Milland had a major hit with The Uninvited the previous year:1944.Also The Major and the Minor, Beau Geste, Easy Living, Reap the Wild Wind, Wise Girl, Irene and many others before The Lost Weekend.
It may be Fred said that because both the industry and public were rather stunned to see an actor mainly identified in light comedy performing such a role at the time. It is true Milland put his career on the line with that classic film.
I had to do some research on Icelandic names after watching this. When the panel asked the first contestant to repeat her name, she told them her first name... not necessarily because she thought her last name would be too difficult for them, but because in Iceland, the first name only is used for both casual and formal address. So when they called her by her first name instead of Miss Thorgeisdottir(?), it was perfectly polite and formal to an Icelander.
In the early years, the missing episodes, while unfortunate, are somewhat expected as the rule rather than the exception. By 1954, the missing episodes were clearly the exception. But this was the second straight month with one with 10/24 missing. And when one avidly follows and enjoys the entire series, it is a disappointment. It also makes me appreciate that much more the effort that Gary (+What's My Line?) went through to find, clean up and post every possible available episode.
@@princeharming8963 Of course he can. But he would've been a lot more dashing had he cut back on the booze and cigs...and thus looked more his age. I know, a different time.
Happily, they got rid of the contestant awkwardly scurrying off behind Daly at the end of a segment and doing that silly walk like they were cows at a state fair parading in front of the judges at the beginning, so that everyone got a chance to come on and leave the same way. Given this was the old format, the blowing of the kiss was cool.
I want to see that movie. I read a movie review of this movie on a blog. It looks like such a nice and funny movie. Milland's character is so charming and nice
Dorothy was one of the all time top investigative reporters, not merely a gossip columnist. This skill eventually got her killed, according to some investigations about her death.
And good that she did. Still an ambiguous case. The man could have been executed for doing nothing. It amazes me that countries still have the death penalty. Barbaric and flawed.
@@stanmaxkolbe That possibility was not investigated by the authorities involved, such as they were. The circumstances surrounding Dorothy's activities at that time probably should have caused some suspicion, however. Either way, the later investigations are interesting to read (or watch.)
@@slaytonp IDK could be just like people think JFK was killed by many people. I've been to the Sixth Floor in Dallas. As a retired Senior NCO U.S. Cavalry I'm here to tell you it's a very easy head shot. One guy did it.
Just a bit of information about Icelandic as a language -- it's related to Swedish, Norwegian and Danish, but it's far older than they are, closer to Old Norse, the ancestor of all the Scandinavian languages. It has been said that if Danish and Norwegian are brother and sister, then Swedish is their first cousin, and Icelandic is the great-great-great-grandfather to those three. I have a feeling that it's true because Iceland is an island with a relatively small population -- and they've done everything they can to avoid the borrowing of words from other languages. They will sometimes revive words that have fallen out of use and re-employ them in a new way when a need for a word arises. When the telephone came along, Sweden, Denmark and Norway readily adopted the word "telefon", but Icelandic came up with "sími", which was a word that used to mean "thread" in bygone times. It refers to the wire or line that connects all telephones together. The just don't like "loan words" in Iceland. Nice people there -- I've met a few of them over the years and they're very friendly, I find. I'm told it's a great country to visit.
+ToddSF 94109 Wow! That was more than a "bit". That was a lot and much appreciated. The one thing I will add is that as soon as I heard the first challenger's name pronounced (it was not easy to read her handwriting), I knew she was Icelandic before she responded to John's question as to where she was from. As far as I have learned over the years, their language is the only one that recognizes that a female child is a daughter (dottir in Icelandic) and doesn't make her adopt a name like Swenson, Torgeson, etc.
Iceland was also the furthest stable Nordic settlement. They did sail as far as Greenland and even briefly Newfoundland, but those original settlements were not permanent - Newfoundland lasted for a blip, Greenland's original settlers did not make it, but Denmark would continue claiming it and later would come back. Currently about 88% of the population are Greenlandic Inuit. Anyway, back to Scandinavia - Sweden, Norway and Denmark and such were closely connected with Europe and the British isles and frequently traded, thus mixing cultures and languages. Iceland traded as well, but this was seasonal due to harsh sailing conditions. That should be stressed - the harsh sailing conditions, even navigated by longships with skilled sailors, were always very risky. One would usually only sail when one really needed to.
Silverstone L - While you’re there, look up “spoilsport”...? We enjoy talking with each other in this community... we share information, trivia and tidbits. Those who are not interested in any topics can just skip them. :)
I can attest that it's a wonderful place to visit! They may not borrow words, but they all learn English in school, so it's a very easy place for an English-speaking person to visit since most people are at least somewhat conversational in English. And the Icelandic language is fun just to listen to without understanding any of it!
The TV series with Milland was "Meet Mr. McNutley" (1953-55) also known as "The Ray Milland Show", a comedy about a college professor that not many people remember.
Considering the date of this episode, it was a bit of a surprise that they didn't have one challenger or a Mystery Guest with some sort of scary profession or who was known for acting in horror movies.
My God, Fred was such an asset to the panel. I think the American public was just not good enough to enjoy him properly. Shame. He should have been a giant in television, face and everything!
I beg to differ with the answer given by John Daly (instead of the challenger) that strength is not needed to be a horse race jockey. In the U.S. a jockey is called upon to not only ride but control a spirited, powerful animal weighing 8 to 10 times more than them. Without sufficient strength, a horse race would become a Yosemite Sam joke: Whoa! I say, whoa! WHOAAAAAA!
@@Walterwhiterocks Very often Daly actually does know more about a contestant’s job than the contestant. For example, contestants have conflated state versus federal employment, and confused the three branches of the federal government.
At 5:37 a man busts out laughing at Fred Allen's comment. I hear him again at 6:43 and at 8:05. In fact, I hear him laugh in many many episodes. I wonder if he was a member of the crew. He has a great laugh and almost seems like he is present on purpose.
I’m guessing he was either the announcer or warm-up host, or a crewman tasked with prodding laughter from the audience. It can be annoying, but I suppose they considered it necessary to ensure against too-quiet an audience. The most famous such performer would be Ed McMahon, on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. He was pretty obvious about it, but it did the trick.
