I'm only 22, not even close to ever been able to enjoy this show in its original form. However, I absolutely adore watching these! Such a different time. Everyone was so glamorous, wearing suits and dresses, lipstick and pearls... and they speak so eloquently. Such a dramatic difference from today's television.
+KaptKan1 We were taught to curtsy as girls & the boys were taught to bow. We girls wore white gloves on Sundays as well as pinafores. All the adults wore hats. I wish I had my grandmother's hats & hatboxes. Men actually tied their ties back then, kept handkerchiefs in their coat pockets, & the ladies carried lace hankies in their purses. We also ironed these handkerchiefs (as well as our bedsheets). Men stood when ladies came in or when they got up to exit. I never heard a curse word until high school. I was born in 1952.
Ah yes, ironed percale bed sheets that took 20 minutes apiece! And yet, sleeping between line-dried, freshly ironed sheets is a slice of heaven. As a kid, I got stuck with the ironing (my mother told me it was easier than doing the laundry--lies!) I miss the hats, too. When my husband was in the military reserves, he carried camouflage cloth handkerchiefs when he wore his battle dress uniform (BDUs). I ironed his handkerchiefs once, and his co-workers gave him such a hard time about it that I ironed his handkerchiefs every time I could get my hands on them after that!
Debbie was so talented with such a bubbly, comic personality that people forget what an incredible beauty that she was (although that doesn't seem lost on John Daly here).
A delightful way to disguise her voice. I think it might have been more difficult to guess her if she hadn't been in the news in the immediate days prior to the airing of this episode, as Bennett was aware of. It was so sad what happened in her relationship with Eddie Fisher, especially since it didn't avail him much in the romance department in the long run and probably hurt his career.
I don't think Eddie Fisher cared. All he wanted was Elizabeth. If you look at him in his wedding pictures with Debbie, he's constantly looking at Elizabeth, not his bride. And also, when he wrote his autobiography, for the cover he used a picture of him with Elizabeth. All very telling. I'd say he would still have done the same even if he knew what would come.
@@loissimmons6558 That was one problem with this show. Just about EVERY celebrity guest on the show is in NYC for a reason. The Judges all know everything that is going on in NYC, all the movies and plays, everyone who is in town, they read all the rags.
+aspenrebel This is true, although it is a minor problem as the celebrity segments were more purely for entertainment than the contest. I would imagine that many of the viewers simply wanted to see a celebrity, some wanted to see how well they could disguise their voice, and some wanted to see if the panel would be successful. And occasionally the WML staff tried to pull a fast one by finding someone that was not known to be in town (or conversely was always in town because they lived in NYC). On occasion, there would be a set up where the MG had interacted with a panelist that day or the day before and had said they were leaving town. There's a great segment in July 1964 where Arlene's son comes on and stumps the panel. He had told his mother he had to work late that night at the World's Fair. With today's technology, a revival of the show could bring in celebrities via a remote hookup and this problem would be eliminated. But I suspect that the people connected with WML back in the day would not have seen this as a problem. Only those looking for a fair contest would see it as a problem. Those looking for entertainment would not.
Wow! What a pistol she was! Now I know where Carrie got it from! LOL And she looks gorgeous here. Strangely, this was three years AFTER they shot, "Singin' In The Rain", and yet she looks so much younger in this WML appearance. Younger, and prettier, to be honest. Maybe I'm just not a fan of Kathy Selden's shorter hair. EDIT: Okay, I just figured it out. Debbie's quite a bit thinner here than she was in that picture three years earlier. Most notably in her face. She had such a round face as Kathy, and here she has much better defined bone structure, which is the beauty difference I'm seeing. Okay, mystery solved.
Regarding Miss Reynolds' vocal disguise, she did vocal impressions even as a teenager when she competed for and won the Miss Burbank title at age 16. In later years in her stage act, she impersonated both Zsa Zsa and Eva Gabor.
OK, so how could you tell the difference between her impersonation of Zsa Zsa and Eva? Oh I guess if she was slapping a cop, she was doing Zsa Zsa, right?
+gcjerryusc Debbie's teen years were something like a real life version of Elly May Clampett, except her family didn't strike it rich until Debbie's prodigious success in the entertainment world. Her family was dirt poor and also moved to the LA area at some point (from Texas). She said that her typical outfit was "dungarees and a shirt" in those years. One of her closest HS friends said that while she was cute, she was also tomboyish, lacked money and a car, and didn't dress well. She recalled that Debbie was invited to only one school dance. But she was pretty enough (as well as talented enough) to win Miss Burbank at age 16. It some ways, her early life was a blessing once she became a star. Every indication is that she was one of those successes who never forgot where she came from and it always helped her keep a healthy perspective on what was important in life.
+gcjerryusc I was just in one of my silly Leonardo da Vinci/Nat King Cole moods! Meanwhile, is there no one to stand up for the honor of Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo? :-)
Lois Simmons -- My Mom was a dear friend of Debbie's babysitter back when she was Mary Frances. Debbie kept in contact with Pauline a long time. She was always a kind, loving woman, true to her El Paso humble roots. You will always remain in our hearts, Mary Frances!
Debbie Reynolds was a beautiful & down to earth woman. She was multitalented & so good at many different things. She could sing (a beautiful voice), dance (very well), play comedy & drama roles easily & had a wonderful spontaneity about her. Watching her in films was a treat, as was listening to her just being herself on a talk show or in an interview. She was one class act! There are no stars nowadays like this wonderful woman! We miss & love you Debbie. At least I do!
All of these fine people are now long gone from the earth, but my my WHAT A DELIGHT THEY WERE to watch and listen to.(!) And WML remains the greatest Game Show Program of all time.❗💎🎯💯
I believe Debbie died partly because of a broken heart. She missed Her daughter too much. I believe the same happened w/Johnny Cash when he lost June also.
miss_midge_6515 I don't think it can be compared so readily with other people as the time involved was SO peculiar. I remember very well, having heard that Carrie Fisher died one day, being totally and utterly shocked to hear that Debbie Reynolds left us the next. I mean, the NEXT day!! Not enough time for her to 'miss' Carrie. More simply, it may have been a terrible shock which hurried along her own death. Singin' In The Rain. Only one of the greatest movies ever made.
