What's My Line? - Groucho Marx destroys the show; Claudette Colbert (Sep 20, 1959)
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- Опубліковано 1 жов 2024
- Here it is, my vote for the single funniest episode of "What's My Line?" I suspect there are some folks out there who will find it irritating how much Groucho demolishes the format of the show around him, but everyone on stage appears to be loving it just as much as the audience is. One of Groucho's finest (half) hours after the breakup of the Marx Brothers as a team.
MYSTERY GUEST: Claudette Colbert (Groucho on Panel)
PANEL: Arlene Francis, Groucho Marx, Dorothy Kilgallen, Bennett Cerf
Groucho returns to WML as mystery guest in 1963: • What's My Line? - Grou...
Groucho returns to the WML panel in 1964: • What's My Line? - Grou...
Groucho returns one last time as mystery guest in 1967:
• What's My Line? - Grou...
Groucho Marx on You Bet Your Life: / @grouchomarx-youbetyou...
![What's My Line? - James Cagney; Gore Vidal [panel] (May 15, 1960)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/2r15ptBpbTw/mqdefault.jpg)
Groucho had a reputation for edgy comedy. On his own show he once had a lady contestant who had 13 children. Groucho asked her "how did that happen?" to which she responded, "I guess I just love my husband." Without missing a beat Groucho replied "lady, I love my cigar but I take it out of my mouth now and then."
😆
Brilliant.
If she'd had it in her mouth she wouldn't have had any
I believe that episode was the one that got Groucho fired. He was after all a standup comedian, today the woke would be trying to have him fired.
😂😂
8:36 "Are you a corrupt politician...or am I being redundant?" Priceless.
The quickest wit, Sharp as a razor..& full of fun. Are you aware no one's listening ? ha ha.
Waldog o
That Kruschev guy actually says "yes they say I am a little bit crooked".
If that was Kamala Harris instead of a random warden Groucho could have went on...
Amazingly, everyone knows that politicians tend to be corrupt, yet nothing is ever done about it.
Khrushchev had been in the US since September 15 to meet with president Eisenhower, and he visited Los Angeles while he was here. The day before this episode aired he had been barred from going to Disneyland because of concerns about the crowds and his security, which made him very upset. That explains the Disneyland references and the Khrushchev look-alike.
i remember that
Thank you so much for adding that.
@MichaelKingsfordGray Nor you manners.
Thanks for the explanation!
@MichaelKingsfordGray you can tell him in a polite manner!
It's always interesting to know what became of the guests on the show. Claudette Colbert, the mystery guest is well known. The warden, Henry McFarland, went on to make some dubious headlines. He was suspended from his warden job, and sentenced to six months for perjury in 1966. He passed in 1971 at the age of 77. Judy Grable had a long and successful career as a wrestler, and is a member of the WWE Hall of Fame. She died in 2008 at the age of 72.
...and Groucho whent on to become a car salesman. 😂
McFarland even mentions “he’s a little bit corrupt” to Groucho’s question
@@SIM2014 He became a kitchen product salesman disguised as Ron Popeil
@@TFABMN wrong quiz kid. He was forced paycheck to paycheck to sell Desotos. Where's your humor?
And Dorothy Kilgoin was murdered by our government because she was investigating JFK assignation.
"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read." (Groucho Marx)
That was originally from and by Mark Twain.
Are you married? Are you rich? Answer the second question first.
😂😂😂😂😂
8
Lame
I lost it when Arlene says to Claudette Colbert, "Groucho wants to know if your product is found in the kitchen."
That's maybe my favorite moment from the whole show. :)
+What's My Line? That's my 2nd favorite quip. #1 for me was Groucho saying, "Well, she must do something. A woman can't make a living by just being a blonde," followed up by (with perfect comedy timing) "Although, I've heard of a few who have." lol........
What's My Line? A year late, but that's the line that started my enchantment with the show, Arlene Francis, and your UA-cam channel. Thanks!
Whats the joke.. I don't get it?
"Would you say you deal with more sex-- i mean-"
If Groucho were to behave like any other panelist, what would be the point of asking him on the show? You ask Groucho because you want him to BE Groucho.
Sergio osea Very true. Personally I wouldn't have booked him for the show. Bored the excrement out of me.
@@davidsanderson5918 Would anyone have asked you opinion nearly 61 years ago?
Did they ask him Groucho come on and do your schtick or Groucho come on and do the show? I think if he had any sense or decorum he would have behaved properly.
@ Dave Sanderson. If you find Groucho Marx to be "boring" then I feel sorry for you!
@@davidsanderson5918 yeah, you and...... Um... And... ER... well, nobody
"Are people happier when you perform your services?"
Groucho: "I should think so...."
"I'm not crazy about reality, but it's still the only place to get a decent meal." Groucho Marx.
Hello, How are you doing?
Cheryl Dahl - I do quotes at the beginning of each of the chapters in my book.
