I don't know why but I enjoy when they talk about mundane things like the weather. It really gives a sense of time and place and really humanizes them.
Thank you very much What's My Line for uploading these immensely addictive videos. From oratory skills and elegant appearances to a soft and humorous atmosphere, this show disseminates class in all regards.
It's a pleasure sharing these shows, and seeing the wonderful comments people add, like yours. It's like we're not even on RUclips, if you judge by the quality of the comments!
I’m 68 years old and it’s so interesting to imagine that my parents were watching this program while I crawled around on the floor in front of the television.
The last contestant was the subject of the July / August 2001 American Heritage article "Who Wants to Be Mid-Two-Figures-Aire?" During the days of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" Mr. Levine's sons were trying to obtain a copy of this episode as a 70th birthday gift for their father. The article was about how they got a video copy of the show. I'd never heard of this show before reading the article, and I just now came across the saved article and checked to see if the episode was available on RUclips. Success!
I meant to write "Who Wants to Be a Mid-Two-Figures-Aire?" Mr. Levine had worked at his mother and aunt's bridal business, and will later become a stock broker, and then start his own brokerage business.
Ms James is adorable and sweet and seems she has a personality that could be around today. And yet she’s around 90 now, if she’s still with us. The passage of time feels nonexistent with this show sometimes. I was born in the ‘70s and it makes my grandparents and great grand parents (now passed) feel so much just like me.
@@tejaswoman They are mostly forgotten today because their primary fame came from the stage. However, if you get a chance to see their film "Hellzapoppin" you are in for a real treat. It's currently free on RUclips for as long as that lasts.
Especially when Daly knows how Alken tends to run his questions and has him start off for the first contestant. Meanwhile, I'm sitting her muttering, "nobody likes me, everybody hates me, guess I'll gobeatcworms...."
I just heard Mr. Daly murmer "this is Father's Day", and I'm watching it on Father's Day. Then I noticed today's date & the date of the show is June 21. Kind of fun, just like the show :D
I think they tell Steve Allen what their profession is ahead of time and then let him play dumb because he’s good at it and the audience is entertained. That’s why he never guesses correctly.
I just realized something. As of today there are 16121 views and only 76 thumbs up for this particular video. Could this be explained by the fact that, like me, most of the people are in a hurry to go to the next "What's my line" video and don't wan't to take time to rate the one they just watched ?
If you look at the thumbs up for other videos-- heck, if you include **all** votes for a video, up or down-- they're always only a fraction of the total number of views. Some people simply don't know how much upvotes matter, and if they do, they often just forget to click. I'm VERY aware of how important upvotes are, and I frequently forget to upvote other people's videos when I should. I think the real problem is that RUclips does nothing to communicate to viewers that these things really help videos/channels get seen, and nothing to encourage people to upvote. E.g., they **could** put a reminder at the end of a video every now and then, but it's up to channel owners to annoy the hell out of their viewers by begging for upvotes and subscribers constantly, because RUclips really does nothing to help! Anyhow, I hope this means at least YOU upvoted this video. :)
Yes I did, and I try to do it as often as I can. The problem is that when I start watching episodes of What's my line, it becomes very difficult to stop, and like I said, as soon as one video ends, I can't wait to click on the next one. It's just tonight that i noticed how few thumbs up (and thumbs down as a matter of fact) you get with such a high number of views per episodes. That's why I asked myself (in a comment haha) if other people were like me : Too caught up in the WML wave to have time to think of anything else :) Anyways, I promise that from now on, I will do my best to be more aware of the rating aspect of my participation to this channel :-)
My uncle told me years ago that you had to see Olsen & Johnson on stage, as he did in New York when he was a kid. He said that they were absolute bedlam in person. Not so much in movies, and the live TV directors couldn't keep up with them!
If you want to check out Olsen and Johnson at their best, check out their debut episode of "Fireball Fun For All" from July 5, 1949. It was a short-lived comedy/variety show that aired on NBC in 1949, and was sponsored by Buick. Olsen and Johnson were also regulars on "Four Star Revue/All-Star Revue" on NBC in the early-1950s.
Jack Benny always talked about Olsen and Johnson when he did his radio show from New York. Phil Harris would say "I saw Heck - a - poppen last night, that's not the real title but I can't say it on the air". Jack would say "Not the night I saw it". Great to see them in action.
Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson were in the Broadway play "Helizapoppin". I've known that since 1970, when I was in the 9th grade and I got a paperback book in the mail called "Movie Comedy Teams". Before I got that book in the mail, I never heard of Olsen and Johnson, or Wheeler and Woolsey either.
Olsen and Johnson appeared in a number of NBC variety shows from the late-1940s to the early-1950s. A good number of episodes are available for viewing here on RUclips.
I've seen their movies on WNEW TV Ch.5 in NYC..back in the early 1960's..Bobby..to be quite honest..I never cared for Olsen And Johnson's approach to film comedy.
