Very rare is the genius who is admired & adored during his lifetime. Buster Keaton started off with a parabolic rise only to fade away. Many of his 'flops' are considered masterpieces today & his gags continue to inspire many new age physical comics. Even after 100 years,one can only applaud his creativity.
And Stand In Awe of SUCH a Comedic JUGGERNAUT. .. Maybe Not "THE" But One Of the GREATEST Laughter Generators here EVER. How Amazing to Have TWO Comedic Geniuses, in the Same Room. 🎨🎨
As Buster was shaking the hands of the panelists, I watched their faces. Ernie was like a kid meeting Mickey Mantle. Such respect and admiration he showed as he waited.
well, kovacs' comedy was much like that of the silent films. he relied much more on visuals rather than dialogue for his comedy. because of this kovacs' tv show was considered quite original and innovative in its day. the nairobi trio is STILL one of my favorite bits. i've must've seen it a 1000 times and it still cracks me up.
Kovacs had Keaton do a pilot with him for a TV series called Medicine Man, and the scenes were in which Buster appeared were shot on the day before Mr Kovacs died.
The great Buster Keaton. A true comedy legend. He wrote all of his silent films and invented all of the stunts that he did. I'm glad that in his old age he was recognized as the comic genius that he was.
The Exquisite Genius Stone-Face Not Only Invented but Also Performed (ALL, I Believe) his own stunts. .....sometimes hurting himself rather badly in the process..
Wow he was such a great man. I think he walked away so fast because he was nearly deaf back than and couldnt understand much. Also probably because he was a shy man. I adore him so much
+LadybirdandClover I think you're right, but it's a shame we didn't get to hear him talk in his normal voice or find out more about the recent biographical film in which he had apparently appeared.
+SaveThe TPC Don't bother with "The Buster Keaton Story" - he wasn't in it, had nothing to do with it, and it's very inaccurate. The film he was most recently in (other than t.v. work) was "Around the World in Eighty Days" in which he played a train conductor in the western USA, a longer screen appearance than many of the brief star cameos in that movie.
I like Mr. Buster Keaton most highly. His movie "The General" is considered one of the 10 greatest movies. This is enormous because it is a silent movie.
Everyone on the panel KNEW the greatness of Mr. Keaton even if it took the later revival of his films, (and the internet) to make him a legend. Life can be cruel but Keaton has triumphed. Mr. Kovacs seemed frankly in awe to meet him.
Two comedy pioneers who made their marks in different media - and paid a price for it. I think Kovacs looks so impressed because he appreciated how Buster kept going and going.
well, kovacs' comedy was much like that of the silent films. he relied much more on visuals rather than dialogue for his comedy. because of this kovacs' tv show was considered quite original and innovative in its day. the nairobi trio is STILL one of my favorite bits. i've must've seen it a 1000 times and it still cracks me up.
How the heck is this show all these decades later so fascinating to watch?? Its not just the celebrities & panel/John Charles Daly either. Although I have mad love for them all. But I also love the everyday people and what their lines are and how good the panel to figure so many out.(lol) As for the great Buster Keaton. Wow!
Buster Keaton was at the very top of the silent comic actors. If he'd been born thirty years later, he would have dominated sound comedy films his entire life. He was a comedy genius, no matter what era he lived in....
He was in some sound comedy shorts but it was when sound was still in it's infancy and comedy was in an awkward stage for a few years, where they were not a big money maker like they once were in the silent era. In the late 30s - 40s and definitely by the time the 50s rolled around comedy had regained it's bankable status and more respect in Hollywood. Buster made the transition better than most comedy acts from the silent era, but by the late 40s and around the time the 50s rolled around he was a lot older and had really retired, but he still made many TV appearances and film cameos all the way up to the year of his passing. He was very lucky to have been one of the few acts to live to see his films regain a popularity and he in turn got the respect he definitely deserved as "One of" the originators of slapstick comedy.
@@dtnetlurker His problems really began when he lost his independence and signed a contract with a big studio, MGM, who made movies like a factory and had no tolerance for the improvisational inspirational way the great silent comics worked. He was warned by both Chaplin and Lloyd not to do it and they were right. The stick to the script method of the studio system also killed Laurel & Hardy when they went to work for MGM and Fox.
The look on Buster's face when Bennett mentioned that "bio" movie is classic. Buster HATED that movie -- it was total hogwash from start to finish, and the producers didn't even try to make it close to his life -- but it paid for the ranch he lived in for the rest of his life.