This is another one by Groucho Marx:
_Time flies like an arrow._
_Fruit flies like a banana._ 😂
Are you kidding me? That was a Groucho line?
I had no idea - first time seeing it was in a bathroom (graffiti) at the UnivofMichigan decades ago. And here, I thought it was original bathroom wit? So funny and makes it all the better for now knowing its true source. What a wit he was?
That's the best tasting pickle I've ever hoird
Anyone else love the high level of casual vocabulary these folks have?
An elegant time.
Does The Team Think? was a radio panel game on BBC Light Programme 1957-1976 and I noticed in 1959 that one of them seemed faster, sharper, wittier and I think it was Ted Ray of the BBC radio show Ray's a Laugh
Yikes!!! This is easily the most instantly popular WML video I've ever posted, by a huge margin. 10,000 views in less than a month! Hooray for Captain Spaulding!
"His friends all call him Schnorer . . ."
Make that 100,000 views in 4 months. And two hard-boiled eggs.
Mu91c14n Make that three hard-boiled eggs.
***** And one duck egg.
Captain Spaulding... from the horror movies... the other day my sons went to Fright Dome and one of my sons got to meet and got his picture taken with Sid Haig...
Arlene Francis looked gorgeous.
Love her!
She was 52 in this episode. Gorgeous indeed
Arlene Francis remained a panelist on What's My Line even after the show left CBS and went into syndication in 1968. She still looked gorgeous in 1975 when a then nationally unknown southern governor named Jimmy Carter was a mystery guest.
ua-cam.com/video/bwykRTPJwoI/v-deo.html
The weird thing about Arlene Francis is that she looked better towards the end of the show's run than she did at the beginning!
Sea Shore Girl, How about me?
Everyone else seems dated but Groucho is could be transplated into today without missing a beat.
+djmips absolutely---but Arlene is cool too.
@ djmips. If Dorothy Kilgallen was alive today she would still be considered the best investigative journalist of them all! Considering that today's news media does no real investigative journalism at all , she would make today's so-called "journalists" look like total amateurs!
@@michaelbarlow6610 Pull the string on any talking doll and it would make today's MSM "journalists" look like amateurs...
Actually, I can always tell if a show is old or new if the people are really intelligent or not. If the people are truly incisive and brilliant, it is pre 1960. If their smarts are limited to what was on TV last week, it's a newer show.
@C The fact is that Groucho already faked his death once and came back as Alan Alda.
Groucho demolished that show and was utterly hilarious in doing so.
He took over, broke it apart, and yet we love it. The guy absolutely killed.
It is very impressive that Daly was able to maintain control of the show, add on to a few of Groucho's jokes, etc. Expertly done.
Wow, Groucho Marx was what, 69, when he made this appearance? And he was still sharp as a tack.
he was so sharp im not sure time mattered, you could dig him up and when you cracked open the coffin he would probably tell you to shut it before the hot air got in.
Actually, 69 is not necessarily old and senile, these days anyway. People are living longer. My clients are older and very sharp minded.
He stayed sharp, his body failed him, not his mind
Gee. 69. That's like, ya know, 101?
@@ronflatter1235 I agree--my daughter is 69, and just finished building a timber frame/straw bale house for herself--from scratch--with the occasional help of 3 or 4 old ladies her age and a neighbor man who is 80. From my perspective, 69 is the age of maturity.
"Is this product found in your kitchen?" happens to be a line that I've grown to randomly use with people during a meaningful conversation. I take so much joy in witnessing their blank stares. (I'm an interior designer, it's just that appropriate haha!)
I think the the episode wouldn't have been as mirthful without Groucho. Gotta love that man ♡
I love that you use that line randomly. For extra bonus points, randomly ask them if they touch people above or below the waist. For the super jackpot, before they can even answer, ask them "For how much?"
Love the way Arlene Francis presented herself. Her manner, her speech, the way she looked was simply All American fabulous IMO ❤️
Yes, that of the 1930s lavish. Or in other words, the transatlantic accent of the 19th century on its departure into a high society form (it was very common amongst all classes of women however, just that everyone had a wonderful decree of elegance with their rich dialects." I loved the deep voiced women of that decade...notably Tallulah Bankhead who has always had such a electric low tone.
I was 8 in 1959. I’m sure I didn’t watch WHAT’S MY LINE? weekly, but I remember it through the years.
What always caught my attention was Arlene Francis’s diamond heart pendant. She always wore an outfit that would have a neckline so the pendant was prominent. I thought that was the most beautiful thing ever. Even today I think it’s gorgeous. And I certainly never have had one like that.
Groucho certainly made that much more fun than usual. That man’s brain was always set to full speed.
The Marx Brothers became an obsession of mine in college, early 70s. I still love them. No one could top them.