She specifically told Todd that she wanted to be with Carrie on the morning she died. I'm not sure how some of you get that there wasn't enough time. She'd just lost her child. There's no way Carrie's death wasn't a factor.
Johnny Cash looked 125 years old at his wife’s funeral. Years of drug use will do that to you. He also ran around on her until he was to decrepit to continue. He was only 71!
this is so amazing, seeing the fantastic Debbie Reynolds with her soon to be husband Eddie Fisher is priceless. Of course we all know what happened to that marriage, its so sad, they were a beautiful couple.
I was lucky enough to see Debbie Reynolds live show in the late 80s. It was wonderful. She had so much energy. Just precious. Her son Todd was her lighting man/director.
I adore this show. I had never heard of it until it was put on UA-cam. I started watching it 1 week ago, August, 2024. Life was so different then.The women's clothing was so elegant. The various jobs are so interesting. Thanks to all who made this possible. Xxxx
7:25- Ivy Baker Priest (1905-1975) was also the mother of Pat Priest (born 1936) who would be the 2nd performer who played Marilyn Munster on 'The Munsters' (1964-1966)!
Ivy Baker Priest -- Treasurer of the United States -- I remember when hers was one of the two signatures on each denomination of U.S. paper money. I also remember that her daughter was Pat Priest, the second actress who played "Marilyn Munster" on the original version of _The Munsters_. (The part was originally played by Beverley Owen.) For those that don't remember, Marilyn was beautiful and normal looking, and the other members of the Munster family felt sorry for her because of her looks . . . .
Ivy Baker Priest was quite a cupcake for a a woman of "mature years"! In fact, she reminds me a little bit of Jane Wyman, with that cute "button-nose."
+ToddSF 94109 In my early school years, it took me a while to figure out the difference between the Secretary of the Treasury and the Treasurer of the United States, especially since the latter position sounded like the more important one. At one time it was as the Treasurer was the official in charge of receipt and custody of U.S. Government funds. Now the Treasurer's duties are basically limited to matters of coinage, currency and other related matters. Two different men co-signed the paper currency during Mrs. Priest's term of office (the entire 8 years of the Eisenhower administration): George M. Humphrey of Ohio (1/21/53 to 7/29/57) and Robert B. Anderson of Connecticut (7/29/57 to 1/20/61). Having Mrs. Priest's signature on a dollar bill might be worth considerably more than a dollar, or at least the bill is worth more. In those days, dollar bills were still the silver certificates which were abolished in the 1960's. The first 28 Treasurers were men. President Truman appointed the first woman Treasurer in 1949, Georgia Neese Clark of Kansas. Mrs. Priest was her successor. Since then every Treasurer has been a woman (16 including Clark and Priest). Six of the last seven and seven in all have been Hispanic women.
+519DJW That "cupcake" was a savvy politician, and was in charge of the campaign for women to vote for Eisenhower in 1952. He received 52% of the women's vote.
My parents used to watch this after they put me and my sister to bed and I'd hear them laughing and shrieking in the living room at this TV show - now I understand why. Back then kids were put to be early even before 9:00 or 8:00 if they were school age or younger. And in August 29, 1954 I wasn't even 5 years old yet.
our bedtime was 9pm also except when I was in first grade my parents allowed my brother and I to stay up one particular Sunday night in order to watch the Beatles on their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show
I attended Debbie's daughter's one woman show in 2009 (Carrie Fisher in "Wishful Drinking"). She performed the show was at Studio 54. Studio 54 was once known as "CBS Studio 52" and was the venue where "What's My Line" was produced in the 1960s.
Ivy Baker Priest, in addition to serving as U.S. Treasurer from 1953 to 1961, was also twice elected to Treasurer of the State of California. She did all this, amazingly, without ever having attended college.
Not really so "amazing" back then when you consider that most likely someone with undergraduate/graduate credentials would have actually been able to do a more competent job. All of her jobs were before 1970 - before any equal employment opportunity laws/standards or wide discussion about hires having actual job qualifications. Ike appointed her in 1953 from merely being a high school-credentialed RNC vote worker. This led to her Calif election wins. Thankfully, less of these type appointments happen today for Publicly-funded jobs. The current U.S Treasurer has a Masters in Public Administration and a PhD from Yale. Priest was more a beneficiary of the political largess of her times than someone studied and credentialed in her field.
@@waldolydecker8118 Wow, is there a reason you are badmouthing this woman's capabilities (besides the fact she was essentially an early affirmative action recipient)? You don't present any facts or evidence that she was bad at her job... Also, you tout advanced degrees as if they're proof of a person's competence, while ignoring the fact that some people (like Clarence Thomas) only got their prestigious degrees because of programs like Affirmative Action.
Re: the telephone booth salesman, did anyone us chuckle when Dorothy asked "So this isn't something you need to take with you when traveling from one place to another?" Did anyone else say to themselves, "One day!"
@@LANCSKID I'm not sure they were ever told the people's job, but they were definitely given questions to ask, usually to get a laugh from the audience. The questions seemed a little bit too on point here.
Debbie Reynolds was a DEFINITELY a inspiration😂She was also a Funny 😄 and bubbly in this video. She was charming, beautiful, smart, and a FANTASTIC actress😎ALWAYS be remembered and her TALENTED daughter, Carrie Fisher 💕💕
It was a pity that she thought she had to fit in by snorting, popping pills and probably other things that ruined her body and life and killed her mother😖😖
@@janeiwasduncan8463 Maybe you do not know this but Carrie Fisher suffered from bipolar disorder all her life. I have a close relative with that and I know how that creates the perfect storm for substance abuse. I know that she was a supremely talented writer and actually a good person. But she had a mental illness that created problems.
14:20 -- Debbie was recently awarded in 2015 the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Academy Award for her decades of philanthropic work. She was nominated exactly once for an Oscar ["The Unsinkable Molly Brown"] and was not nominated for "Singin' in the Rain" which now seems inconceivable.
