I can remember back in the 1970s when there was a gentleman with a shoeshine stand outside of a storefront in downtown Petaluma, Sonoma County, (northern) California. As many of us can recall if we grew up during the 50s and 60s, that shoeshine stands were prevalent in big cities. And I suspect it was one of the few entrepreneurial jobs open to blacks in those decades. I can also remember being "assigned" the task at home to keep my own black shoes polished and buffed before going to church, for example.
These shows are absolutely historic. Thank you so much for allowing those of us who were too young at the time to have seen these shows, to watch them now.
tabayuki1 It was even better to live this history, I wouldn't trade my time on Earth for any other's. I got to see the Beatles on the 6 o'clock land at JFK airport. I remember the first rocket to the moon, I remember Bobby Sherman posters and Tiger Beat mags, love beads, Johnny Carson and our parents being so engrossed they forgot to send us to bed, that was the best, to see the tonight show and stay up late. I miss the 60's. It was an energetic grand time to be in. You could actually feel the energy in the air, it was such a time where so many changes on so many levels were taking place. After all I lived, never seen an era like it. Peace, Love and Bobby Sherman!
pjgumby Yea, I wish I was just a little bit older to have enjoyed better the sixties, I was only 7 years old in 1962, and I can't really start remembering things until I was older in the late 60s. Being somewhat of a nerd, I used to watch the news, but I don't remember why, but I do remember wanting the damn vietnam war to get over so that they could talk about someting else on the news. I do remember Tiger Beat and Johnny Carson, and the late show, and the 4:30 movies that came on every day when I came home from school, at least until it was preempted by the watergate trials and I was forced to watch John Dean, and Haldeman, and that fat southern senator or whatever he was...it actually turned out to be pretty entertaining!!!
+pjgumby Wasn't WML? great. We must be of the same era as I had Tiger Beat mags and Bobby Sherman posters as well. Loved him. I was lucky enough to become friends with the writer of one of my favorite Sherman tune's, "Jennifer"...the writer, the great Peter Allen.
@ RishayanPorMexico. That man who you derisively refer to as that "fat southern senator" was Senator Sam Ervin who not only was the chairman of the Watergate Committee hearings during the early 1970's but was also I believe a member of the McClellan Committee in Congress in 1957 or 1960.
I once directed an old timey radio show set in Boston and I had my actress emulate Arlene's accent. She started watching these shows for research and naturally fell in love with her.
yogibear2k2 Any New Yorker with any fame knew Toots Shore. ‘All he was was a restaurant owner’ doesn’t quite cover the fame his restaurant had as a place to see and be seen. Sports figures, and those in entertainment considered it a prime hangout.
I'm not so sure Arlene was joking about her husbands remarks about the young ladies figure. He was known for spending time with other women which Arlene was aware of but not in a state of approval. I believe that was to make him aware she didn't appreciate the attention he gave to the woman. Notice the look on his face, the cat that ate the canary, as he thoroughly checked her out.
I was watching One, Two, Three recently, and Arlene more than holds her own on screen with James Cagney. A shame she didn't appear in more movies. The talent was all there.
Johnny Carson. That voice! You forget sometimes how talented Johnny was because he hosted the Tonight Show for so long and dropped a lot of his comic bits as time passed. Bravo. And this was right before taking over on Tonight. Who could predict he would stay on for 30 years afterwards?
I instinctively shouted 'polo!' after Marco signed in - 21:15 - and it was quite surreal to hear a handful of audience members follow suit! Glad to hear that *some* things haven't changed in the near 60 years that seperated us.
To this day, what stands out the most about Carson was his depth and range of intelligence, interests, genuine modesty and graciousness with guests, and dedication and discipline of work ethic. (And the dignity of his tightly held right of privacy.) As the host of the Tonight Show, and as millions know, few can hold a candle to him, then or now. His humor ain't half bad, either.
@@joemartines3545 Neither injected political partisanship into his stand-up routine nor into the rest of the show. Smart decision. (I myself don't listen to many comedians today who do. It's monotonous and myopic.)
@@joemartines3545 Interesting! Not along party lines -- definitely an astute choice, for several salient reasons. As for political bias, it's a bit hard to keep that down all the time, though. It can't help but come through a person, on certain things. Another example: Carson conveyed genuine, thoughtful compassion for the suffering of Native Americans (when Marlon Brando was the program). Carson also clearly acknowledged, later in that same interview, that what he was about to do -- which he did on camera, with self-effacing sincerity and class, in the hope of encouraging others to consider doing the same -- was something he did very rarely did. One could regard Carson's gesture as having been a-political, something more on the lines of basic humanity than politics; and definitely not along party lines. However one may debate that perspective, I respect the man's eschewing of expressing party affiliations on the show. I'll have to search for that Garrison interview now.
It is interesting to read about Johnny Carson's life once off the stage and out of the spotlight. He was a quiet, reserved and often moody individual who enjoyed his privacy to a large extent; and who can blame him. But in my readings I also got the impression that he wasn't a terribly happy man. His (famous) divorces, his largest state in Malibu, California, and his $400 million left behind upon his death, weren't sufficient, when he was alive, to give him a strong spiritual--and more "animated"--life once out of the public eye. It proves how much wealth and fame are nothing more than ephemeral tokens, at best.
@@daler.steffy1047 … I couldn’t figure out what you meant by ‘his largest state’ at first, then I got it, ‘his large estate’, right? I didn’t know all that info about Johnny. Just watched his TV Show. Thanks for the info 👏🏻🥰‼️
It's long been my mission in life to cause others to be as delinquent from their life responsibilities as I generally am. :) Glad you've been enjoying the videos-- now get back to work!
I was unfamiliar with the word "tanbark" that Dorothy Kilgallen used at 13:19. According to Google, the definitions are: "1. A bark rich in tannin bruised or cut into small pieces and used in tanning. 2. A surface (such as a circus ring) covered with spent tanbark."
Martin Gabel says at 1:55 "One of the principal reasons this show is in its thirteenth year" when introducing John Daly. He spoke nothing but the truth there.
I miss those days that will never come again, the TV shows, the fashions, the cars, the music, I just miss what used to be. It was a better world back then.
They had no clue just how successful he would be on The Tonight Show and that it would run for 30 years. My sisters and I would beg our parents to let us stay up late to watch his show when it first came on.