@@ernestbrown9660 I'm glad you pointed this out. I went back and listened to what he said a second time, not realizing at the time what that meant, Thanks.
I used to watch "What's My Line?" as a child with my parents. There were only two TV channels in our area back then. Buster Keaton was a favorite of my mom and dad. It was fun to trip down memory lane. Thanks for posting this.
With motion pictures being well over a century old now - and SO much incredible talent over the decades - well unlike most Americans I never liked ranking things especially when the creative arts are involved - but that being said, Buster Keaton, to this day - is still a DEITY of the cinema for what he's given us over time that still holds up against anything high tech or any style comedic, action or otherwise. That man was just phenomenal.
He was killed when his car went out of control as he was trying to light a cigar, according to reports. He was a good actor in the few pictures he apoeared in.
If I remember correctly there was an episod where Polly Burgan (?) was twirling and waiving around a pencil while questioning a man that sharpens pencils at a Pencil Factory.
I only very recently started to look at Buster Keaton videos on TH-cam. I’d always assumed they were really boring as they were silent and so old. My gosh how wrong was I! I’ve belly laughed again and again at his movies, he was just so funny and heck, the work that went into them and the real danger he exposed himself to was incredible.
Uhh. No. This Comedy Leviathan is Anything but ho-hum. (😐😬😬😬) Though I suppose some might foolishly disagree. . ... Performers (and Directors) Are STILL Borrowing and Riffing From this Comedy Titan today. From an Insanely Large Panoply of Genres as well..
Funny that Ernie was actually HOLDING a cigar during his questioning... And Buster Keaton is one of the greatest comedians who ever lived. Certainly one of, if not THE greatest PHYSICAL comedians of all time.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS SHOW IS THE PROFESSIONALISM OF EVERYONE. YOU HAD TO BE TOPS IN THE 50S OR YOU DIDNT DO TV. THESE PEOPLE WERE THE VERY TOP..AND SUCH NICE PEOPLE. I MISS THE 50S TERRIBLY.
They're were many great silent comedians, Harold Lloyd, Charlie Chaplin ... but for some reason none has delighted as much as Buster Keaton's films, preference I suppose.
Well, certainly his silent films were works of legendary comedic art, and he's MY favorite! However, at this same time, Harold Lloyd had barely released any of his films for public viewing, and Chaplin made relatively few feature films in a 30-year span. So when TV came along, dear Buster had a renaissance of his career, and won the hearts of a new generation - and he damn well EARNED it, especially after being treated so horribly by MGM after his silent career was over.
I first heard of Buster Keaton from a Johnny Depp movie, ‘Benny and Joon’. Then saw a skit with Ed Wynn and Buster Keaton. My point being this show has brought to me a history of people who I never had heard of before. But am really happy that I happened upon this ‘What’s My Line’ program.
He's still sporting those pork-pie hats (his custom, of course), even though it was quite considerately out of fashion by the time this show aired. Legendary!
Am so disappointed that Buster didn't wait for a chat after being found out by the panel ! But what a joy to see that icon of the screen ! THANKS for sharing !! :-)
As legend has it, he earned the name "Buster" when he was 18 months old, after falling down a flight of stairs. Magician Harry Houdini scooped up the child and turning to the boy's parents quipped, "That was a real buster!"
Ernie's closing crack about having everyone come up to his house after the show reminds me of a straight-to-camera line in one of his comedy telecasts: 'Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for inviting us into your home tonight... but couldn't you have cleaned it up a little?'
Buster Keaton and Ernie Kovacs. Mercy, what comedic genius. Lost Ernie much too soon, wish there was more videos/ footage of him available and not just on What's My Line
Keaton writes pretty good when he said in his autobiography all he ever had was ONE day of school ( lucky him), and all he did was entertain the other kids and tell jokes, until the teacher told him to leave the school and never come back!
I'm glad Bennet says "allegedly base on" in reference to The Buster Keaton Story..you can tell what Buster thought of the film from his rather disgruntled "yes"
+james joyce Yeah, the film was not a real biography and made up a bunch of stuff that did not happen, but Buster gave them the rights to do it because they gave him pretty good money for it.