Comments left on prior version of this video: Rikard Peterson 1 year ago I agree - Debbie Reynolds was just wonderful as a mystery guest. What's My Line? 1 year ago She was a pistol. There's a Dick Cavett show where she's on with Groucho, and he spends a good deal of the interview talking about whether she'd had boob enhancements. It's completely shocking to me even now, 40 years later. Perhaps only Debbie Reynolds would have been able to handle that without running offstage in tears! Purple Capricorn 3 months ago Ms. Reynolds is amazing. Frank Sinatra toldher not to marry Eddie Fisher, too bad she didn't listen. OnCloudNine62 1 year ago I see her here and automatically think of the movie Mother MattTheSaiyan 4 months ago Is it just me, or is 1950s fashion rather flattering? (in contrast with 1980s fashion, which few people can pull off). maremacd 6 months ago I've been watching episodes way out of order, and I can't help that Arlene is so much prettier in later episodes. Her looks improve with age. Jorje Banda 4 months ago DEBBIE REYNOLDS She was 22 Year Old in 1954. MadelineTopper 1 year ago How in the world did Arlene figure out the first woman's occupation so quickly? Scott Stevenson 1 year ago She and Dorothy were remarkably good at picking up all sorts of clues other than just what the answers were. Will Hopkins 4 months ago Debbie Reynolds seems very sweet. Eddie was a jerk. corner moose 8 months ago I gather this was the first time they had to blindfold themselves for more than just the MG round. LOA1955 7 months ago John Daly: "I just happen to have some $100 bills I had made. Would you sign them?" Ivy Baker Priest: "Oh, Mr. Daly I can't sign on Sundays. Isn't that too bad?" One of WML's funniest mystery guest parting lines. :-) Johan Bengtsson 10 months ago Ivy Baker Priest was the mother of Pat Priest who played Marilyn Munster on the TV-show "The Munsters". Scutshakes 1 year ago Debbie Reynolds was so adorable with her answers. M Mireaux 1 year ago Without a doubt, Ms Reynolds was so incredibly gorgeous, sexy and hysterical on this episode!! Mark Stump 10 months ago Wow, she was very cute! bootsamou 10 months ago And then he went off with Elizabeth Taylor. Pygiana 11 months ago Debbie Reynolds was brilliant as Liberace's mother in Behind the Candelabra. I didn't recognise her but I watched the interview with her on the DVD and she looked just the same, hardly aged at all! ultraroadmap 11 months ago She's a natural comedian...and gorgeous! bootsamou 10 months ago Very VERY funny !! iamintheburg 1 year ago They listened to each other; they appreciated each other, they enhanced and enjoyed each other. Speed Racer 1 year ago Debbie is the Gold Standard - no matter what she does Robert Romero 1 year ago Debbie looks adorable here. :) joed596 9 months ago thanks so much for all these uploads :-) John Fuentes 1 year ago God....I think the female stars back then were more attractive back then. Michael De Sapio 1 year ago This was a great episode. Thank for posting! What's My Line? 1 year ago in reply to Michael De Sapio Just yesterday I heard someone on TV use the word "touch". Don't see what the big deal is there. . . ;) What's My Line? 1 year ago in reply to Michael De Sapio You're very welcome! I'm glad you're enjoying the shows. Michael De Sapio 1 year ago "Are you ever inclined to touch people who are obstreperous?" Can you imagine anyone using a word like that on TV nowadays?
Eddie Fisher must have had a brain storm leaving the goreous Debbie for.Elizabeth Taylor...sure liz was beautiful too but she did not have the magic Debbie had..
Debbie ReynoldsUnderstands Why Eddie Fisher Left Her for Elizabeth Taylor.... “My three husbands all left me for another woman and obviously I wasn’t a very sexual lady,” Reynolds tells The Express. “My husbands all repeatedly said the same thing-that I was not a very passionate woman.”... “I was never a sex queen in real life and I was never pursued by men. . . . I was friends with Elizabeth Taylor, Ava Gardner and Lana Turner and they craved and loved sex and talked about it. . . . They were very sensuous women, desiring passion.” Reynolds says she preferred another extracurricular: “It seemed that I was more interested in raising my children, not in pursuing my husbands.”
She picked the wrong guys, end of story. Of course she'll blame herself but she's incredibly intelligent and men of her era frowned on that. They wanted some woman who would cook and clean for them, and get intimate with them at their command. I'm sorry but she was too good for that.
Debbie was a nickname given to her by Jack Warner. She was born Mary Frances Reynolds. Mary Frances is also the first and middle name of the only daughter of Bing Crosby,. Miss Crosby is best known as Sue Ellen's sister and the assailant of J.R. Ewing ("who shot J.R.?) on Dallas.
Ivy Baker Priest -- Eisenhower's Treasurer from Bountiful, Utah. Her daughter Pat did a stint a decade later in "the Munsters" as the pretty duckling cousin Marilyn. In the 1970s she became treasurer again, this time to California.
She actually had a rough time making Singing in the Rain. Gene Kelly was somewhat of a martinet, and was very rough (verbally) on Debbie's nascent dancing skills. One day she was under a piano on the set, crying about this, when a soft voice asked her what was the matter. She explained, and this person offered to help her with her steps. That person was Fred Astaire, one of the kindest gentlemen in Hollywood.
life was more labor intensive the further you go back, technology has rendered many jobs obsolete, but don't let anyone tell you manufacturing jobs don't exist, they've just moved to poorer countries where labor can be exploited. the difference between then and now is the rich were taxed way more and contributed much more into infrastructure and the social safety net, that revenue no longer exists. and union jobs were more prevalent, a larger portion of profits went to working people, and todays american's have increased productivity 80% in the last 35 years while wages have remained flat in that same period. that means all new wealth is going to the top. but yeah, machines now twist pretzels. www.motherjones.com/politics/2011/06/speedup-americans-working-harder-charts
+KaptKan1 Even in 1978, the lack of a telephone temporarily confounded one of my Cornell classmates on his way to rescue Lois Lane. He had to settle for a revolving door.