Funny thing about Carson's camouflage here is that I could listen to 'his' softly lisped, dainty-smooth voice all day long! The man just made everything he did flow. An entertainer bar none. A national treasure. My lord was this man brainy-witty, mischievous sexy as all get out - not just early in his career but throughout its entirety.
Johnny was so beloved, so talented and such a gentleman. The late night talk shows up today don’t come anywhere close and aren’t even in the same universe as Johnny. l miss him but at least I can watch the episodes on RUclips. ☺️❤
Tony Randall lived down the street from where Johnny filmed in New York. When a guest couldn’t show up Freddie de Cordova would call Tony Randall and he would come down and be on the show. He was always funny. I learned more about acting from Tony Randall than from anybody else.
Very special to see the great Johnny Carson as guest celebrity now knowing that he had decades ahead as the leading late night chat show host. The last voice and words most Americans heard before going to sleep were Johnny’s. A true legend.
Im like "why didnt the roof get blown off the joint when Johnny came out?" then at the end "he will be replacing Jack Paar" meaning this was before he was the king of all late night. crazy seeing him right before his status exploded
One of the things I love about "What's My Line" is how honor and dignity are afforded all people on the stage; and it doesn't seem to matter what kind of work the guests do that have brought them onto the program. What seems more important is that Dignity has been given to every occupation, every talent; to every dream and every desire, whether it's making scissors, doing a bicycle act or being a famous person running a fancy, notable restaurant in the (expensive) heart of New York City. There was a level playing field in place on that show, where the main concerns were centered around being respectful, honest and reverent towards each other. Having been born in 1948, I have been both "quietly" and intensely aware of people's behaviors and demonstrations of respectful decorum toward each other in various environments over these subsequent decades. In 2024, now, I think we live in a more "relaxed society" (and define that as you wish) than in the 1950s. There isn't as much formality in customs, in dress, speech or physical appearance. If you want to go to church wearing Bermuda shorts, a Hawaiian shirt, and flip-flops, you are welcomed in. If you are a 300-plus pound woman wearing short-shorts in the grocery store, you are "allowed in," and you are left alone to be who you want to be. If I want to go to the market, and I haven't shaved in 4 or 5 days, so what. (But in my father's time, and he was born in 1917, you didn't go anywhere unless you were cleanly shaved. You shaved in the morning before going to work; and if you went out at night to catch a movie or visit friends, you shaved again. But I can't speak for women here.) I still hold onto some of the values of that time, because I grew up with them. The 1950s era, and into the mid-1960s, is still a part of my personal culture that has contributed in defining my perspectives and attitudes toward society, toward people in general, and toward individuals. But I also keep an open mind, as I am always looking for Common Sense [sic] to be a major guide in how and/or when I want to, or need to, make any changes in my perspectives, my thinking. I do like that we have moved into a more "liberal" kind of society where there is much more openness; but I still miss the fact that we no longer call our parents' friends "Mr. and Mrs." before saying their last names. ~drs (08/17/24)
I struck me when the Japanese lady was on. 17 years after the end of WW II. There was a conscious effort to forgive, also demonstrated by the Italian gentleman. Where did all the tolerance go in this country? Not to pretend everyone in the US was so open minded. But those who weren't were mostly men who had been in combat. I remember 1962 quite clearly. I also remember watching Steve Allen and Jack Paar back then. It was really an experience to have the host mention Johnny was taking over from Paar. All the people on the show had no idea, nor did anyone else, what Carson would turn The Tonight Show into. He was one of the best.
Johnny Carson is a legend He hosted the tonight show from the point where my grandparents watched him to two years into my marriage. Such a great talent and icon.
This will be the first time I've seen Toots. Read about him and saw a caricature of him but I just happened to stumble upon this on Thanksgiving night.
Arlene hosted "The Tonight Show" on various occasions. Tony was a guest many times. And John Daly was a guest in the summer of 1962, when Arlene took a week of hosting duties between the Paar reign and the Carson accession. I don't know if Dorothy or Martin were ever on the show.
Martin says at 8:30 that Toots was the only restaurant man famous enough to be a Mystery Guest, and as another commenter here has said, he probably thought of his "store" as a bar that also served food. This was just before the foodie world began to go mainstream, with writers like Julia Child, Craig Claiborne, James Beard, and so on beginning to awaken us to the possibilities of fine cooking. Not many years later New York would be full of celebrity chef restaurants.
21:18 As John Daly reads off the last contestant's name while he signs in, Daly says "Marco", then pauses while he writes his last name. I think someone in the audience says "Polo". I've listened to it several times with headphones, but I'm not completely sure if I'm hearing it or just wishing to hear it. The best indication that it must be so is an audible murmur of laughter that does follow.
I can distinctly hear "polo" in a mans voice and then the murmer of laughter. A person in another post also confirms. yea, this is a bit late! Hope you are still alive.
My Father was a regular Toots Shor back in the day , where many a famous person in town and out of town would go to Toots . It was a great institution.
I love the sweet way they all say goodnight to each other, and Dorothy's frequent "come again" to the guest panelist. She says "my dear" here. I can just hear her after hosting a dinner party. ( i try to forget the waltons). I feel all tucked in.
freeze at 1:06. The camera is set in such a way as to get a shot of something [almost] that rarely showed up on WML -- the big marquee sign above the stage entrance. The edges are clearly visible.
I don't know why, but it has always been funny to me when Mr. Gabel replies "yes, John" when John asks everyone if their Masks are on. It's the way he says "Yes John" that's funny to me.
Having watched Lilly Yokoi perform so magnificently in a 1980 performance, it is a humbling thought that I was never able to master the art of even riding a bicycle. It reminds me of a remark that the great Tom Lehrer once made: "It's people like that who make you realize how little you've accomplished. It is a sobering thought, for example, that when Mozart was my age, he had been dead for two years."
Note how Dorothy moves from, "Have I ever met you at dancing class?" directly to "Are you Toots Shor?" She could have inserted a whole series of in-between questions, but she didn't.
I wonder what color Arlene's gown is -- because it is stunning. And the back and forth between Martin and Arlene is a charming as ever. "My husband has covered your figure." Guffaw. We can only hope, dear.