That film was almost totally complete fiction, a piece of garbage, even though they retained Buster as a consultant! Yes, the poor man needed the money, but he certainly deserved a FAR better film than the travesty that was released. The only good parts are the few when Donald O'Connor is recreating some of Keaton's most famous stunts - and he had Buster right there to coach him. Otherwise, I'd suggest everyone avoid it like the plague.
You better believe it! That film was practically total garbage of fiction, and alledgely focused too much on poor Buster's alcoholism. Worst of all was that they'd retained him as a "consultant", yet paid almost NO heed to his advice and references!!!
@@robsmith3839 Exactly. It was a bad film, but made with good intentions, and gave Keaton some needed financial security. In the larger scheme of Buster's life, it wound up being more of a wash despite its poor quality.
Two of the greatest comic geniuses of the twentieth century. Kovacs reaction at 17.10 is priceless. The respect of all of the panelists for The Great Stone Face is palpable.
Ernie Kovaks was cute and funny, and I always thought, even when I was a teen, that Buster Keaton was cute when young, as when he made those silent movies. I have seen all his movies, they used to be on weekend tv. Several are on You Tube.
If she had made Dutch Master cigars, Ernie would have gotten it. And, Buster is one of the greatest comedians and directors in film history. His films hold up to this day. It's cool how respectful and formal these shows were.
19:59 Buster should have just mouthed "yes" without saying it... I would have died laughing! He doesn't just go that far back, he practically defined the silent era.
@@kulturekritik9665 Many detention facilities in the US are run by corporations, for example Geo Group or Correctional Corp of America. Ironically, a prisoner could buy stock in a publicly traded corporation and “own” part of his jail
Keaton grew up in Vaudeville with his family. His dad would toss him around like a sack of sawdust on stage. There was a magician escape artist who traveled and performed with them. The escape artist is the guy who gave him the nickname *Buster* because the way his dad used him as a disposable prop. The magician escape artist went on to have a nice solo career known as *Harry Houdini.*
love how bennett cerf said a movie "allegedly" based on your life. donald o'connor played keaton in "the buster keaton story", (1957) o'connor said that keaton was ignored as an adiviser to the movie, he said keation's suggestions "went in one ear and out the other", with the director.
19:52 *Bennett "Have You Got a Son, Who Was [Is] Also a Motion Picture Actor (,?)" . ... Apologies if this Observation has (already) been unboxed, "played" with, and put away again but I'm Ninety-Three Percent Certain that Cerf had Ed Wynn.. in mind with this query here.. (Keenan Wynn, was Ed's Kiddoe.)
Even if he left right away, (being annoyed by something, I guess), I was happy to see Buster Keaton in a different circumstance than acting. Thanks to those that made it possible
It's so bizarre watching Ernie Kovacs, googling him, finding out he died crashing his car into a telephone pole, looking at the picture of the crashed car, going back to the video and watching him talk right then and there. Just the feeling of knowing his inevitable cause of death and not being able to tell him to be careful that one morning in four and a half years.
Yes, he had a really nice voice. There are quite a few of his talking short films made by Columbia pictures and Educational pictures which you can find here on TH-cam. I wish he had not lost creative control of his films and career. Would have loved to see more feature films.
@@SymphonyBrahms Bah! Buster was astutely aware of every aspect of filming. Including the time for this show. Also including any questions would have made the last guest getting bumped until the next day. He might have been humble & shy, but here he was being a considerate & thoughtful man.
I live near Flagstaff. . . that sounds awfully tempting! The last movie I saw before I left San Francisco in 2015 was a presentation of Keaton's "Go West" with live orchestra accompaniment, and it was GREAT.
Thanks for the heads up, Alan! I rarely go outside of a 20 mile radius of my house, but this is awfully tempting. In any event, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. :)
![What's My Line? - Cyril Ritchard; Robert Preston [panel] (Dec 22, 1957)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Tf_P3T14JsE/mqdefault.jpg)
![What's My Line? - Cyril Ritchard; Robert Preston [panel] (Dec 22, 1957)](/img/tr.png)
![What's My Line? - Ernie Kovacs; Doris Day; Robert Young [panel] (Sep 8, 1957)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/2tfYBaGjNfQ/mqdefault.jpg)
![What's My Line? - Danny Thomas; Ernie Kovacs [panel] (Oct 6, 1957)](/img/n.gif)
What marvelous applause for Buster Keaton both entering and departing. That's an intelligent studio audience.
WML always encouraged sophisticated audiences!
