@truckarttinbox9664, @donnacook8994: Dorothy went to one of the best U.S. high schools in Brooklyn New York at that time in the 1910's Erasmus Hall. She was recorded at an IQ of 140! I love Dorothy but she is not beautiful and neither Arlene whom I could never stand!
Steve, as usual, gave me a good laugh by asking if Arlene and/or Marilyn Monroe would wear a doggie coat to the beach, haha! It was also quite adorable how Dorothy seemed so delighted upon figuring out that the second contestant made something for doggies; she must liked dogs a lot.
I like how Peter Lawford pronounced Jaguar in his British accent, in American English we mostly pronounce it Jagwar not Jag -u -ar. Interesting. Thanks for the memories, I used to watch this show with my grandma back in the day.
I love the questioning of the first contestant...hilarious! When Dorothy said,"You do do SOMETHING? I nearly fell out of my chair;I was laughing so hard. These episodes here were aired before I was born,and there were a great many more that aired during part of my childhood...but,these I've never seen. Thanks,What'sMyLine,for sharing these with us.
Lawford injured his right hand and forearm while young, and the injury subsequently disqualified him from military service. He became one of several actors frequently seen in movies during WW2.
5:18 Daly being as essentially himself as it's possible for him to be. Dorothy has asked if the congressional page does his work indoors but not in a house (it's already been established that he does NOT go into people's houses). John must consider that the contestant works in "THE House" (of Representatives) and therefore circumlocutes with the phrase, "typical home dwelling" to answer Dorothy. Pure Daly!
Yeah. It's probably what got her killed, though. If the US had more journalists with her intelligence, persistence and integrity, the world would be in much better shape than it is.
I know poor Dorothy has been slammed for her appearance and her tendency to hog the screen time, but I find her appealing largely because of the time in which she was in the public eye; she was unafraid to demonstrate her intelligence and clearly held her own in a male dominated culture (especially those many years back). Maybe she wasn't gorgeous, but she had a refined look, a very nice shape, and she wore her clothing and jewelry beautifully.
Larry Grebler No, l'm not kidding. Have you read how many people have insulted her here in the various comments section for this show? l'm female and not in the habit of gushing over another woman, so l attempted to pay her a gracious and polite compliment. l do find her smart and attractive and it's a shame she died relatively young.
I wish there were more women like Dorothy in today's world, I think she would have considered getting a tattoo about as much as having herself shot out of a cannon!
Interesting moment @ 19:38 when Lawford mentions he's shooting "A Name for Herself" with Judy Holliday. The film would be released as "It Should Happen to You" in early 1954 (in NYC, appropriately).
Grew up with this show even though it was on late. The panel regulars were great at getting to the occupation with smart questions. It was great then , not sure it would work today.
@@ChrisHansonCanada Meh, I think it would work. "What's My Pronoun?" The panel wouldn't even need blindfolds because no one can possibly know what identity the contestant has chosen on Game Day just by looking.
Was this show broadcasted in whole America or locally in New York? It was late on Sundays. And I wonder how Americans were getting up on Monday morning to work?????
"You do do SOMETHING?" 😆 Such a great comment by Dorthy. Also, John trying hard to not mislead the panel when one asked if the page boy worked in a house was also hilarious. Also enjoyed Steve asking to shake Bennett's hand as a play on the usual panel request to contestants. Such a fun episode. Sad they didn’t get more time with the rolling skating instructor.
Thanks for the uploads! I believe "fruit boots" are white bucks, popularized in the 50s by Pat Boone. At 2:35 John Daly references the difficulty of keeping them clean. The reason they were referred to as "boots" is because they were not boots. (It's hilarious if you're 14.)
+padd937 Fruit boots were marketed as "Desert Boots". They had rubber soles and suede uppers that came to the ankle. All of the desert boots that I remember were of various shades of tan. They were referred to as fruit boots because they were thought to be a favorite of homosexuals. In the 60's they became the preferred shoe of the early hippies.
THANK YOU for explaining! I was wondering. I think the comments on these shows are the BEST. I always go when I wonder about something I’ve seen and almost always found an explanation of it. Fantastic.
Peter Lawford would later sit on the panel with Salvador Dali as the mystery guest in 1957. Also, it looks like John Daly might be sporting a tan in this episode as they’ve been talking about how warm it has been the past couple of weeks.
Today's TH-cam Rerun for 10/20/15: Watch along and join the discussion! Happy 108th birthday, Arlene! ----------------------------- 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
Yikes! I believe dear,Mr. Lawford made a boo-boo when he responded to Bennets' question as to whether he "got the girl" in any of his films.and Peter answered "no"....he indeed got the girl in 1951's "Royal Wedding".
+Barbara G Royal Wedding was with Fred Astaire. Of course the girl he got was Fred Astaire's sister (the movie was loosely based on how Fred and Adele Astaire's dance team broke up; Adele - Fred's sister - married a wealthy Englishman). Fred also got the girl in this one. She was played by Winston Churchill's daughter Sarah.
Thanks for the vindication of my comment,since I knew I wasn't wrong...although I was not aware that the woman that played Ann was the daughter of Winston Churchill. Thanks for the info.