Today's RUclips Rerun for 10/19/15: Watch along and join the discussion! Two of the more obscure mystery guests to today's audiences, Olsen & Johnson, probably best remembered (if you remember them) for their Broadway show-turned-movie "Hellzapoppin'". ----------------------------- Join our Facebook group for WML-- great discussions, photos, etc, and great people! facebook.com/groups/728471287199862/ Please click here to subscribe to the WML channel if you haven't already-- you'll find the complete CBS series already posted, and you'll be able to follow along the discussions on the weekday "rerun" videos: ruclips.net/channel/UChPE75Fvvl1HmdAsO7Nzb8w
Burns & Allen would be an example of what you're talking about. George and Gracie did some movie work, then radio work, and then television work, successful in all of those.
People simply do not realize how vaudeville honed its stars. They quickly KNEW their audience. When Jack Benny's teenage daughter was having a party he requested she ask a pair of old vaudevillian friends visiting him to perform: she was horrified-what could this possibly be but disaster? They were a total hit!
Olsen and Johnson's comedy was hard to contain on the small screen and within a television show time slot. But they did inspire Soupy Sales and Laugh-in. To replicate their vaudeville act, they were extremely innovative in their two main movies, Hellzapoppin' (which later became the name associated with their brand of anarchic comedy) and Crazy House. Unfortunately due to copyright issues, Hellapoppin' cannot be seen in the U.S. While they were known for vaudeville acts, their biggest stage presence was on the Broadway stage. The stage version of Hellzapoppin (without the apostrophe) preceded the movie version and had a long run on Broadway (1404 performances).
Just watched Hellzapoppin the other night online, just have to look for it. O&J remind me of another comedy team that has been forgotten Clark & McCullough, very successful on Broadway brought out to Hollywood and had somewhat success in shorts but who remembers them today?
Fun episode! Great performance from Dorothy on the first round. On the second, John actually knew a whale is a mammal! Didn't he forget that in a later episode?
Fortunately, some of their work in TV variety shows are still available for viewing in kinescope form here on RUclips, for future generations to enjoy. They can get to experience some Vaudeville-style entertainment that IS NOT just from Abbott and Costello (as good as they were).
You have to love Olsen and Johnson. They were both underated comedians that were very talented and old veterens of Vaudville, recordings, Broadway, Movies, Radio and early television. Who will ever forget if you watched "Hellzapoppin."
OK, so I am old enough to have watched these in real time with my parents and am thrilled to be able to enjoy them again. I do know, having been the eldest of 4 siblings, that there are specialty pet shops that perhaps sell only puppies or exotic fish et al. However, in what world does a generalized, all-purpose pet store not sell worms and all kinds of feed for pets, yard animals like robins, fish in a home aquarium either exotic or goldfish, etc.? That answer was wrong. There was no PetCo back then, but our local pet shop, that sold all sorts of pets, sold all those things. We went to them to feed our dog, our aquarium exotic fish, the birds in the yard. When we went to the beach, we got bait to surfcast from a Bait'n'Tackle shop at the shore. Otherwise, we pretty much got what we needed from the Rosens. If we had gotten a horse, I suppose we'd have gone elsewhere for hay. But we knew the lady who supplied all feeds to Ringling Bros. Circus, so maybe we'd have found a way to get that from Mabel Spamer.
In fairness, Olsen and Johnson were not a typical "straight man/comedian" comedy team. Both of them were pretty crazy, but Johnson was a little crazier.
Ah! That explains everything! It makes total sense, but how did you happen to know that, poetcomic1? Was it mentioned in the show and I just don't remember?
Steve Allen mentions in his introduction that Arlene is in "a particularly classical mood tonight," having just come from doing a play in Philadelphia called "The Road to Rome," "proud of her new Grecian hairdo."What's My Line?
Thank goodness they changed that format of having the contestants leave behind John day late. That was so ill conceived, inappropriate, and disrespectful to the contestants. One of the duo of Olsen and Johnson turned toward the audience as he left and very few celebrities did that.
In later seasons Daly will add if the contestant deals in a product or service. That's very important. The Bridal Consultant does not deal with a product, so when he answered yes he does it threw off all line of questioning.
2:40 - Bennett got right in there, didn't he? Man, the horny comments coming out of the men during "Ms. James"...Even Daly was 'sweet'. 25:24 - Arlene recaps Bennett's infatuation, who's lucky it wasn't color TV. He'd be red.
+Christopher Tate I contend that Block's comments were pretty much the same as Cerf's or Allen's. There are two things that apparently make him harder to stomach for most people. The first was his physical interactions with some of the female MG's and one poor non-celebrity challenger who went the wrong direction and Block actually chased: an evangelist no less! (Dumb move.) The second is based on image. Cerf and Allen project themselves as urbane and sophisticated, so one tends to assume their remarks come from a higher plane. Block OTOH, projected a boorish image. He was hunched over much of the time, rubbing his hair, scratching his ears. And he just didn't look sophisticated (when in fact he was a graduate of the prestigious University of Chicago). So one tended to assume the worst from him. I can't say that the medium is the message, but the medium definitely shapes the message. To test it, here's something you can try at home. If you are having a conversation with someone, at the appropriate point, reply "That sounds unreasonable." But you have to say it with the facial expression and tone of voice that you would use if you were saying "That sounds reasonable." Then watch for the reaction. Usually it will go right past the person until the different parts of their brain fully communicate with each other. Then you will probably get a "Wait, what?" or some other very interesting reaction.
