Lt. John Tuck, Jr. was my father. The Antarctic and IGY studies (including photos of my dad) were featured in Life Magazine and National Geographic, possibly helping in his being quickly identified. As all of this occurred long before I was born; and with his passing when I was a teen, I treasure this clip.
+JustJackCorgi Thanks so much for sharing this additional information about your father! Did he ever mention his WML appearance to you at all? The panel sure had fun with him, in spite (or perhaps, because) of guessing him so quickly, and he seemed to be having fun with them too! Did he ever share any exciting stories of his South Pole adventures with you?
Robert Preston and Cyril Richard! Wow! These shows are priceless. They preserve the Greats. Did you know that John Daley announced the attack on Pearl Harbor?
Robert Preston was hot that night! He made some great guesses. Smart fellow. I really liked the guests on this one: The lieutenant was very nice, the rocket designer was pretty interesting and they both had a sense of humor. The psychiatrist was nice, too. Loved Cyril Ritchard- he was funny! Actually the whole gang had me cracking up throughout the whole show. Great episode!
How the heck did Robert Preston guess the Navy Lieutenant that so fast? He clearly kept in touch with the goings on of our military...wow! You can see those eyes dancing around. What a mensch: intelligent, eloquent, well spoken, well read and let's just forget about how charismatic and handsome.
I think the beard helped steer him in the right direction. Very few men had a beard like that and dressed as well. Such a beard is common among polar explorers. Another clue, it was the International Geophysical Year, so the doings of the various people would be prominent in the news, so he had probably heard a lot about him, especially as he was the base commander.
+Sara Vazzana There is a post on this comments page from Lt. Tuck's son (+JustJackCorgi), in which he explains that there had been some recent magazine articles featuring his father at around that time. He posted his comment several months after your initial question and about a month after @John Waller's reply, and I currently see it at the top of this comments page.
+Sara Vazzana I suspect he'd seen articles and didn't DQ himself over it. (I'd prefer if he had, but it's ameliorated by John & the panel getting to talk to him some.)
From the Dartmouth archives. --- "John Tuck Jr, was born in 1933. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1954 after which he went on active duty in the Navy's Civil Engineering Corps. He served aboard the icebreaker "Edisto" in the Arctic before volunteering for Antarctic duty. In 1957, he was among a group that became the first to reach the South Pole on foot since Scott in 1911-12. Mount Tuck in Antarctica was later named in his honor. After leaving the Navy, Tuck became a geography professor at the University of Wisconsin and later the University of Georgia."
Robert Preston was really on the ball. Not surprising as during WW2 he was an intelligence officer in the US 9th Air Force with the 386th Bomb Group, joined the then Air Corps right after Pearl Harbor.
Bennett asks: "When do you think we will reach the moon?" The guest felt an unmanned landing could occur within a couple of years, but could not venture a guess as to how long before a human might get there. And here I'm watching this on the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.
And this episode is only THREE DAYS after THE MUSIC MAN opened on Broadway at the Majestic Theatre!!!!! And, indeed, Cyril Ritchard did appear as Don Andres in LA PERICHOLE at the Metropolitan Opera the following night (he also directed the production) - and Patrice Munsel, who would be the Mystery Guest on an upcoming episode of WHAT'S MY LINE? (2 February 1958, in fact), sang the title role in that performance.
I'm just glad they cast Robert Preston in the title role of the film adaptation of "The Music Man", which was excellent in every way. But I guess they had to put Robert Preston in the movie version -- he was no stranger to films and absolutely no one else could play Harold Hill as brilliantly as he did.
Preston was indeed a tremendous presence and a brilliant actor. Check out his performance in Cecil B. DeMille's Union Pacific (1939). I understand that Music Man was the very first time he had ever appeared in a musical, and what a demanding part to take on! And during the entire run of the show, they say he never even once flubbed a single line.
regardless of how inimitably successful Preston was as The Music Man, Hollywood is fully capable of deciding, when making the film to "go another way" as they put it.
The movie part of Harold Hill was first offered to Cary Grant. He graciously turned it down insisting that no one but Broadway's Robert Preston should star in the film version of The Music Man.
I've never heard that, but I know that he was offered the part of Henry Higgins and said that not only would he not play it, he would not go to SEE it unless Rex Harrison was cast.
@@accomplice55 Well, Rex Harrison could have done it, but I really doubt that it would have been as good as Robert Preston. I was 13 and mesmerized by it.
Well, but he was a trained actor, and in those days, prominent Americans also spoke with British-inflected accents in a style called Mid-Atlantic, so named because it was thought of as being halfway between an east-coast American and an upper-class British accent.
Bennett wondered when it would be possible for a rocket to reach the moon--it turns out, the Soviets did it just two years later. The Americans got there in 1962.
John Tuck Jr., the Navy Lieutenant, what a brave young man. Gives me chills just thinking about the south pole. He's probably gone to the heavily father by now, nevertheless I thank him for the service he gave.