RE: Carson. One of the funniest vocal disguises, ever. And the way he asks for repeats to double his laughs. Obvious why WML used him on the panel as regularly as it did. This would all be great enough, but then he casually tosses off my vote for the best comeback to -- how shall we say? -- a Dorothy Kilgallen dumb question for good measure. Bravo.
During this period, Johnny was appearing every week as a regular panelist on "To Tell The Truth." He joined the TTTT panel in June 1961 and was with them until May 1962.
At about 6:35 Tony passes to Dorothy by saying "I pass to a friend who seems to have a hot flash". I wonder if they would have bleeped that (it is 1962 you know) if the show was prerecorded? Very funny on TR's part!
Who was the first woman to host The Tonight Show? Arlene Francis of course! Johnny here had just signed to take over for Paar and Paar was gone. But Johnny had 6 months left on his ABC contract, so in the interim, many guests hosted The Tonight Show, and one of them was Arlene.
This was around the time Toots Shor opened his new location on West 52nd Street in New York. He had sold his original location on West 51st Street a couple of years earlier. Sadly, it did not fare as well as the original although he tried to recreate the original in the new location. His clientele from the old location really did not frequent this location (or his subsequent location on West 53rd Street) as much as the original. The 52nd Street location was padlocked in 1971 for non-payment of taxes and by 1977 became a disco. Toots died in 1977 as an indigent man.
ta2686 I've heard his name over the years, and this episode is the first time I've seen Toots Shor. His voice and visage are pure Damon Runyon. This sad demise with the doors closing and unpaid back taxes reminds me of the similar fate of Ciro's in Hollywood, in 1959, and the sad fate of Herman Hover.
lemorab1 Okay, I just read about Toots Shor, his climb to the top of the New York restaurant jungle, and his penchant for needling people. (He began as a bouncer in speakeasies in 1930! Perfect!) I wonder how he got along with Humphrey Bogart. I'd love to see his granddaughter's film about his life.
After Johnny's prime-time show on CBS was canceled in 1956 he moved to New York and spent a year doing various TV guest appearances, stand-up comedy and even starred in a short-lived Broadway play before he was named host of Who Do You Trust in 1957. That's why he could say he had been on Broadway.
I understand they had a time limit back then as it was filmed live I believe, but it seems the best things were always on last and the panel never had enough time to figure it out.
What's My Line? We are! We are! :D This may be the first time I have ever been among the first 100 people to view one of these episodes. That's because I'm still about a month behind your regular posting schedule in watching the episodes chronologically and started out about 4 or 5 months behind, I think. I have no qualms about going back to view these "filled in" episodes as you post them, though. Thank you for all of them. Not only is it nice to have some of the missing episodes filled in -- they also happen to be particularly entertaining episodes, each for its own special reason. And it's fun to be watching and commenting at approximately the same time as many of the other frequent commenters, instead of a month or more behind. Are there any more old episodes that you have yet to post? I know you're only doing this at the end of the month, but I'm wondering whether or not there are more to come in future months.
These episodes are all just so fascinating to watch. We know what happened to all of these folks over the years. But, of course, at the point these shows were aired their futures were simply their futures.
I've been around long enough to have vague memories of Who Do You Trust being on TV. Who'd have imagined who Johnny (and Ed) would become. A real icon and realizing this episode is before the Carson Tonight Show even started makes it seem sooo long ago. 😳 It's ironic we can see him on WML a number of times this early but NBC criminally destroyed and wiped years of Tonight Show tapes from the 60s that are gone forever.
I find Martin such a breath of fresh air compared to Cerf. Martin is so refined and elegant and knows how to communicate without being a brute like Cerf. He's such a darling and I love his interactions with Arlene.
You could see the wit of Johnny Carson. He was destined for superstardom. Toots Shor was great. Lilly Yokoi was very attractive and she was an amazing performer and yes great legs. Check her out. Thanks for the video.
My late Dad had 2 buddies from California who were in the U.S. Navy with him in WWII, their nicknames were, "Blackie" and "Burnsy". And when you add Toots Shore to the list, one realizes that the best nicknames E-V-E-R were in the 1940's. And we've never had cool nicknames like that since!
Lilly Yokoi on the Ed Sullivan Show (from the Stardust Hotel, Las Vegas) and the Hollywood Palace Lilly Yokoi - balancing act on a bike (1961) Lilly Yokoi, ballerina on bicycle / Kunstfahrrad / велофигуристка
Thanks, jethro1963! Here's the full Hollywood Palace show as well, for those interested. Hollywood Palace 3-04 Joan Crawford (host), Jack Jones, Joanie Sommers, Allen & Rossi
jethro1963 She was amazing, and far ahead her time. She doesn't deserve to be compared with flatlanders and BMX'ers today, she kept it on for many years, and all the time on *high heels!*
Wow! Those performances are amazing. Love that the second one is in color & she's wearing gold--including gold high heels--& the bicycle is gold, & the EmCee for the show is Joan Crawford! Thanks for these links--so entertaining.
Dorothy: "Are you sure it's a man?" Johnny: "I have affidavits" I'm dying, lol. Absolute class and hilarity. Such a different time from modern late night TV.
There is a certain irony in the fact that when Jack Paar made his second mystery guest appearance here, he used virtually exactly the same voice disguise as Johnny Carson did ( What's My Line? Jack Paar (1960) ). It was very effective in both cases.
It was interesting when John Daly was chatting with Lilly Yokoi right after she signed in. Having ascertained the interesting fact that she was born in NYC and was now living in Tokyo (where it would have been more typical for it to be in the reverse order), he starts asking Lilly how this came about. Then when she starts to answer, he suddenly realizes that her answer would give a huge clue as to her profession. John knew that she came from a family of circus performers and that's why she was born in NYC. And apparently based on this story about her, this would have kept her entire family out of Japan during WWII (although it probably put a damper on their popularity for some time). Lilly appears to be the best of them all, the highest paid circus artiste at one time and a two year waiting list to book her act. www.visiontimes.com/2015/06/17/this-ballerina-on-the-golden-bicycle-performs-epic-moves-50-years-ago.html Born in 1929 and retired in 1982, apparently she is still alive. According to this article, the man she eventually married added to the training she received from her parents and enabled her to expand her act tremendously. And her beautiful shape and stage presence was also a big part of her audience appeal. www.circopedia.org/Lilly_Yokoi
I have noticed in this and a few other episodes (from various different years, I think) that Dorothy has picked up on Ernie Kovacs's original question of: "Can it be folded?"