Francis was smart as was Kilgallen. Her getting the first contestant right was pretty impressive. Later on, Betsy Palmer played a role like that of Francis on "I've Got a Secret." She was no "dumb blonde" either.
Same here😊
I swear Groucho was the Robin Williams of the time. Just amazing.
I was born exactly 57 years ago on the early morning hours of September 21, 1959. I was 7 and a half months premature when I was delivered that Monday morning. My mother was watching this episode with my Dad that Sunday evening and could not stop herself from laughing so hard since the show started and by the time Claudette Colbert appeared she had already been experiencing severe abdominal cramps and had to be rushed to the hospital. I wasn't supposed to come out until that November, but my mother to this day blames Groucho Marx and thanks him at the same time for the unexpected events that happened that night.
Wow! What a story.
What's my line with Ronald reagan
I missed your comment when you first posted it, +alperman5, but I'm so glad I finally saw it a month later. So Groucho Marx actually induced premature labor. What a fantastic story-- I'm gonna have to share this in our WML Facebook group!
How were you seven and a half months premature? How many body parts are you missing?
Were you born above. or below the waist?
I remember watching this show with my mother and grandmother who lived with us...we had many wonderful times in front of the old Muntz B&W TV, and even though they are gone, this clip reminds me that I had a wonderful life....
Mark Rocovich
yes, I was about 7 in 1964 and and I remember watching a TV with rabbit ears which had to be adjusted all the time I'm going to say it was an RCA brand but not absolutely sure about that. One day my mother took me and my sister on a car ride to see my grandmother and grandfather some distance from us. After that visit she drove to a residence even farther away and purchased a Zenith TV for 25 dollars. And I can almost remember exactly where this residence was some 54 years later. That TV was MUCH MUCH better but still the rabbit ears existed. After a while I knew exactly what position was best for them to be in for each of the 3 channels it received.
john noe
EXACTLY! I remember those days like it was yesterday. I tell young kids today “we had 3 channels & that was 2 too many!” TV has been destroyed today: totally overload.
Madman Muntz!
I just want to put this out there that as a young person, I love reading these stories of times long ago, and I appreciate everyone for taking the time to do so!
I thoroughly enjoyed this episode with my favorite comedian of all time, GROUCHO! But then I read the comments and was saddened to find that we have truly lost our sense of humor. Folks, being a professional a---hole was Groucho's JOB! He spent his life poking the establishment in the nose! They knew exactly what they were going to get when Groucho showed up!!!
And they knew that when they hired him.
Nobody could destroy a show quite like Groucho.
This reminds me of a story that illustrates just how outrageous Groucho could be:
A plane of USO performers was arriving at Washington, DC, with Groucho and Eleanor Roosevelt amongst the greeters.
As Charlotte Greenwood was getting off the plane, at the top of the airstairs she did one of her hallmark high kicks.
Groucho turned to Mrs. Roosevelt and said; "You know, you could do that if you put your mind to it." .
One of my favorite comments ever.
"Aunt Eller" from "Oklahoma" was known for "hallmark high kicks?" There is an Educational moment IMHO.🤔💃B.W.
BwaHaHaHa!!!
😂😂😂
that's high humor
I bet the producers held Their breaths when they got Groucho on the panel. Not knowing if they made a mistake, but I can assure them now, almost 60 years later, it was a great idea.
F
He was such a loose cannon! But worth it!
2 Best quiz shows of the day...
YOU BET YOUR LIFE and WHAT'S MY LINE. Groucho is irrepressible wit and outrageous as usual.
Is Mr Macfarland KGB? He could be Nikita Kruschev's younger brother or stunt double. Amazing family resemblance. This show never disappoints
I couldn't stand him! I have enjoyed many, many episodes of this show, but he grated on my nerves every time he opened his mouth.
@@Amcsae okay
They knew exactly what to expect when they invited Groucho Marx on the show and they got it. I laughed my ass off watching it.
John Doe ll 3666778899
Yeah and it was funny. By the way nice No Face
If he had behaved himself, it would have been a disappointment.
Looks like this show was running over time.
he tried to steal the show…I don’t like it.
I'm 25, so this show was obviously way before my time, but I stumbled upon it maybe two weeks ago at most while looking for Buster Keaton interviews and now I can't stop watching it. Something about it is very soothing.
Too funny, that’s exactly how I found it a few years ago, I was looking for Buster Keaton interviews! I must have watched hundreds of them by now, this
show is pure class!
I did too! Last week i was looking for a buster keaton interview.
"Something about (the show) is very soothing."
Wit and outrageous wit....Graciousness coupled with a complete lack of Political Correctness... and above all, Social Cohesion
I think all the episodes have been saved. I watch a few of them.
Hey I watch it for the same reason! It's a very very easy show to watch. They seem so much like us today, I always imagined the 50's as a lot more.... "stiff"
Every time I stumble across and watch episodes of this old show (I was born in 1953), I am amazed at how smart Dorothy Kilgallen is. She nails it so often.