Ray Milland is one of my favorite screen actors, but he clearly needed more practice time on disguising his voice! He let his own familiar tone slip through almost every other response he gave.
This is only the second or third time John says, "Up to our old tricks." He forgot to take down Ray Milland's name for Mr. Ansell's turn. Had to laugh when Arlene called Fred "Steve" on purpose.
Comments left on prior version of this video: Sarah B. Peters (The Blue Goof) 1 year ago Fred Allen's "joke" was the more racist disgusting thing I have ever seen! SHAMEFUL What's My Line? 1 year ago (edited) What on earth are you even referring to? This is one of the more baffling comments I have ever read. Jeff Vaughn 1 year ago I read this comment before watching the video and was looking for the "racist" comment in question, but I must have missed something because I didn't hear anything that could remotely be considered racist. Please fill us in on the "shameful" comment you're referring to. Thomas Smith 1 year ago They are referring to Christine Jorgenson, who was on the first people to have a sex change operation. Fred makes reference to her in his first question to Ray Milland. There is nothing sexist or certainly racist in his remark!! Jeff Vaughn 1 year ago +Thomas Smith If you are correct then that is totally bizarre since it is completely impossible for Fred Allen to make a racist remark about Christine Jorgenson. I had to go back to the video to hear the comment since I had missed it the first time. I actually think it was pretty damn clever. LOA1955 6 months ago (edited) +What's My Line? I'm wondering if the OP meant Fred's Chinese imitation ("Mr. Lay Milwan, Misly guest on ploglam") at 21:23. John also replied using the same "accent". That's the only thing I noticed in this program that today would be considered somewhat "racist". Fred only used the first name "Christine", and I actually missed it the first time I watched this, as he spoke it so softly and fast. Some of the audience members at that time understood his reference to Christine Jorgenson, and laughed. But I doubt that most people listening to this today would even have a clue as to why Fred's remark got a laugh. What's My Line? 6 months ago +LOA1955 Yes, your interpretation makes sense to me. For what it's worth, Fred had a long running character bit he did as a Charlie Chan knockoff, One Long Pan, and speaking in a stereotypical accent was part of the schtick. It's all a bit uncomfortable to today's ears (or it can be, depending on your sensitivity level), but it was never meant to be insulting, truly. Stereotypical accents were a staple of radio, and Fred was at heart a radio comedian. LOA1955 6 months ago +What's My Line? I never knew that Fred Allen did a Charlie Chan knockoff. In fact, aside from WML, I hadn't seen (or heard) much of Fred's material. However, thanks to YT, I have recently been exposed to more of his work and find it very entertaining and amusing. Anyway, I agree that most entertainers who "mocked" dialects back then, did not do so out of any racist hatred, it just sounded funny. Billy Crystal and Martin Short used to do great dialects of characters from various ethnic groups in their skits on SNL. It's a shame that in today's hyper-sensitive, PC climate, some feel that this brand of humor is considered "racist". Jeff Vaughn 6 months ago This is just an observation and nothing more, but it seems to me that the only time I've seen people complain on this channel is when somebody is using an Asian accent. I watched an episode the other night with Buddy Hackett using a Hispanic accent that sounded like he was doing the cartoon character "Speedy Gonzales", but not one person complained about it and I've seen others use similar accents with no comments, but I've seen several complain about those using the Asian accent. I even recall an Asian star in a 50's WML show use a different dialect and nobody made mention of that. Not sure why that would be and why there seems to be more sensitivity towards the Asian accent. Again, only an observation on my part. Steven Saunders 3 months ago +Ry Cade Racist???????....turn on HBO or Showtime after midnight then repost again.....the whole world is screwed up regarding what you call people that are not the name as you.....best comment I ever heard was someone "white" asking a gentleman....who had a black mother and an asian father.....what race are you???.....And he answered...."The Human race" corner moose 3 months ago +What's My Line? I well remember One Long Pan. One episode, Basil Rathbone was the villain of the story, a bird watcher, and his yellow bellied sapsucker became "yarrow kelly strapknucker" in Fred's mouth. Purple Capricorn 3 months ago +Ry Cade Imitating someones accent is not racist. Rude maybe,but not racist. MattTheSaiyan 4 months ago (edited) I cannot stand dialect humour, but that may be because it never sounds even remotely like the actual accent. That applies just as much with any accent...the Irish accent in particular seems to be slaughtered in old media. maremacd 4 months ago I wonder what the first contestant actually said in Icelandic. Marilyn J 1 year ago I'm hooked on all these WML, What's My Line? You're doing a grand job - keep em coming! Without any form of criticism, have you noticed the extra "i" in Milland? I love the fact you show the whole programme and not just a mystery guest - thank you. What's My Line? 1 year ago Oh, I never take offense to valid corrections. I appreciate the heads up, and I've fixed the typo. Glad you're enjoying the complete programs. The Mystery Guest segments have been all over UA-cam for years-- my whole purpose with this channel is to have one place to go to where folks can easily find as many of the complete shows as I can get my hands on! Jill Gordon 5 months ago What was going on with the camera man? At the beginning he wasn't focusing on whoever was talking. Instead he had the camera focused on the person they were talking about. It's weird. Johan Bengtsson 10 months ago I feel sorry for those contestants who came in last and only got 1 minute or so on the show. Johan Bengtsson 10 months ago Ray Milland starred in one of the most uncanny movies I saw as a child: "X: The Man with the X-ray Eyes". Johan Bengtsson 10 months ago Someone in the audience sounded drunk. His laughs were very loud. :) joed596 8 months ago thanks :-) Roy Mckenzie 1 year ago ,,, Tyvm for posting this ,,,I luv these ,,, hopicard 1 year ago Raising penguins in ICELAND :)))) rick charles 1 year ago Funny that the panel didn't take much of a shot at saying Miss or Mrs (last name) on the first lady. Hard name to pronounce.
John made a rare slip at the start of the second segment, starting to help the panel by eliminating certain logical professions for someone from Kentucky and a possible connection with the first contestant. He tries to cover and with many of the panelists somewhat suspicious of John's MO at times, they used up some "noes" to rule it out anyway. In the long run, it turned out to be no help.