SaveThe TPC I've observed the same thing several times but no one ever seems to respond when I've mentioned it. . . :) Maybe the "folded" question had been asked at some point before Ernie was ever on the show, who knows. But he turned this question into his own personal schtick. I give him credit for inventing it just as Steve Allen gets credit for "Is it bigger than a breadbox" (and that wasn't invented by Steve as a schtick; it was just a straight question the first time). "Folded" never caught on like "breadbox" did, but it *did* become a fairly regularly asked legitimate question forever after Kovacs. And I think you're right, it's most often Dorothy, the most serious game player! But I know I've heard Arlene ask it too. I'm very happy to see you've noticed it, too. :)
What's My Line? I'm glad you're glad! (This seems like something Arlene would say. :) ) I don't remember seeing your comments about the folding question before. I also don't remember hearing anyone ask it before Ernie. I think Dorothy was hoping "Is it smaller than a telephone booth?" would become as popular as the breadbox question, but I think she's the only one who ever asked that one -- at least in the shows I've seen. I'm trying to remember who it was that first asked, "is your product advertised?" I thought that was an interesting and potentially helpful question, and I remember commenting on it at the time I saw that episode, but I've already forgotten who it was. I do remember that it did not prove particularly helpful in that particular game. I think I noticed someone else using that question in another episode since then, but I've also forgotten who or when that was. (All this forgetfulness on my part just goes to show you that just because I don't remember something doesn't mean I never saw it and *certainly* doesn't mean it never happened!)
![What's My Line? - Chubby Checker; Joan Collins; Martin Gabel [panel] (Apr 1, 1962)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Y3kx2WHqm6A/mqdefault.jpg)
![What's My Line? - Chubby Checker; Joan Collins; Martin Gabel [panel] (Apr 1, 1962)](/img/tr.png)
![What's My Line? - Horst Buchholz; Buddy Hackett [panel]; Martin Gabel [panel] (Feb 18, 1962)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/3pbKR6_i8EM/mqdefault.jpg)
![What's My Line? - Joan Crawford; Tony Randall [panel] (Oct 14, 1962)](/img/1.gif)
Johnny was the king of late night and no other will ever come close to his legend.
Amen to that...One of a kind and the best...
Jack Paar was innately unlikable.
TRUTH!!! (for the Johnny part)
Absolutely 100% true. Especially with today's late night show hosts.
@@poetcomic1 Yeah. Jack Paar was a spaz.
How gorgeous, polite and well dressed were the people in the 50s and 60s. Love every episode.
Watching this episode, I noticed how shiny men’s shoes were! 👍
I can remember back in the 1970s when there was a gentleman with a shoeshine stand outside of a storefront in downtown Petaluma, Sonoma County, (northern) California. As many of us can recall if we grew up during the 50s and 60s, that shoeshine stands were prevalent in big cities. And I suspect it was one of the few entrepreneurial jobs open to blacks in those decades. I can also remember being "assigned" the task at home to keep my own black shoes polished and buffed before going to church, for example.
These shows are absolutely historic. Thank you so much for allowing those of us who were too young at the time to have seen these shows, to watch them now.
tabayuki1 My pleasure-- glad you enjoy the shows! And for the record, I'm too young myself to have seen the show when it originally aired. :)
tabayuki1 It was even better to live this history, I wouldn't trade my time on Earth for any other's. I got to see the Beatles on the 6 o'clock land at JFK airport. I remember the first rocket to the moon, I remember Bobby Sherman posters and Tiger Beat mags, love beads, Johnny Carson and our parents being so engrossed they forgot to send us to bed, that was the best, to see the tonight show and stay up late. I miss the 60's. It was an energetic grand time to be in. You could actually feel the energy in the air, it was such a time where so many changes on so many levels were taking place. After all I lived, never seen an era like it. Peace, Love and Bobby Sherman!
pjgumby Yea, I wish I was just a little bit older to have enjoyed better the sixties, I was only 7 years old in 1962, and I can't really start remembering things until I was older in the late 60s. Being somewhat of a nerd, I used to watch the news, but I don't remember why, but I do remember wanting the damn vietnam war to get over so that they could talk about someting else on the news. I do remember Tiger Beat and Johnny Carson, and the late show, and the 4:30 movies that came on every day when I came home from school, at least until it was preempted by the watergate trials and I was forced to watch John Dean, and Haldeman, and that fat southern senator or whatever he was...it actually turned out to be pretty entertaining!!!
+pjgumby Wasn't WML? great. We must be of the same era as I had Tiger Beat mags and Bobby Sherman posters as well. Loved him. I was lucky enough to become friends with the writer of one of my favorite Sherman tune's, "Jennifer"...the writer, the great Peter Allen.
@ RishayanPorMexico. That man who you derisively refer to as that "fat southern senator" was Senator Sam Ervin who not only was the chairman of the Watergate Committee hearings during the early 1970's but was also I believe a member of the McClellan Committee in Congress in 1957 or 1960.
I love the fun Arlene has pretending to be jealous of Martin when he compliments the ladies. Arlene is a class act!!!
I once directed an old timey radio show set in Boston and I had my actress emulate Arlene's accent. She started watching these shows for research and naturally fell in love with her.
yogibear2k2 Any New Yorker with any fame knew Toots Shore. ‘All he was was a restaurant owner’ doesn’t quite cover the fame his restaurant had as a place to see and be seen. Sports figures, and those in entertainment considered it a prime hangout.
I'm not so sure Arlene was joking about her husbands remarks about the young ladies figure. He was known for spending time with other women which Arlene was aware of but not in a state of approval. I believe that was to make him aware she didn't appreciate the attention he gave to the woman. Notice the look on his face, the cat that ate the canary, as he thoroughly checked her out.
I burst out laughing as the audience did...
I was watching One, Two, Three recently, and Arlene more than holds her own on screen with James Cagney. A shame she didn't appear in more movies. The talent was all there.
Johnny Carson. That voice! You forget sometimes how talented Johnny was because he hosted the Tonight Show for so long and dropped a lot of his comic bits as time passed. Bravo.
And this was right before taking over on Tonight. Who could predict he would stay on for 30 years afterwards?
Certainly quite a moment! I remember Jack Paar too.
Wow, Johnny did one of the best disguise voices ever!!
