The THIRD song was instantly recognizable as an Edith Piaf classic: This was the second English translation of the song "Hymne à L'Amour", and the most popular is "Hymn to Love" ... which Édith Piaf actually composed.
mh K Different shows, different focus. This was a mid-range money game show for its time. The panel shows like WML and I've Got a Secret, etc., were not about money at all, so the prizes were paltry. Shows like JFY, Two for the Money and You Bet Your Life were in the mid range, and shows like The Price Is Right, 21 and the $64,000 question offered **huge** prizes.
As I was watching the episode, I was thinking that the first contestant was quite a character! Then I watched the second contestant and thought she was quite a character too! The third contestant seemed more average. I wonder if the producers by this point were deliberately trying to select interesting contestants but wanted to mix up the eccentric ones with some more average types too.
Fred Allen really deserved a talk show as opposed to this, but I guess his health issues prevented him from working more than once a week (?) So this and WML was nice easy work for him I suppose. The Scottish lady was delightful. I wonder if she got her American man and stayed in the USA . I guess we'll never know.
Just for clarification purposes Frank isn't doing an impression of Walter Matthau. He's doing an impression of Matthau's character in the "Grumpy Old Men" series. If you view a clip of Matthau, in character from one of those movies, you'll hear the similarities and recognize the distinctive speech pattern that Frank picked up on. So, no, it isn't an impression of the real Walter Matthau.
Sheila B I don't think so. I really don't know who he's doing, but this doesn't sound a bit like Fred to me, and Gorshin really was a good impressionist. He did an excellent George Burns, e.g.-- starred in a one man show about George as the last major work he did before he passed away. George's voice isn't easy to imitate (Rich Little's George Burns demonstrates that. . . ), but his take was good that when I saw the show in the 1990s, there were moments where I forgot I was watching an impression.
Sheila B I've been convinced by other comments from people that he's doing Walter Matthau. Apparently, the "eat my shorts" line was used in "Grumpy Old Men" or something. It's not a good Matthau. Sorry, Frank, but it's not.
Bobby Paluga I probably shouldn't have, but I laughed at your comment anyhow. ;) In any event, would you really put Frank Gorshin in the same class of unattractiveness as Fred Allen? And I'm a LIFELONG devoteee of f.a., mind you. but really now. No comparison. ;)
The THIRD song was instantly recognizable as an Edith Piaf classic: This was the second English translation of the song "Hymne à L'Amour", and the most popular is "Hymn to Love" ... which Édith Piaf actually composed.
You all know of course that the opening and voice-over announcer on all of these shows is NBC's Don Pardo!
2nd song - It happens to be me - very good, it needed Dean Martin to really show it off.
The winner got a thousand bucks? That's a lot more than the 50 bucks the contestants got from WML.
mh K Different shows, different focus. This was a mid-range money game show for its time. The panel shows like WML and I've Got a Secret, etc., were not about money at all, so the prizes were paltry. Shows like JFY, Two for the Money and You Bet Your Life were in the mid range, and shows like The Price Is Right, 21 and the $64,000 question offered **huge** prizes.
With The Price is Right being the only legitimate one of the three mentioned.
Greg Palmer Very true!
Price is right wasn't that big in the early years. Around '58-'62 was when it went big
Thanks for posting this episode! I really like Fred Allen!
As I was watching the episode, I was thinking that the first contestant was quite a character! Then I watched the second contestant and thought she was quite a character too! The third contestant seemed more average. I wonder if the producers by this point were deliberately trying to select interesting contestants but wanted to mix up the eccentric ones with some more average types too.
Fred Allen really deserved a talk show as opposed to this, but I guess his health issues prevented him from working more than once a week (?) So this and WML was nice easy work for him I suppose.
The Scottish lady was delightful. I wonder if she got her American man and stayed in the USA . I guess we'll never know.
Just for clarification purposes Frank isn't doing an impression of Walter Matthau. He's doing an impression of Matthau's character in the "Grumpy Old Men" series. If you view a clip of Matthau, in character from one of those movies, you'll hear the similarities and recognize the distinctive speech pattern that Frank picked up on. So, no, it isn't an impression of the real Walter Matthau.
Is Frank Gorshin trying to impersonate Fred Allen?
Sheila B I don't think so. I really don't know who he's doing, but this doesn't sound a bit like Fred to me, and Gorshin really was a good impressionist. He did an excellent George Burns, e.g.-- starred in a one man show about George as the last major work he did before he passed away. George's voice isn't easy to imitate (Rich Little's George Burns demonstrates that. . . ), but his take was good that when I saw the show in the 1990s, there were moments where I forgot I was watching an impression.
Ok, I showed this to a friend and she, like me loved Frank as an impressionist and in Batman, but we couldn't figure out who he is doing.
Sheila B I've been convinced by other comments from people that he's doing Walter Matthau. Apparently, the "eat my shorts" line was used in "Grumpy Old Men" or something. It's not a good Matthau. Sorry, Frank, but it's not.
What's My Line? Once you know, it is recognizable, though...
Bobby Paluga I probably shouldn't have, but I laughed at your comment anyhow. ;)
In any event, would you really put Frank Gorshin in the same class of unattractiveness as Fred Allen? And I'm a LIFELONG devoteee of f.a., mind you. but really now. No comparison. ;)