+gcjerryusc Sometimes people have wondered in the comments as to whether a show like WML would be possible today. While the focus has been on which celebrities would be willing to appear as MG and who would be good and willing panelists, But what professions could be used is also an interesting question. In the early days of WML, we saw the sophisticated NYC based panelists confronted with occupations that they might have assumed were no longer being done (like iceman). There are probably some jobs today that used to be done by many people that are now rare and most people assume are no longer being done. And with American's entrepreneurial spirit, new professions are being invented all the time. Also, a show like WML probably would stretch moral boundaries a lot further these days. So some examples of professions that were not around and/or would not have been used on WML from 1950-67: - Owner of a craft brewery - Maker of naughty baked goods - Cell phone repairer - Eyebrow threader
what a wonderful women her Witty charming personality I think anyone who had taken her out for the evening alter I thing any man would have been hooked something was really special about her one of kind
How in the heck did Arlene get the right answer ? Debbie doing her voices, very funny. And someone she know's shows up as a little surprise. It's someone I knew in the 80's and 90's. Overall this is one of the better episodes.
Steve Allen was the very first host of "The Tonight Show"..and one of the creaters of the show..1954.He said it would run for ever, and it's still on all these years..
![What's My Line? - Debbie Reynolds; Eamonn Andrews [panel] (May 24, 1959)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QfW14wxn1tI/mqdefault.jpg)
I'm only 22, not even close to ever been able to enjoy this show in its original form. However, I absolutely adore watching these! Such a different time. Everyone was so glamorous, wearing suits and dresses, lipstick and pearls... and they speak so eloquently. Such a dramatic difference from today's television.
I am 17 and agree with you completely. People were so elegant back then :)
+KaptKan1 We were taught to curtsy as girls & the boys were taught to bow. We girls wore white gloves on Sundays as well as pinafores. All the adults wore hats. I wish I had my grandmother's hats & hatboxes. Men actually tied their ties back then, kept handkerchiefs in their coat pockets, & the ladies carried lace hankies in their purses. We also ironed these handkerchiefs (as well as our bedsheets). Men stood when ladies came in or when they got up to exit. I never heard a curse word until high school. I was born in 1952.
And Debbie Reynolds was 22 at this time too.
Ah yes, ironed percale bed sheets that took 20 minutes apiece! And yet, sleeping between line-dried, freshly ironed sheets is a slice of heaven. As a kid, I got stuck with the ironing (my mother told me it was easier than doing the laundry--lies!) I miss the hats, too.
When my husband was in the military reserves, he carried camouflage cloth handkerchiefs when he wore his battle dress uniform (BDUs). I ironed his handkerchiefs once, and his co-workers gave him such a hard time about it that I ironed his handkerchiefs every time I could get my hands on them after that!
I'm 26 and absolutely love this show❤️ you're not alone
Debbie was a true beauty! She had one of the pretiest faces I've ever seen
Meh
My sister in law looks soooo like her, I am so proud hihi 😊 good job dear bro
I'll say!
Every time Debbie was a mystery guest, she put on an Oscar winning performance, just by answering the panel's questions. A true 🌟 RIP
The best mystery guest ever.
Wonderful dizzy "french" lady!!❤
@@rrommens4527 8
Completely agree. Every visit on WML she was utterly remarkable.
I never knew what a ad-lib comedic genius there was in Debbie Reynolds. Now I do!
Debbie Reynolds was brilliant on this..so hilarious
Hmm
Now THAT was an Oscar-worthy performance! She was fabulous.
I am only 42. Never had seen this show until somehow I found it on UA-cam. Love this show now.
Debbie was so talented with such a bubbly, comic personality that people forget what an incredible beauty that she was (although that doesn't seem lost on John Daly here).
Debbie Reynolds was just adorable.
I just love Debbie's humor. She's so fun.
A delightful way to disguise her voice. I think it might have been more difficult to guess her if she hadn't been in the news in the immediate days prior to the airing of this episode, as Bennett was aware of.
It was so sad what happened in her relationship with Eddie Fisher, especially since it didn't avail him much in the romance department in the long run and probably hurt his career.
I don't think Eddie Fisher cared. All he wanted was Elizabeth. If you look at him in his wedding pictures with Debbie, he's constantly looking at Elizabeth, not his bride. And also, when he wrote his autobiography, for the cover he used a picture of him with Elizabeth. All very telling. I'd say he would still have done the same even if he knew what would come.
@@loissimmons6558 That was one problem with this show. Just about EVERY celebrity guest on the show is in NYC for a reason. The Judges all know everything that is going on in NYC, all the movies and plays, everyone who is in town, they read all the rags.
@@aewtx Hollywood people.
+aspenrebel
This is true, although it is a minor problem as the celebrity segments were more purely for entertainment than the contest. I would imagine that many of the viewers simply wanted to see a celebrity, some wanted to see how well they could disguise their voice, and some wanted to see if the panel would be successful. And occasionally the WML staff tried to pull a fast one by finding someone that was not known to be in town (or conversely was always in town because they lived in NYC). On occasion, there would be a set up where the MG had interacted with a panelist that day or the day before and had said they were leaving town. There's a great segment in July 1964 where Arlene's son comes on and stumps the panel. He had told his mother he had to work late that night at the World's Fair.
With today's technology, a revival of the show could bring in celebrities via a remote hookup and this problem would be eliminated. But I suspect that the people connected with WML back in the day would not have seen this as a problem. Only those looking for a fair contest would see it as a problem. Those looking for entertainment would not.
One of the cutest women that has ever lived.
Meh
Saw her in concert back in 2011 what energy & beauty, wow! She is loved & missed!!! ❤️
Just watched this again & was brought to tears, such a sad loss. Debbie's personality was pure gold...💔
Absolutely adorable.
Wow! What a pistol she was! Now I know where Carrie got it from! LOL And she looks gorgeous here. Strangely, this was three years AFTER they shot, "Singin' In The Rain", and yet she looks so much younger in this WML appearance. Younger, and prettier, to be honest. Maybe I'm just not a fan of Kathy Selden's shorter hair. EDIT: Okay, I just figured it out. Debbie's quite a bit thinner here than she was in that picture three years earlier. Most notably in her face. She had such a round face as Kathy, and here she has much better defined bone structure, which is the beauty difference I'm seeing. Okay, mystery solved.