I liked the Atlas designer. It's cool that the Atlas launched the first Americans into orbit... and the Atlas V is still lobbing stuff into space and will be till 2020 or so. It's also pinch hitting for the Antares launcher to carry the Cygnus cargo ship to the ISS. Good job, mr B. ;-D
Lt. Tuck passed away in 1984 at the age of 51, unfortunately. He had a Mount named for him: "Mount Tuck (78°29′S 84°50′W) is a pyramidal mountain (3,560 m) at the head of Hansen Glacier, the summit of Doyran Heights in the Sentinel Range of Ellsworth Mountains, Antarctica. It surmounts Hansen Glacier to the north, Hough Glacier to the south and upper Dater Glacier to the west, and separated from Veregava Ridge to the northwest by Manole Pass. The peak was first mapped by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) from surveys and U.S. Navy air photos from 1957 to 1959. It was named by the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN) for Lieutenant John Tuck Jr., a U.S. Navy support leader at the South Pole Station in 1957."
After hearing K.G. Bossart's accent at the end of the challenge, I thought he must've been one of the German "rocket men" who arrived in the US in the late 40s. While he was up there with Werner von Braun, he was Belgian and some point in the 20s or 30s got a scholarship to attend MIT, where he studied aeronautical engineering, obviously a brand new thing. He stayed in the US afterward. He developed the first American ICBM.
My Grandfather was at MIT with Charlie and they were friends. The family story is they all watched the original broadcast, around the time my father was graduating from MIT. There is a biography out now, I highly recommend it. The author has previously written on the Soviet rocket effort so the portrayal of the competitive context is very good. Although the latter competition with Von Braun is documented I suspect there is something missing regarding their earlier relationship. All in all this is an important history, and it’s great to see it start to be publicly documented.
@@bluecamus5162 As I understand it the same basic design is still in use today for civilian launches. It is the most efficient, but ICBM tech is now solid fuel due the need for continuous fast response.
I am always amused by how such a big deal was made in the 50s about facial hair. Bennett, of course always had the punny quips. Only a few short years later, beards were far more commonplace. I notice that almost every time a bearded fellow appears as a contestant on WML, Bennett usually has something witty (or otherwise) to say.
Steve Stalzle - Facial hair on men has gone in and out of style frequently throughout civilized human history. However, I suspect it was not as common in this era because we had just come out of a world war a decade earlier wherein all service members had military regs to follow regarding hair, facial or atop the head. Then, having probably seen all these shows more than once, I must note that the few male contestants who had beards had very long, impressive ones and were of professions that allowed that, like an independent contractor who was a tree surgeon and a self-employed gold prospector. And their beards were comment- worthy they were so spectacular and long. I believe Arlene commented in particular on both of those, too, and it may have been she especially liked facial hair.
As I recall, Robert Preston had a mustache when he previously appeared on WML. I like him better without the facial hair, although I like some men better with a mustache. My dad looked more distinguished and handsome with one.
In regards to the comments a bout the way Dr. Rosen moved. I would like to suggest that she was a polio survivor. She had the stiffness and gait of people I have seen as adult survivors of polio
Polio creates a particular drop of the hip or affected part of the leg that is unlike any other injury. Since it involves any combination of weak or atrophied muscles its look can't be duplicated. Any sort of bracing would have been quite obvious in the '50, since all were made of leather and steel back then, so were large and cumbersome.
I will say this, though: in that last segment (with Phoebe F. Rosen as the contestant), Dorothy Kilgallen probably comes closer than anybody since Hal Block to implying that a contestant's "line" is that of strip-tease artist. No wonder that John Daly wrapped up that one quickly......
She was not implying anything of the sort, she was trying to determine whether she really was doctor, and what type, and not simply called a doctor as a nickname, or as a stage name. "Doctor of Striptease" was simply an example of a fictitious title. Striptease probably popped into her mind based on what John had said, remember, he said that he would enjoy watching her. At to this the attempt to avoid a no answer....
+John Waller Gypsy Rose Lee was given the title of Doctor of Striptease, according to Bernard Sobel's 1956 book "A Pictorial History of Burlesque" - I get just a snippet view of it at Google Books, so can't tell just when or where, but it says that Gertrude Lawrence accepted the award for her in her absence, so 1952 at the latest. Anyway, though facetious, it wasn't just a figment of Dorothy's imagination.
Given that Gertrude Lawrence was very ill with cancer when she appeared as Mrs. Anna in THE KING AND I (1950-1952), and that Gypsy Rose Lee and her sister, June Havoc, were effectively blacklisted from TV during that period because of their active involvement in left-wing politics, I would say more likely some time during World War II or right after the war.
@@jmccracken1963 I don't see what TV has to do with it; I can't imagine that any presentation of an award for striptease would have been televised. This wasn't an Academy Award.
I can't imagine anyone ever gets to watch a psychiatrist at work, given the strictures of doctor-patient confidentiality. Maybe another psychiatrist in a clinical setting in a supervisory capacity might watch through a one-way glass, but I can't think of anyone else who'd be allowed to.
They can because there are different types. For instance, some are involved in research and all student doctors observe other doctors, (with permission of their patients), at some point.
This Christmas episode is one of the best I've seen on UA-cam in that the panel, the mystery guest and John Daly obviously like each other and raise each other's game in wit, intelligence and charm. I wondered whether Mr Bossart the rocket designer, who began work on his project in 1946, had perhaps been a Nazi scientist on the losing side of the Second World War. His accent suggested that he came from outside the USA, but I mean no malicious comment if that isn't so.
