It's very cool to see this appearance by Ethel Merman shortly before the opening of one of my favorite movies of all time -- It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.
Indeed agree with you 1000%, It's a mad,mad,mad,mad world is best comedy ever & to THIS day in 2023 it still is so! So many awesome comedian/actors at that time in it but, Ms Merman was just brilliant lead from her first lines with "...things that just happen!!" to her being the butt, literally joke at the end, you'll not stop laughing being amazed at the dialog & talents, comedic actions that situations all get involved within Just to find what's below the "Big W"in IMMMW!! All have sadly passed on now & that talent amongst so many does not ex8st today & maybe never! This WML is an exciting episode just before this movie opened in 1963, WOW!
My favorite part of this is in the post-identification conversation w/ Merman. For about 30 seconds you hear Merman just talking normally and quietly, in a voice you didn't hear very much from her. Then Arlene jokes w/ her about singing a song, and she comes back "At these prices?" in her typical loud brassy voice and her quiet voice has vanished.
We wouldn't have a show like this now. No classy, clean talking, superior talents.....dressed beautifully..... the ladies are splendid, the guys are handsome. The formalities they use with each other is endearing, Miss it so much.
Yes, I'm sure they stood out of deference to an elder the way they did for the elderly woman who was a department store detective. Bennett Cerf's guessed her occupation both Arlene and Dorothy stood to shake her hand with poor Dot having to practically push her off the set because she wouldn't let go of her hand. Oh that right: her name was Emily V. McAvoy and she enjoyed talking to the panel particularly Joey Bishop and Dot so much. She had worked where she was employed for 64 years. Wow!!
@@donnalthood3102 I'm wondering what YOU watched. Dorothy actually stood up completely before the elderly gentleman even stood to the front of herself.
This is another great episode of the show.I've heard before that Ethel Merman was a great swimmer as well as an actress.Maybe I'm wrong however by memory it was her.The dear man who painted flagpoles for a living was very keen to do so and the lady who caught mice done well in her position.I'm not afraid of mice yet my son in law was standing on a chair very afraid while my daughter was laughing about the whole matter and put the mouse outside.
Ironic that when a man is accused of cowardice, he is compared to a mouse (as in this exchange from "A Day at the Races"): Gil : Are you a man or a mouse? Dr. Hackenbush (Groucho) : You put a piece of cheese down there and you'll find out.
The production staff are geniuses. Gil Fates said that the mail was only about the third most productive source of contestants, but they kept at it anyway. I doubt a corporate public relations person found the second contestant, though it might have brought WML the first one. The staff also subscribed to a bunch of small regional newspapers for the items sent in by the small-town stringers. That might be where it discovered the second contestant under the headline "Local painter turns 85."
Yes, I agree, the producers were brilliant. Same can be said of John Guedel, producer of You Bet Your Life and all of Art Linkletter's big programs. No matter how talented the cast-- and they were the best of the best-- shows absolutely require the guidance of an intelligent, committed producing team to really succeed, especially for such staggeringly long runs.
The great Merman was one of the legendary stars of Broadway. Her Madame Rose in Gypsy was brilliant. Lansbury, Midler, and LuPone have done it brilliantly as well, but nobody compares to the great Merman in the role.
The next episode that aired, 11/10/63, is a must see. The one and only Jimmy Stewart made his one and only appearance on the show that night. He was there to promote his newest film, "Take Her, She's Mine".
@@sandrageorge3488 A result of the era in which I grew up, all I can think of is her belting out ♪ You'll be swell, you'll be great , gonna have the whole world on a plate ♪ in Airplane!
I remember for sure that there was also an elderly man who painted flagpoles as well in an episode of the previous seasons. Cannot remember which though.
Ethel Merman was in "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World". And she was hilarious ! In the 60s. And THEN she was in "Airplane" ! In the 80s. Even funnier. She sings, "There's no business like show business..." She gets an IV drip and passes out.
Ethel Merman. Force of Nature. If you have never seen her, Milton Berle, Buddy Hackett, Sid Caesar, Jonathan Winters, and [ in one of his last movies] Spencer Tracy in Stanley Kramer's massive tribute to comedy silent or otherwise "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World," it is worth seeing --- but clear your schedule. The first run was long, and then United Artists got worried about its profitability at such a long length and shortened it. Well, "butchered" is the real word. Finally, it has been mostly restored to its original humungous length on blueray DVD. Ethel gets the last laugh. The movie is hard on the bladder, really too much of a good thing; I remember leaving it exhausted.
Not to mention all the cameos. It's the very definition of an "overstuffed" film. Lots of greatness in it, but while I was happy to see that much lost footage has been restored, it was already way, WAY too long for a comedy film as it stood!
Aritosthenes I haven't seen the film for probably 15 years, so I'm not a good one to ask. But Buster is definitely in it. The imdb lists his part as "Jimmy the Crook". I don't know if that helps much, considering that it's probably just a short cameo. Jack Benny's cameo lasted all of 27 seconds. Jack Benny cameo in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) [clip]
Dorothy Kilgallen was a multiple threat, Very Proper, Exceptional Manners & Breeding, Fantasticlly Intelligent, an Outstanding Talented Award Winning Newpaper Reporter, Wife & Mother, which had an Unfortunate Ending on November 8, 1965....therefore, the World Certainly Appreciated her Well Rounded Outlook....