Very rare is the genius who is admired & adored during his lifetime. Buster Keaton started off with a parabolic rise only to fade away. Many of his 'flops' are considered masterpieces today & his gags continue to inspire many new age physical comics. Even after 100 years,one can only applaud his creativity.
‘You
M
And Stand In Awe of SUCH a Comedic JUGGERNAUT.
.. Maybe Not "THE" But One Of the GREATEST Laughter Generators here EVER.
How Amazing to Have TWO Comedic Geniuses, in the Same Room.
🎨🎨
21:26 TxRxAxNxNxY!
@@pattilangdale1613 +q++++++
And be able to access his work during lockdowns.😊
As Buster was shaking the hands of the panelists, I watched their faces. Ernie was like a kid meeting Mickey Mantle. Such respect and admiration he showed as he waited.
I saw it too. Mr. Kovacs was a comedian in the Buster Keaton style. Much pantomime. Keaton was not only a great comedian, but a great filmmaker.
Yup, sheer hero worship.
well, kovacs' comedy was much like that of the silent films. he relied much more on visuals rather than dialogue for his comedy. because of this kovacs' tv show was considered quite original and innovative in its day. the nairobi trio is STILL one of my favorite bits. i've must've seen it a 1000 times and it still cracks me up.
Kovacs had Keaton do a pilot with him for a TV series called Medicine Man, and the scenes were in which Buster appeared were shot on the day before Mr Kovacs died.
21:26 TxRxAxNxNxY!
The great Buster Keaton. A true comedy legend. He wrote all of his silent films and invented all of the stunts that he did. I'm glad that in his old age he was recognized as the comic genius that he was.
The Exquisite Genius Stone-Face Not Only Invented but Also Performed (ALL, I Believe) his own stunts.
.....sometimes hurting himself rather badly in the process..
21:26 TxRxAxNxNxY!
@@steroidsR4losers weirdo
21:26 TxRxAxNxNxY!
MALEMAN!
Stay natural buddy!
Wow he was such a great man. I think he walked away so fast because he was nearly deaf back than and couldnt understand much. Also probably because he was a shy man. I adore him so much
+LadybirdandClover I think you're right, but it's a shame we didn't get to hear him talk in his normal voice or find out more about the recent biographical film in which he had apparently appeared.
+SaveThe TPC Don't bother with "The Buster Keaton Story" - he wasn't in it, had nothing to do with it, and it's very inaccurate. The film he was most recently in (other than t.v. work) was "Around the World in Eighty Days" in which he played a train conductor in the western USA, a longer screen appearance than many of the brief star cameos in that movie.
+SaveThe TPC He acted (and had a speaking role) in an episode of The Twilight Zone - "Once Upon A Time".
A true pioneer of movie pictures. Some of his stunts when a young man beggar believe. And he did them all himself😀😀👏🏻👏🏻
So?...that's how I walk out of parties🤣
It was great to hear the loud round of applause for Mr Keaton, who along with Chaplin and Lloyd invented comic acting in front of a camera.
I would have been in awe to meet Buster Keaton. A true legend.
I like Mr.
Buster Keaton most highly. His movie "The General" is considered one of the 10 greatest movies. This is enormous because it is a silent movie.
Everyone on the panel KNEW the greatness of Mr. Keaton even if it took the later revival of his films, (and the internet) to make him a legend. Life can be cruel but Keaton has triumphed. Mr. Kovacs seemed frankly in awe to meet him.
Although Keaton stock did fall after his 20s heyday, by 1957 his reputation had revived. He was legendary already by then.
Such An Absolutely Amazing, Special Moment.😊☺️🎨
I love how Kovacs looks at Keaton as he shakes his hand. Looks as though he has great respect for the man
Two comedy pioneers who made their marks in different media - and paid a price for it. I think Kovacs looks so impressed because he appreciated how Buster kept going and going.
The respect was mutual. No one could have foreseen this in 1957 but Buster Keaton was a pallbearer at Kovacs' funeral.
Hero worship, for sure.
well, kovacs' comedy was much like that of the silent films. he relied much more on visuals rather than dialogue for his comedy. because of this kovacs' tv show was considered quite original and innovative in its day. the nairobi trio is STILL one of my favorite bits. i've must've seen it a 1000 times and it still cracks me up.