There were a number of former Nazis who came to the US to work in military and space applications, Werner von Braun most prominently. So it is a definite possibility.
That was quite a beard on that first contestant. I guess he couldn’t shave while he was at the South Pole! He was actually quite good looking behind all that hair. What an impressive young man. Robert Preston was smart to figure it out.
Fred Allen may not have solved many guests line of work, but along with Steve Allen, he was the sharpest wit to ever play the game. Not every comment was a gem, but more than not, he was on point. The two Allen boys were head and shoulders panelists.
Bennett Cerf asked that guy when mankind would go to the Moon. Of course we all know the answer is July 20, 1969, a little more than 2 years before Cerf died.
It's interesting to note everybody's reactions to Mr. Tuck's hair & beard styles, as if he were an anomaly (and in the 1950s, he was). But, historically, when you look at photographs of the California Gold Rush, i.e., of the men who came to California's Sierra Foothills looking for gold, or view the historic black-and-white photos that showed groups of men gathered about in the pre-20th century into the early 20th century, who were coal miners, farmers, and Civil War soldiers (et al.), many of these men posing for those photos had beards, and often the longer beards seem to be on those people in command. So, obviously, it was quite normal "back then." But several generations passed where men went without beards, until the late 1960s into the 1970s, and beards were popular again. Then it became less stylish (I guess), so off came the beards. But now, in the 2020s, it's popular again for men and women--I mean, just men, to wear their beards, and in "stylish" ways. So I guess we are an off-again, on-again society, but that's probably because we come and go, here and there, onward and upward, and all around the town; and we probably still enjoy "Ring Around the Rosy" for an afternoon game. Ah...the circle of life....
First guest (South Pole explorer) by being aware of current events Second guest (rocket scientist) by knowing the difference between jet and rocket propulsion. Smart guy. Most effective panelist.
Arlene asks Cyril if he's in a "legitimate play" as opposed to a musical, while sitting next to the star of The Music Man. Are musicals somehow illegitimate?
No, this comes up pretty regularly. The term "legitimate stage" isn't understood by most people today. "Legitimate" in this context means a scripted show produced in a theater, which includes musicals. It was a way to distinguish between plays/musicals vs variety shows, burlesque, vaudeville, concert and nightclub appearances, that sort of thing.
The term dates back a few hundred years in England, when it was necessary to get a royal license in order to open a theater. (I don't remember the exact name: it could have been a royal patent or warrant or something.) And of course this meant being subject to censorship as well. So "legitimate" should be understood as a synonym for "licensed" in historical context.
@@WhatsMyLine Dorothy once said asked someone if they were in the legitimate theatre and they said "yes." Then she said, "in NY on Broadway," and the guest said "no," and Dorothy said, "Then you haven't been in the legitimate theatre." As if the rest of the world didn't count.
@@markxxx21 Dorothy made a number of comments about people outside New York that indicated that to her, the rest of the world indeed did not count. She certainly had the mentality of that famous world view New Yorker magazine cover
Yes, it's a hot topic right now with Artemis(the world's most powerful rocket with, I believe, 8.8 million pounds of thrust). It supposed to go past moon and may orbit. Launch date Aug 29th, 2022.
I don't think John was making a dirty joke; I assumed he was referring to growing hair on the balding parts of his scalp. Of course people told dirty jokes in 1957, but not very often on TV; certainly not with the approval of the networks.
Ok....did I hear this correctly? When Arlene joked that didn't John wish he could grow a beard that long, John replied "If I had any luck in this area, I'd have another part of my anatomy on the list".........OMG.....are you thinking what I'm thinking!!?? I almost fell off my chair. Did I misinterpret or was this television's first confession for a "larger piece of equipment!!"
Oh, come on! What the esteemed Mr. Daly said was no worse than many of the sexual innuendos Groucho Marx was infamous for; Marx (to a father): ...you have 12 children? My goodness! Father: Yes, sir. I love my wife very much! Marx: I love a good cigar, but I remove it out of my mouth occasionally!
The Dr. Rosen part is one of the more strage episodes I' ve seen in WML until now. At first I'm asking myself about her strange posture and movements - either her dress or shoes were not fitting or she faced some other physical or mental challenge. Then, she seemed to be unexpectedly shy or absentminded, her answers were barely understandable. And, after all, Dorothy made that incredibly rude remark, which in no way seems logic, considering what was said before. There is reason to suspect that alcohol was involved, and more than usually.
+0cer0 It actually looks to me -- at 20:10 and 24:50 or so in particular -- that she may have had some kind of paralysis or injury of the shoulder. Definitely all there mentally, to my eyes. Just not outwardly outgoing.
After looking at this a second time, I think Dr. Rosen had some slight physical disability that affected the way she walked. Unlike others, I don't think her answers were at all unclear. And finally....I think Kilgallen's comment about her being "a Doctor of Striptease" was one of the top ten rudest comments ever made on the original WML---perhaps brought on by jealousy of Dr. Rosen's good looks.
+519DJW Yes, walk and shoulder/arm both. (She's holding her non-dominant arm stiffly.) Perfectly intelligent, yes. (And capable of offense.) I can't speculate as to Dorothy's motives. Seems to me more like she got stuck on a line of thought and couldn't get away from it.