Lois Simmons No argument from me that Cerf was bad about this too. Honestly, some of my fascination with this show is the particular window it offers into the behavioral norms of the day. Race bias came up only occasionally, but sexism was on full display from the outset.
Christopher Tate There were two key differences in any racism on the show compared to what we would now judge to be sexism on WML (and I word it that way for a specific reason). It would be hard to spot racism on the show, simply because there were very few black non-celebrity challengers who appeared on the show (on all the episodes that Gary has posted from the beginning of the show through the end of June 1953, I have seen only one). And there haven't been that many more black MG's. When a black person did appear, they were treated cordially. The racism is simply in the lack of representation. Simply from a game playing and production perspective, that leads to an observation on my part that connects the two isms. I have remarked at other times that a frequent device used by the WML staff to fool the panel was to choose a female contestant whose job was generally seen as a male occupation. I have to wonder how hard it would have been for the panel if they had a black challenger from time to time who was a professional of some sort: doctor, lawyer, or college professor, to name a few. If we have airline personnel in 2016 who can't get their heads around the idea that there are doctors who are black and female, how hard would it have been to guess the profession of a black, male doctor in the 1950's? Getting back to the first difference, while the racism was hidden in lack of representation what we would now call sexism was quite open and accepted. Yes, they drew the line back then, as Hal Block found out, but the line was fairly lax by 2016 standards. So it is far more obvious to us. The second difference relates to the reaction of the objects of the isms. In terms of racism, regardless of what a black person might have told a white person at the time, and while there might be differences of opinion within the black community in terms of methodology or speed in achieving civil rights, I sincerely doubt from all that I know now that any black person being honest would tell you that they were fine with how whites in general treated blacks in general in the U.S. In terms of the women who appear on WML at this time, I can't tell you how they felt about the ways in which they were treated differently than men were, or how they felt in particular about the comments made about their appearance (and the difference in attitude when such comments were made about men in contrast to when they were made about women). But as someone who grew up in the 1950's through 1970's, both before and during the feminist movement, I can report first-hand on the reactions of one group of women: my mom, my aunts, and the other women in my parents' circle of friends. None of them ever gave an indication of being feminist. My mom was somewhat negative toward the movement. The only one I can think of who was a professional was a single woman who was a distant relative of my dad: she was a Navy nurse. Almost all of them were content as housewives, although one of my aunts worked in my uncle's bar and grill and may have been a partner in it. I also learned much later that another of the women had been a band singer at some point in the 1930's before she married (and I don't know her professional name or which band she sang with). I am fairly certain that they would have distinguished between two different area that many would now call sexism: women being treated unfairly in contrast with women being treated like women because women are different then men. Since I know my mom the best, I will use her as the example of the opinions of that group. My mom would have been against any use of physical force or intimidation by a man against a woman because she was a woman. She would have been against any use of vulgarity in talking to a woman. She would have been against a female teacher being paid less than a male teacher in situations like when she was growing up where female teachers had to be unmarried. And yet she might have also understood other cases where a woman would be paid less than a man because the woman was less likely to be the sole support of the family and the potential was much more likely in those days for a woman to leave to get married and raise a family or to leave when baby number one was on the way. (Loyalty to job and company was far more common in those days, particularly in the middle class.) In other words, circumstances played a part in it. But as far as being appreciated for her physical appearance, my mom and the others in her group of friends (and sisters-in-law) not only accepted it, they relished it. My mom was a very attractive woman in her twenties and early thirties with a very curvy figure, pretty face and beautiful hair. She got more than her fair share of wolf whistles at the beach and from men working in the streets or constructions sites, and she loved it. She didn't consider it harassment to get a "hey baby" or "hiya honey" sent in her direction. As I said, she drew the line at vulgar comments. She did tell the story of one time when the workers were making comments about her in Hungarian, not realizing she understood every word she said about her. She laughed when she told the story so it must not have been too bad. In her world view, receiving compliments on her appearance was one of the perks of being a woman. (And I know she beamed when she would get dolled up for a party or wedding and I would tell her how beautiful she looked.) She liked being deferred to in the areas in which men deferred to women and husbands deferred to wives. She liked having doors held open for her, being given a seat on the subway, being allowed to have the last word in a disagreement with my dad: any of the honors that accrued to her as being a member of what was known in those days as "the fairer sex". And she was very glad to be a woman, not a man. (At the same time, she never taught her children that men were better than women or women were better than men. The two were simply different with some differences in their natures and viva la difference.) My mom didn't need feminists to tell her that she was as good or capable as any man. (If she bought or encountered something that didn't work right, like as not she would say, "A man must have invented [or designed] that.") And she rejected their contention that she was somehow