Yes, Greenland was purposefully called so, and so was Iceland. But they should have been called each other's opposites, because they were and are, in name! Iceland is greener than Greenland, and Greenland is iceier than Iceland. I was told that it's because the national leaders at Iceland were trying to send immigrants to Greenland instead of Iceland!
At 19:15, when Fred Allen asks Ray Milland if he’s a man or woman, John Daly says that it can’t be answered yes or no. Fred wittingly say’s “In Christine’s case you might get an answer.” This is probably the very first joke made on TV about transsexuals. Christine Jorgensen was an American trans woman who was the first person to become widely known in the United States for having sex reassignment surgery.
Today's UA-cam Rerun for 3/23/16: For some reason, the camera pans away from Dorothy as she introduces Fred in this episode. I guess the cameraman was anxious to show as much of Fred Allen's face as possible. . . ----------------------------- Join our Facebook group for WML-- great discussions, photos, etc, and great people! facebook.com/groups/728471287199862/ Please click here to subscribe to the WML channel if you haven't already-- you'll find the complete CBS series already posted, and you'll be able to follow along the discussions on the weekday "rerun" videos: ua-cam.com/channels/hPE75Fvvl1HmdAsO7Nzb8w.html
I know it was the technology of the time, but it sounds like a cat purring into the microphone. Just an observation. I'm glad I get to watch these. I'm 31 and I've heard a lot about this show.
21:35 What is the original source of the “lewalawa” joke? I’ve heard other allusions to someone pronouncing “revolver” that way, but I’ve never known where it comes from.
Arlene actually asked that in a question format, hoping it wasn't true! Poor Arlene! Just trying to make sure everything's as fair as possible. I think she knew, though, that it wasn't that women weren't allowed at Fort Knox; rather, it was just that no women were working there!
I wonder how they decided which unfortunate contestant went last. Does anyone know? I noticed in the first couple seasons it was almost always someone local (NYC or greater area). And if they didn’t have time for the last contestant, did that person get to return for a future show, or they just got to get dressed up, sit around for 30 mins, then go back home if the time ran out?
The second challenger had quite a commute. Even in the days of Interstate Highways and the limited access parkway system in Kentucky, it would take about an hour 45 minutes to go to Fort Knox from a generic location in Lexington. But the Blue Grass Parkway, currently the fastest route between the two locations and the longest stretch of road (62 of the 96 miles) was not completed until 11 years after this episode aired. A short stretch on I-65 (~2-3 miles) also wasn't built yet. On the older U.S. and state highways, one could easily add 30 minutes to the trip. So he would have a round trip commute of 4½ hours. That's an awful lot unless he was able to live on base and went home just for the weekend.
@@michaeldanello3966 Exactly. I'm not sure who Lois is trying to impress with her "research" on the highway system in Kentucky in those days. But she loves to expound on almost anything. Surely she must know, or should have, that such a commute would be totally unrealistic. My father used to say that some people just like to hear themselves talk. Enough, already !
I did not hear anyone mention it was Halloween night - though, in some jurisdictions, kids did not trick-or-treat on Sundays, and bars were closed on Sundays in some jurisdictions due to blue laws or whatever.
had the panel not(for one of the very rare times) skipped asking the 2nd contestant if there was a product connected to their service they would have had a much better chance of guessing the line
Mr. Milland, real name Reginald Truscott Jones, was from Neath in South Wales, U.K.. Richard Burton, Anthony Hopkins and Michael Sheen were either born, or brought up, within a few miles of his birthplace. There must have been something in the water.
Both of his books have been reprinted a couple of times. You can find them on Amazon very easily. "Fred Allen's Letters", though, has only had one printing as far as I'm aware.
It was amusing to see Dorothy reading a book at the opening of the show. It looked like she wasn't paying attention and was quite unprofessional. But she was right on cue, lowering the book and then plugging it for Fred Allen. And then Arlene plugged one of the books Bennett published.
@@loissimmons6558 Unfortunately the camera operator spoiled the book plug somewhat by moving to Fred before Dorothy had had a chance to mention the title and hold up the book for a better view. I recognized it at once (I've got a copy) but while she was holding it in reading position it wasn't optimally displayed for the viewers.
youtube deleted my comment. I'm assuming a filter because of the name. But Bennett said (Richard) Powell and June Allyson were in the front row for this one. I wonder if we'll see one of them next week?
@@thesweeples3266 Myopia is another fine example. In the 1950s myopia was treated with eyeglasses, but in the 1990s myopia was cured with laser surgery like LASIK. QED
I guessed the guy had something to do with Ft. Knox right after he signed in! I took a stab and guessed he worked there. I should have been a panelist!
Why did the host invariably ask the panelists if their masks were in place throughout the entire history of the show when he could obviously see that they were? 🤔🥺😬😟😫
I love this show but I don’t like that they give short shrift to contestants that follow the mystery guest. Who’d want to come out after a big star and then you only get 2-3 minutes? They’ve had some interesting people in that situation, but it’s never long enough.
I hate the “walk of shame” I’m glad they stopped. It’s hard to watch. I’m sure they didn’t mean it the way I feel about it. I absolutely love this show but that part of older ones is hard to watch.
My first suggestion is to slow down a bit and try to catch his very subtle quick humor; he gets better at the mechanics of the game over the next few episodes. If you feel you must avoid him, go to the 1955-57 playlist and skip ahead to March 25, 1956, the show which follows the tribute program held the week after his death.
When Fred says to the voting booth (the last) contestant "I don't like your look" the guy should have said "well, I don't like yours either". But we were more polite then, weren't we. Plus Dick Powell and June Allison are in the audience and they can't turn the cameras around? Jeepers!
A poor episode: the mystery guest did very little to disguise his voice, Fred Allen passed twice and wasn't funny at other times, the final challenger was rushed in to fill just 3 minutes and someone in the audience laughed raucously at things which were not very funny - a stooge of the producers perhaps. As ever, John Daly held it together and brought it in on time. Sometimes the format works perfectly but this time it was weak. Why for example have a jockey from Iceland when there must be more surprising jobs to choose from in that country, and she said very little?