I didn't take it that Dorothy was suggesting that Dr. Rosen had something to do with strip tease. Rather she was trying to verify that the final challenger was indeed a medical doctor and there wasn't some trickery on the part of the WML staff at work. I agree, however, that Dr. Rosen had difficulty navigating her way across stage and she almost loses her balance when shaking hands with Robert Preston. It is impossible for me to tell if her skirt is too tight, she wasn't accustomed to walking in the shoes she was wearing or she had some sort of injury or infirmity that affected her gait. As far as the stiffness of her arm, that might have been to maintain balance.
![What's My Line? - Olivia de Havilland; Eamonn Andrews [panel] (May 25, 1958)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/nddnvTyoSmk/mqdefault.jpg)
![What's My Line? - Olivia de Havilland; Eamonn Andrews [panel] (May 25, 1958)](/img/tr.png)
![What's My Line? - Jolie Gabor; Tony Perkins; Lloyd Nolan [panel] (Dec 29, 1957)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/eUcC86P6uhk/mqdefault.jpg)
Lt. John Tuck, Jr. was my father. The Antarctic and IGY studies (including photos of my dad) were featured in Life Magazine and National Geographic, possibly helping in his being quickly identified.
As all of this occurred long before I was born; and with his passing when I was a teen, I treasure this clip.
JustJackCorgi It's always wonderful to see comments from folks related to the contestants-- thanks for the background!
+JustJackCorgi Thanks so much for sharing this additional information about your father! Did he ever mention his WML appearance to you at all? The panel sure had fun with him, in spite (or perhaps, because) of guessing him so quickly, and he seemed to be having fun with them too! Did he ever share any exciting stories of his South Pole adventures with you?
There m8ust be an old National Geographic magazine issue which pictorially depicts the lieutenant's experience down in the South Pole.
Do you have a beard?
Thank you so much for the additional information. I'm a fan of the research done in Antarctica! It's fascinating!!
Robert Preston was a great guest panelist.
Friendly, bright and incisive
I completely agree.
Robert Preston and Cyril Richard! Wow!
These shows are priceless. They preserve the Greats.
Did you know that John Daley announced the attack on Pearl Harbor?
Robert Preston was hot that night! He made some great guesses. Smart fellow. I really liked the guests on this one: The lieutenant was very nice, the rocket designer was pretty interesting and they both had a sense of humor. The psychiatrist was nice, too. Loved Cyril Ritchard- he was funny! Actually the whole gang had me cracking up throughout the whole show. Great episode!
Robert Preston appears to be quite smart and I'm delighted to know that about him.
Mr Preston was very impressive. Great questions and good current events knowledge.
Who in 1957 would have thought it would only be 12 years to send men to the moon?? Amazing that we accomplished it so fast.
Wow. Robert Preston plays a helluva game!
I am so, so glad they kept Robert Preston for the film version of The Music Man. It is one of my favorite older musicals.
How the heck did Robert Preston guess the Navy Lieutenant that so fast? He clearly kept in touch with the goings on of our military...wow! You can see those eyes dancing around. What a mensch: intelligent, eloquent, well spoken, well read and let's just forget about how charismatic and handsome.
I think the beard helped steer him in the right direction. Very few men had a beard like that and dressed as well. Such a beard is common among polar explorers. Another clue, it was the International Geophysical Year, so the doings of the various people would be prominent in the news, so he had probably heard a lot about him, especially as he was the base commander.
John Waller Wow, great to know, John Walker. Very insightful. Thanks for sharing!
+Sara Vazzana There is a post on this comments page from Lt. Tuck's son (+JustJackCorgi), in which he explains that there had been some recent magazine articles featuring his father at around that time. He posted his comment several months after your initial question and about a month after @John Waller's reply, and I currently see it at the top of this comments page.
+Sara Vazzana I suspect he'd seen articles and didn't DQ himself over it. (I'd prefer if he had, but it's ameliorated by John & the panel getting to talk to him some.)
+John Waller Probably more commonly known at that time in history.
Ah Robert and Cyril in the same video! Such a joy :) they were great.
From the Dartmouth archives. --- "John Tuck Jr, was born in 1933. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1954 after which he went on active duty in the Navy's Civil Engineering Corps. He served aboard the icebreaker "Edisto" in the Arctic before volunteering for Antarctic duty. In 1957, he was among a group that became the first to reach the South Pole on foot since Scott in 1911-12. Mount Tuck in Antarctica was later named in his honor. After leaving the Navy, Tuck became a geography professor at the University of Wisconsin and later the University of Georgia."
When Dorothy said that Mr. Preston was better than all of them, she was only speaking the truth.
Love this show and all of them!!!
Robert Preston was always so charming.
Boy is that right!
Suoer-cordial
Robert Preston was really on the ball. Not surprising as during WW2 he was an intelligence officer in the US 9th Air Force with the 386th Bomb Group, joined the then Air Corps right after Pearl Harbor.
Navy beard, unusual no moustache, this is Amish style.
Robert Preston was such a charming man!
I loved him on the TV show Sargent Preston mounty of the Yukon 😊
Bennett asks: "When do you think we will reach the moon?" The guest felt an unmanned landing could occur within a couple of years, but could not venture a guess as to how long before a human might get there. And here I'm watching this on the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.
A tremendous joy to watch this.
