surprised them with it. It was very emotional for them. You tube then became popular and now, things like this are easily found. This is the first I visited this site in years and was surprised at all the banter on it. There was nothing on this page last time I was on it.
Thanks so much for sharing that story, +Vshky! Could the postponement have been because they ran out of time and couldn't fit in another contestant on the Darren McGavin episode?
John mentions visiting London last summer to meet Joan Collins on the set of "The Road to Hong Kong" "The Road to Hong Kong" was filmed from July 31-November 1961, according to Variety Magazine, so that's about right. Also, John said the picture was going to open in July 1962, but IMDB says it was released in May of that year. Maybe they changed plans and decided to release it earlier.
The premiere of The Road to Hong Kong was in Chicago on May 26, 1962. A month later, on June 27, the film opened simultaneously on Broadway and in four Long Island move theaters, according to The Long Island Star-Journal of June 28. The New York Times confirms "the simultaneous release of 'Road to Hong Kong' in 13 metropolitan theaters on June 27, 1962" in Bosley Crowther's July 6, 1964 column.
***** According to Turner Classic Movies "it was released in England on April 1"; Billboard of April 14, 1962, says that the film had "just had its London premiere".
I've noticed sometimes they do look at each other and other times they look directly at the guest. I think if they have socialized with the guest in the past they are less likely to stare because of the familiarity. When less seen, more glamorous mystery guests are on the show, they focus on the guest immediately. As an example when Audrey Hepburn or Natalie Wood appeared, the panelists couldn't take their eyes off those beautiful women. But who could ? They were stunning.
I expect they were checking that the others had removed their blindfolds. You will sometimes see one keep their blindfold on too long, especially the guests.
Yes, I’ve noticed this too. It’s as if they are sometimes blasé about the mystery guest being there. I don’t think they are checking to see whether their fellow panelist’s have taken off their blindfolds. As in this episode for example, Dorothy takes off her blindfold and immediately says something to Martin before looking at Ms Collins.
The Twist when it was at it's peak was probably as big or bigger than any other craze ever (do we even have crazes anymore)? Chubby Checker was pulling down 10,000 dollars a night in 1960-62 before it all disappeared almost as fast as it came. I think in these days of Covid-19 The Twist could make a nice comeback. I wish it would. I was 5 years old in December 1961 and while I remember it, l was too young to really appreciate it. Come to think of it, if I had been a teenager then, I wouldn't have really appreciated the coolness of the times, then. I guess that's how the times work, huh?
Today is 14 September 2022 and I saw (a couple of days ago) an interview given by Piers Morgan, with Joan Collins, regarding the death of Queen Elizabeth II. I recall Joan from decades back ("Dynasty") and have not seen much of her since (perhaps she was more visible in the UK). "Dame Joan" is now 89, and I could not believe how mentally sharp and physically young looking she still is. Great for her! Her comments about the Queen were very heartfelt and touching - several wonderful photos of the two of them together were shown. Cheers to all of the "mystery guests" who are still with us (in 2022) on this side of the veil.
Joan Collins was in a Star Trek episode... "City On The Edge Of Forever". It won the Hugo Award. Only (original) Star Trek to win one. They go back to the 1930s, and... well, watch what happens. Spock knows about "vacuum tubes". Hilarious. ;-)
I sure love watching these old shows.... now, sadly, so many folks have no idea of how to write in script. Guess it's something that the youngsters won't learn unless they are homeschooled. I'm so pleased to be ancient.
Why revere script? I’ll grant writing script probably improves fine motor skills, but so too do many other activities. Would you acknowledge that no matter how well script is written it can never be easier to read than keyboarded text? Isn’t script obsolete, replaced by computers and smart phones?
+Michelle Post Reportedly a nickname given to him by his boss on one of his jobs before becoming a star. I would not call him fat, but at that age he still had some baby fat on his cheeks. Here's a picture of him with Bobby Rydell. Chubby is definitely more solidly built. www.discogs.com/Chubby-Checker-Bobby-Rydell-Song-For-Young-Men-Vol-1/release/8372747
There’s no such thing as a hard or soft A, but it was certainly striking that he said it with a short one. The As in ‘fat’ and ‘father’ in English are either side of the A in most languages, so it’s logical that when anglicizing Pennsylvania Dutch it could go either way. It has been standardized as a long vowel now but it’s logical that it was less so by then as they were somewhat less well known and much less talked about in audio media.