forced into a lesser position because she was a housewife and mother rather than being out in the workforce with a career. She believed that being a wife and mother were two honorable callings and a special blessing that only women could enjoy. My dad may have brought home the money, but my mom did much more than just raise the kids and do household chores. She was the family money manager. She could stretch a nickel so far that the right side of Jefferson's head was scraping against the back porch of the Monticello. And she was the MacGyver of household repairs. There was very little she couldn't repair with twist ties, string, coat hanger wire, empty thread spools and whatever else she had squirreled away in some drawer or cardboard box in the closet. My mom was the one in the family who generally had the final say in making the major decisions in our family. There were three that affected me the most in a positive way. The first was when I wanted to go to the same private school as my friend was going to go to (starting in 6th grade), She was the one who endorsed it and then figured out how to pay for the balance of the tuition (I had a partial scholarship). Second was when she endorsed me going to an Ivy League university (Cornell) instead of community college and a state university like my brother did. The third was when I became a stock broker, and she told my dad that they were going to help my career get started by taking some of their savings and investing it in the stock market with me. (I did well for them, too, which eventually my brother and I would reap the benefits of.) It was my mom who saved the money from the household budget to enable my parents to buy their first house: a two-family house in Queens that provided rental income to help the family finances. And of course she was the one who dealt most often with the tenants. She was the one who made sure the mortgages were paid off (one to the bank and one to my paternal grandparents). Then she turned her attention to having my dad look at properties in the suburbs so she could have her dream: a house in "the country". The bottom line is my mom would have laughed at the idea that a woman being seen as physically desirable or praised for her physical attractiveness made her any less of a person or demeaned her in any way. She would have sneered at the idea that being a mother and homemaker made her a second-class citizen in any way. The type of woman she was without ever considering herself to be a feminist or embracing most of their ideas, made her a strong equal partner in a marriage that lasted nearly 65 years before my dad died, as well as a dynamic female role model for me (as much as my dad was a great role model for my brother). As Lily Tomlin (Edith Ann) would say, "And that's the truth."
When John Daly says that the four panel members come from Manhattan, the show looks cliquey and exclusive. I'd guess that to live there costs a lot more than in the Bronx, so there's a big social difference between the panel and the challengers. The current fixation with 'diversity' and 'inclusivity' can go too far in using token ethnic minority figures, but today's panel would hopefully be more diverse in accent, origin and social class. In fact John Daly is the outlier among the show's regulars in that he came from South Africa.
Never in the comments do I ever see a contestant commenting, but of course the program is so old that nearly all have passed on by now. In this case, I figure the lifeguard here is probably 18 and one of the youngest guests ever to appear, and if so, she would be 87 this year. I wonder, is she still with us? Perhaps there may be contestants from the 1960s still with us.
John explains at 24:25 that this bridal consultant recommends the right clothing for the whole wedding party: bride and bridesmaids, groom and groomsmen.
Wouldn't you figure, they spend 10 min on some frump but they get a knockout like that life guard and get her in 2 min. Life is so unfair. You can see through her lovely white dress 2:45 down to her brassiere. meow! On a side note this is the first episode that I noticed just ever so slightly that odd tendon or ligament or whatever you would call it on Ms. Dorothy Killgallen's neck. It would become much more visible in later shows, especially in the 60'sepisodes. I always thought Dororthy had a very pretty face when she was younger in the 1950' to 59' range. I wonder what caused her neck to have that appearance and why it seemed to get worse as she got older.
Hey they eat them today when challenged to win money, so why not now? (people eat ANYTHING on Fear Factor, how do you know they didn't have such a game show back then)?
![What's My Line? - Billy Rose (Aug 23, 1953) [CORRECTED]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/OTllZZ4W18M/mqdefault.jpg)
![What's My Line? - Piper Laurie; Art Linkletter [panel] (Oct 15, 1961)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YZ-Ulh4D49k/mqdefault.jpg)
I don't know why but I enjoy when they talk about mundane things like the weather. It really gives a sense of time and place and really humanizes them.
Me too. Same with sports, political, national, world events that are sometimes mentioned that have no connection with any guest.
Thank you very much What's My Line for uploading these immensely addictive videos. From oratory skills and elegant appearances to a soft and humorous atmosphere, this show disseminates class in all regards.
It's a pleasure sharing these shows, and seeing the wonderful comments people add, like yours. It's like we're not even on RUclips, if you judge by the quality of the comments!
@@WhatsMyLineGod Bless you for all you do 😊
Steve Allen is hilarious! 😂🥰
I couldn't stop laughing at Olsen and Johnson. So darn funny, especially their antics! 👏👏👏👏🤣
I’m 68 years old and it’s so interesting to imagine that my parents were watching this program while I crawled around on the floor in front of the television.
I think you were deep asleep.😄 WML started 11.30 pm on Sunday's night.
The last contestant was the subject of the July / August 2001 American Heritage article "Who Wants to Be Mid-Two-Figures-Aire?" During the days of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" Mr. Levine's sons were trying to obtain a copy of this episode as a 70th birthday gift for their father. The article was about how they got a video copy of the show. I'd never heard of this show before reading the article, and I just now came across the saved article and checked to see if the episode was available on RUclips. Success!