This was the second time in a few episodes that a snide reference was made to Christine Jorgensen (the other by Red Skelton when he was Mystery Guest on 9/26/54). Just like Groucho Marx and a number of other comedians have disdained humor based on foul language because it's a cheap laugh that requires almost no comedic skill, humor at the expense of someone who is a vulnerable, easy target is a cheap laugh. But worse than requiring no skill, in this case it was and is hurtful to anyone who is transgender. The comedians may think that they are clever and sharp with such humor. In reality, they are blunt: subtle like a club.
Lois Simmons:. Since that was the first sex change operation in the world, people were not only unfamiliar with it but most were horrified at the concept. The world has changed an awful lot in the 60+ years since. I know you will find this offensive but it's more than unrealistic to try to apply your current day sensitivity to a completely different world and culture. Trying to change history may be considered acceptable today but by any other perspective is rather fruitless and ridiculous.
if you are trans species and think you are a tree, do not be offended if i do not water you. you can be anything you want, but you will be laughed at. i am an old fat guy, if i thought was a ballerina, i would be laughed at when i tried to do a pirouette in a tutu on stage. probably would have to be three tutus sewed together. next, you will expect parents to throw their children off the roof because they think they are superman and they can fly.
@@michaeldanello3966 Christine Jorgensen was the first person who became widely known in the US for having a sex change operation. The first person known to have that operation was Lili Elbe in Germany in 1930. At least, that's what Wikipedia says.
@@michaeldanello3966 I read Lois's comment as applying to today as well as the 1950s; note that she says "was and is" hurtful. I doubt if there is anything either you or I could teach her about this topic.
I'm hoping that pretty soon that they get rid of that planted person laughing too hard and heartily in the audience. At first, when he would laugh as Steve Allen did his thing it was effective. Now though, it sounds like he laughs at anything!! It's distracting. Grrrr!!
So-called 'Ray Milland" wasn't even his real name. His birth name was Alfred Alfred Reginald Jones. Why would he change his name? Perhaps ashamed of his Father?
Archibald Leach, Marion Morrison, Issur Danielovitch, Bernard Schwartz, David Kaminsky, Leroy Scherer Jr., and Frederick Austerlitz are just some guys who changed their names. Five of them were mystery guests on "What's My Line?" First guy's name was used as a character name in a movie starring one of the other guy's daughter, whose mother, Jeanette Morrison, also appeared as a mystery guest.
Fred Allen was considered a dry wit. Keeping a straight face no matter what. He was a dear friend of Jack Benny, he was also quite well known. Bennet Cerf said he was one of the finest people he ever knew.
This show has a charm about it. I can see why it lasted so long.
Ray Milland, so debonaire.
Everytime I see him I think of The Lost Weekend. Love that movie! He won an Academy Award for it.
Ray Milland was one of my favorite actors, and he didn't "suddenly" become famous b/c of The Lost Weekend. He was famous already.
Milland had a major hit with The Uninvited the previous year:1944.Also The Major and the Minor, Beau Geste, Easy Living, Reap the Wild Wind, Wise Girl, Irene and many others before The Lost Weekend.
It may be Fred said that because both the industry and public were rather stunned to see an actor mainly identified in light comedy performing such a role at the time. It is true Milland put his career on the line with that classic film.
I had to do some research on Icelandic names after watching this. When the panel asked the first contestant to repeat her name, she told them her first name... not necessarily because she thought her last name would be too difficult for them, but because in Iceland, the first name only is used for both casual and formal address. So when they called her by her first name instead of Miss Thorgeisdottir(?), it was perfectly polite and formal to an Icelander.
It's because "dottir" = daughter of. If she had a brother, his name would be Thorgeisson. Her father's first name was Thorgeis.
In the early years, the missing episodes, while unfortunate, are somewhat expected as the rule rather than the exception. By 1954, the missing episodes were clearly the exception. But this was the second straight month with one with 10/24 missing. And when one avidly follows and enjoys the entire series, it is a disappointment.
It also makes me appreciate that much more the effort that Gary (+What's My Line?) went through to find, clean up and post every possible available episode.
Lois Simmons : Hear, hear! Gary has done a phenomenal job.
Wrong! People (employee's) stole the archives because they had celebrities they liked. They would deteriorated at the back of a closet.
If that's true, that is so greedy and sad that people did that!
There was no episode on 24 October, it was pre-empted
@@deboraholsen2504 k
This is just a great programme. Thank you.
Wow... Ray Milland was quite the dashing chap, wasn't he..?
Very handsome Welshman!
What? He's only 47 here, and looks at least 60.
@@DDumbrille And?? Can't be dashing at 60? lol
@@princeharming8963 Of course he can. But he would've been a lot more dashing had he cut back on the booze and cigs...and thus looked more his age. I know, a different time.
@@accomplice55 As are most of us. 😁😁
I've never seen a guest blow a kiss to the panel like the gold guard from Fort Knox. I like it!
Usually they don't even acknowledge the panel, so this was really exceptional.
Happily, they got rid of the contestant awkwardly scurrying off behind Daly at the end of a segment and doing that silly walk like they were cows at a state fair parading in front of the judges at the beginning, so that everyone got a chance to come on and leave the same way. Given this was the old format, the blowing of the kiss was cool.
My favorite Ray Milland movie is "It Happens Every Spring" and then "Kitty" and my third favorite is "The Lost Weekend". He was awesome!
Just saw Mr. Milland in THE MAJOR AND THE MINOR & he was charming as "Uncle Philip"
That was a good movie!
Uncle Zeke?
I want to see that movie. I read a movie review of this movie on a blog. It looks like such a nice and funny movie. Milland's character is so charming and nice
"Dorothy goes back to Cleveland to cover the Shepard Trial".
And she's the main reason he got a retrial and was freed.
Dorothy was one of the all time top investigative reporters, not merely a gossip columnist. This skill eventually got her killed, according to some investigations about her death.
And good that she did. Still an ambiguous case. The man could have been executed for doing nothing. It amazes me that countries still have the death penalty. Barbaric and flawed.
@@slaytonp No proof she was killed.
@@stanmaxkolbe That possibility was not investigated by the authorities involved, such as they were. The circumstances surrounding Dorothy's activities at that time probably should have caused some suspicion, however. Either way, the later investigations are interesting to read (or watch.)