Interesting how many of the contestants, male and female were as tall or taller than Mr. Daly and he said he was 6 feet 1. The ladies didn't all have on heels.
![What's My Line? - Liberace; Buddy Hackett [panel] (Dec 23, 1962)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/L6XXTSZmWcs/mqdefault.jpg)
![What's My Line? - Liberace; Buddy Hackett [panel] (Dec 23, 1962)](/img/tr.png)
![What's My Line? - Sir Edmund Hillary; Diahann Carroll; Merv Griffin [panel] (May 20, 1962)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/BLteuggtA0o/mqdefault.jpg)
![What's My Line? - Hugh O' Brian; Martin Gabel [panel] (Dec 24, 1961)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/vyFUeZxNPpg/mqdefault.jpg)
![What's My Line? - Peggy Lee; Ben Gazzara [panel]; Martin Gabel [panel] (Feb 28, 1960)](/img/n.gif)
Watching this in 2022 - just over 60 years ago and Joan Collins (god bless her) is still going strong.
61 years ago and both mystery guests are still alive. That might be a record!
@@44032Still in 2024!
Dame Joan Henrietta Collins DBE (born 23 May 1933) (aged 91) 😊👍🏻
I saw Chubby Checker in concert in 2015 and he still puts on a AWESOME concert!!😍🥰😍🥰
How fortunate! He presents himself so well in this episode, for a young man of only 20 and still riding the success wagon. What an impact he made!
He was only 73-74 at the time,so it's not that big of a deal.
I saw him in Walmart recently buying some teeth whitener …
@@rentslave Many people don't even live to that age, let alone put on a good concert
I've never got to see Chubby Checker just sat there as a regular person. What a sweet guy, the way he leaves. What a document these shows are!
January 2023 and Chubby Checker and Joan Collins are still with us.
This shows are so much fun and addictive. Thank you so very very much for posting these.
Joan Collins 8n Dynasty such a classy lady now 87
@@danielbartell8200
She also played Edith Keeler, a highly tragic figure in _Star Trek_ as despite all the good she was doing early in the Great Depression Kirk still had to let her die; as otherwise her failure to realize that Hitler could not be repelled nonviolently would doom the Earth to being overrun by the Nazis, and the galaxy to being destroyed by the Sphere Builders.
I love What's my line? I am 20 years of age. I always asked the questions of who these people are or were... before looking up on the internment. This gives me a perspective of peoples comments on how and why they viewed these people and how important in their lives were they.
Since most of the participants have gone to their 'reward', we'll let "interment" stand, with no witty rejoinder.(First time, in my fifty-eight summers, I have employed the word, "rejoinder"!)
@@djdon60 Well, neither Chubby Checker nor Joan Collins has been "interred" as of 2020!
It’s a good history lesson.
It's a great show! I'm 45 and I love it!
Joan Collins always walked like a woman who owned the room: gutsy and glamorous always!
+lol365 A real star in every sense of the word! She STILL has that quality.
There's a good 1953 British film with then-20-year-old Joan Collins as one of the cast principals up on TH-cam titled TURN THE KEY SOFTLY. (The other two female principals are Yvonne Mitchell and Kathleen Harrison.) Well worth watching!
Joan Collins is the same type of woman as Ida Lupino - also a girl from London - cute, glamourous, sultry and with a strong will.
@@jmccracken1963 thsts a great pix. Very moving
And she was great in the TV miniseries "The Moneychangers"
Whether you were a well-known and well-to-do singer in America, and abroad, or you were one who twisted pretzels--by hand, and in a factory setting, it did not matter, as all were afforded the same wonderful and respectful acknowledgments in this program. It's September of 2024, now, and there is still much that we can learn about ourselves when it comes to showing mutual respect and honor for all occupations, all livelihoods. Envy, narcissism and arrogance do not belong in this greater arena; instead, what matters is how we go about honoring all people from all walks of life.
Chubby Checker was so handsome, had impeccable manners, and was so talented. Loved seeing him! Thank you for showing us this video! 🥰👏🥰👏👏👏 It's 2023 and he's still performing!
Saw him in New Port news va
The panel was always very respectful of the contestants regardless of their profession.
Apart from the poop scooper … 💩
Joan Collins still works today at 85 yrs old. Still looks amazing. Her hairdo was known as the beehive.
I didn't know she was still around amazing actress
She's 90
No, that hairdo was NOT a beehive.
It's crazy that Chubby Checker was only 20 years old here. He's so handsome but he surely looks much older than 20!