Buster keaton king of comedie and stan et ollie
Buster Keaton I don't think people realise how great that man was how inspirational and how much ahead of his time he was
How the heck is this show all these decades later so fascinating to watch?? Its not just the celebrities & panel/John Charles Daly either. Although I have mad love for them all. But I also love the everyday people and what their lines are and how good the panel to figure so many out.(lol) As for the great Buster Keaton. Wow!
You just answered your own question 😂
I knew him from his movies on youtube. A great actor and comedian ... I love you Buster Keaton
Not just a legend, a TOWERING legend. The "falling wall" is a classic of the ages.
Buster could have spoken in his normal voice and no one would have guessed...he had a wonderful deep voice.
"My daughter, a eunuch?" (From "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum")
21:26 TxRxAxNxNxY!
@@steroidsR4losers NxUxTxCxAxSxE!
Buster Keaton was at the very top of the silent comic actors. If he'd been born thirty years later, he would have dominated sound comedy films his entire life. He was a comedy genius, no matter what era he lived in....
Was he a talking comedian like the Marx Bros and Abbot and Costello ?
@@jahno7154
Sometimes. ..
He was in some sound comedy shorts but it was when sound was still in it's infancy and comedy was in an awkward stage for a few years, where they were not a big money maker like they once were in the silent era. In the late 30s - 40s and definitely by the time the 50s rolled around comedy had regained it's bankable status and more respect in Hollywood. Buster made the transition better than most comedy acts from the silent era, but by the late 40s and around the time the 50s rolled around he was a lot older and had really retired, but he still made many TV appearances and film cameos all the way up to the year of his passing. He was very lucky to have been one of the few acts to live to see his films regain a popularity and he in turn got the respect he definitely deserved as "One of" the originators of slapstick comedy.
@@jahno7154 No not really but he conveyed more without saying a word than most talking comics.
@@dtnetlurker His problems really began when he lost his independence and signed a contract with a big studio, MGM, who made movies like a factory and had no tolerance for the improvisational inspirational way the great silent comics worked. He was warned by both Chaplin and Lloyd not to do it and they were right. The stick to the script method of the studio system also killed Laurel & Hardy when they went to work for MGM and Fox.
The look on Buster's face when Bennett mentioned that "bio" movie is classic. Buster HATED that movie -- it was total hogwash from start to finish, and the producers didn't even try to make it close to his life -- but it paid for the ranch he lived in for the rest of his life.
It was great of Bennett to point out what hogwash it was in his question.
@@ernestbrown9660 I'm glad you pointed this out. I went back and listened to what he said a second time, not realizing at the time what that meant, Thanks.
I used to watch "What's My Line?" as a child with my parents. There were only two TV channels in our area back then. Buster Keaton was a favorite of my mom and dad. It was fun to trip down memory lane. Thanks for posting this.
I love Lucy.and Bonanza.. where about it..
Ditto for me also😊
I watched just to see
Mr. Buster Keaton
( he was worth the wait)
May he
REST IN
P E A C E 😇
Buster Keaton is one of the greats!
With motion pictures being well over a century old now - and SO much incredible talent over the decades - well unlike most Americans I never liked ranking things especially when the creative arts are involved - but that being said, Buster Keaton, to this day - is still a DEITY of the cinema for what he's given us over time that still holds up against anything high tech or any style comedic, action or otherwise. That man was just phenomenal.
The bit where Ernie Kovacs was waving his cigar around in front of the cigar-maker was priceless.
He was killed when his car went out of control as he was trying to light a cigar, according to reports. He was a good actor in the few pictures he apoeared in.
If I remember correctly there was an episod where Polly Burgan (?) was twirling and waiving around a pencil while questioning a man that sharpens pencils at a Pencil Factory.
I only very recently started to look at Buster Keaton videos on TH-cam. I’d always assumed they were really boring as they were silent and so old. My gosh how wrong was I! I’ve belly laughed again and again at his movies, he was just so funny and heck, the work that went into them and the real danger he exposed himself to was incredible.
I also didnt start watching his videos until recently! I was speechless on how great they are!
Uhh. No. This Comedy Leviathan is Anything but ho-hum. (😐😬😬😬)
Though I suppose some might foolishly disagree.
. ...
Performers (and Directors) Are STILL Borrowing and Riffing From this Comedy Titan today. From an Insanely Large Panoply of Genres as well..
21:26 TxRxAxNxNxY!
People died in the making of the GENERAL
Here's a little known fact about him. He went to see the doctor and after some x-rays, the doctor asked him when he broke his neck. Buster said I did?