@@slaytonp IDK could be just like people think JFK was killed by many people. I've been to the Sixth Floor in Dallas. As a retired Senior NCO U.S. Cavalry I'm here to tell you it's a very easy head shot. One guy did it.
Just a bit of information about Icelandic as a language -- it's related to Swedish, Norwegian and Danish, but it's far older than they are, closer to Old Norse, the ancestor of all the Scandinavian languages. It has been said that if Danish and Norwegian are brother and sister, then Swedish is their first cousin, and Icelandic is the great-great-great-grandfather to those three. I have a feeling that it's true because Iceland is an island with a relatively small population -- and they've done everything they can to avoid the borrowing of words from other languages. They will sometimes revive words that have fallen out of use and re-employ them in a new way when a need for a word arises. When the telephone came along, Sweden, Denmark and Norway readily adopted the word "telefon", but Icelandic came up with "sími", which was a word that used to mean "thread" in bygone times. It refers to the wire or line that connects all telephones together. The just don't like "loan words" in Iceland. Nice people there -- I've met a few of them over the years and they're very friendly, I find. I'm told it's a great country to visit.
+ToddSF 94109
Wow! That was more than a "bit". That was a lot and much appreciated.
The one thing I will add is that as soon as I heard the first challenger's name pronounced (it was not easy to read her handwriting), I knew she was Icelandic before she responded to John's question as to where she was from. As far as I have learned over the years, their language is the only one that recognizes that a female child is a daughter (dottir in Icelandic) and doesn't make her adopt a name like Swenson, Torgeson, etc.
Iceland was also the furthest stable Nordic settlement. They did sail as far as Greenland and even briefly Newfoundland, but those original settlements were not permanent - Newfoundland lasted for a blip, Greenland's original settlers did not make it, but Denmark would continue claiming it and later would come back. Currently about 88% of the population are Greenlandic Inuit.
Anyway, back to Scandinavia - Sweden, Norway and Denmark and such were closely connected with Europe and the British isles and frequently traded, thus mixing cultures and languages. Iceland traded as well, but this was seasonal due to harsh sailing conditions. That should be stressed - the harsh sailing conditions, even navigated by longships with skilled sailors, were always very risky. One would usually only sail when one really needed to.
Who the hell cares? If I want an Icelandic tutorial, I'll go to Wikipedia.
Silverstone L - While you’re there, look up “spoilsport”...?
We enjoy talking with each other in this community... we share information, trivia and tidbits. Those who are not interested in any topics can just skip them. :)
I can attest that it's a wonderful place to visit! They may not borrow words, but they all learn English in school, so it's a very easy place for an English-speaking person to visit since most people are at least somewhat conversational in English. And the Icelandic language is fun just to listen to without understanding any of it!
The TV series with Milland was "Meet Mr. McNutley" (1953-55) also known as "The Ray Milland Show", a comedy about a college professor that not many people remember.
I recall it well, watched it as a little kid and really liked it, and him.
Considering the date of this episode, it was a bit of a surprise that they didn't have one challenger or a Mystery Guest with some sort of scary profession or who was known for acting in horror movies.
My God, Fred was such an asset to the panel. I think the American public was just not good enough to enjoy him properly. Shame. He should have been a giant in television, face and everything!
To comedy connoisseurs, he s a giant. And was in radio
you're entitled to your opinion as well as I'm entitled to mine & on this show he was at best average & at worst condenscending
Fred Allen: "I don't know much about how things are going up in Iceland since it's been defrosted ..."
That made me laugh harder than it should have.
There was someone in the audience who obviously shared your enthusiasm for the joke with his loud guffaw.
I beg to differ with the answer given by John Daly (instead of the challenger) that strength is not needed to be a horse race jockey. In the U.S. a jockey is called upon to not only ride but control a spirited, powerful animal weighing 8 to 10 times more than them. Without sufficient strength, a horse race would become a Yosemite Sam joke: Whoa! I say, whoa! WHOAAAAAA!
I've always liked John, but sometimes he thinks he knows more than the guest about that person's occupation.
@@Walterwhiterocks Very often Daly actually does know more about a contestant’s job than the contestant. For example, contestants have conflated state versus federal employment, and confused the three branches of the federal government.
Not just in the US, but in Europe and Dubai as well.
Hard to fix the past
At 5:37 a man busts out laughing at Fred Allen's comment. I hear him again at 6:43 and at 8:05. In fact, I hear him laugh in many many episodes. I wonder if he was a member of the crew. He has a great laugh and almost seems like he is present on purpose.
Kevin Mueller such a big hearty laugh too!
He sounds like a boorish drunk. It's too distracting. I agree it sounds intentional and not spontaneous.
I've read that many shows (both radio and television) hired "laughers" or "applauders" for a more entertaining show.
I hate him. He's driving me nuts! Spoiling the show for me.
I’m guessing he was either the announcer or warm-up host, or a crewman tasked with prodding laughter from the audience. It can be annoying, but I suppose they considered it necessary to ensure against too-quiet an audience. The most famous such performer would be Ed McMahon, on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. He was pretty obvious about it, but it did the trick.
Ray Milland is one of my favorite screen actors, but he clearly needed more practice time on disguising his voice! He let his own familiar tone slip through almost every other response he gave.
It appeared to me that Fred slyly peeked during the mystery guest segment, even before the end when he purposely pulled down his mask.
I thought he did just fine disguising his voice, but Fred just figured it out anyway.
Mr. Jenkins' exit is too cute!
I did not realize that horse racing was big in Iceland, but it appears that the Icelandic horse is a special breed cultivated over centuries.
If you like Ray Milland, you simply must see "The Thing With Two Heads", one of his greatest films. LOL!
I like the way Mr Jenkins walked over to Mr Daly
This is only the second or third time John says, "Up to our old tricks."
He forgot to take down Ray Milland's name for Mr. Ansell's turn.
Had to laugh when Arlene called Fred "Steve" on purpose.
I'm not sure it was John's duty or responsibility to remove the name card of the MG. I would think it would be a stagehand's job.