It was not forced like so many.
Johnny Carson was a class act who went on to rightly claim to being “King of Late Night TV”.
Johnny has to be the most missed man in television history.
Bob Ross. 🎨
Yes, I miss Johnny Carson!
I agree!
I instinctively shouted 'polo!' after Marco signed in - 21:15 - and it was quite surreal to hear a handful of audience members follow suit! Glad to hear that *some* things haven't changed in the near 60 years that seperated us.
In one episode a contestant was writing her name Denver K... and I said Colorado in the same time Arlene and Bennett said it as well
To this day, what stands out the most about Carson was his depth and range of intelligence, interests, genuine modesty and graciousness with guests, and dedication and discipline of work ethic. (And the dignity of his tightly held right of privacy.) As the host of the Tonight Show, and as millions know, few can hold a candle to him, then or now. His humor ain't half bad, either.
And his lack of political party affiliation...
@@joemartines3545 Neither injected political partisanship into his stand-up routine nor into the rest of the show. Smart decision. (I myself don't listen to many comedians today who do. It's monotonous and myopic.)
@@castinmeadows6956 Carson did however show political bias with his interview of Jim Garrison, although it was not along party lines...
@@joemartines3545 Interesting! Not along party lines -- definitely an astute choice, for several salient reasons. As for political bias, it's a bit hard to keep that down all the time, though. It can't help but come through a person, on certain things.
Another example: Carson conveyed genuine, thoughtful compassion for the suffering of Native Americans (when Marlon Brando was the program). Carson also clearly acknowledged, later in that same interview, that what he was about to do -- which he did on camera, with self-effacing sincerity and class, in the hope of encouraging others to consider doing the same -- was something he did very rarely did. One could regard Carson's gesture as having been a-political, something more on the lines of basic humanity than politics; and definitely not along party lines. However one may debate that perspective, I respect the man's eschewing of expressing party affiliations on the show.
I'll have to search for that Garrison interview now.
Tony Randall would appear on many Carson Tonight Shows in the following 30 years.
I love Johnny Carson’s laugh. It and his reactions on his show always made me laugh out loud 🤣😂LOL😂🤣🥰‼️
It is interesting to read about Johnny Carson's life once off the stage and out of the spotlight. He was a quiet, reserved and often moody individual who enjoyed his privacy to a large extent; and who can blame him. But in my readings I also got the impression that he wasn't a terribly happy man. His (famous) divorces, his largest state in Malibu, California, and his $400 million left behind upon his death, weren't sufficient, when he was alive, to give him a strong spiritual--and more "animated"--life once out of the public eye. It proves how much wealth and fame are nothing more than ephemeral tokens, at best.
@@daler.steffy1047 … I couldn’t figure out what you meant by ‘his largest state’ at first, then I got it, ‘his large estate’, right? I didn’t know all that info about Johnny. Just watched his TV Show. Thanks for the info 👏🏻🥰‼️
Omg Johnny Carson's segment was hysterical LOL
I am losing so much work time watching these great WML shows :). Kudos and thanks for posting them!
It's long been my mission in life to cause others to be as delinquent from their life responsibilities as I generally am. :)
Glad you've been enjoying the videos-- now get back to work!
+sarahfromnatick I have been known to watch 24 hours at a time, good thing I have weekends off!
Great videos! Where do you "get" them from? :D
sarahfromnatick - Me too and sleep as well.
I was unfamiliar with the word "tanbark" that Dorothy Kilgallen used at 13:19. According to Google, the definitions are: "1. A bark rich in tannin bruised or cut into small pieces and used in tanning. 2. A surface (such as a circus ring) covered with spent tanbark."
Love how Arlene tries to mimic the voice of the mystery guest! She did this quite often.
***** OED should have Arlene's photo as illustration for the definition of CHARM.
@@iamintheburgWith respect, at times she could be quite annoying
Actually, I always find her habit of mimicing the voices annoying.
It's amusing when she imitates a made up voice, not so when she gives a "jolly good" to an English person, say.
Martin Gabel says at 1:55 "One of the principal reasons this show is in its thirteenth year" when introducing John Daly. He spoke nothing but the truth there.
This started in 1949?
@@dorothykilgallenwasmurdere1653 Early in 1950.
@@neilmidkiff Nope, her death was 11/8/1965.
October of 1962 Johnny Carson took the late night world by storm and stayed for thirty years
"I have affidavits" is arguably the funniest line in WML? history!
I miss those days that will never come again, the TV shows, the fashions, the cars, the music, I just miss what used to be. It was a better world back then.
pjgumby Absolutely!
very much agree
Was it really when you think about it?
it wasn't a better time for women or minorities back then...
@@letsjustohh yes, it was.
When the final guest signs in, after John Daly says "Marco", you can hear an audience member quietly say "polo". LOL!
that italian guy was smooth as glass
😀😀😀😀😀😀😀
I constantly do this. In the pause between John saying the guest's first name and last, I call out the first surname that comes to mind
@@TheGreatAtario Bennett occasionally did the same thing.
They had no clue just how successful he would be on The Tonight Show and that it would run for 30 years. My sisters and I would beg our parents to let us stay up late to watch his show when it first came on.
Funny thing about Carson's camouflage here is that I could listen to 'his' softly lisped, dainty-smooth voice all day long! The man just made everything he did flow. An entertainer bar none. A national treasure. My lord was this man brainy-witty, mischievous sexy as all get out - not just early in his career but throughout its entirety.
... Johnny Carson will replace Jack Paar.. wow! Who could have guessed how huge Carson would become!
Johnny was so beloved, so talented and such a gentleman. The late night talk shows up today don’t come anywhere close and aren’t even in the same universe as Johnny. l miss him but at least I can watch the episodes on RUclips. ☺️❤
Thank you for all these fun videos
Started watching Johnny Carson when I was 16, laughed so so hard many a night for twenty years.
Oh god bless this day came and went ☺ for us all to enjoy for our journey through time .
zAlthbough I am not so young, this show is older than me. So, thank you for uploading. I love this show...
Johnny Carson was awesome and so cute!
had the biggest crush on him when he was on "Who do you Trust"
I'm addicted to what's my line. I love it!! I was very, very young was it was on. Now I watch it on utube
Momentous occasion. Tony Randall would appear on Johnny Carson a record 105 times! Who knew.