3:34 Bennett's wild guess on the first contestant: "I think he's a member of the Day family and he played in 'Life with Father.'" Interested in what production Bennett was referring to, I looked it up and I was surprised to discover that it is (even today!) the longest running (3224 performances, 1939-1947) ever, non-musical Broadway play, and from 1947 to 1972 held the record for the longest running play of any kind. It's still #6 on the list of all plays. Like most of us, I know and love the 1947 William Powell/Irene Dunne movie version, but I never knew it was such a monster of a Broadway play. -
+Robert Melson Arlene wrote in her autobiography that she had the opportunity to invest in "Life with Father" before its Broadway debut, but dismissed it with the thought "Who wants to see a play about these old fashioned people?", missing out on a fortune.
+What's My Line? That's interesting, thanks. Now I want to watch the movie again (for the half-dozenth time). I hope her having such regrets didn't cause her to invest in "Body Beautiful" some years later.
That run is very impressive, but it must be the record for Broadway. Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap" ran continuously in London's West End from 1952 until March 16, 2020, when it was suspended as a result of Covid-19. In September 2018, the play had its 27,500th performance. It is expected to resume its run in October 2020. As a related thought, it would have been fantastic if Agatha Christie had ever been the MG on WML.
Lawford had actually been in at least _two_ movies with Fred Astaire at this point: _Easter Parade,_ as Lawford answered Bennett's puzzled question, but also _Royal Wedding_ only two years earlier. I'm quite surprised that Lawford seems to have forgotten this picture, _especially_ since -- contrary to his answer during questioning -- he _did_ wind up marrying his girl at the end of that film!
I was thinking of _Royal Wedding_ during that questioning, and I noticed a thoughtful pause by Peter before he answered the "get the girl" question. I think his answer was calculated not to detract from Fred Astaire as being the _leading man_ in that movie. And that "little white lie" may well be the reason he didn't mention the film in answer to Bennett. That makes sense to me. What doesn't make sense is that, apparently, Bennett wasn't familiar with these movies.
I'm just shy of 69 and all I can think about when poor Lawford appeared is how his kids wouldn't pay to bury him. I'm sure there is more to that story but what sticks in my mind is that one piece of Hollywood gossip/news from some newspaper or magazine back in the day. But that's how I remember him. It was a humiliating end game for the star not to have any estate left for that and apparently bad relations with his family.
@@karlschwinbarger105 Someone was willing to pay to cremate him. Then a few years later, after his widow had some sort of dispute with the cemetery, his widow scattered his ashes in the Pacific Ocean.
Why is the first advert for stopette included, but the hilarious adverts in the middle aren't? I saw one advertisement for cigarettes which was delightful. I can't imagine why they have been cut. In the 1950s and 60s the adverts were as much a part of the entertainment as the programme :)
This was recorded off of GSN (see the logo in the corner?) GSN never included the original commercials, or they wouldn't have had any time left over to sell to their own advertisers! The "first advert" you're referring to is simply the program's opening, not a commercial. I presume it would have been too awkward to edit out the sponsor reference in the openings and that's why they're left in.
Dede Morton i believe he meant why are the cigarette commercials cut from the video of this program. Not why cigarette commercials have been cut in general. We all know why cigarette commercials aren't made anymore.
Ah, cigarette commercials! Can you imagine if they were still allowed to advertise products that are bad for you? Absolutely ridiculous. The kind of mental gymnastics people will do so that they can feel enlightened and righteous.
Have to say, right from the beginning to this point at least, both Dorothy and Arlene seem to favour a hairstyle that makes the hair look stiff and horrible...to me, anyway. A shame, because both have a nice face and yet their hair tonged and sprayed to oblivion to look like wigs!! There were plenty of women of the time who didn't go for that so it's not about it being contemporary to the time. Wish they'd have let it hang natural.
@David Densford Yes, Dr. Jules Montenier was on the Feb. 12, 1956 episode of _What's My Line?_ He appeared as a regular contestant with the panel blindfolded and not being told his name, of course. I won't give any spoilers about it, but it was a very fun segment! Here's a link to the video of that episode. Dr. Montenier was the first contestant. :-) th-cam.com/video/B_CZn-Zajew/w-d-xo.html
@@savethetpc6406 Thanks so much for that info! Was great to see that episode. I'm still in the 1953 season, so it would have taken me a while to have found that on my own!
@@davidd33511 You're welcome. I'm so glad you got to see it and enjoyed it! I am working my way through the whole series a second time, and I'm also in the 1953 episodes for now. I first watched all the episodes in chronological order 4-5 years ago, while they were still being posted. I have continued to watch lots of episodes and to be very involved in the WML Facebook group over the past few years, but this is the first time I've really committed to going through the whole series chronologically again. What's great is that although I remember some episodes or segments well, there are many that seem almost new again after not seeing them in a few years. :-) Often I notice something that I want to comment about and then read the comments to find out that I had already made a comment about it way back when! I usually find that I agree with my earlier self, too. ;)
I was a huge fan of Peter in my teens with pictures all around my bedroom. First and only time I sent for a movie star's photograph. I was very disappointed in what he became. Well, more than disappointed, saddened.