Wow! I thought the contestant on the show who came on after Wilt Chamberlain was on would be oldest person on show @ 81 years old BUT this flagpole painter @ 85 yrs. old has her best by 4 years. Amazing!
That's actually one of the "inside games" many of us play, noting who acknowledges the audience. It happens a decent amount of times - always nice to see. Then there's the "For whom do Arlene and/or Dorothy stand?" game, which was also played tonight. ;) I think there are so many fun aspects to watching these shows, I cannot fathom how any episode gets a thumbs down.
By the time this WML episode aired, Ms. Merman had already made Mx4W. It premiered just a few weeks later on Nov 7, 1963. [By the way, it's one of my favorite movies, too.]
Another super nice personality, Allen Ludden, taken out by cigarettes. If only he, Johnny Carson and the millions of others, knew they were digging their own graves with those cancer sticks.
tabitha west Sadly cigarettes used to be heavily promoted back in the '60s and many, many entertainers were heavy smokers like Johnny Carson, Bette Davis and even Jazz icon Oscar Peterson. May they all RIP and Ethel Merman too though I don't recall her being a smokers.
Yes, I prefer this Kennedy-era post-Brubeck, pre-Beatles cocktail party jazz theme best. I love Brubeck and the Beatles, I'm just indicating the niche into which the spirit of this composition goes. Sometimes I try to think of lyrics for it, but all I've got so far is "🎶....play What's My Line 🎶" for the last four notes of the melody, which is about as cheesy as a French fourth course.
Arlene often asks talented mystery guests to perform, but I don't remember anyone ever doing so. I wonder if there was a policy on this (the extra expenditure, I would think, perhaps of a performer performing, per union rules, and the copyright payment for a song)
There was at least one example, where they got Louis Armstrong to sing a bit of "Hello, Dolly" (a huge hit for him at the time), despite the fact that it had been made clear to the producers by his manager that they were *not* to let him sing the song, which was set to debut on TV on a variety show later that week. But Louis was Louis. He wasn't a business person, he was an angel sent from the heavens, and when they asked, he gave them a few bars acapella. His manager, Joe Glaser, reportedly almost ruptured a blood vessel when he saw what was happening. They couldn't have paid for rights for songs on a live broadcast because the few times it happened (if there were any outside of this example with Louis), it wasn't preplanned, though it might have caused ASCAP to demand royalties after the fact, I think part of the reason the performers never performed is that John was against that sort of thing (he's usually the one who squashes the requests). Whether there were legal/financial ramifications or not, and as well intentioned as the requests were (usually from Arlene), I always considered this a bit like inviting a plumber to dinner and then asking him/her to repair your toilet for free after dessert.
What's My Line? Agreed. I love Arlene, but I wonder how she would feel if someone asked her to "host" for their entertainment. When I began in radio, friends and acquaintances would ask me to "do" some radio for them. I was young and stupid and sometimes would until I figured out that the best response would be to ask to be paid.
What's My Line? I think that there were a couple of times that Mystery Guests did sing a little "Thank You" or "Goodbye" to the panel; the De Marco Sisters in February of 1953 comes readily to mind (and maybe the Andrews Sisters on one occasion). But no more than that..... And I think that, among "regular Joe/Jane" contestants, there was a pair of male college students who were singing deliverymen who gave a sample of what they did. But that's the only one that I can think of.
jmccracken1963 There was also the little girl, Marilyn Patch, from a few episodes back, who sang a song composed by her parents, which she had apparently also sung on her own television show. John was very indulgent with her and encouraged her to sing -- I think at least partially because he felt bad for her for having had her "line" guessed in one turn by Dorothy, and the game ended so quickly that they had enough time. P.S. The singing college students were great, but I think they were garbage men. :)
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" is a favorite movie. Always fun to watch. I wonder if the Kennedy Assassination hurt the box office? Resident Kennedy assassination historian David Pein may have something to say about that.
soulierinvestments Fair enough! With my memory, I'll never remember it when we get to the later appearance. But assuming other folks actually have some functioning memory capacity unlike me, maybe better not to spoil it.
Maybe this old guy's method is what kept him active at it for 65 years, which means he started in the 19th century. And just to further blow your mind, think on this: here we are in the 21st century, reminiscing about a show many of us were alive to watch in the 20th century, that featured a gentleman who worked as an adult in the 19th century! We're talking about experiencing a separation of three centuries!
Here is what preempted this show on 11/3/63: www.tv.com/shows/whats-my-line/preempted-week-15-of-25-97693/trivia/ I believe the 12/1/63 show that was taped on 11/3/63 was supposed to air on 11/24/63, but was pushed ahead by one week due to coverage on the death of President Kennedy.
soulierinvestments Well, assuming what I said is true, that episode would have aired on the Sunday before Thanksgiving vacation. In 1963, Thanksgiving was on 11/28/63.