Technically 21
I thought he was late 20's here
Chubby Checker had class; he acknowledged the audience, which many of the celebrities did not do.
It's adorable how Martin got embarrassed and flustered when Arlene asked to test her lipstick.
I remember when I was 9 years old (i'm in my late 60s now) my friend ( neighbor) and I were watching American Bandstand with Chubby Checker on there teaching everybody how to twist LOL what fun and memories!❤😁
The only record sleeve with instructions on how to do the twist.
Joan Collins was gorgeous. I will never forget her in the Star Trek episode "City on the Edge of Forever" back in the 1960s.
One of my favorite episodes. Well written, well acted. Joan was beautiful.
I only remember her from Dynasty.
That was the first Star Trek episode I ever saw
Chubby Checker had such an awesome signature. That's some incredible penmanship!
chubby was not only a mega star but classy and so talented. so few stars have three qualities today.
Love this show. A time when life was less complicated and simpler. Sad to think they passed long ago apart from Joan Collns. Nice to see them smile and dress so smartly. Thank you for sharing.
Joan's greatest role was as Edith Keeler in the "City on the Edge of Forever" episode of the original Star Trek series (won an emmy and was written by Harlan Ellison).
Correct.
Butzi, not being a trekkie, I votefor her role in Island in the Sun.
@@margaretgoodheart4167 Admittedly she was great in that.
Glad some mentioned it. She will always be known as Edith Keeler among trekiers.
Agree 100%
Clever: The originator of The Twist and a twister of pretzels! How clever!
Have a tid-bit of trivia on Chubby.
How did he get that name? Fats Domino's wife. They were having dinner together trying to come up with a name for him. Fat's wife said, "Well we have a Fats Domino, why not a Chubby Checker?" and so it began.
Have interviewed Chubby a couple of times. Very sharp wit and quite intelligent.
rick charles After school Evans would entertain customers at his various jobs, including Fresh Farm Poultry in the Italian Market on Ninth Street and at the Produce Market with songs and jokes. It was his boss at the Produce Market, Tony A., who gave Evans the nickname "Chubby". The store owner of Fresh Farm Poultry, Henry Colt, was so impressed by Ernest's performances for the customers that he, along with his colleague and friend Kal Mann, who worked as a song-writer for Cameo-Parkway Records,[5] arranged for young Chubby to do a private recording for American Bandstand host Dick Clark. It was at this recording session that Evans got his stage name from Clark's wife, who asked Evans what his name was. "Well", he replied, "my friends call me 'Chubby'". As he had just completed a Fats Domino impression, she smiled and said, "As in Checker?" That little play on words ('chubby' meaning 'fat', and 'checkers', like 'dominoes', being a game) got an instant laugh and stuck, and from then on, Evans would use the name "Chubby Checker".[
Fred Millsaps There are probably dozens of theories out there. It made me regret not asking him while interviewing him. Never thought of it back then. oh well
rick charles o
Just, striving for factual accuracy, the speaker of the Fats/Chubby line was, rather, the wife of Mr. Dick Clark. Love factual accuracy. WHAT is the occupation, of the second contestant?! Nice tie-in, with Mr. Evans' appearance.
Arlene was her usual brilliant self on the pretzel hunt whereas everyone else went down a completely tangential path despite obvious clues from Arlene's start.
I always get the impression Bennett Cerf doesnt like her.
It’s good to see Dorothy laugh 😆 at Chubby Checker about “are you one of those Italian boys” and he responded with a different voice which was hilarious 🤣 hilarious 😂
Before he was typecast as a singer of dance songs, Chubby Checker's act included his ability to do vocal impressions.
Chubby Checker married an absolute stunning woman....and he is still married to her today. I love how he fooled the panel!!🥰🥰🥰
Chubby checker had a beautiful hand writing .
John Charles Daly had his idiosyncrasies, but he certainly was a most gracious host and always made the contestants feel relaxed and comfortable.
I have decided to watch these from the first show to the last show. I can't help think they're hearing people in the audience say what the line is. Especially Dorothy & Arlene when they are sitting on the end. Never the less it is great fun to watch these shows I saw as a child again at 75 years old.