Was also born in '53 and always thought she was very attractive and intelligent....
In November, 1965 -- someone thought she was a bit too smart. And possibly knew something.... about something.
I actually found her annoying. It was Arlene Francis whom I enjoyed and thought was extremely clever.
She clearly cheated.
I’ve definitely wondered that
Dorothy Kilgallen’s question about sex to the woman wrestler had me laughing so hard I had tears.
Groucho truly got to Arlene and Dorothy with his humor.
Even though it is black and white, I could tell Dorothy's face was bright red.
During the mystery guest segment, John disqualified Groucho. (He HAD to!)
And if you look at Dorothy at the end of her questioning, even her eyes are watering. 18:18
I have heard them mention sex on this show several times and I am amazed it flew past the fcc back then
Nearly 40 years after his death Groucho is well remembered, as he should be. There were few (I can't think of any) sharper wits around.
Groucho kept it pretty well together until his bad stroke in the 70's. I've seen him on Cavett in the early 70's when he was about 80 years old, and he was still sharp!
Horse Feathers is the most amazing movie....
Mr. Marx certainly destroyed Mr. Daly's composure!
Daly got Groucho at 07:01 - it was 'on' from there.
@@-oiiio-3993 he got him even better a few seconds later and had him struggling to keep it from being too “blue” for live tv
When Arlene says "Groucho wants to know if your product found in the kitchen"! I almost had a heart attack laughing!
One of my favorite moments, too. It's even funnier that it's coming from her, because he's been disqualified. She could have chosen to just ignore him, but she delivered the line, and no one could have delivered it any funnier. This, for me, is one of the big clues that they weren't annoyed with Groucho, but fully enjoying his antics.
Same!
@@WhatsMyLine True, but I think that Arlene is the only one of the regulars who could hang in there with Groucho. Dorothy was completely flummoxed by him.
what's the joke?
@@taruntius1 The show often had inventors, so "Is your product found in the kitchen?" was a standard question that someone would ask on just about every show. Groucho used it in a hilarious way.
Groucho Marx was right
Appellant Henry B. McFarland was convicted of two counts of perjury before a grand jury in violation of 18 U. S.C. § 1621, after trial by jury in the Southern District of New York. Finding no error in his trial, we affirm the judgment.
Since appellant does not argue insufficiency of evidence, only a brief statement of facts is required. Since 1951, appellant had been the warden of the Hudson County Jail in Jersey City, New Jersey. In January 1965, a grand jury in the Southern District of New York was investigating the transportation of prostitutes from that district to the Hudson County Jail and the use of telephones in connection therewith. Appellant appeared before the grand jury on January 26, 1965, and the following December was indicted for perjury.
That smile on Groucho's face when Dorothy says " Do you in any way alter or improve their appearance?" really proves that however witty and comedic Groucho Marx was, he could still laugh if he encountered something funny enough. Timestamp: 19:53
Watching John Daly lose it is totally worth this entire show. Priceless! He is absolutely hysterical by the mystery guest!
This is why it puzzles me so much that some people read his reaction to Groucho as annoyance. I don't see it, not in the slightest. I've never seen John laugh harder or more often than on this one show.
@@WhatsMyLine 5hat's so true!! 😂😂😂
So true! Groucho, is one comedienne who has made me cry, with laughter; while watching this episode! 😂😂😂
The only time in this episode of "What's My Line?" in which moderator Charles Daly seemed a bit irked by Groucho's interruptions is after Groucho says, "That's getting out of it good Charles Daly!" when Daly has a look on his face as if he's thinking that he wished Groucho would stop interrupting so much. But Daly appreciated and recognized the brilliance of Groucho's improvisational humor as evidenced by his losing it after Groucho asked Judy Grable if she was a foot doctor?!
@@michaelbarlow6610 by cyyu
"Groucho wants to know if your product is found in the kitchen."
"Do you touch them above the waist or below the waist?"
...and Groucho says "How much?"----CLASSIC
statman99 I believe he says, "FOR how much?", implying prostitution (which he did more than once in this segment!)
No one has ever "owned" a line more than Groucho owned this one.
Groucho's humor touched everyone in the HEART! I miss Groucho Marx!
BTW, when I type it directly into this box, why does the screen jump around? Is that just MY computer?
rdelrosso2001 Make sure the cursor is in the text box. Hitting space when it isn't causes it to page down.
Alternately, make sure your page up/page down keys are not pressed.
What an episode of WML this was. Groucho REALLY DID break up the show. His rapid-fire delivery when he spewed jokes was his trademark. Loved it, whether it was from a Marx Bros. film, or You Bet Your Life. He was a master of insult comedy. The One, The Only...Groucho. Thanks for presenting this clip.
Man, Groucho had John Daly dying back there, XD
Groucho is brilliant. John Daley can barely keep it together. These people were so classy and witty, and Groucho just tears it up.