Sorry it's taken so long to respond-- had some trouble keeping track of comments with all the changes. I do have a copy of the last CBS show, but it's a copy I downloaded from youtube, so I'd imagine you can find it yourself, unless it's been pulled for some reason. I've already posted the 1st show (I'm going in order), and the fifth anniversary show just went up a few days ago. Debut show: What's My Line? - Phil Rizutto - Debut Show (Feb 2, 1950) 5th Anniversary: What's My Line? - Fifth anniversary show; Pearl Bailey (Feb 6, 1955)
In other episodes the men in the audience whistle at beautiful women who are challengers or mystery guests on the show. That seems like harmless fun until a young woman comes on and doesn't get a whistle - Miss Foster the dog-blanket-maker has no such admiring welcome. The other difference in the way people are treated on the show involves the two men on the panel standing up to shake hands with the mystery guest but staying seated to shake hands with the challengers. I think today there would be more equal treatment for everyone on the show - a warm-up man or woman to make sure every challenger gets a great welcome and a rule that everyone stands or everyone sits while shaking hands. The deference and flattering introductions given to the panel members say a lot about the 1950s, so these episodes are more than light entertainment - they are social history.
a quick search online shows that a fruit boot is just about everything, from tennis shoes to inlne skaters to rock climbing boots to music groups anyone have a photo of what they were in 1953?
As his many appearances on Password would confirm, Peter Lawford was smarter than his acting implied, but he made stupid mistakes throughout his career. For example, he antagonized Louis B Mayer, who decided Lawford was uppity and began to build up Ricardo Montalban. PL traded on 'Briddish' charm but was lazy, always looking for influential connections and easy bucks. He could have grown into another David Niven, but he coasted and came to grief. His last few years were grim.
At one time, he could've been a younger version of David Niven, playing the same types of roles. Lawford probably made some powerful enemies, didn't keep working steadily, and made a disastrous marriage into the Kennedy family who didn't respect him. Then, to make matters worse, he got recruited into the Rat Pack by Sinatra, who needed an entree to the Kennedys. Jack K, in turn, needed a plenipotentiary to the girls of Hollywood, and Peter became their go-between. He had bad timing and bad luck and apparently didn't mind being used. Niven was friends with all of the same people, but he was cannier and very much his own man. Lawford's story was a tragic one.
@@nadiazahroon6573 I remember working in a saw mill for $1.75 an hour, in the early 70s. That was a little more than minimum wage for that time. A weeks pay was about $70, but you could still raise a family with that much money. If you go back to when WML first came out, $50.00 was considered a pretty fair prize.
Peter Lawford was an intelligent fellow. His many stints on the TV game show, Password, indicate this. However, he succumbed to the Hollywood degeneracy that has destroyed many previously decent, intelligent individuals who sough success in that Babylon.
What was up with Peter Lawford? I haven't seen him in anything in years, but would have recognized his voice from his first response immediately, I sort of get why the panel would play along for a few minutes, but I still don't get why he didn't at least try to disguise his voice.
He died 1984 That's y you haven't seen him he abuse drugs plus alcoholic so there u have then plus wen frank sinatra kick him out of the rat pack movie roles squandered ... plus he was married to JFK's sister he cheated on her she found out they divorced so yea the Sixtys were horrible for him big time in 70s 🤷🏿♂️...
@@cameronwilliams4329 I don't think they were asking why it had been so long since they had seen Lawford in anything. I think they were expressing surprise that he made no effort to disguise his voice, as it had always been so distinctive that not only would the panelists surely have recognized it, but even the person writing the comment would have recognized it despite not having seen him on any screen for a long long time.
My guess is that it wasn't so much about how long it took to get back but that it was a reference to some kind of promotional or charitable personal appearance they had made. IOW, they mentioned where somebody was coming to the show from anytime they weren't just coming from their usual home in New York.
Why does Peter Lawford's name sound so familiar? has been on another game show (Password, maybe)? or maybe a soap opera? I know that name from somewhere
He did a lot of game shows in the 60's and the 70's but is more famous for marrying Pat Kennedy the sister of John F Kennedy and also a member of the Rat Pack. Peter was also a major movie star in the 1940's and early 50's.
After the first few years, the show jettisoned the part where the guest walks back and forth for the panel’s inspection. Good riddance! That bit was weird, and it didn’t add much to the game. In any case, the TV viewers could seldom see whatever it was the panel was examining.
Agreed. They also still did the free guesses by the panel and both this and the perp walk were silly, accomplished nothing, and needed to be stopped long before they were. I'm surprised they still were doing this in 1953.
@@lemorab1 concur, and you left out they wasted precious time that could have been used asking the guests - particularly the final one - more questions or chatting briefly with the celebrity MG.
@@tejaswoman They finally had the non-famous guests exit the same direction as the celebrity guests, shaking hands with the panel as they did so, just like the mystery guests. That change was also long overdue and stopped the awkward exit behind John Daly. I'm surprised that making these changes wasn't done by the producers very early on, like by the end of 1951.
So: He went to UCLA, married someone named Barbara Cornwall (from Menlo Park), and mostly stayed in California. I can't find hide nor hair of what he *did* for a living, but they don't seem to have had kids. He died in 1989, at the too-early age of 53.
Was wondering the same thing, and Google isn't helping any. Does anybody know what it means for a musical to be "wet" or "dry"? It sounded to me like these were theater terms, but...