I meant to write "Who Wants to Be a Mid-Two-Figures-Aire?" Mr. Levine had worked at his mother and aunt's bridal business, and will later become a stock broker, and then start his own brokerage business.
Thought I knew most celebs from back in the day. Never heard of Olsen and Johnson till I saw this. Will look them up after. They're hilarious.
You should watch Hellzapoppin!
Surreally hysterical. Fantastic lindy hop dance segment.
Think Marx.Bros meets Jerry Lewis meets Salvadore Dali.
Ms James is adorable and sweet and seems she has a personality that could be around today. And yet she’s around 90 now, if she’s still with us. The passage of time feels nonexistent with this show sometimes. I was born in the ‘70s and it makes my grandparents and great grand parents (now passed) feel so much just like me.
The look of relief on Olsen and Johnson's faces when the panel finally recognized who they were was priceless.
Have yet to watch and wonder if I will have any idea who they are. Definitely never heard of them.
@@tejaswoman They are mostly forgotten today because their primary fame came from the stage. However, if you get a chance to see their film "Hellzapoppin" you are in for a real treat. It's currently free on RUclips for as long as that lasts.
@@Kmac005I echo the recommendation for Hallzapoppin'. It's a true one-of-a-kind classic.
I love Steve's reactions when the audience laughs at his questions.
Often seems fake
Especially when Daly knows how Alken tends to run his questions and has him start off for the first contestant. Meanwhile, I'm sitting her muttering, "nobody likes me, everybody hates me, guess I'll gobeatcworms...."
I just heard Mr. Daly murmer "this is Father's Day", and I'm watching it on Father's Day. Then I noticed today's date & the date of the show is June 21. Kind of fun, just like the show :D
...and here I am one year later! Actually it's after midnight, so it's June 22nd. What the hell am I still doing up...
…And here I am six years later
I think they tell Steve Allen what their profession is ahead of time and then let him play dumb because he’s good at it and the audience is entertained. That’s why he never guesses correctly.
@@GOLDVIOLINbowofdeathNo one is told about the guest! 😮
The comment from Steve Allen, "I take it from the audience reactions that this is not part of the main course," made me laugh hard
I just realized something. As of today there are 16121 views and only 76 thumbs up for this particular video.
Could this be explained by the fact that, like me, most of the people are in a hurry to go to the next "What's my line" video and don't wan't to take time to rate the one they just watched ?
If you look at the thumbs up for other videos-- heck, if you include **all** votes for a video, up or down-- they're always only a fraction of the total number of views. Some people simply don't know how much upvotes matter, and if they do, they often just forget to click. I'm VERY aware of how important upvotes are, and I frequently forget to upvote other people's videos when I should.
I think the real problem is that RUclips does nothing to communicate to viewers that these things really help videos/channels get seen, and nothing to encourage people to upvote. E.g., they **could** put a reminder at the end of a video every now and then, but it's up to channel owners to annoy the hell out of their viewers by begging for upvotes and subscribers constantly, because RUclips really does nothing to help!
Anyhow, I hope this means at least YOU upvoted this video. :)
Yes I did, and I try to do it as often as I can. The problem is that when I start watching episodes of What's my line, it becomes very difficult to stop, and like I said, as soon as one video ends, I can't wait to click on the next one. It's just tonight that i noticed how few thumbs up (and thumbs down as a matter of fact) you get with such a high number of views per episodes. That's why I asked myself (in a comment haha) if other people were like me : Too caught up in the WML wave to have time to think of anything else :)
Anyways, I promise that from now on, I will do my best to be more aware of the rating aspect of my participation to this channel :-)
I really appreciate it-- thanks! :)
As soon as a video begins to play I tap the thumbs up symbol. Otherwise, I might forgot because I adore this WML channel!!
You’re right.
I have a crush on Steve. He's so handsome!
My uncle told me years ago that you had to see Olsen & Johnson on stage, as he did in New York when he was a kid. He said that they were absolute bedlam in person. Not so much in movies, and the live TV directors couldn't keep up with them!
If you want to check out Olsen and Johnson at their best, check out their debut episode of "Fireball Fun For All" from July 5, 1949. It was a short-lived comedy/variety show that aired on NBC in 1949, and was sponsored by Buick. Olsen and Johnson were also regulars on "Four Star Revue/All-Star Revue" on NBC in the early-1950s.
Such an urbane show. I love the clothes! Thank you for taking the time for posting!!
Jack Benny always talked about Olsen and Johnson when he did his radio show from New York. Phil Harris would say "I saw Heck - a - poppen last night, that's not the real title but I can't say it on the air". Jack would say "Not the night I saw it". Great to see them in action.
Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson were in the Broadway play "Helizapoppin". I've known that since 1970, when I was in the 9th grade and I got a paperback book in the mail called "Movie Comedy Teams". Before I got that book in the mail, I never heard of Olsen and Johnson, or Wheeler and Woolsey either.
Olsen and Johnson appeared in a number of NBC variety shows from the late-1940s to the early-1950s. A good number of episodes are available for viewing here on RUclips.
I've seen their movies on WNEW TV Ch.5 in NYC..back in the early 1960's..Bobby..to be quite honest..I never cared for Olsen And Johnson's approach to film comedy.