Can't blame Kovacs. I'd be in awe too if I had ever met Buster Keaton. What an amazing person.
Funny that Ernie was actually HOLDING a cigar during his questioning... And Buster Keaton is one of the greatest comedians who ever lived. Certainly one of, if not THE greatest PHYSICAL comedians of all time.
A TRUE GIANT OF an ENTERTAINER !! Buster was the REAL DEAL !!
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS SHOW IS THE PROFESSIONALISM OF EVERYONE. YOU HAD TO BE TOPS IN THE 50S OR YOU DIDNT DO TV. THESE PEOPLE WERE THE VERY TOP..AND SUCH NICE PEOPLE. I MISS THE 50S TERRIBLY.
Buster Keaton is a national treasure
Buster was perhaps the greatest comic genius of all time....Watch his silent films
This was the only show we’re Ernie was not annoying. Mr Keaton was brilliant
Dorothy Kilgalen was so special. It breaks my heart to think of her end. Rest In Blessed Peace.
Buster Keaton was the Best comedian.
They're were many great silent comedians, Harold Lloyd, Charlie Chaplin ... but for some reason none has delighted as much as Buster Keaton's films, preference I suppose.
Well, certainly his silent films were works of legendary comedic art, and he's MY favorite! However, at this same time, Harold Lloyd had barely released any of his films for public viewing, and Chaplin made relatively few feature films in a 30-year span. So when TV came along, dear Buster had a renaissance of his career, and won the hearts of a new generation - and he damn well EARNED it, especially after being treated so horribly by MGM after his silent career was over.
I first heard of Buster Keaton from a Johnny Depp movie, ‘Benny and Joon’. Then saw a skit with Ed Wynn and Buster Keaton. My point being this show has brought to me a history of people who I never had heard of before. But am really happy that I happened upon this ‘What’s My Line’ program.
An absolute genius filmmaker. There will never be another like him!
Buster Keaton ,a true legend
What an applause for Buster Keaton.
What I wouldn't give to just shake his hand
Charity Blaze. Me too. I would have loved to meet Buster Keaton. What a legend.
That's so gross, he's dead you know.
User oh please, you know what they meant..stop playing with your mom's TH-cam account and go to bed.
gruvdrums
Haha. Well said.
What I wouldn't give to just see him crack a smile. Just once.
Buster Keaton is a legend, he was too ahead of his time, which is why he is a genius and deservedly admired today.
Buster's the Best!
ABSOLUTELY! :-D
Yes, an amazing talent on many levels!
He's still sporting those pork-pie hats (his custom, of course), even though it was quite considerately out of fashion by the time this show aired. Legendary!
I believe that type of hat is called a boater...😯
@Molly R. Goates You're right on...my bad...😯
My fave silent movie star
Ernie with Buster, 2 iconic legends, beautiful moment!
We love Buster.
Adore the brilliant Buster Keaton ! And shocking to know that Kovacs was killed just 5 years after this episode.
I've been watching all these in order and they just get funnier and funnier 😂
Am so disappointed that Buster didn't wait for a chat after being found out by the panel ! But what a joy to see that icon of the screen ! THANKS for sharing !! :-)
A commenter above says that he darted off stage quickly so that the last contestant would come. And I too believe that was the case.
@@Teri_Berk That does make sense. Thanks for your comment. :-)
And the Great Stone Face did not crack.
@@esmeephillips5888 Indubitably !! :-)
WML NOT a talk show 😊
To have seen so many of his silent movies and seeing him on this tv show is great
His appearance true to his professional form. Virtually silent. But what a treat to see such a world class celebrity on this show!
Mr Keaton the best of them all and his lovely wife looked after him lovingly in his remaining years
Creative, energetic, clever, was Buster Keaton. 😃💓
One of my favorite comedians.
As legend has it, he earned the name "Buster" when he was 18 months old, after falling down a flight of stairs. Magician Harry Houdini scooped up the child and turning to the boy's parents quipped, "That was a real buster!"
Ernie's closing crack about having everyone come up to his house after the show reminds me of a straight-to-camera line in one of his comedy telecasts: 'Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for inviting us into your home tonight... but couldn't you have cleaned it up a little?'