Regarding Miss Reynolds' vocal disguise, she did vocal impressions even as a teenager when she competed for and won the Miss Burbank title at age 16. In later years in her stage act, she impersonated both Zsa Zsa and Eva Gabor.
OK, so how could you tell the difference between her impersonation of Zsa Zsa and Eva? Oh I guess if she was slapping a cop, she was doing Zsa Zsa, right?
@@aspenrebel completely unnecessary !
@@millieeyelashes3765 hee hee hee!!
She did a great liberace
I saw her do Barbra Streisand in concert. :)
Good gosh. She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. May you rest in peace Debbie and Carrie.
+gcjerryusc
Debbie's teen years were something like a real life version of Elly May Clampett, except her family didn't strike it rich until Debbie's prodigious success in the entertainment world. Her family was dirt poor and also moved to the LA area at some point (from Texas). She said that her typical outfit was "dungarees and a shirt" in those years. One of her closest HS friends said that while she was cute, she was also tomboyish, lacked money and a car, and didn't dress well. She recalled that Debbie was invited to only one school dance.
But she was pretty enough (as well as talented enough) to win Miss Burbank at age 16.
It some ways, her early life was a blessing once she became a star. Every indication is that she was one of those successes who never forgot where she came from and it always helped her keep a healthy perspective on what was important in life.
+gcjerryusc
Uh, let's see ... Mona Lisa? Miss America? Minnie Mouse? Minnie Driver? Madonna?
+gcjerryusc
I was just in one of my silly Leonardo da Vinci/Nat King Cole moods!
Meanwhile, is there no one to stand up for the honor of Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo? :-)
Lois Simmons -- My Mom was a dear friend of Debbie's babysitter back when she was Mary Frances. Debbie kept in contact with Pauline a long time. She was always a kind, loving woman, true to her El Paso humble roots.
You will always remain in our hearts, Mary Frances!
Aurora Glenne Her and Betty White kept their true beauty into their old age...
She was so multi talented. Triple threat before we knew the term. Debbie was beautiful.
Debbie Reynolds was a beautiful & down to earth woman. She was multitalented & so good at many different things. She could sing (a beautiful voice), dance (very well), play comedy & drama roles easily & had a wonderful spontaneity about her. Watching her in films was a treat, as was listening to her just being herself on a talk show or in an interview. She was one class act! There are no stars nowadays like this wonderful woman! We miss & love you Debbie. At least I do!
I like how she says "and we're not gonna cuddle" and then stamps her foot. So cute. RIP America's Sweetheart
Debbie Reynolds is my fav celebrity guest of all time. Every appearance she is so funny...
agree. And also, she was so beautiful, so pretty.
Debbie Reynolds was brilliantly spontaneous .......what excellent improv
All of these fine people are now long gone from the earth, but my my WHAT A DELIGHT THEY WERE to watch and listen to.(!)
And WML remains the greatest Game Show Program of all time.❗💎🎯💯
Maybe, tied with Password
Awe that makes me happy that a 22 years young soul would find enjoyment in these episodes! I’m 78, so remember them.
debbie reynolds was simply effervescent here, and still is!
RIP Debbie Reynolds (and Carrie Fisher, too). You both will be missed.
Carrie wasn't even born at this time and now they both die one day apart. I also wish for them to Rest In Peace. Eddie Fisher died in 2010.
+Garland English Died of a broken heart 😔
I dunno...I believe Debbie could NOT go on w/o her Carrie.
Debbie Reynolds was absolutely beautiful and so funny. Her eyes just incredible when she smiled. Love this video so much.
I always come back to this for her reaction at 18:05. Absolutely adorable and playful.
Love this!
a true testament to her quick wit, originality, and delivery!
Debbie Reynolds Was Such A Beautiful Lady and A Brilliant Sense Of Humour.
I've Watched This So Many Times.
I believe Debbie died partly because of a broken heart. She missed Her daughter too much. I believe the same happened w/Johnny Cash when he lost June also.
Johnny looks peaceful at June's funeral probably because he knew he would join her in 3 months
miss_midge_6515 I don't think it can be compared so readily with other people as the time involved was SO peculiar. I remember very well, having heard that Carrie Fisher died one day, being totally and utterly shocked to hear that Debbie Reynolds left us the next. I mean, the NEXT day!! Not enough time for her to 'miss' Carrie. More simply, it may have been a terrible shock which hurried along her own death.
Singin' In The Rain. Only one of the greatest movies ever made.
She specifically told Todd that she wanted to be with Carrie on the morning she died. I'm not sure how some of you get that there wasn't enough time. She'd just lost her child. There's no way Carrie's death wasn't a factor.
@@tiawilliams5690 Glad you posted this because I was going to post the samething.
Johnny Cash looked 125 years old at his wife’s funeral. Years of drug use will do that to you. He also ran around on her until he was to decrepit to continue. He was only 71!
I was four years old when this was shown my mom and dad were laughing so hard it made me laugh too.
I haven't read all the comments, however I just noticed her pearls fall off at 17:20 when she goes in to cuddle with John, nice catch Debbie!
Ben63451 I saw that as well.
and, at about the same time, her other shoulder strap falls to the side. Nice shoulders.
Debbie was a cutie. Rest peacefully, Debbie and Carrie. No more pain.
this is so amazing, seeing the fantastic Debbie Reynolds with her soon to be husband Eddie Fisher is priceless. Of course we all know what happened to that marriage, its so sad, they were a beautiful couple.
Well SHE was beautiful. Who cares about him?
I dunno, the guy sort of looks like a dolt!!!
@@aspenrebel Had to be a dolt to prefer Liz Taylor to Debbie--but of course, he got his comeuppance there.
@@slaytonp right!!
Eddie Fisher was nothing but a horndog. I feel sorry for his formative years, but after Debbie, he didn't get HALF of what he deserved!
I was lucky enough to see Debbie Reynolds live show in the late 80s.
It was wonderful. She had so much energy. Just precious.
Her son Todd was her lighting man/director.
Adorable.... Debbie Reynolds is so talented and gorgeous!