You can tell, Ole Olson and Chic Johnson were one crazy ,movie comedy team. I read that, at one time they came to a party in an ambulance !
,,,I just want to tyvm for posting this ,and other shows like this ,,,
My pleasure. Glad you're enjoying them. It's a *highly* addictive show, and a perfect way to wind down at the end of the evening.
Roy Mckenzie WHAT???
@@oksills tyvm is an abbreviation for "Thank you very much." :-)
The first contestant was enchanting, so pretty. I wonder if her almost see-through blouse was highest fashion in 1953? 2:33
I wondered the same. Did she forget her slip?
I'm guessing it was fashionable. I can imagine Grace Kelly that dress.
Blouses for a time were sort of gossamer and slightly see-through. You were supposed to wear a camisole under them, the lacier the better.
luckily mr block wasn't there
It was 96 degrees that day...
Mr. Levine (the last challenger) has one heck of a voice! I'm surprised the network didn't snatch him up as an announcer.
He also has a strong resemblance to Adam Sandler
He also bears a strong resemblance to Adam Sandler
In reference to Arlene's question -- they look equally crazy. They certainly knew how to get lots of laughs.
I just love this show. I think I have a small crush on Bennett Cerf.
Today's RUclips Rerun for 10/19/15: Watch along and join the discussion!
Two of the more obscure mystery guests to today's audiences, Olsen & Johnson, probably best remembered (if you remember them) for their Broadway show-turned-movie "Hellzapoppin'".
-----------------------------
Join our Facebook group for WML-- great discussions, photos, etc, and great people! facebook.com/groups/728471287199862/
Please click here to subscribe to the WML channel if you haven't already-- you'll find the complete CBS series already posted, and you'll be able to follow along the discussions on the weekday "rerun" videos: ruclips.net/channel/UChPE75Fvvl1HmdAsO7Nzb8w
Burns & Allen would be an example of what you're talking about. George and Gracie did some movie work, then radio work, and then television work, successful in all of those.
People simply do not realize how vaudeville honed its stars. They quickly KNEW their audience.
When Jack Benny's teenage daughter was having a party he requested she ask a pair of old vaudevillian friends visiting him to perform: she was horrified-what could this possibly be but disaster?
They were a total hit!
Olsen and Johnson's comedy was hard to contain on the small screen and within a television show time slot. But they did inspire Soupy Sales and Laugh-in. To replicate their vaudeville act, they were extremely innovative in their two main movies, Hellzapoppin' (which later became the name associated with their brand of anarchic comedy) and Crazy House. Unfortunately due to copyright issues, Hellapoppin' cannot be seen in the U.S.
While they were known for vaudeville acts, their biggest stage presence was on the Broadway stage. The stage version of Hellzapoppin (without the apostrophe) preceded the movie version and had a long run on Broadway (1404 performances).
Just watched Hellzapoppin the other night online, just have to look for it. O&J remind me of another comedy team that has been forgotten Clark & McCullough, very successful on Broadway brought out to Hollywood and had somewhat success in shorts but who remembers them today?
Arlene is so adorable when she gets flustered !
Fun episode! Great performance from Dorothy on the first round. On the second, John actually knew a whale is a mammal! Didn't he forget that in a later episode?
They were great. It is a shame they are mostly forgotten today
Fortunately, some of their work in TV variety shows are still available for viewing in kinescope form here on RUclips, for future generations to enjoy. They can get to experience some Vaudeville-style entertainment that IS NOT just from Abbott and Costello (as good as they were).
Dorothy. you go girl!
BOTH Olsen and Johnson were the BEST part of this episode😊.
Arlene is absolutely beautiful! So glad to have her name as my middle name!
I have a crush on her.
@z you're right. I corrected it!☺
Good to see human beings actually enjoying themselves..D.Reid.
Arlene's hair is lovely !
You have to love Olsen and Johnson. They were both underated comedians that were very talented and old veterens of Vaudville, recordings, Broadway, Movies, Radio and early television. Who will ever forget if you watched "Hellzapoppin."
Definitely in the running for least-known/remembered mystery guest(s)..... slam-dunk for top 5.
The photo at the end of next week's contestant looked like a very young John Wayne.
The first contestant was so adorable ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Nancy James, the lifeguard, was one gorgeous girl!
I wish I were as cheerful and upbeat as Miss Nancy James.
OK, so I am old enough to have watched these in real time with my parents and am thrilled to be able to enjoy them again. I do know, having been the eldest of 4 siblings, that there are specialty pet shops that perhaps sell only puppies or exotic fish et al. However, in what world does a generalized, all-purpose pet store not sell worms and all kinds of feed for pets, yard animals like robins, fish in a home aquarium either exotic or goldfish, etc.? That answer was wrong. There was no PetCo back then, but our local pet shop, that sold all sorts of pets, sold all those things. We went to them to feed our dog, our aquarium exotic fish, the birds in the yard. When we went to the beach, we got bait to surfcast from a Bait'n'Tackle shop at the shore. Otherwise, we pretty much got what we needed from the Rosens. If we had gotten a horse, I suppose we'd have gone elsewhere for hay. But we knew the lady who supplied all feeds to Ringling Bros. Circus, so maybe we'd have found a way to get that from Mabel Spamer.