And this episode is only THREE DAYS after THE MUSIC MAN opened on Broadway at the Majestic Theatre!!!!! And, indeed, Cyril Ritchard did appear as Don Andres in LA PERICHOLE at the Metropolitan Opera the following night (he also directed the production) - and Patrice Munsel, who would be the Mystery Guest on an upcoming episode of WHAT'S MY LINE? (2 February 1958, in fact), sang the title role in that performance.
My grandmother had the recording of that Perichole production with Ritchard and Munsel on LP. I played it till it wore out.
John sneaks this one by after the introductions: "...we'd like to see The Music Man have some TROUBLE." Ha!
Didn't know Cyril Richard was from Australia! My neck of the woods. Now I have to google him.
7:42 "... I'd have another part of my anatomy..." - incredible!
I'm just glad they cast Robert Preston in the title role of the film adaptation of "The Music Man", which was excellent in every way. But I guess they had to put Robert Preston in the movie version -- he was no stranger to films and absolutely no one else could play Harold Hill as brilliantly as he did.
That's right. Nobody topped him as that character!
Like Yul Brynner as the King of Siam in "The King and I". No one else could do it the way he did it -- and they got it on film!
and to think that Jack Warner wanted Frank Sinatra as Harold Hill/
Preston was indeed a tremendous presence and a brilliant actor. Check out his performance in Cecil B. DeMille's Union Pacific (1939). I understand that Music Man was the very first time he had ever appeared in a musical, and what a demanding part to take on! And during the entire run of the show, they say he never even once flubbed a single line.
regardless of how inimitably successful Preston was as The Music Man, Hollywood is fully capable of deciding, when making the film to "go another way" as they put it.
The movie part of Harold Hill was first offered to Cary Grant. He graciously turned it down insisting that no one but Broadway's Robert Preston should star in the film version of The Music Man.
I can't imagine Cary Grant singing those songs.
I've never heard that, but I know that he was offered the part of Henry Higgins and said that not only would he not play it, he would not go to SEE it unless Rex Harrison was cast.
@@accomplice55 Well, Rex Harrison could have done it, but I really doubt that it would have been as good as Robert Preston. I was 13 and mesmerized by it.
listening to cyril ritchard speaking reminds me of how british australians used to sound
Well, but he was a trained actor, and in those days, prominent Americans also spoke with British-inflected accents in a style called Mid-Atlantic, so named because it was thought of as being halfway between an east-coast American and an upper-class British accent.
I love when Arlene can't keep it inside. "OH I KNOW WHO IT IS!" Hee hee.
What a delight to see Cyril Ritchard!!!
Cyril Ritchard appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's first sound picture, "Blackmail," in 1929. He sings and plays the piano.
I've seen Cyril Ritchard as Captain Hook and no one can compare to his characterization!
Bennett wondered when it would be possible for a rocket to reach the moon--it turns out, the Soviets did it just two years later. The Americans got there in 1962.
Unlike so many actors those days Robert Preston had only one wife. A loving relationship I am sure.
John Tuck Jr., the Navy Lieutenant, what a brave young man. Gives me chills just thinking about the south pole. He's probably gone to the heavily father by now, nevertheless I thank him for the service he gave.
He died early, in 1984 at the age of 51.
Dorothy's hairstyle in this episode is particularly flattering.
I liked the Atlas designer. It's cool that the Atlas launched the first Americans into orbit... and the Atlas V is still lobbing stuff into space and will be till 2020 or so. It's also pinch hitting for the Antares launcher to carry the Cygnus cargo ship to the ISS. Good job, mr B. ;-D
I love Arlene's gown!
I had and totally enjoyed Cyril Richard's narration of Alice in wonderland.
Lt. Tuck passed away in 1984 at the age of 51, unfortunately. He had a Mount named for him:
"Mount Tuck (78°29′S 84°50′W) is a pyramidal mountain (3,560 m) at the head of Hansen Glacier, the summit of Doyran Heights in the Sentinel Range of Ellsworth Mountains, Antarctica. It surmounts Hansen Glacier to the north, Hough Glacier to the south and upper Dater Glacier to the west, and separated from Veregava Ridge to the northwest by Manole Pass.
The peak was first mapped by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) from surveys and U.S. Navy air photos from 1957 to 1959. It was named by the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN) for Lieutenant John Tuck Jr., a U.S. Navy support leader at the South Pole Station in 1957."
Wonder why they switched Arlene and Dorothy around occasionally. The previous week Dorothy sat in the #1 slot and Arlene #3.
After hearing K.G. Bossart's accent at the end of the challenge, I thought he must've been one of the German "rocket men" who arrived in the US in the late 40s. While he was up there with Werner von Braun, he was Belgian and some point in the 20s or 30s got a scholarship to attend MIT, where he studied aeronautical engineering, obviously a brand new thing. He stayed in the US afterward. He developed the first American ICBM.
Cool, I was thinking the same thing.
Just 5 days prior to this show, they successfully launched the first Atlas. More than 585 more would follow over the years.
My Grandfather was at MIT with Charlie and they were friends. The family story is they all watched the original broadcast, around the time my father was graduating from MIT.
There is a biography out now, I highly recommend it. The author has previously written on the Soviet rocket effort so the portrayal of the competitive context is very good. Although the latter competition with Von Braun is documented I suspect there is something missing regarding their earlier relationship.