Now wait a minute here... A flagpole painter does NOT start at the bottom and work his way up! The veezey-verzey makes a lot more sense! The job certainly does have its ups and downs! And John Daly confuses the 85-year old contestant as well as he does the panel!
In spite of her sharp mind I would have thought that her insecurity sooner or later would have pointed Dorothy to learn Something/Anything about biology. Mink and ermine are certainly not rodents!
They dealt in very general categories on the show--animal, vegetable, mineral--lumping insects under animals and arachnids under insects, so it doesn't surprise me that they would lump mink and ermine under rodents.
The painter said that he uses a bosun's chair, that pulley arrangement used over the sides of ships holding just one person. Somehow it's attached and then removed so as not to smear the paint - he has my admiration to work at 85 y.o.!
I like Arlene's hairstyle here, she looks great. For the 85 year old guy, the panelists are almost shouting the questions. I wonder if they were instructed to do that.
Is the standard they go by that a woman who is in the movies and is asked if she is an "actor" answers no? I would think even then, she would be considered an actor (and an actress, of course). I wonder how they handled comedian and comedienne then and now?
Actor was considered an acceptably gender-neutral term, as was comedian. But if the guest was male, they certainly wouldn't get a "yes" to "are you an *actress*".
I have noticed that contemporary women in the acting profession seem to disdain the word "actress" and insist on referring to themselves as actors. I don't really understand why, as I don't think there's anything demeaning about the "ress" suffix -- just differentiating. But back then, I think it was still clear from the question, "are you an actor?" that the questioner thought the mystery guest was male, so "no" was a proper response. The "comedienne" distinction has not been common for a long time, but I have also noticed on previous WML episodes that the panel, mystery guests and audience seemed to make a definite distinction between "comedienne" and "comedian." I can't remember who was involved, but on at least one occasion (and perhaps more), the audience laughed when a woman known for comedy was asked if she was a "comedian," because it was obvious that the panel thought she was a man. And if I'm remembering correctly, Shirley Booth was careful about that distinction in one of her mystery guest appearances.
ej flashfold We finally got him, ej! You should have seen him at the funeral, all decked out in a maroon dress suit, purple heels, and a hat to give Hedda fits. And for those that need to know; its on the left.
Ethel Merman did what most of the celebrities did not do, which is to acknowledge the audience. Most of them didn’t, which really was not very nice and rather elitist.
I noticed that. I also noticed Carol Channing also did (on one appearance, she takes a few seconds to get to the board to sign in, and I realized she was acknowledging the applause). Maybe the stage stars were more used to this than film people?
Joe Postove Watch closely and you'll see he didn't flip a card. Right before Arlene, Alan got a "no" for "Is it Buddy Hackett" and John states "that's 5 down and 5 to go" and then after Arlene gets a "oui" he starts to say "6 down 4 to go", but corrects himself and simply restates that it's "5 down and 5 to go". He didn't flip a card or change the score.
Joe Postove Well, Mr. Postove! To you it hasn't been such a huge leap, 'cause you already were on FB. As long as *Gary* stays here as *Our Host of Honour* I'm (so far) fine. The problem might be, that most of you regulars are posting your comments on FB, instead of here on Y.Tube, and there will not be so much left to say for us who are *not* that thrilled by the thought of getting an account on FB. Hm...
Joe Postove What's My Line? As I guessed. Everyone is on FB. No answer to my comments, not here, not in the previous WML, and The Bell is mute. I'm going back to my Sanskrit Lessons. Namaskar guys! :)
SuperWinterborn I don't think it's going to go that way. FB is best, I think, for related posts and general discussions. Discussions on the videos themselves I think are still going to be mostly made on YT. There are far fewer comments directly on today's posted show on FB than there are on YT, yet the activity in the group as a whole is so high that I'm already having a great deal of difficulty keeping up (which is not a complaint!) I'm not going anywhere-- I can't, if for no other reason than to make sure the comments on YT remain respectful. But it's going to take me longer to catch up than it used to! I'm working on setting up a different way of handling notifications so I can be a bit more systematic about it. I feel like I'm just jumping around from place to place with no rhyme or reason at this point.
It's so hard to think that raising mice to be killed would be on a game show. I know it happens even now, but to popularize it...I had to fast forward through that part of the show😿.
@@hizgrase If WML was running today, with covid protocols in place, the panel members would have probably worn opaque face shields for the Mystery Guest sequence to allow them to speak audibly when asking questions. Face shields, although not opaque from the wearer's point of view, are worn during rehearsals and other pre-show activities on a lot of shows right now, Fox's The Masked Singer being one that comes to mind.
9:20+- so if she were ugly, you wouldn't have asked the question? Our males still live in century's past in how they think! FYI, I'm a guy , and I know why I have nipples! I've reversed my christian Reaganomic educations!!
Ethel Merman was the ONLY really funny actor in Mad Mad Mad World. All those gigantic comedy legends were wasted wholesale. Her nagging mother in law was a treasure.