I adore this show. I had never heard of it until it was put on UA-cam. I started watching it 1 week ago, August, 2024. Life was so different then.The women's clothing was so elegant. The various jobs are so interesting. Thanks to all who made this possible. Xxxx
Debbie was the ideal woman: smart, beautiful and tremendously cute in every sense of the word.
She just needed good husband.
Eddie Fisher..When he left Debbie Reynolds for Elizabeth Taylor..Public didn't like that, his career went into the toilet..Eddie Fisher was a fool..
He certainly was a fool, a crying shame
Then she dumbed him for Richard Burton🤕
Not a fool. Fisher, like Cerf, was a slimeball......................
Don't be a hater. I hate haters
Joe Ambrose 😁😆🤣😂
she's so cute and beautiful I'm crying
I hear you. I hate what aging does to us sooner or later. And being 64, it's creeping closer and closer.
Stfu
7:25- Ivy Baker Priest (1905-1975) was also the mother of Pat Priest (born 1936) who would be the 2nd performer who played Marilyn Munster on 'The Munsters' (1964-1966)!
That’s Trivia not many know. Nice! I have a signed IBP silver certificate in collection.
@@SHOCKWAVEDAVE Interesting!
I'm heartbroken, RIP Debbie, you're so beautiful.
Carrie had a streak of trolly humor in her, I can now see she got it from her mother xD
I love this show. Can't stop watching... I've seen this episode for about four times.
Ivy Baker Priest -- Treasurer of the United States -- I remember when hers was one of the two signatures on each denomination of U.S. paper money. I also remember that her daughter was Pat Priest, the second actress who played "Marilyn Munster" on the original version of _The Munsters_. (The part was originally played by Beverley Owen.) For those that don't remember, Marilyn was beautiful and normal looking, and the other members of the Munster family felt sorry for her because of her looks . . . .
Ivy Baker Priest was quite a cupcake for a a woman of "mature years"! In fact, she reminds me a little bit of Jane Wyman, with that cute "button-nose."
+ToddSF 94109
In my early school years, it took me a while to figure out the difference between the Secretary of the Treasury and the Treasurer of the United States, especially since the latter position sounded like the more important one. At one time it was as the Treasurer was the official in charge of receipt and custody of U.S. Government funds. Now the Treasurer's duties are basically limited to matters of coinage, currency and other related matters.
Two different men co-signed the paper currency during Mrs. Priest's term of office (the entire 8 years of the Eisenhower administration): George M. Humphrey of Ohio (1/21/53 to 7/29/57) and Robert B. Anderson of Connecticut (7/29/57 to 1/20/61).
Having Mrs. Priest's signature on a dollar bill might be worth considerably more than a dollar, or at least the bill is worth more. In those days, dollar bills were still the silver certificates which were abolished in the 1960's.
The first 28 Treasurers were men. President Truman appointed the first woman Treasurer in 1949, Georgia Neese Clark of Kansas. Mrs. Priest was her successor. Since then every Treasurer has been a woman (16 including Clark and Priest). Six of the last seven and seven in all have been Hispanic women.
+519DJW
That "cupcake" was a savvy politician, and was in charge of the campaign for women to vote for Eisenhower in 1952. He received 52% of the women's vote.
@@loissimmons6558 wow that's a load of info are you by any chance a currency collector
@@proudcynophile1901 Nope. Just a trivia collector who also knows how to search online.
Wow, I think I like just about everything about Debbie Reynolds--a beautiful young lady with a quirky sense of humor. :) Very charming.
I happen to own a series 1957 Silver Certificate hand autographed in ink by Ivy Baker Priest, right above her printed signature on the note.
I own a IBP signed silver as well.
The guy who bursts out laughing in the audience at 16:50 is literally me the whole time! 😂
My parents used to watch this after they put me and my sister to bed and I'd hear them laughing and shrieking in the living room at this TV show - now I understand why. Back then kids were put to be early even before 9:00 or 8:00 if they were school age or younger. And in August 29, 1954 I wasn't even 5 years old yet.
our bedtime was 9pm also except when I was in first grade my parents allowed my brother and I to stay up one particular Sunday night in order to watch the Beatles on their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show
I attended Debbie's daughter's one woman show in 2009 (Carrie Fisher in "Wishful Drinking"). She performed the show was at Studio 54. Studio 54 was once known as "CBS Studio 52" and was the venue where "What's My Line" was produced in the 1960s.
Of course, Carrie is also the daughter of Eddie Fisher.
Debbie Reynolds... what a doll!!
Ivy Baker Priest, in addition to serving as U.S. Treasurer from 1953 to 1961, was also twice elected to Treasurer of the State of California. She did all this, amazingly, without ever having attended college.
Not really so "amazing" back then when you consider that most likely someone with undergraduate/graduate credentials would have actually been able to do a more competent job. All of her jobs were before 1970 - before any equal employment opportunity laws/standards or wide discussion about hires having actual job qualifications. Ike appointed her in 1953 from merely being a high school-credentialed RNC vote worker. This led to her Calif election wins. Thankfully, less of these type appointments happen today for Publicly-funded jobs. The current U.S Treasurer has a Masters in Public Administration and a PhD from Yale. Priest was more a beneficiary of the political largess of her times than someone studied and credentialed in her field.
@@waldolydecker8118 Wow, is there a reason you are badmouthing this woman's capabilities (besides the fact she was essentially an early affirmative action recipient)? You don't present any facts or evidence that she was bad at her job... Also, you tout advanced degrees as if they're proof of a person's competence, while ignoring the fact that some people (like Clarence Thomas) only got their prestigious degrees because of programs like Affirmative Action.
Re: the telephone booth salesman, did anyone us chuckle when Dorothy asked "So this isn't something you need to take with you when traveling from one place to another?" Did anyone else say to themselves, "One day!"
We love you Debbie Reynolds. Please RIP.
Arlene does a good job of reading the audience reactions and Daly's hints. She zeroed in on the lady bouncer by noting the bemusement of the audience.
No, she ‘zeroed in’ on realising that it was time to reveal the contestant under the rigged structure of this corny show.
@@LANCSKID I'm not sure they were ever told the people's job, but they were definitely given questions to ask, usually to get a laugh from the audience. The questions seemed a little bit too on point here.