All in all this is an important history, and it’s great to see it start to be publicly documented.
@@bluecamus5162 As I understand it the same basic design is still in use today for civilian launches. It is the most efficient, but ICBM tech is now solid fuel due the need for continuous fast response.
Mr Tuck could have used an electric beard trimmer -- but I don't think Remington made one in 1957. He must have been about 6'5" or 6'6" tall.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but they had scissors in 1957, didn't they?
Having that beard kept his face from the freezing weather😊
Remington advertised one on the biggining of this show😊
Lt. Tuck helped build the first base in the South Pole and commanded it. Unfortunately, he died suddenly at the age of 51 in 1984.
😢
His son's post is at the top of the page.
I am always amused by how such a big deal was made in the 50s about facial hair. Bennett, of course always had the punny quips. Only a few short years later, beards were far more commonplace. I notice that almost every time a bearded fellow appears as a contestant on WML, Bennett usually has something witty (or otherwise) to say.
Steve Stalzle - Facial hair on men has gone in and out of style frequently throughout civilized human history. However, I suspect it was not as common in this era because we had just come out of a world war a decade earlier wherein all service members had military regs to follow regarding hair, facial or atop the head. Then, having probably seen all these shows more than once, I must note that the few male contestants who had beards had very long, impressive ones and were of professions that allowed that, like an independent contractor who was a tree surgeon and a self-employed gold prospector. And their beards were comment- worthy they were so spectacular and long. I believe Arlene commented in particular on both of those, too, and it may have been she especially liked facial hair.
You can always hear a murmur and/or snickering from the studio audience at the appearance of beards and obese people.
@@bluecamus5162Not at all 70 years ago it was acceptable to have a beard, and body size didn't matter😊
As I recall, Robert Preston had a mustache when he previously appeared on WML. I like him better without the facial hair, although I like some men better with a mustache. My dad looked more distinguished and handsome with one.
My Dad (rest his soul) had the blackest hair and his beard or mustache always grew in red. My 3 sons also.
He looks more like the Robert Preston I'm familiar with without the mo. I like him without it better too.
I too prefer him without it. I thought he was so handsome in The Music Man.
Robert Preston used the Think Method and showed that What's My Line isn't rocket science (except for the 2nd guest).
In regards to the comments a bout the way Dr. Rosen moved. I would like to suggest that she was a polio survivor. She had the stiffness and gait of people I have seen as adult survivors of polio
My father had childhood polio, and seemed to look like he had a limp when he walked. Another thing, he could not walk backwards after that.
Polio creates a particular drop of the hip or affected part of the leg that is unlike any other injury. Since it involves any combination of weak or atrophied muscles its look can't be duplicated. Any sort of bracing would have been quite obvious in the '50, since all were made of leather and steel back then, so were large and cumbersome.
OK I watched it again. I had taken the comments to refer to her legs or back. She had polio in her left arm. I came to know that look well.
Love Arlene's dress!♥️
And her gorgeous self😊
Australian legend!
I will say this, though: in that last segment (with Phoebe F. Rosen as the contestant), Dorothy Kilgallen probably comes closer than anybody since Hal Block to implying that a contestant's "line" is that of strip-tease artist. No wonder that John Daly wrapped up that one quickly......
She was not implying anything of the sort, she was trying to determine whether she really was doctor, and what type, and not simply called a doctor as a nickname, or as a stage name. "Doctor of Striptease" was simply an example of a fictitious title. Striptease probably popped into her mind based on what John had said, remember, he said that he would enjoy watching her. At to this the attempt to avoid a no answer....
Considering that she very clearly said "doctor of ecdysiast",I'm fairly certain that's exactly what she meant lol!
+John Waller Gypsy Rose Lee was given the title of Doctor of Striptease, according to Bernard Sobel's 1956 book "A Pictorial History of Burlesque" - I get just a snippet view of it at Google Books, so can't tell just when or where, but it says that Gertrude Lawrence accepted the award for her in her absence, so 1952 at the latest. Anyway, though facetious, it wasn't just a figment of Dorothy's imagination.
Given that Gertrude Lawrence was very ill with cancer when she appeared as Mrs. Anna in THE KING AND I (1950-1952), and that Gypsy Rose Lee and her sister, June Havoc, were effectively blacklisted from TV during that period because of their active involvement in left-wing politics, I would say more likely some time during World War II or right after the war.
@@jmccracken1963 I don't see what TV has to do with it; I can't imagine that any presentation of an award for striptease would have been televised. This wasn't an Academy Award.
Robert Preston is too good.
I can't imagine anyone ever gets to watch a psychiatrist at work, given the strictures of doctor-patient confidentiality. Maybe another psychiatrist in a clinical setting in a supervisory capacity might watch through a one-way glass, but I can't think of anyone else who'd be allowed to.
It would seem to me to be quite unethical.
They can because there are different types. For instance, some are involved in research and all student doctors observe other doctors, (with permission of their patients), at some point.
Robert Preston,not only a great actor, but an intellectual.
December 20, 1957 the first Boeing 707 as an airliner was flight tested.