Loved the show
Couldn't stand Tony Randall though
Tony Randall lived down the street from where Johnny filmed in New York. When a guest couldn’t show up Freddie de Cordova would call Tony Randall and he would come down and be on the show. He was always funny. I learned more about acting from Tony Randall than from anybody else.
@@josephpalermo4538 David Hyde Pierce did a wicked imitation of Randall for over ten years on Frasier.
@@poetcomic1 And now we have Ken Jennings on Jeopardy!, doing the same thing.
Very special to see the great Johnny Carson as guest celebrity now knowing that he had decades ahead as the leading late night chat show host.
The last voice and words most Americans heard before going to sleep were Johnny’s. A true legend.
Im like "why didnt the roof get blown off the joint when Johnny came out?" then at the end "he will be replacing Jack Paar" meaning this was before he was the king of all late night. crazy seeing him right before his status exploded
His Tonight Show reign began on October 1, 1962.
One of the things I love about "What's My Line" is how honor and dignity are afforded all people on the stage; and it doesn't seem to matter what kind of work the guests do that have brought them onto the program. What seems more important is that Dignity has been given to every occupation, every talent; to every dream and every desire, whether it's making scissors, doing a bicycle act or being a famous person running a fancy, notable restaurant in the (expensive) heart of New York City. There was a level playing field in place on that show, where the main concerns were centered around being respectful, honest and reverent towards each other.
Having been born in 1948, I have been both "quietly" and intensely aware of people's behaviors and demonstrations of respectful decorum toward each other in various environments over these subsequent decades. In 2024, now, I think we live in a more "relaxed society" (and define that as you wish) than in the 1950s. There isn't as much formality in customs, in dress, speech or physical appearance. If you want to go to church wearing Bermuda shorts, a Hawaiian shirt, and flip-flops, you are welcomed in. If you are a 300-plus pound woman wearing short-shorts in the grocery store, you are "allowed in," and you are left alone to be who you want to be. If I want to go to the market, and I haven't shaved in 4 or 5 days, so what. (But in my father's time, and he was born in 1917, you didn't go anywhere unless you were cleanly shaved. You shaved in the morning before going to work; and if you went out at night to catch a movie or visit friends, you shaved again. But I can't speak for women here.) I still hold onto some of the values of that time, because I grew up with them. The 1950s era, and into the mid-1960s, is still a part of my personal culture that has contributed in defining my perspectives and attitudes toward society, toward people in general, and toward individuals. But I also keep an open mind, as I am always looking for Common Sense [sic] to be a major guide in how and/or when I want to, or need to, make any changes in my perspectives, my thinking. I do like that we have moved into a more "liberal" kind of society where there is much more openness; but I still miss the fact that we no longer call our parents' friends "Mr. and Mrs." before saying their last names. ~drs (08/17/24)
Geez, Johnny was a looker in his youth!
And all through the years.
You've never seen him as a young person before? He's on To Tell The Truth all the time
I have a DVD 📀 where Johnny Carson hosted the "Who Do You Trust?" Game show. The episode was dated in the 1950s.
I struck me when the Japanese lady was on. 17 years after the end of WW II. There was a conscious effort to forgive, also demonstrated by the Italian gentleman. Where did all the tolerance go in this country? Not to pretend everyone in the US was so open minded. But those who weren't were mostly men who had been in combat. I remember 1962 quite clearly. I also remember watching Steve Allen and Jack Paar back then. It was really an experience to have the host mention Johnny was taking over from Paar. All the people on the show had no idea, nor did anyone else, what Carson would turn The Tonight Show into. He was one of the best.
Johnny Carson is a legend He hosted the tonight show from the point where my grandparents watched him to two years into my marriage. Such a great talent and icon.
This will be the first time I've seen Toots. Read about him and saw a caricature of him but I just happened to stumble upon this on Thanksgiving night.
When Mr. Daly announced that Carson was taking the Tonight Show, I wonder if anyone had any clue how huge Carson would be.
Huge cheers and he didn't even have his show yet.
Arlene hosted "The Tonight Show" on various occasions. Tony was a guest many times. And John Daly was a guest in the summer of 1962, when Arlene took a week of hosting duties between the Paar reign and the Carson accession. I don't know if Dorothy or Martin were ever on the show.
How I wish we had footage of Arlene hosting The Tonight Show.
Martin says at 8:30 that Toots was the only restaurant man famous enough to be a Mystery Guest, and as another commenter here has said, he probably thought of his "store" as a bar that also served food. This was just before the foodie world began to go mainstream, with writers like Julia Child, Craig Claiborne, James Beard, and so on beginning to awaken us to the possibilities of fine cooking. Not many years later New York would be full of celebrity chef restaurants.
I LOVE THIS SHOW. :)
Tony Randall is someone who never aged.
I believe he “fathered “ a child in his 70’s!
@@tomhavens6006 Two of them, no quotation marks needed. His first wife was unable to have children.
21:18 As John Daly reads off the last contestant's name while he signs in, Daly says "Marco", then pauses while he writes his last name. I think someone in the audience says "Polo". I've listened to it several times with headphones, but I'm not completely sure if I'm hearing it or just wishing to hear it. The best indication that it must be so is an audible murmur of laughter that does follow.
I can distinctly hear "polo" in a mans voice and then the murmer of laughter. A person in another post also confirms.
yea, this is a bit late! Hope you are still alive.
"Polo" confirmed via amplification
"polo".... 😂
Thanks very much. Excellent as usual.
My Father was a regular Toots Shor back in the day , where many a famous person in town and out of town would go to Toots . It was a great institution.
I love the sweet way they all say goodnight to each other, and Dorothy's frequent "come again" to the guest panelist. She says "my dear" here. I can just hear her after hosting a dinner party. ( i try to forget the waltons). I feel all tucked in.
It would be neat to see the menus from these old places like Toots Shor, Romanoffs, Perino's and Brown Derby
They often appear on eBay. I just looked at a Toot's Shor menu a few minutes ago.
he is a restaurateur. nobody seems to write it correctly. look at the introduction. just saying. cheers!!
Are you a posh person that would dine there?
@@michaelangood Thank you.
Johnny has STAR written all over him already.
freeze at 1:06. The camera is set in such a way as to get a shot of something [almost] that rarely showed up on WML -- the big marquee sign above the stage entrance. The edges are clearly visible.