Comments left on prior version of this video:
Sarah B. Peters (The Blue Goof) 1 year ago
Fred Allen's "joke" was the more racist disgusting thing I have ever seen! SHAMEFUL
What's My Line? 1 year ago (edited)
What on earth are you even referring to? This is one of the more baffling comments I have ever read.
Jeff Vaughn 1 year ago
I read this comment before watching the video and was looking for the "racist" comment in question, but I must have missed something because I didn't hear anything that could remotely be considered racist. Please fill us in on the "shameful" comment you're referring to.
Thomas Smith 1 year ago
They are referring to Christine Jorgenson, who was on the first people to have a sex change operation. Fred makes reference to her in his first question to Ray Milland. There is nothing sexist or certainly racist in his remark!!
Jeff Vaughn 1 year ago
+Thomas Smith
If you are correct then that is totally bizarre since it is completely impossible for Fred Allen to make a racist remark about Christine Jorgenson. I had to go back to the video to hear the comment since I had missed it the first time. I actually think it was pretty damn clever.
LOA1955 6 months ago (edited)
+What's My Line?
I'm wondering if the OP meant Fred's Chinese imitation ("Mr. Lay Milwan, Misly guest on ploglam") at 21:23. John also replied using the same "accent". That's the only thing I noticed in this program that today would be considered somewhat "racist". Fred only used the first name "Christine", and I actually missed it the first time I watched this, as he spoke it so softly and fast. Some of the audience members at that time understood his reference to Christine Jorgenson, and laughed. But I doubt that most people listening to this today would even have a clue as to why Fred's remark got a laugh.
What's My Line? 6 months ago
+LOA1955 Yes, your interpretation makes sense to me. For what it's worth, Fred had a long running character bit he did as a Charlie Chan knockoff, One Long Pan, and speaking in a stereotypical accent was part of the schtick. It's all a bit uncomfortable to today's ears (or it can be, depending on your sensitivity level), but it was never meant to be insulting, truly. Stereotypical accents were a staple of radio, and Fred was at heart a radio comedian.
LOA1955 6 months ago
+What's My Line?
I never knew that Fred Allen did a Charlie Chan knockoff. In fact, aside from WML, I hadn't seen (or heard) much of Fred's material. However, thanks to YT, I have recently been exposed to more of his work and find it very entertaining and amusing. Anyway, I agree that most entertainers who "mocked" dialects back then, did not do so out of any racist hatred, it just sounded funny. Billy Crystal and Martin Short used to do great dialects of characters from various ethnic groups in their skits on SNL. It's a shame that in today's hyper-sensitive, PC climate, some feel that this brand of humor is considered "racist".
Jeff Vaughn 6 months ago
This is just an observation and nothing more, but it seems to me that the only time I've seen people complain on this channel is when somebody is using an Asian accent. I watched an episode the other night with Buddy Hackett using a Hispanic accent that sounded like he was doing the cartoon character "Speedy Gonzales", but not one person complained about it and I've seen others use similar accents with no comments, but I've seen several complain about those using the Asian accent. I even recall an Asian star in a 50's WML show use a different dialect and nobody made mention of that. Not sure why that would be and why there seems to be more sensitivity towards the Asian accent. Again, only an observation on my part.
Steven Saunders 3 months ago
+Ry Cade Racist???????....turn on HBO or Showtime after midnight then repost again.....the whole world is screwed up regarding what you call people that are not the name as you.....best comment I ever heard was someone "white" asking a gentleman....who had a black mother and an asian father.....what race are you???.....And he answered...."The Human race"
corner moose 3 months ago
+What's My Line? I well remember One Long Pan. One episode, Basil Rathbone was the villain of the story, a bird watcher, and his yellow bellied sapsucker became "yarrow kelly strapknucker" in Fred's mouth.
Purple Capricorn 3 months ago
+Ry Cade Imitating someones accent is not racist. Rude maybe,but not racist.
MattTheSaiyan 4 months ago (edited)
I cannot stand dialect humour, but that may be because it never sounds even remotely like the actual accent. That applies just as much with any accent...the Irish accent in particular seems to be slaughtered in old media.
maremacd 4 months ago
I wonder what the first contestant actually said in Icelandic.
Marilyn J 1 year ago
I'm hooked on all these WML, What's My Line? You're doing a grand job - keep em coming!
Without any form of criticism, have you noticed the extra "i" in Milland?
I love the fact you show the whole programme and not just a mystery guest - thank you.
What's My Line? 1 year ago
Oh, I never take offense to valid corrections. I appreciate the heads up, and I've fixed the typo.
Glad you're enjoying the complete programs. The Mystery Guest segments have been all over UA-cam for years-- my whole purpose with this channel is to have one place to go to where folks can easily find as many of the complete shows as I can get my hands on!
Jill Gordon 5 months ago
What was going on with the camera man? At the beginning he wasn't focusing on whoever was talking. Instead he had the camera focused on the person they were talking about. It's weird.
Johan Bengtsson 10 months ago
I feel sorry for those contestants who came in last and only got 1 minute or so on the show.
Johan Bengtsson 10 months ago
Ray Milland starred in one of the most uncanny movies I saw as a child: "X: The Man with the X-ray Eyes".
Johan Bengtsson 10 months ago
Someone in the audience sounded drunk. His laughs were very loud. :)
joed596 8 months ago
thanks :-)
Roy Mckenzie 1 year ago
,,, Tyvm for posting this ,,,I luv these ,,,
hopicard 1 year ago
Raising penguins in ICELAND :))))
rick charles 1 year ago
Funny that the panel didn't take much of a shot at saying Miss or Mrs (last name) on the first lady. Hard name to pronounce.
John made a rare slip at the start of the second segment, starting to help the panel by eliminating certain logical professions for someone from Kentucky and a possible connection with the first contestant. He tries to cover and with many of the panelists somewhat suspicious of John's MO at times, they used up some "noes" to rule it out anyway. In the long run, it turned out to be no help.
Happy Halloween. I probably missed this one I was out trick or treating.
Trick or treating timing would be right if you were on the west coast. Too late in the East
There are NO penguins in Iceland, unless at a zoo.
Yes, Greenland was purposefully called so, and so was Iceland. But they should have been called each other's opposites, because they were and are, in name! Iceland is greener than Greenland, and Greenland is iceier than Iceland. I was told that it's because the national leaders at Iceland were trying to send immigrants to Greenland instead of Iceland!