I can’t explain why I feel uncomfortable with Bennett. Then John said “lover boy” like that. I feel that Bennett was likely a predator. I just feel icky listening to him. And he has this seething anger ..... don’t like the man
![What's My Line? - Richard Boone; Phyllis Newman [panel]; Martin Gabel [panel] (Aug 18, 1963)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/3NHylmkmkuA/mqdefault.jpg)
![What's My Line? - Richard Boone; Phyllis Newman [panel]; Martin Gabel [panel] (Aug 18, 1963)](/img/tr.png)
![What's My Line? - Piper Laurie; Art Linkletter [panel] (Oct 15, 1961)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YZ-Ulh4D49k/mqdefault.jpg)
![What's My Line? - Allen Funt; Tony Randall [panel] (Sep 15, 1963)](/img/n.gif)
My grandfather and his family knew the flagpole painter. They lived in North Plainfield and so did I for almost 20 years.
I loved how all of the panel members stood up in respect for his age🥰
Yes, back when females were "ladies" and males were "gentlemen," and both genders had class!
I also love how the women stood up for the 85 year old pole painter. That's class. This show makes me grin from ear to ear.
I noticed that.
Back when people had manners and class!
Dorothy Kilgallen was so good at putting together all the info the panel had gathered and coming up with the answer!
@SavageArfad Excellent point! And quite correct .. journalists know how to furrow out & bring together all the bits of information!
My word! So wonderful to see Ethel Merman, so beautiful and talented! Her dress was ultra chic. Thank you for airing this ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️👏👏👏
It's very cool to see this appearance by Ethel Merman shortly before the opening of one of my favorite movies of all time -- It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.
Indeed agree with you 1000%, It's a mad,mad,mad,mad world is best comedy ever & to THIS day in 2023 it still is so! So many awesome comedian/actors at that time in it but, Ms Merman was just brilliant lead from her first lines with "...things that just happen!!" to her being the butt, literally joke at the end, you'll not stop laughing being amazed at the dialog & talents, comedic actions that situations all get involved within Just to find what's below the "Big W"in IMMMW!!
All have sadly passed on now & that talent amongst so many does not ex8st today & maybe never!
This WML is an exciting episode just before this movie opened in 1963, WOW!
Yes, indeed! Whenever I need a good laugh I watch that particular film. The fight scene at the garage is hilarious.
Love that movie!
Total class in this era when even the ladies stood as a sign of respect for the elder guest! Lovely!!!
Extremely good episode of this great show from the past. Having Ethel Merman as a guest was very special indeed!!!!!
She would appear 15 years later in the Match Game panel as well.
Quite nice how the panel all stood for Mr. Mundy, the flagpole painter!
My favorite part of this is in the post-identification conversation w/ Merman. For about 30 seconds you hear Merman just talking normally and quietly, in a voice you didn't hear very much from her. Then Arlene jokes w/ her about singing a song, and she comes back "At these prices?" in her typical loud brassy voice and her quiet voice has vanished.
Dorothy says she's confused -- and she solves two of the games. I should be so confused.
We wouldn't have a show like this now. No classy, clean talking, superior talents.....dressed beautifully..... the ladies are splendid, the guys are handsome. The formalities they use with each other is endearing, Miss it so much.
So wonderful that Arlene and Dorothy stood for the elderly challenger!
They did that for showing respect to elders most of the times
@@lopa2828 And also to clergy, I've seen
@@lennypearl
Yes, in particular, Ven. Bp. Fulton J. Sheen.
If they ever build a time machine, I'm going back to the 60s.
Me too
Me three
I’m not sure I ever left. 🤷♂️
Me makes four.
I'm with you Steve E. Especially, the early 60's (the JFK years), when the clothes, cars, and music had class!
I just love how people used to be so respectful of each other.
Something our society has lost. 😪
beginning at 17:51 -- another rare instance of Dorothy and Arlene standing to greet a contestant (this time out of respect for age, I imagine).
Yes. Dorothy and Arlene always stood for gentlemen and ladies older than themselves.
Yes, I'm sure they stood out of deference to an elder the way they did for the elderly woman who was a department store detective. Bennett Cerf's guessed her occupation both Arlene and Dorothy stood to shake her hand with poor Dot having to practically push her off the set because she wouldn't let go of her hand. Oh that right: her name was Emily V. McAvoy and she enjoyed talking to the panel particularly Joey Bishop and Dot so much. She had worked where she was employed for 64 years. Wow!!
And talent !
Not sure what you watched..Dorothy barely stood up and Arlene clearly did not!
@@donnalthood3102 I'm wondering what YOU watched. Dorothy actually stood up completely before the elderly gentleman even stood to the front of herself.
Fact: Mr Mundy is still painting flag poles at 145 years of age.
This is another great episode of the show.I've heard before that Ethel Merman was a great swimmer as well as an actress.Maybe I'm wrong however by memory it was her.The dear man who painted flagpoles for a living was very keen to do so and the lady who caught mice done well in her position.I'm not afraid of mice yet my son in law was standing on a chair very afraid while my daughter was laughing about the whole matter and put the mouse outside.
Ironic that when a man is accused of cowardice, he is compared to a mouse (as in this exchange from "A Day at the Races"):
Gil : Are you a man or a mouse?