Odd that the sign was never shown. It was kind of neat.
so..he's taking over for Jack Parr? I have a feeling that will work out very well for him. Just a hunch.
You're wrong. His tenure on "The Tonight Show" only lasted 30 years. So, there goes your theory. Wink-wink.
If I ran the network, he'd have to shoot Parr to get his job.
You think?????
@gcjerryusc Johnny was the best thing to ever hit late night...
@@bettycogswell9851 I agree!
I don't know why, but it has always been funny to me when Mr. Gabel replies "yes, John" when John asks everyone if their Masks are on. It's the way he says "Yes John" that's funny to me.
like a student-teacher thing, that's why
Fred Allen always said "Yes Mr. Daly" in a similar way and I don't recall anyone else saying it since.
I don't like that they never have enough time for last guest...have the "MYSTERY GUEST " last!!!
Having watched Lilly Yokoi perform so magnificently in a 1980 performance, it is a humbling thought that I was never able to master the art of even riding a bicycle. It reminds me of a remark that the great Tom Lehrer once made: "It's people like that who make you realize how little you've accomplished. It is a sobering thought, for example, that when Mozart was my age, he had been dead for two years."
Man, that audience welcome for Johnny, and this was even before he took over the Tonight show.
What is interesting about the scissors, they can be used as tools in all the arts they mentioned :)
Note how Dorothy moves from, "Have I ever met you at dancing class?" directly to "Are you Toots Shor?" She could have inserted a whole series of in-between questions, but she didn't.
Fantastic seeing Johnny here. Wow!
I hope Johnny's new gig will last.
Nah, I don't give him more than a year!
The man died! I think that new gig will last for a LONG TIME.
@@martiwest1753 That's right. He died several years ago.
It better! I wagered my entire bank account on his success! If he fails, I'll be in the quote unquote "poor house" the rest of my life!
He passed away in 2005.
Always happy to see Tony Randall
I wonder what color Arlene's gown is -- because it is stunning. And the back and forth between Martin and Arlene is a charming as ever. "My husband has covered your figure." Guffaw. We can only hope, dear.
soulierinvestments A qualified guess : Deep green.
Johnny Carson, the greatest host ever....Miss him still...
Wow! The beginning of a nighttime legend. No one will ever match Johnny Carson.
Johnny Carson AND Tony Randall on the panel.... wow
RE: Carson. One of the funniest vocal disguises, ever. And the way he asks for repeats to double his laughs. Obvious why WML used him on the panel as regularly as it did. This would all be great enough, but then he casually tosses off my vote for the best comeback to -- how shall we say? -- a Dorothy Kilgallen dumb question for good measure. Bravo.
During this period, Johnny was appearing every week as a regular panelist on "To Tell The Truth." He joined the TTTT panel in June 1961 and was with them until May 1962.
If had a blindfold on when Johnny Carson spoke and didn't know what decade it was I would have guessed Andy Kaufman.
And so handsome ...
yes and he did the same thing in response to a similar situation with Dorothy not long before when he was a panelist.
J Daly mentioned Toot's name so many times on this show over the years- -I doubt he ever had to pay for a drink there...
John Daly saying that Johnny's good news was "good news for all of television" turned out to be quite prophetic!
Love reading on Toots and his social life. I mean, to drink Gleason to the floor is great.
At about 6:35 Tony passes to Dorothy by saying "I pass to a friend who seems to have a hot flash". I wonder if they would have bleeped that (it is 1962 you know) if the show was prerecorded? Very funny on TR's part!
Joe Postove an innocent faux pas by randall, he was obviously talking about her flu symptoms.
double entendre
From his facial reaction it seems clear that the double meaning was unintentional.
A "hot flash" can mean when you get a sudden inspiration.
Who was the first woman to host The Tonight Show? Arlene Francis of course! Johnny here had just signed to take over for Paar and Paar was gone. But Johnny had 6 months left on his ABC contract, so in the interim, many guests hosted The Tonight Show, and one of them was Arlene.
This was around the time Toots Shor opened his new location on West 52nd Street in New York. He had sold his original location on West 51st Street a couple of years earlier. Sadly, it did not fare as well as the original although he tried to recreate the original in the new location. His clientele from the old location really did not frequent this location (or his subsequent location on West 53rd Street) as much as the original. The 52nd Street location was padlocked in 1971 for non-payment of taxes and by 1977 became a disco. Toots died in 1977 as an indigent man.
ta2686 I've heard his name over the years, and this episode is the first time I've seen Toots Shor. His voice and visage are pure Damon Runyon. This sad demise with the doors closing and unpaid back taxes reminds me of the similar fate of Ciro's in Hollywood, in 1959, and the sad fate of Herman Hover.
lemorab1 Okay, I just read about Toots Shor, his climb to the top of the New York restaurant jungle, and his penchant for needling people. (He began as a bouncer in speakeasies in 1930! Perfect!) I wonder how he got along with Humphrey Bogart. I'd love to see his granddaughter's film about his life.
It's not what you make it's what you keep
who was Toots Shor?
After Johnny's prime-time show on CBS was canceled in 1956 he moved to New York and spent a year doing various TV guest appearances, stand-up comedy and even starred in a short-lived Broadway play before he was named host of Who Do You Trust in 1957. That's why he could say he had been on Broadway.
Great voice by Johnny!😂❤
“I have affidavits”
😂😂😂❤❤❤
I understand they had a time limit back then as it was filmed live I believe, but it seems the best things were always on last and the panel never had enough time to figure it out.
Thank you!
Well, this wasn't supposed to post until 2PM, not 2AM (west coast time). . . but enjoy it 12 hours early cause I'm an idiot. :)
What's My Line?
We are! We are! :D This may be the first time I have ever been among the first 100 people to view one of these episodes. That's because I'm still about a month behind your regular posting schedule in watching the episodes chronologically and started out about 4 or 5 months behind, I think. I have no qualms about going back to view these "filled in" episodes as you post them, though. Thank you for all of them. Not only is it nice to have some of the missing episodes filled in -- they also happen to be particularly entertaining episodes, each for its own special reason. And it's fun to be watching and commenting at approximately the same time as many of the other frequent commenters, instead of a month or more behind. Are there any more old episodes that you have yet to post? I know you're only doing this at the end of the month, but I'm wondering whether or not there are more to come in future months.