Here's a story on Lavinia Berdge from a 2006 e-mail newsletter for the community of Mt. Gretna (PA). Since the story is buried in the newsletter which has rudimentary formatting, I am going to copy and paste it here:
QUESTIONS READERS ASK
[] Here in Burbank, Calif., I’m working to track down people who were on the classic TV game show, “What’s My Line?” In 1962, a young woman named Lavinia Berdge appeared as a “lipstick tester.” Since it was live TV (without repeats), she probably has never seen her episode. But according to my research on the Internet, The Mt. Gretna Newsletter several years ago mentioned someone by that name. She may not be the same Lavinia Berdge, but how many could there be? Anyway, we would like to offer her a DVD copy of her appearance in exchange for her memories of the show. If you have a way to contact her, could you please pass along this request?
We can-and did. Lavinia no longer lives in Mt. Gretna. But she still reads this newsletter from her home in Arizona. And she was indeed the “lipstick tester” on “What’s My Line” 44 years ago.
A PR guy thought up the idea and suggested Lavinia’s name, since she worked in quality control at the former Hazel Bishop cosmetics company’s R&D lab. A producer on the show liked the concept and called one morning asking Lavinia to rush to the studio and fill in for a contestant who had suddenly cancelled. Remember, this was in the days of live TV. Lavinia scrambled across Manhattan from her New Jersey apartment, arriving just 15 minutes before airtime. Before she knew it, she was onstage, facing the blackboard and hearing John Daly say, “And now our next contestant. Will you enter and sign in please?”
“Somehow I immediately remembered my name and wrote, ‘Lavinia Berdge.’ Everything after that was a cup of tea. Arlene Francis, Bennett Cerf, Dorothy Kilgallin and Martin Gable were the panelists, and they were good. They guessed my ‘secret’ in just seven questions. But Mr. Daly flipped the cards to the maximum of $50 (about 25 percent of my weekly salary then). It wasn’t bad for about ‘10 minutes of fame’,” she says.
The experience led to other TV appearances. During a controversy about the safety of hair sprays, Lavinia became a spokesperson for the company on NBC and other New York stations. She spent 43 years in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries before retiring to Exton, where she owned an art gallery and frame shop before moving here. She left a few years ago for her new home in Prescott, Ariz.
Now, she’s looking forward to receiving that DVD of her first TV appearance and seeing herself-“44 years younger and 45 pounds lighter.”
It's interesting to learn a contestant's perspective. Thank you for this information. I've wondered how I would have done as a contestant.
How terribly long!
Chubby Checker was really cute and charming!
Aleina Tolerance He looked pretty intense, lots of energy.
Aleina Tolerance - Yes he was. I am glad to see him on this program.
Are you tolerant?
My husband and I visited this pretzel factory when driving through Lititz 18 years ago!
Ms. Collins was and is, a real piece of work. I'll give it to her, for her fortitude and pluck. Ms. Joan is definitely a 'goer'. Joan and Jackie, a couple of 'feisty' Collins sisters....RIP Jackie....
BTW, calling someone _a real piece of work_ is derogatory.
@@mon_avis2978 Yes, but, it's only an opinion. No worries. I'd still love to have coffee with her!
@@timholbrook7671 Nothing like using an idiom incorrectly to convey the opposite of your real intention.
@ mon avis, ah! come on, you can get off your ENGLISH TEACHER mode.. we're all just friends here!
When Martin Gabel said 'I'm in darkest Africa" NOBODY laughed which is a real credit to the WML audience.
it was an innocuous remark so the audience wouldn't have reacted regardless of the race of the mystery guest BUT i will say if he wasn't a mystery guest Martin may have not made that remark
Good
Why wouldn't he? He did not know who he was. It was a figure of speech.
@@geraldkatz7986 I'm speaking of the audience tasteful non- reaction. Gabel's comment is perfectly innocent.
Joan Collins certainly had longevity. She was utterly beautiful
Why are you referring to her in the past tense? She’s still alive!
@@LANCSKIDYes but not sure her career is still active
@@brookehanley3659 As she is still alive (and writing) ‘had’ seems incorrect against has. Some people might think that at 90 years she is still beautiful. I’m not and never have been a ‘fan’ … I was taking issue solely with the tense employed in your observation.
@@LANCSKID I was referring to her career not her age. I knew she was still alive. If she is still active I have not heard much
The hand twisted pretzels in Lancaster County are so good. And WML is very addictive and fun to watch, much better than the shows of today.
- That's for sure. I watch mostly political programming that terrifies me so I turn to WML for calming and for laughs. I also watch opera on You Tube. How many hundreds of yr
How many hundreds of years away is Aida from 2020? It is transporting the same way WML is.
I lived in Lititz PA part of Lancaster County, that bakery from the second contestant, Mr Shreck, is still making pretzels, although now it's more a tourist destination and sort of a working museum. It is called the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery, and my nieces and nephews loved it.