Dr. Hackenbush (Groucho) : You put a piece of cheese down there and you'll find out.
Ester Williams was the swimmer
The respect for older people that has been lost!!!!!
The first contestant seemed so elegant.
The production staff are geniuses. Gil Fates said that the mail was only about the third most productive source of contestants, but they kept at it anyway. I doubt a corporate public relations person found the second contestant, though it might have brought WML the first one. The staff also subscribed to a bunch of small regional newspapers for the items sent in by the small-town stringers. That might be where it discovered the second contestant under the headline "Local painter turns 85."
Yes, I agree, the producers were brilliant. Same can be said of John Guedel, producer of You Bet Your Life and all of Art Linkletter's big programs. No matter how talented the cast-- and they were the best of the best-- shows absolutely require the guidance of an intelligent, committed producing team to really succeed, especially for such staggeringly long runs.
I hope I am as well off at 85 as the flagpole painter. Ethel Merman had a big voice. Thanks for the video.
The great Merman was one of the legendary stars of Broadway. Her Madame Rose in Gypsy was brilliant. Lansbury, Midler, and LuPone have done it brilliantly as well, but nobody compares to the great Merman in the role.
The next episode that aired, 11/10/63, is a must see. The one and only Jimmy Stewart made his one and only appearance on the show that night. He was there to promote his newest film, "Take Her, She's Mine".
I heard the title of that in Stewart's voice. :)
What a lovely man Allen Ludden was !
Yes Betty White lost her soulmate to cigarettes. No doubt he's in heaven waiting for her.
I agree, very lovely man. And so was John Daly.
Classy guy with a great sense of humor, that was Allen Ludden.
A true class act.
@@tabithawest3874
God willing, they've been reunited.
In 1965 North Carolina State College was changed in name to North Carolina State University at Raleigh, my alma mater.
*_RAISES MICE FOR RESEARCH_*
*_PAINTS FLAGPOLES_*
From the flagpole painter's admission, he started painting flagpoles at the end of the 19th century.
The 19th century was only 64 years ago.
She was Ms Broadway before her movie roles. She really could blast her songs; not pretty singing but exact and loud.
I really didn't like her voice. But as you say loud and clear.
@@sandrageorge3488 A result of the era in which I grew up, all I can think of is her belting out ♪ You'll be swell, you'll be great , gonna have the whole world on a plate ♪ in Airplane!
She'll always be Lieutenant Hurwitz to me.
Indeed. She was Broadway's all time greatest star.
Found Ethel on WML 3 tim3s into the
1970s.
I remember for sure that there was also an elderly man who painted flagpoles as well in an episode of the previous seasons. Cannot remember which though.
Ethel Merman was in "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World". And she was hilarious ! In the 60s.
And THEN she was in "Airplane" ! In the 80s. Even funnier.
She sings, "There's no business like show business..." She gets an IV drip and passes out.
Lieutenant Hurwitz "He thinks he's Ethel Merman."
Her real name is ETHEL ZIMMERMAN.
Ethel Merman. Force of Nature. If you have never seen her, Milton Berle, Buddy Hackett, Sid Caesar, Jonathan Winters, and [ in one of his last movies] Spencer Tracy in Stanley Kramer's massive tribute to comedy silent or otherwise "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World," it is worth seeing --- but clear your schedule. The first run was long, and then United Artists got worried about its profitability at such a long length and shortened it. Well, "butchered" is the real word. Finally, it has been mostly restored to its original humungous length on blueray DVD. Ethel gets the last laugh. The movie is hard on the bladder, really too much of a good thing; I remember leaving it exhausted.
Not to mention all the cameos. It's the very definition of an "overstuffed" film. Lots of greatness in it, but while I was happy to see that much lost footage has been restored, it was already way, WAY too long for a comedy film as it stood!
Watching it is like running a marathon.
Aritosthenes Shame that Groucho wasn't one of the cameos!
Aritosthenes I haven't seen the film for probably 15 years, so I'm not a good one to ask. But Buster is definitely in it. The imdb lists his part as "Jimmy the Crook". I don't know if that helps much, considering that it's probably just a short cameo. Jack Benny's cameo lasted all of 27 seconds.
Jack Benny cameo in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) [clip]
***** One of my favorite gags from that movie.
Dorothy Kilgallen was a multiple threat, Very Proper, Exceptional Manners & Breeding, Fantasticlly Intelligent, an Outstanding Talented Award Winning Newpaper Reporter, Wife & Mother, which had an Unfortunate Ending on November 8, 1965....therefore, the World Certainly Appreciated her Well Rounded Outlook....
Wow! I thought the contestant on the show who came on after Wilt Chamberlain was on would be oldest person on show @ 81 years old BUT this flagpole painter @ 85 yrs. old has her best by 4 years. Amazing!
He started painting in the 1800's!!
So does speak to the guests beforehand. "would you like to be on a scaffold with ME" Yes!
17:20 “bosun’s chair” ... I never knew the name of that.
She acknowledged the audience when she left. Never seen that on the show. What class. Hollywood isn’t like that anymore.