I think they were referring to the movie musicals of swimming star Esther Williams. Peter Lawford had co-starred with her in "On an Island with You" (1948).
@@Kerithanos @MrYfrank14 Yes, I think @Neil Midkiff is right. Esther Williams was in many movies that involved swimming, including synchronized swimming as musical numbers. I'm sure this is what they meant by "wet" musicals.
So many weeks of John unintentionally misstating how the prizes work. It's not getting a no from the panel; it's the panel getting a no from you. Curious.
Frank Sinatra had good reason to hate her, she exposed what a complete piece of shit he was in real life. Which is common knowledge now, but back then it was front page type stuff. Sexual assault charges, all the extramarital affairs he had (some with friends wives), all the abortions he made his flings get (2 with Ava Gardner, 1 with Elizabeth Taylor while she was married to someone else). The connections he had to the Mafia, whom he used to break out of his contract with Tommy Dorsey. And whom he introduced the Kennedys to. He also introduced Marilyn Monroe to JFK. Ol' Blue Eyes did it his way... his drunken, sex-crazed, violent way
Lawford did a terrible job of disguising his voice. The movie he was making was originally called ''A Name for Herself,'' but it became a star vehicle for Judy Holliday called ''It Should Happen to You.'' The marvelous comedy, directed by the great George Cukor, also was the film debut of Jack Lemmon.
@@kentetalman9008: Not my loss. I wish I and the show had lost her before it first aired then I and the world would never have had to know this repulsive creature!
![What's My Line? - Peter Lawford; Peter Lind Hayes [panel]; Eammon Andrews [panel] (May 13, 1956)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/7zgcTgrZ8hw/mqdefault.jpg)
![What's My Line? - Deborah Kerr (Aug 9, 1953) [UPGRADE!]](/img/n.gif)
That Arlene is so saucy! And Dorothy is just awesome.
John's "FOR LORD'S SAKE HOW DID SHE KNOW" is sooooo good. Dorothy was a brain, seriously a brain
Highly intelligent and beautiful woman! 🥰
@truckarttinbox9664, @donnacook8994: Dorothy went to one of the best U.S. high schools in Brooklyn New York at that time in the 1910's Erasmus Hall. She was recorded at an IQ of 140!
I love Dorothy but she is not beautiful and neither Arlene whom I could never stand!
@@roberttelarket4934 I'm sure you're no Peter Lawford yourself. 🙄
Steve, as usual, gave me a good laugh by asking if Arlene and/or Marilyn Monroe would wear a doggie coat to the beach, haha!
It was also quite adorable how Dorothy seemed so delighted upon figuring out that the second contestant made something for doggies; she must liked dogs a lot.
😄
Peter! Wasn't he a handsome man?! Fun loving, and gracious, too!
@dutchtea8354 And a drug-addicted lush
@dutchtea8354 he was
He was. Always seemed nice
What a delightful treat to view these educational, classy, elegant WML shows. Sigh!
I like how Peter Lawford pronounced Jaguar in his British accent, in American English we mostly pronounce it Jagwar not Jag -u -ar. Interesting. Thanks for the memories, I used to watch this show with my grandma back in the day.
Absolutely loving these shows - thank you so much!
I love the questioning of the first contestant...hilarious! When Dorothy said,"You do do SOMETHING? I nearly fell out of my chair;I was laughing so hard. These episodes here were aired before I was born,and there were a great many more that aired during part of my childhood...but,these I've never seen. Thanks,What'sMyLine,for sharing these with us.
HOOAH! Me too.
It was one of my favorite WML comments. 😆
Lawford injured his right hand and forearm while young, and the injury subsequently disqualified him from military service. He became one of several actors frequently seen in movies during WW2.
I didn’t know this. Thanks!
Ppppppppppppp a qq
Such Joy in watching these shows.
Bill Madden from Pittston, PA, my home town!
My mom graduated high school in 1953. This show is old and so am I.
5:18 Daly being as essentially himself as it's possible for him to be. Dorothy has asked if the congressional page does his work indoors but not in a house (it's already been established that he does NOT go into people's houses). John must consider that the contestant works in "THE House" (of Representatives) and therefore circumlocutes with the phrase, "typical home dwelling" to answer Dorothy. Pure Daly!
Dorothy is so smart 😊
@z Is it me? Looking at your comments you seem like a JERK?
Yeah. It's probably what got her killed, though. If the US had more journalists with her intelligence, persistence and integrity, the world would be in much better shape than it is.
I know poor Dorothy has been slammed for her appearance and her tendency to hog the screen time, but I find her appealing largely because of the time in which she was in the public eye; she was unafraid to demonstrate her intelligence and clearly held her own in a male dominated culture (especially those many years back). Maybe she wasn't gorgeous, but she had a refined look, a very nice shape, and she wore her clothing and jewelry beautifully.
what are you kidding Dorothy was a knock out! A living Betty Boop!
Larry Grebler No, l'm not kidding. Have you read how many people have insulted her here in the various comments section for this show? l'm female and not in the habit of gushing over another woman, so l attempted to pay her a gracious and polite compliment. l do find her smart and attractive and it's a shame she died relatively young.
Cynthia, Dorothy's death was more than a 'shame', it was a tragedy. The cause of death is still being questioned. Interesting reading about that.