Lavender was most likely a reference to Elizabeth Taylor and her "lavender" eyes
More likely Dorothy was referring to Kim Novak, who was promoted by her studio for sleeping on lavender sheets and she even tinted her hair lavender at one time. In a 1961 episode of WML, Dorothy asks Mickey Rooney--before she knew the mystery guest was male--if he slept on lavender sheets. Bennett says she was referring to Kim.
Kerry R Walton COuld be also Kim Novak. Her favorite color.
But Elizabeth Taylor was more beautiful, a real star with a real career with vryimportant movies... Joan Collins is just a celeb
@@chrisn7259 It was absolutely a reference to a Kim Novak, yes.
@@unevilledeslivresher sister writes Crappy potboilers …
This is amazing time machine.
I'm surprised nobody else has mentioned this yet. Listen closely to Martin's initial question for the lipstick tester at about 19:10: "Am I to assume that when it touches the person, that's not the normal place for it to be?" He clearly deserved a "no" to the question as he posed it, but he got John and the rest of the panel (and perhaps even himself, unless he knowingly misled John) so mixed up reviewing the question that John ended up incorrectly giving him a "yes" for it!
I noticed that too.
And the lipstick tester lady was lovely! She was so elegant and polite and looked as if she would be great fun to know.
I think Daly confused himself with his own logorrhoea and lost track of which way round the wording had been.
Martin never bites when Arlene gives him a lil flirtatious sass hahaha
Lorna Badeo n
He was a lucky devil!
I'm sure he did when he got her home. Yes a lucky devil.
Joan Collins was really gorgeous.
She's still in pretty good shape, and still has class.
+BLAIR M Schirmer
It was not a typical role for Joan Collins. She did a fabulous job in it. It was certainly one of the most memorable episodes from The Original Series and one that provided a lot of food for thought. How the fictional Edith Keeler might have changed history has a real life parallel in Eli Whitney's cotton gin.
B Kavanaugh - Yes,she was.
There is nothing wrong with the fringe bangs they are cool. With a face like that they are perfect. None of the panelists should have even brought it up. Joan Collins was a true beauty.
B Kavanaugh In those days that large puffy bouffant hairdo was new and different. Shaped something like a Jackie Kennedy hat. Crossed with a French knot. Later, there were similar styles like "the beehive" but not as high as Marge Simpson's.
+Laura Miner
Or as blue as Marge's!!!
Who said there was?
Arlene is always gorgeous!
She looks especially good on this episode, methinks -- but somebody has to say that about just about every episode.
So is my Mistress!
Let's twist again, like we did last summer.
That song would be released 2½ months after this episode aired.
John missed his chance to say they were adding a few "twists" to the program tonight. Not like him to miss a pun like that and then rub in Bennett's face at the end.
j gruber -Yeah, why didn't John capitalize on the twist references?
j gruber - Yes, two twists!
@@shirleyrombough8173 Three twists! Chubby Checker, the pretzel maker, and if you think about it, the lipstick tester.
@@robbob1234 Of course. The twist of the lipstick tube!
That was the whole point of the theme of the episode so they probably assumed they didn’t need to spell it out.
Arlene was fabulous. She was so elegant. She was also a rather good actress. Have you seen her in One Two Three with James Cagney? A Billy Wilder masterpiece.
She was very good as his wife in that. That was the first time I had seen her act.
Yes, mein Führer!
@@walterrudich2175 More than holds her own with Cagney.
She’s marvelous in that picture, really zinging out the one liners
when I was a kid in school I would watch What's my line every Sunday night before going to bed. It was the last bit of fun on the weekend . Chubby was not the first one to record the Twist
Chubby Checkers is still going strong at 79 in July 2021!
Jesus Christ
I always love it whenever Arlene flirted with her husband. 😘😁
There was that great joke in the Golden Girls where Bea Arthur’s character compares a pair of boots to Joan Collins’ waterbed in regards to how many miles they have on them. I love that subtle humor.😊
On this one, you can tell it was recorded on a vcr! You can hear the tape braking to stop or start. Love these shows! My go to late at night!!
I am amazed how Arlene and Dorothy can easily guess the identity of the mystery guests
They are much better with the women I noticed!
They were up to date to what was happening in NYC especially in theaters and clubs. Plus they frequented the same hot spots.
There were two phenomena before the Beatles and one was the Hoola Hoop and one was the Twist with Chubby Checker.