That's actually one of the "inside games" many of us play, noting who acknowledges the audience. It happens a decent amount of times - always nice to see. Then there's the "For whom do Arlene and/or Dorothy stand?" game, which was also played tonight. ;) I think there are so many fun aspects to watching these shows, I cannot fathom how any episode gets a thumbs down.
@@robbob1234 I wonder how many mystery guests had Arlene and Dorothy standing for them, AND also acknowledged the audience? :)
John Wayne acknowledged the audience and camera.1961 year I think.
She would later star in one of my favorite movies….It’s A mad, mad, mad, mad, world
By the time this WML episode aired, Ms. Merman had already made Mx4W. It premiered just a few weeks later on Nov 7, 1963.
[By the way, it's one of my favorite movies, too.]
Arlene: "And now I think it's time to pay tribute to our president"...the foreshadowing of things to come...
i saw it's a mad mad mad mad world at the JOYO, a small neighborhood theater in lincoln, nebraska, when i was a kid.
Dorothy is a wip!! Topped with the greatest voice on Broadway of all time !
She also sleeps with other men. Her 3rd child did not have her husband as the father. The celebrity that was the father was Johnny Ray.
There are six different varieties of mice as we all know; strawberry, cherry, raspberry, orange, lemon, and lime.
+Joe Postove
Hmm, I thought it was optical, cordless, track ball, 2-button, 3-button and Soupy Sales.
"Oh, Don!"
I'm impressed with the size of Mr Mundy's hands.
Another super nice personality, Allen Ludden, taken out by cigarettes. If only he, Johnny Carson and the millions of others, knew they were digging their own graves with those cancer sticks.
tabitha west Sadly cigarettes used to be heavily promoted back in the '60s and many, many entertainers were heavy smokers like Johnny Carson, Bette Davis and even Jazz icon Oscar Peterson. May they all RIP and Ethel Merman too though I don't recall her being a smokers.
As a side note my grandfather and uncle taken out by cigarettes. Lung cancer. Both stopped smoking to late.
@@jimboy819 Sad that cigs are ok but put down pot that is at least helpful to many. Snoop Dog and Willie Nelson are still around I see.
tabitha west They can enjoy it in food, also lessoning lung damage. In smoke form, also very bad for lungs.
Geez louise.....
Mommy!
The intro music from this season is the best of them all. It should have stayed that way till the end of the series.
No way, the original 1950 music worked best
Yes, I prefer this Kennedy-era post-Brubeck, pre-Beatles cocktail party jazz theme best. I love Brubeck and the Beatles, I'm just indicating the niche into which the spirit of this composition goes. Sometimes I try to think of lyrics for it, but all I've got so far is "🎶....play What's My Line 🎶" for the last four notes of the melody, which is about as cheesy as a French fourth course.
Arlene often asks talented mystery guests to perform, but I don't remember anyone ever doing so. I wonder if there was a policy on this (the extra expenditure, I would think, perhaps of a performer performing, per union rules, and the copyright payment for a song)
There was at least one example, where they got Louis Armstrong to sing a bit of "Hello, Dolly" (a huge hit for him at the time), despite the fact that it had been made clear to the producers by his manager that they were *not* to let him sing the song, which was set to debut on TV on a variety show later that week. But Louis was Louis. He wasn't a business person, he was an angel sent from the heavens, and when they asked, he gave them a few bars acapella. His manager, Joe Glaser, reportedly almost ruptured a blood vessel when he saw what was happening.
They couldn't have paid for rights for songs on a live broadcast because the few times it happened (if there were any outside of this example with Louis), it wasn't preplanned, though it might have caused ASCAP to demand royalties after the fact, I think part of the reason the performers never performed is that John was against that sort of thing (he's usually the one who squashes the requests). Whether there were legal/financial ramifications or not, and as well intentioned as the requests were (usually from Arlene), I always considered this a bit like inviting a plumber to dinner and then asking him/her to repair your toilet for free after dessert.
What's My Line? Agreed. I love Arlene, but I wonder how she would feel if someone asked her to "host" for their entertainment. When I began in radio, friends and acquaintances would ask me to "do" some radio for them. I was young and stupid and sometimes would until I figured out that the best response would be to ask to be paid.
What's My Line?
I think that there were a couple of times that Mystery Guests did sing a little "Thank You" or "Goodbye" to the panel; the De Marco Sisters in February of 1953 comes readily to mind (and maybe the Andrews Sisters on one occasion). But no more than that.....
And I think that, among "regular Joe/Jane" contestants, there was a pair of male college students who were singing deliverymen who gave a sample of what they did. But that's the only one that I can think of.
jmccracken1963
There was also the little girl, Marilyn Patch, from a few episodes back, who sang a song composed by her parents, which she had apparently also sung on her own television show. John was very indulgent with her and encouraged her to sing -- I think at least partially because he felt bad for her for having had her "line" guessed in one turn by Dorothy, and the game ended so quickly that they had enough time.
P.S. The singing college students were great, but I think they were garbage men. :)
jmccracken1963""regular Joe/Jane"...Who?