Cynthia Lyman thanks for the kind words of Dorothy
I wish there were more women like Dorothy in today's world, I think she would have considered getting a tattoo about as much as having herself shot out of a cannon!
I like as the show goes on they become more generous with the prize money. I’m assuming as they themselves are all making much more as a company.
Interesting moment @ 19:38 when Lawford mentions he's shooting "A Name for Herself" with Judy Holliday. The film would be released as "It Should Happen to You" in early 1954 (in NYC, appropriately).
Grew up with this show even though it was on late. The panel regulars were great at getting to the occupation with smart questions. It was great then , not sure it would work today.
Perhaps if they stood up a game show called "What's My Gender/Sexual Identity" they'd have plenty to work with.
@@briane173 Ooops! You're gonna get yourself "cancelled" for that remark, but I do agree with you!
@@ChrisHansonCanada Meh, I think it would work. "What's My Pronoun?" The panel wouldn't even need blindfolds because no one can possibly know what identity the contestant has chosen on Game Day just by looking.
Was this show broadcasted in whole America or locally in New York? It was late on Sundays.
And I wonder how Americans were getting up on Monday morning to work?????
"You do do SOMETHING?" 😆
Such a great comment by Dorthy. Also, John trying hard to not mislead the panel when one asked if the page boy worked in a house was also hilarious. Also enjoyed Steve asking to shake Bennett's hand as a play on the usual panel request to contestants.
Such a fun episode. Sad they didn’t get more time with the rolling skating instructor.
Thanks for the uploads! I believe "fruit boots" are white bucks, popularized in the 50s by Pat Boone. At 2:35 John Daly references the difficulty of keeping them clean. The reason they were referred to as "boots" is because they were not boots. (It's hilarious if you're 14.)
+padd937 Fruit boots were marketed as "Desert Boots". They had rubber soles and suede uppers that came to the ankle. All of the desert boots that I remember were of various shades of tan. They were referred to as fruit boots because they were thought to be a favorite of homosexuals. In the 60's they became the preferred shoe of the early hippies.
@@brucec6095 The early hippies wore suede moccasins. I had a pair in 1969.
THANK YOU for explaining! I was wondering. I think the comments on these shows are the BEST. I always go when I wonder about something I’ve seen and almost always found an explanation of it. Fantastic.
Peter Lawford would later sit on the panel with Salvador Dali as the mystery guest in 1957. Also, it looks like John Daly might be sporting a tan in this episode as they’ve been talking about how warm it has been the past couple of weeks.
Dorothy's look is so contemporary for today. Her look would fit right in now.
calalilygirl I agree. Her look is timeless.
I believe this is the first time I heard Arlene introduce Bennett as the "Squire of Monte Kisco".
Johan Bengtsson fun years
This is as classy as a show will get whose firsts and intimate details you can remember!
Today's TH-cam Rerun for 10/20/15: Watch along and join the discussion!
Happy 108th birthday, Arlene!
-----------------------------
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Yikes! I believe dear,Mr. Lawford made a boo-boo when he responded to Bennets' question as to whether he "got the girl" in any of his films.and Peter answered "no"....he indeed got the girl in 1951's "Royal Wedding".
+Imapeach1 Bennett asked if he got the girl in the movie he made with Fred Astaire.
+Barbara G Royal Wedding was with Fred Astaire. Of course the girl he got was Fred Astaire's sister (the movie was loosely based on how Fred and Adele Astaire's dance team broke up; Adele - Fred's sister - married a wealthy Englishman). Fred also got the girl in this one. She was played by Winston Churchill's daughter Sarah.
Thanks for the vindication of my comment,since I knew I wasn't wrong...although I was not aware that the woman that played Ann was the daughter of Winston Churchill. Thanks for the info.
Sarah Churchill's contract forbade the studio to publicize her connection with Winston, who had just returned as British Prime Minister.
3:34 Bennett's wild guess on the first contestant: "I think he's a member of the Day family and he played in 'Life with Father.'" Interested in what production Bennett was referring to, I looked it up and I was surprised to discover that it is (even today!) the longest running (3224 performances, 1939-1947) ever, non-musical Broadway play, and from 1947 to 1972 held the record for the longest running play of any kind. It's still #6 on the list of all plays. Like most of us, I know and love the 1947 William Powell/Irene Dunne movie version, but I never knew it was such a monster of a Broadway play.
-
+Robert Melson Arlene wrote in her autobiography that she had the opportunity to invest in "Life with Father" before its Broadway debut, but dismissed it with the thought "Who wants to see a play about these old fashioned people?", missing out on a fortune.
+What's My Line? That's interesting, thanks. Now I want to watch the movie again (for the half-dozenth time). I hope her having such regrets didn't cause her to invest in "Body Beautiful" some years later.
And the family was known for its redheads.
That run is very impressive, but it must be the record for Broadway. Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap" ran continuously in London's West End from 1952 until March 16, 2020, when it was suspended as a result of Covid-19. In September 2018, the play had its 27,500th performance. It is expected to resume its run in October 2020.
As a related thought, it would have been fantastic if Agatha Christie had ever been the MG on WML.
@@mikejschin Thank you for info. HOOAH!
This is the best panel in wml
"Oh, for heaven's sake!"