In fairness, Olsen and Johnson were not a typical "straight man/comedian" comedy team. Both of them were pretty crazy, but Johnson was a little crazier.
I adore Arlene Francis, and think she can do no wrong...but this hairdo (which, to my knowledge, she never again sported) does her no favors.
Ha! Very true. Her hairdo here looks like what you'd see on an ancient Grecian statue.
She was coming from a play that took place in ancient times.
Ah! That explains everything! It makes total sense, but how did you happen to know that, poetcomic1? Was it mentioned in the show and I just don't remember?
Steve Allen mentions in his introduction that Arlene is in "a particularly classical mood tonight," having just come from doing a play in Philadelphia called "The Road to Rome," "proud of her new Grecian hairdo."What's My Line?
Yes I like hre hair better down but it was hot.
@6:40, the same one that Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon later lauded in song?
Thank goodness they changed that format of having the contestants leave behind John day late. That was so ill conceived, inappropriate, and disrespectful to the contestants.
One of the duo of Olsen and Johnson turned toward the audience as he left and very few celebrities did that.
It's called maturity and respect 😊
In later seasons Daly will add if the contestant deals in a product or service. That's very important. The Bridal Consultant does not deal with a product, so when he answered yes he does it threw off all line of questioning.
He said he did in fact deal with a product, because he dressed the bride and groom.
Beautiful Grecian hair-style that Arlene is sporting!
In the final spot, Daly screwed up. A bridal consultant is not a product but he misled the panel into thinking it is.
Dorthy did not kill herself.
And she wasn't murdered.
2:40 - Bennett got right in there, didn't he? Man, the horny comments coming out of the men during "Ms. James"...Even Daly was 'sweet'. 25:24 - Arlene recaps Bennett's infatuation, who's lucky it wasn't color TV. He'd be red.
What's terrifying is that Cerf was still much better on this front than the man he replaced, Hal Block. Talk about a masher.
+Christopher Tate
I contend that Block's comments were pretty much the same as Cerf's or Allen's. There are two things that apparently make him harder to stomach for most people. The first was his physical interactions with some of the female MG's and one poor non-celebrity challenger who went the wrong direction and Block actually chased: an evangelist no less! (Dumb move.)
The second is based on image. Cerf and Allen project themselves as urbane and sophisticated, so one tends to assume their remarks come from a higher plane. Block OTOH, projected a boorish image. He was hunched over much of the time, rubbing his hair, scratching his ears. And he just didn't look sophisticated (when in fact he was a graduate of the prestigious University of Chicago). So one tended to assume the worst from him.
I can't say that the medium is the message, but the medium definitely shapes the message. To test it, here's something you can try at home. If you are having a conversation with someone, at the appropriate point, reply "That sounds unreasonable." But you have to say it with the facial expression and tone of voice that you would use if you were saying "That sounds reasonable." Then watch for the reaction.
Usually it will go right past the person until the different parts of their brain fully communicate with each other. Then you will probably get a "Wait, what?" or some other very interesting reaction.
Lois Simmons No argument from me that Cerf was bad about this too. Honestly, some of my fascination with this show is the particular window it offers into the behavioral norms of the day. Race bias came up only occasionally, but sexism was on full display from the outset.
Christopher Tate There were two key differences in any racism on the show compared to what we would now judge to be sexism on WML (and I word it that way for a specific reason).
It would be hard to spot racism on the show, simply because there were very few black non-celebrity challengers who appeared on the show (on all the episodes that Gary has posted from the beginning of the show through the end of June 1953, I have seen only one). And there haven't been that many more black MG's. When a black person did appear, they were treated cordially. The racism is simply in the lack of representation.
Simply from a game playing and production perspective, that leads to an observation on my part that connects the two isms. I have remarked at other times that a frequent device used by the WML staff to fool the panel was to choose a female contestant whose job was generally seen as a male occupation. I have to wonder how hard it would have been for the panel if they had a black challenger from time to time who was a professional of some sort: doctor, lawyer, or college professor, to name a few. If we have airline personnel in 2016 who can't get their heads around the idea that there are doctors who are black and female, how hard would it have been to guess the profession of a black, male doctor in the 1950's?
Getting back to the first difference, while the racism was hidden in lack of representation what we would now call sexism was quite open and accepted. Yes, they drew the line back then, as Hal Block found out, but the line was fairly lax by 2016 standards. So it is far more obvious to us.
The second difference relates to the reaction of the objects of the isms. In terms of racism, regardless of what a black person might have told a white person at the time, and while there might be differences of opinion within the black community in terms of methodology or speed in achieving civil rights, I sincerely doubt from all that I know now that any black person being honest would tell you that they were fine with how whites in general treated blacks in general in the U.S.
In terms of the women who appear on WML at this time, I can't tell you how they felt about the ways in which they were treated differently than men were, or how they felt in particular about the comments made about their appearance (and the difference in attitude when such comments were made about men in contrast to when they were made about women).