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" is a favorite movie. Always fun to watch. I wonder if the Kennedy Assassination hurt the box office? Resident Kennedy assassination historian David Pein may have something to say about that.
Wow, the way Dorothy pulled a mouse out of the hat on that first game really shows why she was easily the best WML player of them all.
23:28 As the panel is saying their good nights, it seems obvious that Allen Ludden's wife, Betty White, must be sitting in the audience.
she's about to hit 96 & still vibrant as ever
@@orgonkothewildlyuntamed6301 She hit 99 and counting....
One of my earliest memories of watching What's My Line? as a kid was a later Merm appearance where Bennett said something I remember to this day.
And what did Bennet say. . . ?
I hate to ruin that episode for you with a spoiler.
soulierinvestments Fair enough! With my memory, I'll never remember it when we get to the later appearance. But assuming other folks actually have some functioning memory capacity unlike me, maybe better not to spoil it.
Where I live, the flag poles are to be laid down, and it has been like that since the 40'es at least..
Maybe this old guy's method is what kept him active at it for 65 years, which means he started in the 19th century. And just to further blow your mind, think on this: here we are in the 21st century, reminiscing about a show many of us were alive to watch in the 20th century, that featured a gentleman who worked as an adult in the 19th century! We're talking about experiencing a separation of three centuries!
Unpopular opinion: I prefer this version of the intro
My mom's 39th birthday
Is that OLD Mr. Mundy? gee whiz, he is 135 years young now.
+Joe Postove
Mundy, Mundy, he was all I hoped he would be ...
Dorothy you must not have been too confused. Or, if you were, you recovered nicely.
Allen Ludden and John Daly were both were very articulate human beings.
Here is what preempted this show on 11/3/63: www.tv.com/shows/whats-my-line/preempted-week-15-of-25-97693/trivia/
I believe the 12/1/63 show that was taped on 11/3/63 was supposed to air on 11/24/63, but was pushed ahead by one week due to coverage on the death of President Kennedy.
Where would the producers most likely use this tape? -- the Sunday before Thanksgiving vacation, or the Sunday after Thanksgiving vacation?
soulierinvestments Well, assuming what I said is true, that episode would have aired on the Sunday before Thanksgiving vacation. In 1963, Thanksgiving was on 11/28/63.
Dorothy was _on it!_
Funny that a few weeks later they did have Y.A. Tittle!
I think Arlene Francis has to be one of the sexiest women
Now wait a minute here... A flagpole painter does NOT start at the bottom and work his way up! The veezey-verzey makes a lot more sense! The job certainly does have its ups and downs! And John Daly confuses the 85-year old contestant as well as he does the panel!
Wow, the real Billie Jean was on the show :)
Alan Ludden and Dr. Drew...separated at birth? LOL
In spite of her sharp mind I would have thought that her insecurity sooner or later would have pointed Dorothy to learn Something/Anything about biology. Mink and ermine are certainly not rodents!
They dealt in very general categories on the show--animal, vegetable, mineral--lumping insects under animals and arachnids under insects, so it doesn't surprise me that they would lump mink and ermine under rodents.
The entire panel, including Daly, were abysmally ignorant of animal life.
@@kentetalman9008What's My Genus?
"Starting at the bottom..." I would think flagpole painters would start at the top, wouldn't they?
Alan Follett I assume the pole lies on its side for painting. after it dries, flip it and do the other side
The painter said that he uses a bosun's chair, that pulley arrangement used over the sides of ships holding just one person. Somehow it's attached and then removed so as not to smear the paint - he has my admiration to work at 85 y.o.!
You start at the bottom and go up to the top only if you paint Helter Skelter.
@@loissimmons6558 Only they spelled it, "Healter Skelter", so not only were they very bad people, they were very bad spellers, as well.
@@kennethlatham3133 Manson and his followers did, but not The Beatles. I was. of course, quoting The Beatles lyrics.
I like Arlene's hairstyle here, she looks great. For the 85 year old guy, the panelists are almost shouting the questions. I wonder if they were instructed to do that.
There was NO shouting. Your TV must have bad volume
About Ethel Merman: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethel_Merman
Ethel Merman is 55 here.
Is the standard they go by that a woman who is in the movies and is asked if she is an "actor" answers no? I would think even then, she would be considered an actor (and an actress, of course). I wonder how they handled comedian and comedienne then and now?
Actor was considered an acceptably gender-neutral term, as was comedian. But if the guest was male, they certainly wouldn't get a "yes" to "are you an *actress*".
Perhaps, Milton Berle?
I have noticed that contemporary women in the acting profession seem to disdain the word "actress" and insist on referring to themselves as actors. I don't really understand why, as I don't think there's anything demeaning about the "ress" suffix -- just differentiating. But back then, I think it was still clear from the question, "are you an actor?" that the questioner thought the mystery guest was male, so "no" was a proper response. The "comedienne" distinction has not been common for a long time, but I have also noticed on previous WML episodes that the panel, mystery guests and audience seemed to make a definite distinction between "comedienne" and "comedian." I can't remember who was involved, but on at least one occasion (and perhaps more), the audience laughed when a woman known for comedy was asked if she was a "comedian," because it was obvious that the panel thought she was a man. And if I'm remembering correctly, Shirley Booth was careful about that distinction in one of her mystery guest appearances.
ej flashfold We finally got him, ej! You should have seen him at the funeral, all decked out in a maroon dress suit, purple heels, and a hat to give Hedda fits. And for those that need to know; its on the left.