Nice to hear sentences without the inclusion of vulgarities that appear so frequently these days.
Lawford had actually been in at least _two_ movies with Fred Astaire at this point: _Easter Parade,_ as Lawford answered Bennett's puzzled question, but also _Royal Wedding_ only two years earlier. I'm quite surprised that Lawford seems to have forgotten this picture, _especially_ since -- contrary to his answer during questioning -- he _did_ wind up marrying his girl at the end of that film!
Christopher Tate
Yeah, that's what I was thinking: "What about Jane Powell?!"
I was thinking of _Royal Wedding_ during that questioning, and I noticed a thoughtful pause by Peter before he answered the "get the girl" question. I think his answer was calculated not to detract from Fred Astaire as being the _leading man_ in that movie. And that "little white lie" may well be the reason he didn't mention the film in answer to Bennett. That makes sense to me. What doesn't make sense is that, apparently, Bennett wasn't familiar with these movies.
I'm just shy of 69 and all I can think about when poor Lawford appeared is how his kids wouldn't pay to bury him. I'm sure there is more to that story but what sticks in my mind is that one piece of Hollywood gossip/news from some newspaper or magazine back in the day. But that's how I remember him. It was a humiliating end game for the star not to have any estate left for that and apparently bad relations with his family.
@@karlschwinbarger105 That is very sad! :-(
@@karlschwinbarger105 Someone was willing to pay to cremate him. Then a few years later, after his widow had some sort of dispute with the cemetery, his widow scattered his ashes in the Pacific Ocean.
No panelist asked if profit making organization. Odd they missed that. (Wrote that before Daly said it.)
I don't think I have ever seen the panel go further down the wrong road than they did with the Congressional page boy constant.
“the Power Panel”! Dorothy, Steve, Arlene and Cerf 🎉👏🏻😎
Why is the first advert for stopette included, but the hilarious adverts in the middle aren't? I saw one advertisement for cigarettes which was delightful. I can't imagine why they have been cut. In the 1950s and 60s the adverts were as much a part of the entertainment as the programme :)
This was recorded off of GSN (see the logo in the corner?) GSN never included the original commercials, or they wouldn't have had any time left over to sell to their own advertisers! The "first advert" you're referring to is simply the program's opening, not a commercial. I presume it would have been too awkward to edit out the sponsor reference in the openings and that's why they're left in.
Okay, cheers for the response.
They stopped the cigarettes commercials because they were killing the human race ??????
Dede Morton
i believe he meant why are the cigarette commercials cut from the video of this program. Not why cigarette commercials have been cut in general. We all know why cigarette commercials aren't made anymore.
Ah, cigarette commercials! Can you imagine if they were still allowed to advertise products that are bad for you?
Absolutely ridiculous. The kind of mental gymnastics people will do so that they can feel enlightened and righteous.
1:39 I believe that story about the lifeguard, John Daly still had a frog in his throat :)
I would really like to see mr. DiMaggio on skates!!
Peter sounded like himself on here, lol
He was a hunk back in the day.
I think of this as Dorothy's "Betty Boop" period. The small chin and the (at times) girlish demeanor add to this.
Not to mention the spit curls.
Have to say, right from the beginning to this point at least, both Dorothy and Arlene seem to favour a hairstyle that makes the hair look stiff and horrible...to me, anyway. A shame, because both have a nice face and yet their hair tonged and sprayed to oblivion to look like wigs!! There were plenty of women of the time who didn't go for that so it's not about it being contemporary to the time. Wish they'd have let it hang natural.
@@davidsanderson5918 Me too but I was a teen in the seventies.
@@davidsanderson5918 And is that your only wish here?
Was Dr. Jules Montenier ever a guest?
@David Densford Yes, Dr. Jules Montenier was on the Feb. 12, 1956 episode of _What's My Line?_ He appeared as a regular contestant with the panel blindfolded and not being told his name, of course. I won't give any spoilers about it, but it was a very fun segment! Here's a link to the video of that episode. Dr. Montenier was the first contestant. :-)
th-cam.com/video/B_CZn-Zajew/w-d-xo.html
@@savethetpc6406 Thanks so much for that info! Was great to see that episode. I'm still in the 1953 season, so it would have taken me a while to have found that on my own!
@@davidd33511 You're welcome. I'm so glad you got to see it and enjoyed it! I am working my way through the whole series a second time, and I'm also in the 1953 episodes for now. I first watched all the episodes in chronological order 4-5 years ago, while they were still being posted. I have continued to watch lots of episodes and to be very involved in the WML Facebook group over the past few years, but this is the first time I've really committed to going through the whole series chronologically again. What's great is that although I remember some episodes or segments well, there are many that seem almost new again after not seeing them in a few years. :-) Often I notice something that I want to comment about and then read the comments to find out that I had already made a comment about it way back when! I usually find that I agree with my earlier self, too. ;)
such a handsome and classy man
sugar love
Who?
sugar love yah, who?
I would guess it's Peter Lawford.
I was a huge fan of Peter in my teens with pictures all around my bedroom. First and only time I sent for a movie star's photograph. I was very disappointed in what he became. Well, more than disappointed, saddened.
He was a mess in later life. Drug and booze addled.