@@deboraholsen2504 No, the issue is that no penguins live in the Northern Hemisphere (except for one species in the Galapagos).
@@deboraholsen2504 that information in priceless, thank you.
At 19:15, when Fred Allen asks Ray Milland if he’s a man or woman, John Daly says that it can’t be answered yes or no. Fred wittingly say’s “In Christine’s case you might get an answer.” This is probably the very first joke made on TV about transsexuals.
Christine Jorgensen was an American trans woman who was the first person to become widely known in the United States for having sex reassignment surgery.
I reckon I can see what Ray Milland is thinking, He is thinking in 60/70 years from now people are going to be watching this on the internet🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
5:37 sounded like Max Showalter laughing in the audience.
Today's UA-cam Rerun for 3/23/16: For some reason, the camera pans away from Dorothy as she introduces Fred in this episode. I guess the cameraman was anxious to show as much of Fred Allen's face as possible. . .
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I know it was the technology of the time, but it sounds like a cat purring into the microphone. Just an observation. I'm glad I get to watch these. I'm 31 and I've heard a lot about this show.
21:35 What is the original source of the “lewalawa” joke? I’ve heard other allusions to someone pronouncing “revolver” that way, but I’ve never known where it comes from.
"The Situation IS... . .....Its a Comedy -!.."
😂😂😂
"They won't let the women near Ft.Knox!"
Arlene
Arlene actually asked that in a question format, hoping it wasn't true! Poor Arlene! Just trying to make sure everything's as fair as possible. I think she knew, though, that it wasn't that women weren't allowed at Fort Knox; rather, it was just that no women were working there!
I wonder how they decided which unfortunate contestant went last. Does anyone know? I noticed in the first couple seasons it was almost always someone local (NYC or greater area). And if they didn’t have time for the last contestant, did that person get to return for a future show, or they just got to get dressed up, sit around for 30 mins, then go back home if the time ran out?
The washing reindeer comment is because of a woman who washed cows and stumped the panel twice.
Thanks. We all know that.
The second challenger had quite a commute. Even in the days of Interstate Highways and the limited access parkway system in Kentucky, it would take about an hour 45 minutes to go to Fort Knox from a generic location in Lexington. But the Blue Grass Parkway, currently the fastest route between the two locations and the longest stretch of road (62 of the 96 miles) was not completed until 11 years after this episode aired. A short stretch on I-65 (~2-3 miles) also wasn't built yet. On the older U.S. and state highways, one could easily add 30 minutes to the trip. So he would have a round trip commute of 4½ hours. That's an awful lot unless he was able to live on base and went home just for the weekend.
Lois Simmons:. Who said he commuted, he certainly didn't.
@@michaeldanello3966 Exactly. I'm not sure who Lois is trying to impress with her "research" on the highway system in Kentucky in those days. But she loves to expound on almost anything. Surely she must know, or should have, that such a commute would be totally unrealistic. My father used to say that some people just like to hear themselves talk. Enough, already !
Milland gave himself away using his real voice early on.
Why did he say the elimination of reindeer? Were they a pest in Iceland?
Maybe tongue-in-cheek?
The best show ever,,,,
The first contestant is a descendant of Viking explorers!!!
Ray Milland real a actör
Lost weekend is a classic
Definitely one my favorite actors, seems odd how he was found out so soon, “Leaked” ?
He had a very distinctive voice
Bit disappointing that the second guest didn't bring any free samples, though I would imagine Dorothy had plenty already.
I did not hear anyone mention it was Halloween night - though, in some jurisdictions, kids did not trick-or-treat on Sundays, and bars were closed on Sundays in some jurisdictions due to blue laws or whatever.
had the panel not(for one of the very rare times) skipped asking the 2nd contestant if there was a product connected to their service they would have had a much better chance of guessing the line
I was hoping to see Rosey Grier with Ray Milland.
Haaaaaa! Crazy old film, that was!
Ray Milland was born 30 to 40 miles from where I'm living today.
Mr. Milland, real name Reginald Truscott Jones, was from Neath in South Wales, U.K.. Richard Burton, Anthony Hopkins and Michael Sheen were either born, or brought up, within a few miles of his birthplace. There must have been something in the water.
Did Dorothy have to take the bus right from the Port Authority to get to Cleveland?
I wonder if anybody here has read Freds book? I doubt it's even in print at this point.
Both of his books have been reprinted a couple of times. You can find them on Amazon very easily. "Fred Allen's Letters", though, has only had one printing as far as I'm aware.
It was amusing to see Dorothy reading a book at the opening of the show. It looked like she wasn't paying attention and was quite unprofessional. But she was right on cue, lowering the book and then plugging it for Fred Allen. And then Arlene plugged one of the books Bennett published.
@@loissimmons6558 Unfortunately the camera operator spoiled the book plug somewhat by moving to Fred before Dorothy had had a chance to mention the title and hold up the book for a better view. I recognized it at once (I've got a copy) but while she was holding it in reading position it wasn't optimally displayed for the viewers.
youtube deleted my comment. I'm assuming a filter because of the name. But Bennett said (Richard) Powell and June Allyson were in the front row for this one. I wonder if we'll see one of them next week?
How was Mr. Jenkins allowed on the show?
The guy laughing from the audience is hilarious
You hear him in almost every episode. He has a contagious laugh. Sometimes I wonder if he was planted.
1950s was the best time to be alive.
Cold War, relatively primitive medicine, not even universal indoor plumbing or electrification. No thanks. I’ll take the 1990s till Covid
Jim Crow? I wouldn't want to be on that end of history but I understand part of what you mean.
@@SueProv who is this Jim Crow?
@@igkoigko9950 we have taken 1 step forward and 5 steps back.
To deny this is to exhibit the highest level of myopia.
@@thesweeples3266 Myopia is another fine example. In the 1950s myopia was treated with eyeglasses, but in the 1990s myopia was cured with laser surgery like LASIK. QED
Ray Milland was fooling around with Grace Kelly.
That was messed up
I guessed the guy had something to do with Ft. Knox right after he signed in! I took a stab and guessed he worked there. I should have been a panelist!