I did have a bit of a giggle at the Pennsylvanian Pretzel-Twister called Mr. Shrek.
Fun fact: "shrek" means fright in Yiddish.
JOAN COLLINS - THE QUEEN - still today (late 2021)
Joan Collins, one of the prettiest ladies of all time!
Chubby's Twist sure brought the nation together (old and young) in a a most delightful way. ICONIC!
joan collins would be 28 here and gorgeous, she reminded me of elizabeth hurley when she came out.
+tomitstube In light of her recent loss (sister Jackie), I think this show was broadcast maybe six weeks before Joan lost her mother. She seemed to be holding up pretty well here, as she has since the death of Jackie.
Very much so!
Joan played Elizabeth Hurley's mother in a series called "The Royals" about a fictional royal family
So many plot twists in this episode. Arlene is witty and looks great as usual!
Chubby is SO handsome !
His name was Earnest Evans.
He was a Poultry Plucker before singing.
Chubby was chosen by Mrs. Clark via Fats Domino.
He was heard imitating Fats.
With most guests, the panel greets the guest at the end, but watch how Joan Collins greets the judges. SHE greets THEM！ That is called confidence！！
First time I saw Joan Collins was on Star Trek as a kid......I was in love!
Chubby Checker was the only artist to ever have FIVE record albums in the Top 12 at the same time. He was actually more famous for introducing various dances: the Twist, the Pony, the Limbo and the Fly were the most famous.
Also, The Knee Knackerer and The Hip Hurter. There was also the. Crotchcracker, but that never really caught on unlike the Groingrinder …
I always get such a kick when I witness the sparks fly between Arlene & Martin .
I thought the answer of "yes" to the question to Chubby Check of "are you less famous for singing than something else" was a little misleading. I can only assume they meant he was more famous for "The Twist" however he was famous for that dance because of the song he sang about it.
Yeah, I don't think many people bought his records because of his dancing skills.
The national obsession with 'the twist' is certainly documented over the course of this and the last few episodes. In a few months time, four Liverpudlian lads will release their first single (although the US won't catch wind of it for a couple of years)....the sea change is on its way!
Arlene, to her husband: “ you don’t wear a pancake, but it touches you!” LOL I smiled all the way through the show, I don’t know what I would do without WML❣️
"Lipsrickery..." Bennett came up with a good one.
"Phoning to Rome" means she was milking and double checking her sources in Cinecitta to get info on the Elizabeth Taylor -- Richard Burton scandal. That scandal also eventually produced a movie called "Cleopatra."
If I were Chubby Checker and Joan Collins, I am not sure I would want to be associated with an April Fools broadcast. It's too bad the production staff did not have the courage to pawn off a complete unknown as a mystery guest on such an occasion. Now that would be funny.
+soulierinvestments
The idea of a complete unknown as a mystery guest sounds clever, but might be too clever by half as it would be impossible for the panel to have any chance of guessing the person.
What occurred to me as an April Fool's possibility would be to have as a Mystery Guest at the beginning of the program an entertainer known for his impersonations. For example, let's say it was David Frye. He would have come on and the entire time being questioned, he would do Nixon or LBJ, for example. Then for the third segment, they would bring Frye back, doing someone completely different, like Liberace or Truman Capote.
I'm not sure it would come off as funny. Remember when Danny Kaye thought it would be funny to lie when he was a mystery guest? He had a blast himself, but it was frustrating and distracting, and at least for me, watching it fell flat.
Wow! La Joan had some kinda Jiffy-Pop hair goin' on!
It's an early version of the "Bee Hive".....It was lifted, "teased" back with a comb and hair sprayed....
+stickstr8up1 Bad enough without those creepy tendrils hanging in her face. Bennett Cerf's compliment was SO obviously a put-down.
At this time, Chubby Checker's career was stratospheric!
This was a time when women were publicly referred to as *BROADS* or 'girls' by men.
This was also a time when almost EVERY FAMOUS WOMAN ACTRESS (whether they admit it or not) had sex with studio brass at one time or another to get a significant part or a leading part in high budget movie or Broadway play.
Men and women would act sophisticated and proper in public but whored around in private, cheated on their spouses, and looked down on each other.
Dorothy Kilgallen was cheating on her husband while filming the show and her husband had numerous sexual flings while married to her. Dorothy would drink heavily and used various drugs for depression and to rest.
This was also a time of EXTREME racism in the entire nation (including New York) Nat King Cole stated in an interview, when asked about being on WML, that he had to come into the theater at the back entrance and remain in a dirty room the size of a small closet until his guest appearance at the end of the show.