Hands down the funniest excerpt from all 16 years on the air. I have seen this 20+ times
RIP Ms Reynolds. So charming here.
Debbie Reynolds is freaking delightful.
I miss Debbie so much she was so funny and sweet. Especially funny.
OH MY STARS.... Miss Debbie too funny. Classic guest.
Still one of my favorite guests on this show.
Ms Priest was the mother of Pat Priest,the actress (Marilyn in "The Munsters")🎩
Debbie Reynolds was a DEFINITELY a inspiration😂She was also a Funny 😄 and bubbly in this video. She was charming, beautiful, smart, and a FANTASTIC actress😎ALWAYS be remembered and her TALENTED daughter, Carrie Fisher 💕💕
Great to see Princess Leia's mommy!
It was a pity that she thought she had to fit in by snorting, popping pills and probably other things that ruined her body and life and killed her mother😖😖
@@janeiwasduncan8463 Maybe you do not know this but Carrie Fisher suffered from bipolar disorder all her life. I have a close relative with that and I know how that creates the perfect storm for substance abuse. I know that she was a supremely talented writer and actually a good person. But she had a mental illness that created problems.
RIP Debbbie.... very classy lady :(
Wow, she was a looker and that sense of humor and witness
14:20 -- Debbie was recently awarded in 2015 the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Academy Award for her decades of philanthropic work. She was nominated exactly once for an Oscar ["The Unsinkable Molly Brown"] and was not nominated for "Singin' in the Rain" which now seems inconceivable.
Comments left on prior version of this video:
Rikard Peterson 1 year ago
I agree - Debbie Reynolds was just wonderful as a mystery guest.
What's My Line? 1 year ago
She was a pistol. There's a Dick Cavett show where she's on with Groucho, and he spends a good deal of the interview talking about whether she'd had boob enhancements. It's completely shocking to me even now, 40 years later. Perhaps only Debbie Reynolds would have been able to handle that without running offstage in tears!
Purple Capricorn 3 months ago
Ms. Reynolds is amazing.
Frank Sinatra toldher not to marry Eddie Fisher, too bad she didn't listen.
OnCloudNine62 1 year ago
I see her here and automatically think of the movie Mother
MattTheSaiyan 4 months ago
Is it just me, or is 1950s fashion rather flattering? (in contrast with 1980s fashion, which few people can pull off).
maremacd 6 months ago
I've been watching episodes way out of order, and I can't help that Arlene is so much prettier in later episodes. Her looks improve with age.
Jorje Banda 4 months ago
DEBBIE REYNOLDS She was 22 Year Old in 1954.
MadelineTopper 1 year ago
How in the world did Arlene figure out the first woman's occupation so quickly?
Scott Stevenson 1 year ago
She and Dorothy were remarkably good at picking up all sorts of clues other than just what the answers were.
Will Hopkins 4 months ago
Debbie Reynolds seems very sweet. Eddie was a jerk.
corner moose 8 months ago
I gather this was the first time they had to blindfold themselves for more than just the MG round.
LOA1955 7 months ago
John Daly: "I just happen to have some $100 bills I had made. Would you sign them?" Ivy Baker Priest: "Oh, Mr. Daly I can't sign on Sundays. Isn't that too bad?"
One of WML's funniest mystery guest parting lines. :-)
Johan Bengtsson 10 months ago
Ivy Baker Priest was the mother of Pat Priest who played Marilyn Munster on the TV-show "The Munsters".
Scutshakes 1 year ago
Debbie Reynolds was so adorable with her answers.
M Mireaux 1 year ago
Without a doubt, Ms Reynolds was so incredibly gorgeous, sexy and hysterical on this episode!!
Mark Stump 10 months ago
Wow, she was very cute!
bootsamou 10 months ago
And then he went off with Elizabeth Taylor.
Pygiana 11 months ago
Debbie Reynolds was brilliant as Liberace's mother in Behind the Candelabra. I didn't recognise her but I watched the interview with her on the DVD and she looked just the same, hardly aged at all!
ultraroadmap 11 months ago
She's a natural comedian...and gorgeous!
bootsamou 10 months ago
Very VERY funny !!
iamintheburg 1 year ago
They listened to each other; they appreciated each other, they enhanced and enjoyed each other.
Speed Racer 1 year ago
Debbie is the Gold Standard - no matter what she does
Robert Romero 1 year ago
Debbie looks adorable here. :)
joed596 9 months ago
thanks so much for all these uploads :-)
John Fuentes 1 year ago
God....I think the female stars back then were more attractive back then.
Michael De Sapio 1 year ago
This was a great episode. Thank for posting!
What's My Line? 1 year ago in reply to Michael De Sapio
Just yesterday I heard someone on TV use the word "touch". Don't see what the big deal is there. . .
;)
What's My Line? 1 year ago in reply to Michael De Sapio
You're very welcome! I'm glad you're enjoying the shows.
Michael De Sapio 1 year ago
"Are you ever inclined to touch people who are obstreperous?" Can you imagine anyone using a word like that on TV nowadays?
Eddie Fisher must have had a brain storm leaving the goreous Debbie for.Elizabeth Taylor...sure liz was beautiful too but she did not have the magic Debbie had..
great voice Reynolds used.
she could have done a whole comedy act around that voice.
17:18 she caught her necklace so gracefully i didn't even notice until the second time i watched
Sweet sweet Debbie!!😙
Eddie Fisher had appeared as the Mystery Guest on a previous episode of WML while he was still a member of the U.S. armed forces.
What a beautiful girl..... we already are missing you... Arica... Chile
Mary Frances "Debbie" Reynolds (born April 1, 1932) .....
That would make her, extremely cute and young here..
Debbie ReynoldsUnderstands Why Eddie Fisher Left Her for Elizabeth Taylor....
“My three husbands all left me for another woman and obviously I wasn’t a very sexual lady,” Reynolds tells The Express. “My husbands all repeatedly said the same thing-that I was not a very passionate woman.”...