Ray Milland said he'd never watched any of his movies.
Dorothy Kilgallen should have realized that penguins don't live in Iceland.
Check out photos of Ray Milland in the 1930's. Extremely good-looking.
A show staffer said many episodes one or more panelists were tipped off so they could think up witty lines and questions
I must hand it to the yanks they have beautiful running writing 😄😄
The good old days
The panel are tipped off. Which pleases everybody. Guests are not there unless they're opening something. So it's a PR job. Enjoyable though!
Why did the host invariably ask the panelists if their masks were in place throughout the entire history of the show when he could obviously see that they were?
🤔🥺😬😟😫
Penguins are not found north of the equator.
I don’t understand why John Daly told them that she would not normally do what she does in America like they didn’t have horse racing?
No, he said it would not be normal for her to do it in this country. Most jockeys are men.
Skip to 5:32 for a great joke and audience laugh.
Allen pep on Ray Milan
My goodness, how inhibited this jockey from Iceland was...! The last sentence in her mother tongue... was certainly too short.
He and Jimmy Stewart should have played brothers (despite the accent difference).
I love this show but I don’t like that they give short shrift to contestants that follow the mystery guest. Who’d want to come out after a big star and then you only get 2-3 minutes? They’ve had some interesting people in that situation, but it’s never long enough.
I think Fred was tipped off.
Ray was only 44 years old at the time of his appearance, looking older because of his cigarette smoking.
Ray Milland was in his 40's..
@Peter Gabe born 1897
😝
Are you terrified of bats?
Met Ray Milan’s in a market in Marina del Rey CA in 1969
I hate the “walk of shame” I’m glad they stopped. It’s hard to watch. I’m sure they didn’t mean it the way I feel about it. I absolutely love this show but that part of older ones is hard to watch.
Such a minor thing to provoke an extreme word HATE
@@thesweeples3266 oh well.
Is there any way to fast-forward through Fred Allen?
My first suggestion is to slow down a bit and try to catch his very subtle quick humor; he gets better at the mechanics of the game over the next few episodes. If you feel you must avoid him, go to the 1955-57 playlist and skip ahead to March 25, 1956, the show which follows the tribute program held the week after his death.
Easy to see how Woody Allen was influenced by another Allen!!
OMG send the jockey lady back home to learn about her job. the blank look on her face and turning to john for some help.
She was scare and nervous, you idiot.
When Fred says to the voting booth (the last) contestant "I don't like your look" the guy should have said "well, I don't like yours either". But we were more polite then, weren't we.
Plus Dick Powell and June Allison are in the audience and they can't turn the cameras around? Jeepers!
A poor episode: the mystery guest did very little to disguise his voice, Fred Allen passed twice and wasn't funny at other times, the final challenger was rushed in to fill just 3 minutes and someone in the audience laughed raucously at things which were not very funny - a stooge of the producers perhaps. As ever, John Daly held it together and brought it in on time. Sometimes the format works perfectly but this time it was weak. Why for example have a jockey from Iceland when there must be more surprising jobs to choose from in that country, and she said very little?
I still haven't forgiven Milland for arranging to have Grace Kelly murdered
I see. Have a great day.
What the?
One man in the audience has a "hearty" laugh.
How much did they pay that false laugher in the audience? The male - "hah hah hah hah" The Show didn't need it.
This was the second time in a few episodes that a snide reference was made to Christine Jorgensen (the other by Red Skelton when he was Mystery Guest on 9/26/54). Just like Groucho Marx and a number of other comedians have disdained humor based on foul language because it's a cheap laugh that requires almost no comedic skill, humor at the expense of someone who is a vulnerable, easy target is a cheap laugh. But worse than requiring no skill, in this case it was and is hurtful to anyone who is transgender. The comedians may think that they are clever and sharp with such humor. In reality, they are blunt: subtle like a club.
Lois Simmons:. Since that was the first sex change operation in the world, people were not only unfamiliar with it but most were horrified at the concept. The world has changed an awful lot in the 60+ years since. I know you will find this offensive but it's more than unrealistic to try to apply your current day sensitivity to a completely different world and culture. Trying to change history may be considered acceptable today but by any other perspective is rather fruitless and ridiculous.
if you are trans species and think you are a tree, do not be offended if i do not water you.
you can be anything you want, but you will be laughed at.
i am an old fat guy, if i thought was a ballerina, i would be laughed at when i tried to do a pirouette in a tutu on stage.
probably would have to be three tutus sewed together.
next, you will expect parents to throw their children off the roof because they think they are superman and they can fly.
@@michaeldanello3966 Christine Jorgensen was the first person who became widely known in the US for having a sex change operation. The first person known to have that operation was Lili Elbe in Germany in 1930. At least, that's what Wikipedia says.
@@michaeldanello3966 I read Lois's comment as applying to today as well as the 1950s; note that she says "was and is" hurtful. I doubt if there is anything either you or I could teach her about this topic.
I'm hoping that pretty soon that they get rid of that planted person laughing too hard and heartily in the audience. At first, when he would laugh as Steve Allen did his thing it was effective. Now though, it sounds like he laughs at anything!! It's distracting. Grrrr!!
So-called 'Ray Milland" wasn't even his real name. His birth name was Alfred Alfred Reginald Jones. Why would he change his name? Perhaps ashamed of his Father?
🙄
Archibald Leach, Marion Morrison, Issur Danielovitch, Bernard Schwartz, David Kaminsky, Leroy Scherer Jr., and Frederick Austerlitz are just some guys who changed their names. Five of them were mystery guests on "What's My Line?" First guy's name was used as a character name in a movie starring one of the other guy's daughter, whose mother, Jeanette Morrison, also appeared as a mystery guest.
Fred Allen was never funny.
He was hilarious. A very funny guy.
Brilliant comedian
Is Fred Allen seriously a comedian? Who's his audience? ANIMALS?!! he's such a stiff!
Fred Allen was considered a dry wit. Keeping a straight face no matter what.
He was a dear friend of Jack Benny, he was also quite well known. Bennet Cerf said he was one of the finest people he ever knew.
He was a riot. A hoot. A very funny guy.
on the prize cards, is it a picture of the breadbox?
No, it's a Remington razor. :)