ALL the famous African American guests had to stay in a small, dirty dressing room until called to the show at the end.
I love it when the panel doesn't guess it!
I love the way the pretzel twister gave the show an unusual twist to the usual sequence of events.
Chubby Checker was so coool!
July 2024 and both Joan Collins and Cubby Checker still living. ❤
Amazing nowadays to see a man and a woman keeping and shaking hands under the table. 😊
Joan Collins did a 2 episode of Star Trek back in the late 60's...it was my favorite of the series!
The great Edith Keeler
My mom always loved Star Trek until the day she died
Chubby Checker was very charming.
Chubby Checker was a mere twenty-one when he did this show.
Chubby Checker followed by a pretzel "twister" coincidence????
That pretzel twister was my father.
Really, +Vshky??? It's always great (and rare) to get a comment from anyone connected to the show. Did your father ever talk about being on the show?
I was not quite 5 yrs old when he appeared on that episode so by the time I got older the novelty worn off and honestly I cannot really recall him speaking much about it other than and this he spoke of often.......This episode was the 2nd time he went to be taped in NY. The first taping was postponed and he had to return then appeared on this episode. That episode that was canceled had Darren McGavin on it. Every time Darren McGavin appeared on TV my father would go on and on how he met him. He became a fan of the show the Night Stalker, I had assumed it was because he met Darrin and talked with him. That is what stands out on his talking of this show. I am sure he spoke of Chubby and Joan but I cannot recall. He passed in 1980 so I can't ask him. He was big in the Pretzel business it was his passion and he had to do with the rotating gear driven carousel soft pretzel machines that were popular in the 60-80's. .
When the net got popular I did a lot of research on trying to find this episode, this was some 10 years ago. I had no idea what year it was or who was on it. I went to the show's website going through the archives using Darren McGavin as a starting point and after a lot of watching films I came upon it, it took quite a while. I put a request on the site who I was and how do I obtain a copy. An enthusiast of the show contacted me and offered to send me a DVD of this episode he refused any compensation for it he enjoyed helping folks out. I received the DVD and made copies for my fathers sisters and surprised them with it. It was very emotional for them. You tube then became popular and now, things like this are easily found. This is the first I visited this site in years and was surprised at all the banter on it. There was nothing on this page last time I was on it.
Thanks so much for sharing that story, +Vshky! Could the postponement have been because they ran out of time and couldn't fit in another contestant on the Darren McGavin episode?
I never learned what the issue was, I assumed it was a time constraint thing.
John mentions visiting London last summer to meet Joan Collins on the set of "The Road to Hong Kong" "The Road to Hong Kong" was filmed from July 31-November 1961, according to Variety Magazine, so that's about right.
Also, John said the picture was going to open in July 1962, but IMDB says it was released in May of that year. Maybe they changed plans and decided to release it earlier.
The premiere of The Road to Hong Kong was in Chicago on May 26, 1962. A month later, on June 27, the film opened simultaneously on Broadway and in four Long Island move theaters, according to The Long Island Star-Journal of June 28. The New York Times confirms "the simultaneous release of 'Road to Hong Kong' in 13 metropolitan theaters on June 27, 1962" in Bosley Crowther's July 6, 1964 column.
romeman01 Thank you so much for this information!
Also, I believe March 1962 was the world premiere of the film in Britain.
***** According to Turner Classic Movies "it was released in England on April 1"; Billboard of April 14, 1962, says that the film had "just had its London premiere".
romeman01 Thank you again!
I find it odd that the panel, once they remove their masks, they look at each other instead of at the guest. Has anyone noticed this?
I've noticed sometimes they do look at each other and other times they look directly at the guest. I think if they have socialized with the guest in the past they are less likely to stare because of the familiarity. When less seen, more glamorous mystery guests are on the show, they focus on the guest immediately. As an example when Audrey Hepburn or Natalie Wood appeared, the panelists couldn't take their eyes off those beautiful women. But who could ? They were stunning.
When u take off a blindfold you're near sited for a few seconds.
I expect they were checking that the others had removed their blindfolds. You will sometimes see one keep their blindfold on too long, especially the guests.
Yes, I’ve noticed this too. It’s as if they are sometimes blasé about the mystery guest being there. I don’t think they are checking to see whether their fellow panelist’s have taken off their blindfolds. As in this episode for example, Dorothy takes off her blindfold and immediately says something to Martin before looking at Ms Collins.