+What's My Line? This is not so: you did not call a female an actor.
Ethel Merman did what most of the celebrities did not do, which is to acknowledge the audience. Most of them didn’t, which really was not very nice and rather elitist.
I noticed that. I also noticed Carol Channing also did (on one appearance, she takes a few seconds to get to the board to sign in, and I realized she was acknowledging the applause). Maybe the stage stars were more used to this than film people?
Carol Lawrence did it as well after shaking hands with the panel she turned to the audience and waved.
John Wayne and Lana turner did. I think real old timers like Gloria Swanson and Tallulah Bankhead did also .
Lucille Ball always acknowledgement the audience too.
was betty in the audience? because bennett points into the audience at 23:35
Sometimes John gets dizzy. Arlene got a oui for "do you sing" and he flipped a card. C'mon, c'mon!
Joe Postove Watch closely and you'll see he didn't flip a card. Right before Arlene, Alan got a "no" for "Is it Buddy Hackett" and John states "that's 5 down and 5 to go" and then after Arlene gets a "oui" he starts to say "6 down 4 to go", but corrects himself and simply restates that it's "5 down and 5 to go". He didn't flip a card or change the score.
no animal testing!!
I swear, I think Arlene Francis is suffering from heat stroke.
13:48 He accidentally said “no sir”.
Less than a month later..
I am not a expert but ethel seemed a lovely lady, have not seen anything she was awful.
I don't know which is better. I like being here on the same page as the program, but if everyone is over on FaceBook am I missing the action. Help!
I see you've rectified that. :) The FB group is blowing my mind already. I can't keep up!
What's My Line? But you must keep up, sir. Who will guide us? Where shall we go? "What's My Line" must have it's Dear Leader!
Joe Postove Well, Mr. Postove! To you it hasn't been such a huge leap, 'cause you already were on FB. As long as *Gary* stays here as *Our Host of Honour* I'm (so far) fine. The problem might be, that most of you regulars are posting your comments on FB, instead of here on Y.Tube, and there will not be so much left to say for us who are *not* that thrilled by the thought of getting an account on FB. Hm...
Joe Postove What's My Line? As I guessed. Everyone is on FB. No answer to my comments, not here, not in the previous WML, and The Bell is mute. I'm going back to my Sanskrit Lessons. Namaskar guys! :)
SuperWinterborn I don't think it's going to go that way. FB is best, I think, for related posts and general discussions. Discussions on the videos themselves I think are still going to be mostly made on YT. There are far fewer comments directly on today's posted show on FB than there are on YT, yet the activity in the group as a whole is so high that I'm already having a great deal of difficulty keeping up (which is not a complaint!)
I'm not going anywhere-- I can't, if for no other reason than to make sure the comments on YT remain respectful. But it's going to take me longer to catch up than it used to! I'm working on setting up a different way of handling notifications so I can be a bit more systematic about it. I feel like I'm just jumping around from place to place with no rhyme or reason at this point.
How much was Johnny Olsen paid for WML?
At 17:20 the answer to scaling the pole was to use a -what- chair?
He used a bosun's chair.
Oh great! Now I have the Old Spice jingle as an ear worm.
ua-cam.com/video/x42mGpIwCgg/v-deo.html
Allen Luden is very handsome
It's so hard to think that raising mice to be killed would be on a game show. I know it happens even now, but to popularize it...I had to fast forward through that part of the show😿.
John Filibuster Daly!
Can you imagine the panel in blindfolds during Covid?
They'd probably wear black face shields instead of masks.
@@lauraatkinson4790 what?
@@hizgrase If WML was running today, with covid protocols in place, the panel members would have probably worn opaque face shields for the Mystery Guest sequence to allow them to speak audibly when asking questions. Face shields, although not opaque from the wearer's point of view, are worn during rehearsals and other pre-show activities on a lot of shows right now, Fox's The Masked Singer being one that comes to mind.
9:20+- so if she were ugly, you wouldn't have asked the question?
Our males still live in century's past in how they think! FYI, I'm a guy , and I know why I have nipples!
I've reversed my christian
Reaganomic educations!!
Ethel Merman was the ONLY really funny actor in Mad Mad Mad World. All those gigantic comedy legends were wasted wholesale. Her nagging mother in law was a treasure.
Please! Let’s have British What’s My Line…not American.. Please!
Why the hell don't you escape to the UK to watch the British version of WML.
I can’t explain why I feel uncomfortable with Bennett. Then John said “lover boy” like that. I feel that Bennett was likely a predator. I just feel icky listening to him. And he has this seething anger ..... don’t like the man
You clearly need to grow up.
I met Bennett Cerf. He was absolutely delightful.
Shame on you for disliking this rare video. If you don't have anything nice to say, then get a life or go away!
MR. Daly needs to shut up!!!