Buster Keaton and Ernie Kovacs. Mercy, what comedic genius. Lost Ernie much too soon, wish there was more videos/ footage of him available and not just on What's My Line
Did you see this..th-cam.com/video/RSWij8ggfwE/w-d-xo.html
Watch him on the Jack Benny Show which can also find on TH-cam
So nice.Thanks for sharing
How many of you fast forwarded to Mr Keaton? Raise your hands now....(me too!)
I admit it. I've been on a Keaton kick for the last few days. Brilliant man.
If you do, you'll miss some good repartee.
no way - show Is too good
Yup
Me, definitely.
Keaton writes pretty good when he said in his autobiography all he ever had was ONE day of school ( lucky him), and all he did was entertain the other kids and tell jokes, until the teacher told him to leave the school and never come back!
Omg Keaton what a fabulous face! Stunning talent!
He has my favorite face of anyone I've seen. Not only cute but interesting and soulful.
First time i heard Buster Keaton voice
I'm glad Bennet says "allegedly base on" in reference to The Buster Keaton Story..you can tell what Buster thought of the film from his rather disgruntled "yes"
+james joyce Yeah, the film was not a real biography and made up a bunch of stuff that did not happen, but Buster gave them the rights to do it because they gave him pretty good money for it.
That film was almost totally complete fiction, a piece of garbage, even though they retained Buster as a consultant! Yes, the poor man needed the money, but he certainly deserved a FAR better film than the travesty that was released. The only good parts are the few when Donald O'Connor is recreating some of Keaton's most famous stunts - and he had Buster right there to coach him. Otherwise, I'd suggest everyone avoid it like the plague.
You better believe it! That film was practically total garbage of fiction, and alledgely focused too much on poor Buster's alcoholism. Worst of all was that they'd retained him as a "consultant", yet paid almost NO heed to his advice and references!!!
Yeah, The Buster Keaton Story was a stinker, but it got him and Eleanor 'the ranch'.
@@robsmith3839 Exactly. It was a bad film, but made with good intentions, and gave Keaton some needed financial security. In the larger scheme of Buster's life, it wound up being more of a wash despite its poor quality.
Two of the greatest comic geniuses of the twentieth century. Kovacs reaction at 17.10 is priceless. The respect of all of the panelists for The Great Stone Face is palpable.
Buster Keaton [legendary silent film comedian] YES
Wow! I'm so old, I was watching What's My Line when it was new.
I also being 13 and allowed to watch it, even though it was bedtime 😊
What an absolute legend. Buster Keaton.
He is a legend of comedy!!
Ernie Kovaks was cute and funny, and I always thought, even when I was a teen, that Buster Keaton was cute when young, as when he made those silent movies. I have seen all his movies, they used to be on weekend tv. Several are on You Tube.
Kovacs was good as a straight actor in "Our Man from Havana" (1959) and "Strangers When We Meet" (1960): a pity that he was lost through a car crash.
Arlene always looks fantastic, but she looks especially fantastic in this episode. Maybe the way her hair is done?
Just recently my local old cinema showed a Keaton silent film (Seven Chances, 1925) complete with live organ accompaniment. It was packed out!
Buster Keaton is the G.O.A.T.
If she had made Dutch Master cigars, Ernie would have gotten it. And, Buster is one of the greatest comedians and directors in film history. His films hold up to this day. It's cool how respectful and formal these shows were.
19:59 Buster should have just mouthed "yes" without saying it... I would have died laughing! He doesn't just go that far back, he practically defined the silent era.
My, how we've changed as a society. When Cerf asked the jail cook if she worked for a profit-making organization, the audience laughed. :/
How is that different from today?
@@kulturekritik9665
What do you mean? Back then, a profit-making jail would have been ludicrous idea. Hence, their laughter. Are you American?
@@kulturekritik9665 Many detention facilities in the US are run by corporations, for example Geo Group or Correctional Corp of America. Ironically, a prisoner could buy stock in a publicly traded corporation and “own” part of his jail
@@stevekru6518 boss.
Keaton grew up in Vaudeville with his family. His dad would toss him around like a sack of sawdust on stage. There was a magician escape artist who traveled and performed with them. The escape artist is the guy who gave him the nickname *Buster* because the way his dad used him as a disposable prop. The magician escape artist went on to have a nice solo career known as *Harry Houdini.*
This kinescope is so good it looks like a real film of the show.
What a LEGEND!!!!!