Maybe checking that their hate isn’t messed up?
Gabel got by with 2 answers with the lipstick tester that should have been "No". Talk enough and I guess you could throw Daly off.
The Twist when it was at it's peak was probably as big or bigger than any other craze ever (do we even have crazes anymore)?
Chubby Checker was pulling down 10,000 dollars a night in 1960-62 before it all disappeared almost as fast as it came.
I think in these days of Covid-19 The Twist could make a nice comeback.
I wish it would. I was 5 years old in December 1961 and while I remember it, l was too young to really appreciate it.
Come to think of it, if I had been a teenager then, I wouldn't have really appreciated the coolness of the times, then.
I guess that's how the times work, huh?
NO !! Can't get them to put
Down their phones.
I first heard the song by one of my favorite artist, Hank Ballard. He also wrote the song. (HANK BALLARD AND THE MIDNIGHTERS)
Martin kissed Dorothy but a no go on a small kiss on the cheek to his wife, lol.
haha he always seemed to get uber shy with arlene. she always made him blush! so hilarious.
As of Aug 2019 Joan Collins is still alive .
She is now Dame Joan Collins and appeared on British TV this year - and she still goes for full-on glam!
2021!
'23
2024!
Incredible 62yrs ago and Joan is still going strong.
To Joan : "Is that new hair-do the latest thing ?" ha !
Today is 14 September 2022 and I saw (a couple of days ago) an interview given by Piers Morgan, with Joan Collins, regarding the death of Queen Elizabeth II. I recall Joan from decades back ("Dynasty") and have not seen much of her since (perhaps she was more visible in the UK). "Dame Joan" is now 89, and I could not believe how mentally sharp and physically young looking she still is. Great for her! Her comments about the Queen were very heartfelt and touching - several wonderful photos of the two of them together were shown. Cheers to all of the "mystery guests" who are still with us (in 2022) on this side of the veil.
FUNNILY ENOUGH I'VE JUST BEEN WATCHING THAT, GREAT INTERVEW.
Joan Collins was in a Star Trek episode... "City On The Edge Of Forever".
It won the Hugo Award. Only (original) Star Trek to win one.
They go back to the 1930s, and... well, watch what happens.
Spock knows about "vacuum tubes". Hilarious. ;-)
Awww bless Bennett Cerf. He gets tongue-tied saying goodnight to Miss Rivers.
I sure love watching these old shows.... now, sadly, so many folks have no idea of how to write in script. Guess it's something that the youngsters won't learn unless they are homeschooled. I'm so pleased to be ancient.
Why revere script? I’ll grant writing script probably improves fine motor skills, but so too do many other activities. Would you acknowledge that no matter how well script is written it can never be easier to read than keyboarded text? Isn’t script obsolete, replaced by computers and smart phones?
It's like another language to today's worn out thumbs.
Cerf likes his geography. He'll mention what a State may specialize in. COLLINS looks Great. I may watch the next WML with her husband Anthony Newley.
I thought Chubby was funny and witty, and sure danced good, but he never looked any bit overweight to me, to be called Chubby.
+Michelle Post
Reportedly a nickname given to him by his boss on one of his jobs before becoming a star.
I would not call him fat, but at that age he still had some baby fat on his cheeks. Here's a picture of him with Bobby Rydell. Chubby is definitely more solidly built.
www.discogs.com/Chubby-Checker-Bobby-Rydell-Song-For-Young-Men-Vol-1/release/8372747
Arlene had such lovely happy smiley eyes.
Kellogg's hasn't changed its logo for more than 60 years?
no
It's definitely timeless...
It's assumed everyone knows where Battle Creek
Is.
Chubby still with us aged 81 (Sept 22)
So is Joan, at 89
@@madabbafan yep
The way Bennett pronounced Amish is interesting. With a hard-ish A.
That’s how we pronounce it in my part of England too, but down south they use the soft, elongated A.
There’s no such thing as a hard or soft A, but it was certainly striking that he said it with a short one. The As in ‘fat’ and ‘father’ in English are either side of the A in most languages, so it’s logical that when anglicizing Pennsylvania Dutch it could go either way. It has been standardized as a long vowel now but it’s logical that it was less so by then as they were somewhat less well known and much less talked about in audio media.
@@gilliankew I’m amazed by that.
Interesting how many of the contestants, male and female were as tall or taller than Mr. Daly and he said he was 6 feet 1. The ladies didn't all have on heels.
Joan has one swift signature.