NAVY LIEUTENANT (COMMANDED SOUTH POLE BASE)
ROCKET DESIGNER
PSYCHIATRIST
This Christmas episode is one of the best I've seen on UA-cam in that the panel, the mystery guest and John Daly obviously like each other and raise each other's game in wit, intelligence and charm. I wondered whether Mr Bossart the rocket designer, who began work on his project in 1946, had perhaps been a Nazi scientist on the losing side of the Second World War. His accent suggested that he came from outside the USA, but I mean no malicious comment if that isn't so.
There were a number of former Nazis who came to the US to work in military and space applications, Werner von Braun most prominently. So it is a definite possibility.
He was from Belgium. There is no mention that he had ever worked for the Nazi rocket program.
He was born in Belgium in 1904 and permanently moved to the US around 1928, long before WWII.
“...Doctor Of Strip Tease”
“Oh Dorothy”
LOL!
That was quite a beard on that first contestant. I guess he couldn’t shave while he was at the South Pole! He was actually quite good looking behind all that hair. What an impressive young man.
Robert Preston was smart to figure it out.
I imagine the facial hair blocked some cold as well! Loved his work!
@@donnacook8994Exactly 😊
Finally an engineer - the first scientist or engineer ever on the show.
THE BEST CAPTAIN HOOK
The doctor seemed to walk toward the panel like her back was in pain.
Perhaps her shoes were bothering her feet.
Being a psychiatrist she probably felt more at ease walking on crazy paving!
Love Robert Preston as a guest panelist. Very refreshing after suffering through Fred Allen, Ernie Kovacs, Paul Winchell and others.
I liked Paul Winchell! Mixed feelings about Ernie tho.
I have to speak up for Fred Allen. He was my favorite panelist. So witty and quick.
@@jerrylee8261 But his voice was ANNOYING !
Fred Allen may not have solved many guests line of work, but along with Steve Allen, he was the sharpest wit to ever play the game. Not every comment was a gem, but more than not, he was on point. The two Allen boys were head and shoulders panelists.
@@jerrylee8261 Ugh, can’t stand Fred Allen. His jokes were usually corny and/or creepy.
So Arlene always wanted a beard. What interesting things one learns while watching WML.
Exactly 😊
Bennett Cerf asked that guy when mankind would go to the Moon. Of course we all know the answer is July 20, 1969, a little more than 2 years before Cerf died.
History is fiction agreed upon.
The moon landing was a TV production, never happened 😮
Interesting to see a show before they landed on the moon
It never happened according to the last astronaut, before he died.😮
Karol Bossarts page on the International Space Hall of Fame
www.nmspacemuseum.org/halloffame/detail.php?id=102
He signed in with initials instead of a first name. Turns out that he was a Christmas Karel!
The two ladies were all over his beard.
That first contestant is only 25? 😅
I wonder what the "unavailable hidden" episode is.
Numerous reasons it was unavailable 😊
It's interesting to note everybody's reactions to Mr. Tuck's hair & beard styles, as if he were an anomaly (and in the 1950s, he was). But, historically, when you look at photographs of the California Gold Rush, i.e., of the men who came to California's Sierra Foothills looking for gold, or view the historic black-and-white photos that showed groups of men gathered about in the pre-20th century into the early 20th century, who were coal miners, farmers, and Civil War soldiers (et al.), many of these men posing for those photos had beards, and often the longer beards seem to be on those people in command. So, obviously, it was quite normal "back then." But several generations passed where men went without beards, until the late 1960s into the 1970s, and beards were popular again. Then it became less stylish (I guess), so off came the beards. But now, in the 2020s, it's popular again for men and women--I mean, just men, to wear their beards, and in "stylish" ways. So I guess we are an off-again, on-again society, but that's probably because we come and go, here and there, onward and upward, and all around the town; and we probably still enjoy "Ring Around the Rosy" for an afternoon game. Ah...the circle of life....
Beards were used to keep your face from freezing, depending on where you live. In Wyoming it could be 50 below and 70 MPH winds😊
It’s a shame Karel, ‘Charlie’, Bossart isn’t listed in the list of guests.
How on earth did Robert Preston, do that?!
First guest (South Pole explorer) by being aware of current events
Second guest (rocket scientist) by knowing the difference between jet and rocket propulsion.
Smart guy. Most effective panelist.
Bet he had inside knowledge. No way could he just guess like that .
And John Daly im sure at the end caught onto him .
@@susanrutherford866What would he have to gain?? Check comment above, explains completely 😊
Arlene asks Cyril if he's in a "legitimate play" as opposed to a musical, while sitting next to the star of The Music Man. Are musicals somehow illegitimate?
No, this comes up pretty regularly. The term "legitimate stage" isn't understood by most people today. "Legitimate" in this context means a scripted show produced in a theater, which includes musicals. It was a way to distinguish between plays/musicals vs variety shows, burlesque, vaudeville, concert and nightclub appearances, that sort of thing.
You'll also hear the term "straight play" as opposed to "musical play", but "straight play" doesn't necessarily imply that Broadway musicals are gay.
The term dates back a few hundred years in England, when it was necessary to get a royal license in order to open a theater. (I don't remember the exact name: it could have been a royal patent or warrant or something.) And of course this meant being subject to censorship as well. So "legitimate" should be understood as a synonym for "licensed" in historical context.