Speaking about brilliance, John Daley was an incredible host. Just incredible. He was so polite to all guests, and turned the panel into pretzels with his verbal gymnastics. What a great show. Just great.
I'm sorry Morone, but you're just plain wrong.
@@dodgecrockett3474 My opinion is wrong? What is it wrong about?
@@dodgecrockett3474 yeah it's true Groucho is a running joke in Gilbert's bids on Stern Radio. If Dean Martin's the cool funny uncle, Groucho's the other uncle that wants to be the funny one but of whom you'd just want he would shut his pie hole
Monroe, you are right about one thing. The cast is classy. It was their class that enabled them to maintain their composure while that loser tried to ruin the show. Groucho wasn't "brilliant" on What's My Line. You probably confused A Day At The Races with What's My Line.
This is hands down the FUNNIEST episode of "What's My Line?" I have EVER seen. And just like you, I have seen quite a few of them myself!! No matter how many times I watch this, I am almost in tears every time!! I have NEVER heard any of the panel or John Daly laugh the way they did on this show. Plus, Groucho brought out John Daly's ad libbing skills as well. To anyone who thinks Groucho is being annoying, you have never seen Groucho or how dull WML? can be sometimes. This was a REFRESHING change from the norm!!
Well said, jimlange!
Amen!
I think this is the funniest WML episode followed by Rosalind Russell's appearance on the show
Claudette Colbert is the icing on the cake. She is a gem. It Happened One Night is one of cinema's greatest films.
Is Claudette Colbert on the show?
"Claudette Colbert was the mystery guest. She starred in "Sleep My Love" which can be found on UA-cam -- scary and sweet and funny.
" 'Believe you me'; you bore me to DISTRACTION!" :)
@@dhpbear2 That's a GREAT line from a GREAT movie! LOL. 🤣🤣🤣
Don't forget Claudette Colbert's dramatic role in Johnny Belinda, where she is a deaf mute. That was some smooth acting.
What a naturally funny man, he obviously doesn't need a script
That had to have been the funniest episode I've ever seen. Between the Krushchev double and Groucho Marx, I couldn't stop laughing.
Groucho was a master of comedy. The format of the show was inconsequential. He stole the show, and was a riot.
I just noticed for the first time, Arlene gets something wrong in her intro of Groucho: she refers to his beginning his 13th year on TV as host of "You Bet Your Life", but he had only been on TV since 1950. It was his 13th year of the series, but not on TV-- YBYL aired for 3 years on radio before it debuted on TV.
But didn't she look so beautiful as she erred? :)
Bradley Greenwood It's amazing what beautiful women can get away with when it's guys catching them. That's why I'm glad I was never able to become a State Trooper, I'd have let all the cute chicks go. lol
Believe me... it happens OFTEN.
+What's My Line? I noticed that, too. I'll bet she was also including YBYL years on radio before it's tv debut in 1950, same year as WML? started.
freeguy77 Yes, that's probably true.
"Now would you say you deal with more sex- more than one-" Dorothy 😂
Groucho is a relative of mine, on my mother's side of the family. I met him at my grandfather's house (
Nice!
See, you don't see brilliant people like this on television anymore. If they remade this show for primetime at a major network, the panel would be full of gorgeous, sexy, chiseled actors/actresses/musicians/reality TV stars, but highly doubt that the panel would have one functioning brain between the four of them... How cool is it that on THIS panel there's a book publisher? When do you ever see publishers on TV on popular shows nowadays except for when they are being played by someone super gorgeous....?
This is exactly why I never get interested in-- let alone excited by-- any prospect of reviving the show today.
This is why I watch British panel shows.
Yeah, 'QI', 'Would I Lie To You' and 'Have I Got News For You' are all still pretty good.
That's because we've lost so much innocence within the last few decades, in my opinion.
***** You honestly see no difference between the tone of a show like WML and what airs today except the hairstyles and its having been in B&W? Seriously? If it were redone today in the same style, with the same people, but with fully updated hairstyles and in glorious living color, it would never even make it to air, let alone succeed. Look at the revival of To Tell the Truth ABC is airing now versus the original. There's a whole hell of lot more that's different than hair styles and color.
Also, the publishing industry, while it does still exist of course, is perhaps in its last dying gasps.
You have to hand it to Claudette for being a good sport. She probably knew Groucho well enough to know what it was going to be. She seemed to have a good time with it all.
In the world of comedy, Groucho was an anarchist.
+D800Lover yes-- that's the key word!
At least he wasn’t a Marxist
He is an Anarcho-Marxist
And that makes all the sense in the world, and me stan him more!
Wow. Groucho was ridiculously funny. I love how he did nothing to facilitate a proper guess.. #1 goal, get laughs.
Delicious show with groucho
Thanks for posting this!...Groucho was a genius and I don't think I've ever laughed so hard at an old school game show.