“I was never a sex queen in real life and I was never pursued by men. . . . I was friends with Elizabeth Taylor, Ava Gardner and Lana Turner and they craved and loved sex and talked about it. . . . They were very sensuous women, desiring passion.” Reynolds says she preferred another extracurricular: “It seemed that I was more interested in raising my children, not in pursuing my husbands.”
Jason Wilson That so expresses her heartbreak over the loss of her child. She truly died of a broken heart.
Jess4metoo It's always sad when the mother buries her child...
She picked the wrong guys, end of story. Of course she'll blame herself but she's incredibly intelligent and men of her era frowned on that. They wanted some woman who would cook and clean for them, and get intimate with them at their command. I'm sorry but she was too good for that.
Melissa Skillens I somehow can't quite imagine Elisabeth Taylor doing much housework....
This with Debbie and Jack Benny wit his tongue sticking out were the two greatest vocal disguises ever on the show.
I’ll contest with Kirk Douglas’ vocal disguise as an old-timer
@@JohnWilson-zh3il Yes, I agree.
Oh my, she is stunning here!
That’s what I love in a Woman, dorky and goofy personality. Specially if she’s this gorgeous. WOW.😍😍😍
As a kid, you had this beauty only matched by her personality. My crush lasted for decades
Debbie was a nickname given to her by Jack Warner. She was born Mary Frances Reynolds. Mary Frances is also the first and middle name of the only daughter of Bing Crosby,. Miss Crosby is best known as Sue Ellen's sister and the assailant of J.R. Ewing ("who shot J.R.?) on Dallas.
Oh yeah!! Bing must have been proud of her for that one.
Always very informative and helpful resources 😊
Debbie was so fun and feisty just like Carrie 🥰
It was such a wonderful idea for lexicographers to create the word "adorable" after they saw Debbie Reynolds
Ivy Baker Priest -- Eisenhower's Treasurer from Bountiful, Utah. Her daughter Pat did a stint a decade later in "the Munsters" as the pretty duckling cousin Marilyn. In the 1970s she became treasurer again, this time to California.
soulierinvestments - Steve says, "I can't even read my own mind." He was stellar.
So sad that Debbie has left us.
I'm glad someone from Utah FINALLY got on the show! I also love Debbie Reynolds!
9:56. She wasn’t in 1954, but will be in just ten years. Her daughter, Pat Priest, would join the cast of The Munsters.
Debbie Reynolds what a sweetheart !
Ivy Baker Priest Treasurer of the United States and mother of Pat Priest who played the character Marilyn on the Munsters.
She was so beautiful and sexy here. Much more attractive than I remember her in Singing in the Rain.
She actually had a rough time making Singing in the Rain. Gene Kelly was somewhat of a martinet, and was very rough (verbally) on Debbie's nascent dancing skills. One day she was under a piano on the set, crying about this, when a soft voice asked her what was the matter. She explained, and this person offered to help her with her steps. That person was Fred Astaire, one of the kindest gentlemen in Hollywood.
I love how Debbie casually and skillfully catches her necklace as it falls at about 17:20.
Sad the happiness of the marriage shown didn't last. On the bright side they gave us a Princess.
Noooooo!!! RIP 😞😖😭😭😭
"We women don't care too much about getting our pictures on money as long as we can get our hands on it." ~ Ivy Baker Priest (the 2nd guest)
RIP Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher. Condolences to the families 😔💐💐
smooth when she saved her necklace
it's amazing how many of the contestants jobs and products no longer exist like "telephone booth salesman".
***** - couldn't tell you the last time i've seen one, where do you sell them?
life was more labor intensive the further you go back, technology has rendered many jobs obsolete, but don't let anyone tell you manufacturing jobs don't exist, they've just moved to poorer countries where labor can be exploited. the difference between then and now is the rich were taxed way more and contributed much more into infrastructure and the social safety net, that revenue no longer exists. and union jobs were more prevalent, a larger portion of profits went to working people, and todays american's have increased productivity 80% in the last 35 years while wages have remained flat in that same period. that means all new wealth is going to the top. but yeah, machines now twist pretzels. www.motherjones.com/politics/2011/06/speedup-americans-working-harder-charts
+KaptKan1
Even in 1978, the lack of a telephone temporarily confounded one of my Cornell classmates on his way to rescue Lois Lane. He had to settle for a revolving door.
+gcjerryusc
Sometimes people have wondered in the comments as to whether a show like WML would be possible today. While the focus has been on which celebrities would be willing to appear as MG and who would be good and willing panelists, But what professions could be used is also an interesting question.
In the early days of WML, we saw the sophisticated NYC based panelists confronted with occupations that they might have assumed were no longer being done (like iceman). There are probably some jobs today that used to be done by many people that are now rare and most people assume are no longer being done. And with American's entrepreneurial spirit, new professions are being invented all the time. Also, a show like WML probably would stretch moral boundaries a lot further these days. So some examples of professions that were not around and/or would not have been used on WML from 1950-67:
- Owner of a craft brewery
- Maker of naughty baked goods
- Cell phone repairer
- Eyebrow threader
+gcjerryusc
And somewhere Chubby Checker was singing, "Let's twist again, like we did last summer ..."
I love these I remember many of their Celebrity Guests.😊
what a wonderful women her Witty charming personality I think anyone who had taken her out for the evening alter I thing any man would have been hooked something was really special about her one of kind
Funniest- and cutest- guest ever. Still madly in love with Debbie Reynolds!
15:23 that laugh! Ugh such a cutie
How in the heck did Arlene get the right answer ? Debbie doing her voices, very funny. And someone she know's shows up as a little surprise. It's someone I knew in the 80's and 90's. Overall this is one of the better episodes.
Arlene? I thought it was Cerf??
@@miss_midge_ : I think Dan must be referring to Arlene's guess about the bouncer.
Er, it’s called cheating. The most rigged show on TV.
She is brilliant.
Steve Allen was the very first host of "The Tonight Show"..and one of the creaters of the show..1954.He said it would run for ever, and it's still on all these years..
Debbie came ready to play!
I can't see, for the life of me, why Eddie Fisher would divorce Debbie for Liz Taylor. Debbie Reynolds was America's sweetheart.
Notice,both ladies stood up for Ms Priest🎩