I would be recognizing his voice already
Do you have the last WML show in your library? I would like to see the contestant that was on the first, 5th anniversary and last show. Thanks again.
Sorry it's taken so long to respond-- had some trouble keeping track of comments with all the changes. I do have a copy of the last CBS show, but it's a copy I downloaded from youtube, so I'd imagine you can find it yourself, unless it's been pulled for some reason. I've already posted the 1st show (I'm going in order), and the fifth anniversary show just went up a few days ago.
Debut show: What's My Line? - Phil Rizutto - Debut Show (Feb 2, 1950)
5th Anniversary: What's My Line? - Fifth anniversary show; Pearl Bailey (Feb 6, 1955)
@@WhatsMyLine Great job WML
Damn this guy could have been James Bond
Lawford couldn't disguise his voice at all.
In other episodes the men in the audience whistle at beautiful women who are challengers or mystery guests on the show. That seems like harmless fun until a young woman comes on and doesn't get a whistle - Miss Foster the dog-blanket-maker has no such admiring welcome. The other difference in the way people are treated on the show involves the two men on the panel standing up to shake hands with the mystery guest but staying seated to shake hands with the challengers. I think today there would be more equal treatment for everyone on the show - a warm-up man or woman to make sure every challenger gets a great welcome and a rule that everyone stands or everyone sits while shaking hands. The deference and flattering introductions given to the panel members say a lot about the 1950s, so these episodes are more than light entertainment - they are social history.
She definitely deserved some 1953 wolf whistles and cat calls.
This was over 70 years ago, and protocols were different then.😊
I'm upset, because I think I've now seen all of these shows.
a quick search online shows that a fruit boot is just about everything, from tennis shoes to inlne skaters to rock climbing boots to music groups
anyone have a photo of what they were in 1953?
As his many appearances on Password would confirm, Peter Lawford was smarter than his acting implied, but he made stupid mistakes throughout his career. For example, he antagonized Louis B Mayer, who decided Lawford was uppity and began to build up Ricardo Montalban.
PL traded on 'Briddish' charm but was lazy, always looking for influential connections and easy bucks. He could have grown into another David Niven, but he coasted and came to grief. His last few years were grim.
At one time, he could've been a younger version of David Niven, playing the same types of roles. Lawford probably made some powerful enemies, didn't keep working steadily, and made a disastrous marriage into the Kennedy family who didn't respect him. Then, to make matters worse, he got recruited into the Rat Pack by Sinatra, who needed an entree to the Kennedys. Jack K, in turn, needed a plenipotentiary to the girls of Hollywood, and Peter became their go-between. He had bad timing and bad luck and apparently didn't mind being used. Niven was friends with all of the same people, but he was cannier and very much his own man. Lawford's story was a tragic one.
first guy is marty mcflys dad
Some of you may remember when $5.00 was a lot of money.
Knott Reel I remember making 3-4 an hour.
@@nadiazahroon6573 I remember working in a saw mill for $1.75 an hour, in the early 70s. That was a little more than minimum wage for that time. A weeks pay was about $70, but you could still raise a family with that much money. If you go back to when WML first came out, $50.00 was considered a pretty fair prize.
I remember making $1.925 (one dollar and ninety two and a half cents) per hour and I thought that I was going to be rich!
Yep. Your house payment was about $55 a month at this time. A Pepsi or Hershey's bar was 5 cents.
Peter Lawford was an intelligent fellow. His many stints on the TV game show, Password, indicate this. However, he succumbed to the Hollywood degeneracy that has destroyed many previously decent, intelligent individuals who sough success in that Babylon.
The last contestant could have helped Ralph Kramden in the roller skating episode.
CONGRESSIONAL PAGEBOY
MAKES DOG BLANKETS
TEACHES ROLLERSKATING
Third appearance for Lawford?
I think this is his first.
I think of this as Dorothy's "Betty Boop" period. The small chin and her (at times) girlish demeanor add to this.
What was up with Peter Lawford? I haven't seen him in anything in years, but would have recognized his voice from his first response immediately, I sort of get why the panel would play along for a few minutes, but I still don't get why he didn't at least try to disguise his voice.
He died 1984 That's y you haven't seen him he abuse drugs plus alcoholic so there u have then plus wen frank sinatra kick him out of the rat pack movie roles squandered ... plus he was married to JFK's sister he cheated on her she found out they divorced so yea the Sixtys were horrible for him big time in 70s 🤷🏿♂️...
@@cameronwilliams4329 I don't think they were asking why it had been so long since they had seen Lawford in anything. I think they were expressing surprise that he made no effort to disguise his voice, as it had always been so distinctive that not only would the panelists surely have recognized it, but even the person writing the comment would have recognized it despite not having seen him on any screen for a long long time.
They announced a panelist who just returned from Wilmington Delaware? Was that like a long long trip to NYC then?
My guess is that it wasn't so much about how long it took to get back but that it was a reference to some kind of promotional or charitable personal appearance they had made. IOW, they mentioned where somebody was coming to the show from anytime they weren't just coming from their usual home in New York.
Why does Peter Lawford's name sound so familiar? has been on another game show (Password, maybe)? or maybe a soap opera? I know that name from somewhere
He did a lot of game shows in the 60's and the 70's but is more famous for marrying Pat Kennedy the sister of John F Kennedy and also a member of the Rat Pack. Peter was also a major movie star in the 1940's and early 50's.