So far ahead of his time he's ahead of our time
*Wherever Groucho is, it's The Groucho Show. He's the whole thing. The real deal.*
And yet we're all on board. It could come across as obnoxious and self centered, but it doesn't, at all. That is true genius.
By far the quickest wit in the history of entertainment. Better than Rickles, Johnny Carson....anyone.
17:24 - Groucho looks so proud of that little flub. Like he's thinking "My work here is done."
How I wish Groucho...and the rest of the boys...were still with us...
+Jason Burns They still are; just pop in one of their performances once you find 'em to buy and take home. :)
yes..they will ALWAYS be with us!
Groucho would have a field day with this strait jacket, touchy-feely p.c. crap we have to put up with. No one can take a joke anymore.
Today he wouldn't be on TV or anywhere else. Probably flipping burgers in some suburban bistro. So sad we don't promote the good and intelligent any more
Please put me in a time machine. I want to go back to when I watched a little black and white portable, and we had four channels to chose from... and LOVED every minute.
Me too Bradley.
Me too!
I had 2 stations till I was 18 and no color t.v. till I was 9. I'm not even close to 50 yet!
All these years later, Groucho is still a riot... way ahead of his time in comedy...
I agree. I’m 62 and I’ve always loved Groucho but he really was way ahead of his time.
Not really way ahead. People were actually that funny years ago. We don’t live in superior times comedically.
Yes, he was like a party crasher, the one we all want to crash our party.
Groucho was an absolute GENIUS!!!!!! LOVED LOVED LOVED THIS EPISODE!!!!!!!!!
The best part is when he turns his blind fold into his signature mustache :)
15:30
"You realize that no one's listening to you?" - Groucho Marx
A message to all who bad-mouths his influence for comedy.
Director Franklin Heller knew we were in for a treat. You will note he kept Groucho's microphone hot to capture everything and also called for an unusual number of two and three person shots involving Groucho's antics. As a bonus, I think some of Dorothy's remarks are among her funniest things ever uttered on WML. I particularly like the place where she rings her hands around her mouth to amplify her voice amid the roar of confusion. Groucho was one of the brightest guys in Hollywood at that time -- a voracious reader and a good writer -- and that theme question of his cracks me up every time.
What's My Line best show ever. Thank you for sharing. P.S. Mr. Daly was just excellent.
I showed my grandfather this episode, and the segment with the female wrestler had him in occasional stitches, and he had me in stitches watching him enjoy the good ole days.
Thank you, WML, for making that moment possible!
This is a very endearing story.
The play that Colbert was appearing in at the time was Leslie Stevens' "The Marriage-Go-Round" with Charles Boyer. The play ran for 431 performances at the Plymouth Theatre (now the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre).
Marx refused to wear the customary tuxedo worn by male panelists, refused to follow the format, and even announced the name of the mystery guest (Colbert). Marx appeared four times on the show: twice as a mystery guest, twice as a panelist. Brother Chico appeared once in 1951 (the episode is lost).
Groucho's question: "Are you a corrupt politician?" wasn't far off-base. A few years after the show, McFarland was sentenced to 18 months of prison for perjury in denying various improprieties related to his tenure as warden.
Judy Grable was originally an acrobat but turned to wrestling in the 1950s and 1960s. After wrestling, she worked as a nurses aide.
Daly is one of the few people to have worked on all three major networks (CBS, NBC, ABC) in the early days of television. In addition to being the host of WML, he was the news anchor for ABC in the 1950s and also filled-in for various people on NBC, most notably for David Garroway on the Today Show.
Any nurses aide will agree that the job often involves some wrestling.
V interesting. Great research.
@Tom Barrister. Thanks for these facts. Valuable info for sure.
Great knowledge and research which makes you ineligible to enter politics
Thank you so much! Insightful!
Funniest guy of all time. There's nothing he couldn't turn into a joke.
JOKE JESUS
I dunno... Perhaps Harpo?
"The question is withdrawn"
"Let's see you withdraw it, then"
I also love Salvador Dali's episode, for what it's worth.
The Salvador Dali one was good because he (Dali) tried to befuddle the panel by saying yes to 90% of the questions. Plus, the audience laughed at most of his replies.
That one was my first, and one of my favourites! @@scootscootriot1020 Part of it was to stump the panel, but honestly, part of it was just because he was a nerdy artist! Athlete? Yes. Writer? Yes. Use a pen? Yes. Brush? Yes.
@@37thraven agree
I mean, part of it might have been that he didn't know much English and probably didn't understand the questions, so he was just saying yes to everything.
Groucho, the master of the ad-lib. This never gets old. Dorothy can't even concentrate on the game, and that's saying something.
This is called bringing the house down. Groucho kills in this appearance. Kills! He takes over the show, yet you don't at feel annoyed by it.