THE VERY FIRST LEGEND OF HIS TIME, THEY DON'T MAKE ACTORS LIKE BUSTER ANYMORE 💖💯
Buster Keaton, the greatest actor of all time.
I've noticed a number of guests in recent episodes stopping to talk to Arlene on their way out, no doubt telling her how much they adore her.
She will always be adored infinitely as the program is in rerun's.
Ms. Kilgallen was the one to be admired for her work but I always loved Kovacs.
If anyone’s wondering why the host asks the question as well, Keaton had a hearing problem starting back from WWI.
It was the bad acoustics of this theater 😢
love how bennett cerf said a movie "allegedly" based on your life. donald o'connor played keaton in "the buster keaton story", (1957) o'connor said that keaton was ignored as an adiviser to the movie, he said keation's suggestions "went in one ear and out the other", with the director.
You would have thought they wanted his involvement. That's ridiculous, after all it was supposed to be about HIS life.
buster keaton was, perhaps...the greatest comedic filmmaker in the history of the medium...only Chaplin.....was his equal....
19:52
*Bennett
"Have You Got a Son, Who Was [Is] Also a Motion Picture Actor (,?)"
. ...
Apologies if this Observation has (already) been unboxed, "played" with, and put away again but I'm Ninety-Three Percent Certain that Cerf had Ed Wynn.. in mind with this query here..
(Keenan Wynn, was Ed's Kiddoe.)
Bennett: "Our famous panel mawdahwaydah."
Sounds like Elmer Fudd😂
A great show. I like all the panelists, especially Arlene Francis.
Nice comeback by John to Ernie's question: Can it be folded? : )
Awww. There were no commercials. But this is amazing. Takes me back so so far!
Yes, disappointed regarding the ads. I as looking forward to instructions regarding where to stick your Stopette Stick.
Anyone more came here for Buster Keaton and fell in love with Mrs. Frerichs?
Yessir, she's a looker. If records are correct, she was about 27 or 28 here.
Guilty 👍🏻
Even if he left right away, (being annoyed by something, I guess), I was happy to see Buster Keaton in a different circumstance than acting. Thanks to those that made it possible
This was a live show, they wanted to get the last quest on😊
I was able to meet his wife in the late 90s at the Silent Movie Theater in Los Angeles
It's so bizarre watching Ernie Kovacs, googling him, finding out he died crashing his car into a telephone pole, looking at the picture of the crashed car, going back to the video and watching him talk right then and there. Just the feeling of knowing his inevitable cause of death and not being able to tell him to be careful that one morning in four and a half years.
This show was on for years. I was born in late ‘61 and I remember watching this 🙂
Finally hearing Buster K speak feels life altering. 😌
Yes, he had a really nice voice. There are quite a few of his talking short films made by Columbia pictures and Educational pictures which you can find here on TH-cam. I wish he had not lost creative control of his films and career. Would have loved to see more feature films.
Buster was such a true gentleman. I believe he darted off stage so the last contestant would be seen-- and seen she was, WHAT A DISH!
Never thought of this but it's quite possible. And a very thoughtful act, definitely.
He just didn't want to answer questions. He was very shy.
arresting woman she was for sure
@@SymphonyBrahms Bah! Buster was astutely aware of every aspect of filming. Including the time for this show. Also including any questions would have made the last guest getting bumped until the next day. He might have been humble & shy, but here he was being a considerate & thoughtful man.
Exactly😊
At the Prescott, AZ Film Festival this Friday night (14 June 19): The General, with live orchestra accompanying. I'm going (who wouldn't?).
I live near Flagstaff. . . that sounds awfully tempting! The last movie I saw before I left San Francisco in 2015 was a presentation of Keaton's "Go West" with live orchestra accompaniment, and it was GREAT.
@@WhatsMyLine Showing is at 7 pm. I'd call first and make sure it's not sold out.
Thanks for the heads up, Alan! I rarely go outside of a 20 mile radius of my house, but this is awfully tempting. In any event, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. :)
I used to work at Hess's in Allentown, a true landmark, which sadly has gone the way of many dept. stores.
Arlene was so charming and such a beaut.
Gorgeous woman 😊
19:56 technically thats not true. his son, as an infant, played a younger version of him in "Our Hospitality" (1923)
I love Buster keaton's hat how cool man I think I'm going to start wearing hats like that
Buster Keaton the master of the stunts
Buster Keaton 🥰🤗✨✨✨🎩
They looked like they were having a very good time in those day's!