@@WhatsMyLine Dorothy once said asked someone if they were in the legitimate theatre and they said "yes." Then she said, "in NY on Broadway," and the guest said "no," and Dorothy said, "Then you haven't been in the legitimate theatre." As if the rest of the world didn't count.
@@markxxx21 Dorothy made a number of comments about people outside New York that indicated that to her, the rest of the world indeed did not count. She certainly had the mentality of that famous world view New Yorker magazine cover
it sounds strange that their talking about landing on the moon...
Yes, it's a hot topic right now with Artemis(the world's most powerful rocket with, I believe, 8.8 million pounds of thrust). It supposed to go past moon and may orbit. Launch date Aug 29th, 2022.
Why??😮
"Are the blindfolds in place, panel?" Wasn't it obvious that they WERE?
He always says it, can’t think why.
It was required that he ask😊
7:42 - was that a dirty joke?
did they tell dirty jokes in 1957?
I don't think John was making a dirty joke; I assumed he was referring to growing hair on the balding parts of his scalp. Of course people told dirty jokes in 1957, but not very often on TV; certainly not with the approval of the networks.
Ok....did I hear this correctly? When Arlene joked that didn't John wish he could grow a beard that long, John replied "If I had any luck in this area, I'd have another part of my anatomy on the list".........OMG.....are you thinking what I'm thinking!!?? I almost fell off my chair. Did I misinterpret or was this television's first confession for a "larger piece of equipment!!"
I think he was just referring to his thinning hair, Galileocan g. :)
What's My Line?
I agree, except for chest hair, anything else would not make much sense.
Of course he was referring to his thinning hair! John Charles Patrick Croghan Daly would never utter anything off-color...Arlene yes..John? Never.
From 1960 to his 1991 passing, his wife was Virginia Warren, daughter of the chair of the Warren Commission.
Oh, come on! What the esteemed Mr. Daly said was no worse than many of the sexual innuendos Groucho Marx was infamous for;
Marx (to a father): ...you have 12 children? My goodness!
Father: Yes, sir. I love my wife very much!
Marx: I love a good cigar, but I remove it out of my mouth occasionally!
John is trying to hypnotise with his answer : 22:42.
And did i heard it right or Dorothy really said doctor of striptease? That one was unexpected. 🤣
Why??
John Daly acted oddly when the men were really tall, noticed it several times.
No he didn't.
He was making an observation 😊
10 1/2 years to the moon landing, almost to the day
Now, how in the WORLD did Robert Preston do THAT!
Intelligent brilliant 😊
The first moon landing was July 20,1969.
Never happened according to the last astronaut before he died!😮
I wonder if Dorothy had an armed escort getting to the studio?
No they remove it after show😊
Cocktail dresses and dinner jackets. The alternative to wrestling. ;).
I'm 4 days old
You type very well for an infant.
+What's My Line?
Oh Gary, you know perfectly well a 4 day old baby can't type. It must have been a voice to text app.
Men never ask if married or single. Women were ask miss or mrs.
Ya, so?
🙄
Men were known as Mr women could be miss,mrs.😊
Horrible jewelry on Dorothy. The first contestant looked like a character from Whoville.
Send a email complaint 😊
Robert Preston was a cheater
Omg he was.
Totally outrageous statement 😢
The Dr. Rosen part is one of the more strage episodes I' ve seen in WML until now. At first I'm asking myself about her strange posture and movements - either her dress or shoes were not fitting or she faced some other physical or mental challenge. Then, she seemed to be unexpectedly shy or absentminded, her answers were barely understandable. And, after all, Dorothy made that incredibly rude remark, which in no way seems logic, considering what was said before. There is reason to suspect that alcohol was involved, and more than usually.
Maybe Dr. Rosen was just suffering from stage fright.
+0cer0 It actually looks to me -- at 20:10 and 24:50 or so in particular -- that she may have had some kind of paralysis or injury of the shoulder.
Definitely all there mentally, to my eyes. Just not outwardly outgoing.
After looking at this a second time, I think Dr. Rosen had some slight physical disability that affected the way she walked. Unlike others, I don't think her answers were at all unclear. And finally....I think Kilgallen's comment about her being "a Doctor of Striptease" was one of the top ten rudest comments ever made on the original WML---perhaps brought on by jealousy of Dr. Rosen's good looks.
+519DJW Yes, walk and shoulder/arm both. (She's holding her non-dominant arm stiffly.)
Perfectly intelligent, yes. (And capable of offense.) I can't speculate as to Dorothy's motives. Seems to me more like she got stuck on a line of thought and couldn't get away from it.
I didn't take it that Dorothy was suggesting that Dr. Rosen had something to do with strip tease. Rather she was trying to verify that the final challenger was indeed a medical doctor and there wasn't some trickery on the part of the WML staff at work.
I agree, however, that Dr. Rosen had difficulty navigating her way across stage and she almost loses her balance when shaking hands with Robert Preston. It is impossible for me to tell if her skirt is too tight, she wasn't accustomed to walking in the shoes she was wearing or she had some sort of injury or infirmity that affected her gait. As far as the stiffness of her arm, that might have been to maintain balance.
Who here is shocked that a woman named Rosen was a psychiatrist?
Just you. You forget that mid-50s psychiatrists were mostly men.
What does her name have to do with it?