This was the best game show of all time in my humble opinion. The world was a kinder sweeter place when "What's My Line" was a "reality" show and the themes of mainstream entertainment hadn't devolved and degenerated into humiliation, conquest and the summary executions of "losers."
Mark Marsh "Summary execution of 'losers'"???
What's My Line? ...."Survivor," ..."The Apprentice" ...."How to Marry a Millionaire" ..."The Mole" ..."America's Next Top Model" Do I need to continue? These show were much more about humiliating the losers than they were about glorifying the winners. You can't see that?
Mark Marsh Ah, I see-- I thought you meant "execution" literally!
What's My Line? No my friend, figure of speech.
Absolutely agree.
21:05 Daly trying really hard not to laugh...
21:26 totally loses it
This was the best game show ever! Groucho was the greatest. He really cracked up John Daly who was also one greatest game show hosts ever.
The one...the only...Groucho!!!
This has got to be one of the funniest moments in television history. I think Bennet was clearly annoyed since he couldn’t be the center of attention, Groucho stole that show. They wouldn’t get anything done had he been a regular. Anyhow, Bennet was so quiet and reserved because he knew it was best to sit back and let the legend that is Groucho be unleashed. Easily one of the best moments in television history.
Groucho was great here. Disruptive as he was. Love Arlene's laugh. Watching John Daly lose it was epic.
"You two are getting pretty chummy over there" and we're off. That is the greatest deadpan of all time.
Thank you so much for posting this ep. I have tears running down my face, I have laughed so hard at this. Great fun!! Groucho was amazing. I have never seen Dorothy so befuddled, she always plays the game very seriously. Fantastic episode!!!
the only one that has control of groucho is Arlene frances
Love how by the end Groucho had the rest of the panelists joining in his antics, to the point Daly just gave up.....or so he thought, and then the special guest came out.
Mr Cerf is obviously very well-read and has his own great intelligence and business acumen and can occasionally be amusing. But he is utterly, hopelessly out of his depth with the great Marx. Don’t try anything with Groucho, just sit back and enjoy the roller coaster.
Dorothy Kilgallen is adorable XD
Totally agree.
Groucho (Julius) Marx was THE quickest wit of his time and later. NO one got anything over Groucho Marx.
The story may well have been self-serving, but I saw George Burns tell a great story about Groucho. Someone asked George at a party who he rated as the greatest comedian. George replied that it was Charlie Chaplin. Groucho got peeved at George because he felt that he was the best. George replied that if Groucho was funnier than Chaplin, then he (George) must be the greatest because he was funnier than Groucho.
Except Daly.....when he said about fixing it so that HE could chummy with 'our guests'. Stick that in your cigar and smoke it, Mr Marx.
@@loissimmons6558 this doesnt make sense...if you disagree with me...how can i be better than who i just said was the funniest guy ever...just by being funnier than you..it means you dont believe the guy you picked was the funniest guy ever....the best you could say is YOU CANT BE FUNNIER THAN MY PICK BECAUSE i am not funnier THAN MY PICK....BUT I AM FUNNIER THAN YOU....
@@jadezee6316 It wasn't my story. It was George Burns' story. I heard him tell it to Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show. If the story doesn't make sense to you, you will have to take it up with George.
George's story about Groucho starts at 6:12.
ua-cam.com/video/ycUHM7gNsww/v-deo.html
Groucho is so funny. Comedy is subversive.
GROCHO IS PURE GENIUS. HE'S A REAL MAN WHO DOESN'T PUT UP WITH ANY SHIT FROM THE LIKES OF BUCKLEY.
He is real.
I do much enjoy how panelists’ and Mr Daly had so much flourishing vocabulary and cultural & educational background knowledge. So funny and at the same time respectful.
Groucho Marx - one of the greats!
I've never laughed so hard! Groucho was hilarious !! Dorothy came close to stealing the show with her Freudian slip though. Loved this.
Just wikied Miss Judy Grable. She died in 2008 and was 72 yrs old. It's fascinating to watch her so young on this show. All the people on the panel and the moderator have passed on. Most likely all of the live audience has too passed on. This was a different era and it's good to have these clips from that time. We will make our own memories and then the generation 40-50 yrs down the line will feel nostalgic about us. Hopefully we leave them a good legacy, both in terms of our deeds and thoughts.
As I watch older shows or movies I too wonder if I am watching something where everybody on screen has passed and its becoming the case as I do like watching older tv shows and old movies. It is like a time machine that allows us to look back and see people who are long gone. Imagine if we have film of Lincoln giving the Gettysburg address or Napoleon giving a speech. Due to digital technology we will be able to preserve and store anything put on film or recorded. We now take it for granted but its a pretty cool thing.
I hope they look back in embarrassment at us. What's currently on our TV is nothing to be happy with.
I love these guys so much and only came across the show a few months ago. Arlene is my fav. I would have loved to have been her friend. It's sad to think they are all gone.