SaveThe TPC There are over 30 pre-1964 shows not yet posted.
Late night legend in a legendary show.....
These episodes are all just so fascinating to watch. We know what happened to all of these folks over the years. But, of course, at the point these shows were aired their futures were simply their futures.
It's as if they are still living in an alternate reality. I go there to join them quite frequently, lol.
I've been around long enough to have vague memories of Who Do You Trust being on TV. Who'd have imagined who Johnny (and Ed) would become. A real icon and realizing this episode is before the Carson Tonight Show even started makes it seem sooo long ago. 😳
It's ironic we can see him on WML a number of times this early but NBC criminally destroyed and wiped years of Tonight Show tapes from the 60s that are gone forever.
This guy's pretty talented I wish him best of luck on his new show
Wish they would bring these type of shows back.....
Loved Johnny's disguised voice😃
Hal Simms does the Allstate ad. Johnny Olsen introduces the panel.
Lilly Yokoi was considered the world's best on the bicycle. She taught her four daughters and son to also do bicycle tricks.
I find Martin such a breath of fresh air compared to Cerf. Martin is so refined and elegant and knows how to communicate without being a brute like Cerf. He's such a darling and I love his interactions with Arlene.
You could see the wit of Johnny Carson. He was destined for superstardom. Toots Shor was great. Lilly Yokoi was very attractive and she was an amazing performer and yes great legs. Check her out. Thanks for the video.
My late Dad had 2 buddies from California who were in the U.S. Navy with him in WWII, their nicknames were, "Blackie" and "Burnsy". And when you add Toots Shore to the list, one realizes that the best nicknames E-V-E-R were in the 1940's. And we've never had cool nicknames like that since!
Lilly Yokoi on the Ed Sullivan Show (from the Stardust Hotel, Las Vegas) and the Hollywood Palace
Lilly Yokoi - balancing act on a bike (1961)
Lilly Yokoi, ballerina on bicycle / Kunstfahrrad / велофигуристка
Thanks, jethro1963! Here's the full Hollywood Palace show as well, for those interested.
Hollywood Palace 3-04 Joan Crawford (host), Jack Jones, Joanie Sommers, Allen & Rossi
jethro1963 She was amazing, and far ahead her time. She doesn't deserve to be compared with flatlanders and BMX'ers today, she kept it on for many years, and all the time on *high heels!*
Wow! Those performances are amazing. Love that the second one is in color & she's wearing gold--including gold high heels--& the bicycle is gold, & the EmCee for the show is Joan Crawford! Thanks for these links--so entertaining.
Dorothy: "Are you sure it's a man?"
Johnny: "I have affidavits"
I'm dying, lol. Absolute class and hilarity. Such a different time from modern late night TV.
Johnny was an Entertainment genius.
They had politicians on the show as the mystery guests and you never heard any boos from the audience. A much more polite era
There is a certain irony in the fact that when Jack Paar made his second mystery guest appearance here, he used virtually exactly the same voice disguise as Johnny Carson did ( What's My Line? Jack Paar (1960) ). It was very effective in both cases.
Toots Shor's is a cool name for a restaurant!
I love how everybody always said good night.
Those were the days!
It was interesting when John Daly was chatting with Lilly Yokoi right after she signed in. Having ascertained the interesting fact that she was born in NYC and was now living in Tokyo (where it would have been more typical for it to be in the reverse order), he starts asking Lilly how this came about. Then when she starts to answer, he suddenly realizes that her answer would give a huge clue as to her profession. John knew that she came from a family of circus performers and that's why she was born in NYC. And apparently based on this story about her, this would have kept her entire family out of Japan during WWII (although it probably put a damper on their popularity for some time).
Lilly appears to be the best of them all, the highest paid circus artiste at one time and a two year waiting list to book her act.
www.visiontimes.com/2015/06/17/this-ballerina-on-the-golden-bicycle-performs-epic-moves-50-years-ago.html
Born in 1929 and retired in 1982, apparently she is still alive. According to this article, the man she eventually married added to the training she received from her parents and enabled her to expand her act tremendously. And her beautiful shape and stage presence was also a big part of her audience appeal.
www.circopedia.org/Lilly_Yokoi
Thanks for the explanation. I noticed Daly's questions and mind change, but couldn't figure out the reasons. Duh!
I have noticed in this and a few other episodes (from various different years, I think) that Dorothy has picked up on Ernie Kovacs's original question of: "Can it be folded?"
SaveThe TPC I've observed the same thing several times but no one ever seems to respond when I've mentioned it. . . :) Maybe the "folded" question had been asked at some point before Ernie was ever on the show, who knows. But he turned this question into his own personal schtick. I give him credit for inventing it just as Steve Allen gets credit for "Is it bigger than a breadbox" (and that wasn't invented by Steve as a schtick; it was just a straight question the first time). "Folded" never caught on like "breadbox" did, but it *did* become a fairly regularly asked legitimate question forever after Kovacs. And I think you're right, it's most often Dorothy, the most serious game player! But I know I've heard Arlene ask it too. I'm very happy to see you've noticed it, too. :)
What's My Line?
I'm glad you're glad! (This seems like something Arlene would say. :) ) I don't remember seeing your comments about the folding question before. I also don't remember hearing anyone ask it before Ernie. I think Dorothy was hoping "Is it smaller than a telephone booth?" would become as popular as the breadbox question, but I think she's the only one who ever asked that one -- at least in the shows I've seen. I'm trying to remember who it was that first asked, "is your product advertised?" I thought that was an interesting and potentially helpful question, and I remember commenting on it at the time I saw that episode, but I've already forgotten who it was. I do remember that it did not prove particularly helpful in that particular game. I think I noticed someone else using that question in another episode since then, but I've also forgotten who or when that was. (All this forgetfulness on my part just goes to show you that just because I don't remember something doesn't mean I never saw it and *certainly* doesn't mean it never happened!)
SaveThe TPC The shows do tend to blur together when you're watching so many of them!
SaveThe TPC Have you been watching the same episodes for 50 years?
Fuchsia 'tude The CBS show was off the air entirely from 1967 until GSN started rerunning it 30 years later, so. . . no.
I can't get over how handsome Johnny was then.
He had no trouble finding a date on Saturday nights!
His show was long running! He set the standard for Late Night Talk shows.