He was one of the most regular contestants on Password.
His son Christopher Lawford was on a soap for awhile, All My Children
British Hollywood movie actor. Married one of the Kennedy daughters.
I HAVE THAT MOVIE; Lawford and Holliday but forgot the title ?
It should happen to you.
After the first few years, the show jettisoned the part where the guest walks back and forth for the panel’s inspection. Good riddance! That bit was weird, and it didn’t add much to the game. In any case, the TV viewers could seldom see whatever it was the panel was examining.
Agreed. They also still did the free guesses by the panel and both this and the perp walk were silly, accomplished nothing, and needed to be stopped long before they were. I'm surprised they still were doing this in 1953.
@@lemorab1 concur, and you left out they wasted precious time that could have been used asking the guests - particularly the final one - more questions or chatting briefly with the celebrity MG.
@@tejaswoman They finally had the non-famous guests exit the same direction as the celebrity guests, shaking hands with the panel as they did so, just like the mystery guests. That change was also long overdue and stopped the awkward exit behind John Daly. I'm surprised that making these changes wasn't done by the producers very early on, like by the end of 1951.
Totally agree absolutely outrageous 😊
Mr. Daly momentarily forgot the name of the show near the end of contestant number 2.
Seems they not only had drinks after WML but also before. haha
Before he married Patricia Kennedy.
💋
Anyone know how William Maddens life turned out? Is he still alive? I think he'd be in his early 80's these days
So: He went to UCLA, married someone named Barbara Cornwall (from Menlo Park), and mostly stayed in California. I can't find hide nor hair of what he *did* for a living, but they don't seem to have had kids. He died in 1989, at the too-early age of 53.
What are the 'PRIZES' ?
Just a fancy way of saying money.
$20.
Too bad Clara Bow couldn't have been a mystery guest!
peter's signature is really pretty just like his face too bad what the kennedy line and the rats did to him
Rats??? What did rats do to him??? I can't imagine... I've had rats for years and they are wonderful pets...
The Rat Pack: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford. They had a reputation for heavy partying.
No one did anything to him, he did it to himself.
He did it to himself. Worst was supplying Hollywood females for his bro-in-law, JFK. It's a slippery slope to hell.
wet and dry movies?
rain, or alcohol?
Was wondering the same thing, and Google isn't helping any. Does anybody know what it means for a musical to be "wet" or "dry"? It sounded to me like these were theater terms, but...
I think they were referring to the movie musicals of swimming star Esther Williams. Peter Lawford had co-starred with her in "On an Island with You" (1948).
@@Kerithanos @MrYfrank14 Yes, I think @Neil Midkiff is right. Esther Williams was in many movies that involved swimming, including synchronized swimming as musical numbers. I'm sure this is what they meant by "wet" musicals.
So many weeks of John unintentionally misstating how the prizes work. It's not getting a no from the panel; it's the panel getting a no from you. Curious.
Lawford not even trying to disguise his voice 😡
Don't you hate when they run out of time?
It is bad scenario. Some things should be removed and change to make sure time is ok. Later some brain
will change this.
did nt disguise his voice much - what was going on?
Unfortunately in about 10 years Dorothy will be dead.
Cover up job.
$50.00 then may have been like $500.00 now.?
In 1953, the NYC subway fare is 15 cents. In 2023, the NYC subway fare is $2.90, almost 20 times as much. 20 times $50 is $1,000.
I meant Peter Lawford.
Ok.
Frank Sinatra, who couldn't stand her, was known to call her (unkindly) "The chinless wonder". I couldn't help laughing when I read that.
I don't get it... She has a chin..
Frank Sinatra had good reason to hate her, she exposed what a complete piece of shit he was in real life. Which is common knowledge now, but back then it was front page type stuff. Sexual assault charges, all the extramarital affairs he had (some with friends wives), all the abortions he made his flings get (2 with Ava Gardner, 1 with Elizabeth Taylor while she was married to someone else). The connections he had to the Mafia, whom he used to break out of his contract with Tommy Dorsey. And whom he introduced the Kennedys to. He also introduced Marilyn Monroe to JFK. Ol' Blue Eyes did it his way... his drunken, sex-crazed, violent way
@@NoobsShadow He eventually burned Peter Lawford too.
@@NoobsShadow peter lawford.introduced marilyn
Some people called it a weak chin bc it was not prominent.
Lawford did a terrible job of disguising his voice. The movie he was making was originally called ''A Name for Herself,'' but it became a star vehicle for Judy Holliday called ''It Should Happen to You.'' The marvelous comedy, directed by the great George Cukor, also was the film debut of Jack Lemmon.
He disguised his voice very well. Sounds a little Jerry Lewis.
Why do they always pick Arlene to ask if she'd wear it ? She's nothing special.
She was everything special.
He is not doing a great job with disguising his voice, its too distinctive😂
I never could and still can't stand Arlene and her phony British accent: "I cahn't. . .".
Your loss. Her accent was Mid-Atlantic.
@@kentetalman9008: Not my loss. I wish I and the show had lost her before it first aired then I and the world would never have had to know this repulsive creature!
why you watching WML Robert?