@@hugodogobob they said that back then as well you know
tho i feel you, i hate tv lmao
That's a nice sentiment ❤️ odd to think everyone we see has passed on
Groucho was always an acquired taste, but he made for a hilarious episode! Daly was equal parts terrified and side-split by Marx. What a great show.😄
An “acquired taste?” I guess humor must be, too.
@@anitakinnear6735 There are different kinds of humour, and different people find different things funny. I've always loved Groucho, but it took audiences a long time to get used to him. During their vaudeville years, audiences loved Chico the best, and in the early years of their films, audiences loved Harpo the best.
What I love is that he's actually very respectful of women.
Groucho does an authentic double-take when he recognizes Miss Colbert -- it's very cute
The funniest guy who ever lived. Most comedians even today need a host of writers but Groucho was just naturally funny and outrageous. His comedy is timeless. Other comedians from the same era seem dated and corny by today's standards but Groucho's humor never gets old. He's just as funny now as he ever was.
He had an instantaneous wit. I thought Fred Allen did too, seldom said anything that was other than witty.
Knight Hood -- Groucho was hilarious, and he was hilarious on WML, without doubt. I wouldn't have wanted him on every week, though, since his humor was so hilarious it tended to disrupt the flow of the show. But when he was on, he was just so funny it's amazing!
It's a good thing they did not invite Chico and Harpo as well or it would have been complete pandemonium. I can see Harpo chasing the girls and Chico taking the mic away from the announcer and having a continuous banter with Groucho.
He's the GOAT!
Agreed. I never found Bob Hope or Milton Berle funny, but Groucho and Jack Benny were hilarious.
A half a million views as of today!
+What's My Line? Trust me, that many people cannot be wrong, Gary.
+What's My Line?
It's because the show in general was terrific, but with Groucho, it's just otherworldly. I myself alone have watched it like 5 times in its entirety. It still makes me laugh until tears come out of my eyes and I start wheezing and coughing! Thanks a FULL million for uploading this!!!
IgnatzKolisch You've got about 25 more viewings of this episode before you catch up to me. . . and it STILL makes me laugh out loud! Glad you enjoyed it so much-- that's far from a universal reaction, going by the many of the comments that have been left!
+What's My Line? Half of them are mine ;)
jp00349 That's great! :) I'd already watched this one about 20 times before I posted it to UA-cam, probably another 20 since. It never stops being funny.
I think Groucho Marx was on the show only for the humor… he is a comedian.
But then Dorthy Kilgallen was a journalist thus it was no surprise she gets the right answers most of the time.
This was filem 70 years ago and it's still hilarious. None of the people in that entire building could have predicted that not only that we would be still watching this so many decades later, but it could be watched, on demand, from basically anywhere on earth, whether stationary or moving.
I was 4 when this was filmed, and I'm still a ways from 70, so I think your math is off.
@@accomplice55 My math was fine, my typing was off, 6 is next to 7.
@@rsr789Those three little dots on the right of your post allows you to edit your post just by tapping it.
@@jess4metoo Are you always this obtuse or is it just an occasional thing?
How on earth could some people find Groucho Marx irritating? The man was, and still is, a legend. Thanks for putting this up. One of the best episodes I've seen along with Phil Silvers dressed as Sgt Bilko.
Groucho Marx always had a rebellious streak in his comedy, and he basically built his career and reputation by making fun of "the establishment", for which the panelist and host of "What's My Line?" were a very big part of in New York City from the 1930s onward. Appearing with these "high society" people on "What's My Line?" worked perfectly into Marx' favor comedically, and he used his extensive experience in ad-lib comedy to his full advantage, and worked it with everything he had to give. It is one of Groucho Marx' best performances ever in the medium of television.
Agreed and he, clearly, had hearing problems as well !
At one point although The Host said " Chummt" several times he still had to ask the lovely Lady if that is what he sad...
Isleofskye "What's My Line?" held most of their shows at a theater in New York City. That theater specifically had very bad acoustics. Host John Daly and the panel members were always having to repeat themselves, when someone could not hear what the other person, or the contestant, was saying. When the show was shot for one night in Chicago, Illinois, and at CBS Television City, in Los Angeles, California on a few occasions, there were no acoustic problems at those venues.
Just to add, Frank Lloyd Wright was a Mystery Guest one night and made the remark that the acoustics were not very good in the building, and they would just have to work through it.
DarkLight753 At 21:48 if you listen closely Marx clearly says "it's Claudette Colbert", then wants a shot at it. A complete disruption to the game. Yes, he's annoying.
This is wonderful! Of course, when Groucho Marx was booked they knew they who they were getting. There was absolutely no-one like him and those on camera had to just enjoy the ride. John Daly sure did! (Sexist comments -oh well; it was 1959.)
I'm just so appreciative that you post these! As a big fan of classic films, these are so fantastic to watch. Thanks.