But as someone who grew up in the 1950's through 1970's, both before and during the feminist movement, I can report first-hand on the reactions of one group of women: my mom, my aunts, and the other women in my parents' circle of friends. None of them ever gave an indication of being feminist. My mom was somewhat negative toward the movement. The only one I can think of who was a professional was a single woman who was a distant relative of my dad: she was a Navy nurse. Almost all of them were content as housewives, although one of my aunts worked in my uncle's bar and grill and may have been a partner in it. I also learned much later that another of the women had been a band singer at some point in the 1930's before she married (and I don't know her professional name or which band she sang with).
I am fairly certain that they would have distinguished between two different area that many would now call sexism: women being treated unfairly in contrast with women being treated like women because women are different then men. Since I know my mom the best, I will use her as the example of the opinions of that group.
My mom would have been against any use of physical force or intimidation by a man against a woman because she was a woman. She would have been against any use of vulgarity in talking to a woman. She would have been against a female teacher being paid less than a male teacher in situations like when she was growing up where female teachers had to be unmarried. And yet she might have also understood other cases where a woman would be paid less than a man because the woman was less likely to be the sole support of the family and the potential was much more likely in those days for a woman to leave to get married and raise a family or to leave when baby number one was on the way. (Loyalty to job and company was far more common in those days, particularly in the middle class.) In other words, circumstances played a part in it.
But as far as being appreciated for her physical appearance, my mom and the others in her group of friends (and sisters-in-law) not only accepted it, they relished it. My mom was a very attractive woman in her twenties and early thirties with a very curvy figure, pretty face and beautiful hair. She got more than her fair share of wolf whistles at the beach and from men working in the streets or constructions sites, and she loved it. She didn't consider it harassment to get a "hey baby" or "hiya honey" sent in her direction. As I said, she drew the line at vulgar comments. She did tell the story of one time when the workers were making comments about her in Hungarian, not realizing she understood every word she said about her. She laughed when she told the story so it must not have been too bad.
In her world view, receiving compliments on her appearance was one of the perks of being a woman. (And I know she beamed when she would get dolled up for a party or wedding and I would tell her how beautiful she looked.) She liked being deferred to in the areas in which men deferred to women and husbands deferred to wives. She liked having doors held open for her, being given a seat on the subway, being allowed to have the last word in a disagreement with my dad: any of the honors that accrued to her as being a member of what was known in those days as "the fairer sex". And she was very glad to be a woman, not a man. (At the same time, she never taught her children that men were better than women or women were better than men. The two were simply different with some differences in their natures and viva la difference.)
My mom didn't need feminists to tell her that she was as good or capable as any man. (If she bought or encountered something that didn't work right, like as not she would say, "A man must have invented [or designed] that.") And she rejected their contention that she was somehow forced into a lesser position because she was a housewife and mother rather than being out in the workforce with a career. She believed that being a wife and mother were two honorable callings and a special blessing that only women could enjoy.
My dad may have brought home the money, but my mom did much more than just raise the kids and do household chores. She was the family money manager. She could stretch a nickel so far that the right side of Jefferson's head was scraping against the back porch of the Monticello.
And she was the MacGyver of household repairs. There was very little she couldn't repair with twist ties, string, coat hanger wire, empty thread spools and whatever else she had squirreled away in some drawer or cardboard box in the closet.
My mom was the one in the family who generally had the final say in making the major decisions in our family. There were three that affected me the most in a positive way. The first was when I wanted to go to the same private school as my friend was going to go to (starting in 6th grade), She was the one who endorsed it and then figured out how to pay for the balance of the tuition (I had a partial scholarship). Second was when she endorsed me going to an Ivy League university (Cornell) instead of community college and a state university like my brother did. The third was when I became a stock broker, and she told my dad that they were going to help my career get started by taking some of their savings and investing it in the stock market with me. (I did well for them, too, which eventually my brother and I would reap the benefits of.)
It was my mom who saved the money from the household budget to enable my parents to buy their first house: a two-family house in Queens that provided rental income to help the family finances. And of course she was the one who dealt most often with the tenants. She was the one who made sure the mortgages were paid off (one to the bank and one to my paternal grandparents). Then she turned her attention to having my dad look at properties in the suburbs so she could have her dream: a house in "the country".
The bottom line is my mom would have laughed at the idea that a woman being seen as physically desirable or praised for her physical attractiveness made her any less of a person or demeaned her in any way. She would have sneered at the idea that being a mother and homemaker made her a second-class citizen in any way. The type of woman she was without ever considering herself to be a feminist or embracing most of their ideas, made her a strong equal partner in a marriage that lasted nearly 65 years before my dad died, as well as a dynamic female role model for me (as much as my dad was a great role model for my brother).
As Lily Tomlin (Edith Ann) would say, "And that's the truth."
When John Daly says that the four panel members come from Manhattan, the show looks cliquey and exclusive. I'd guess that to live there costs a lot more than in the Bronx, so there's a big social difference between the panel and the challengers. The current fixation with 'diversity' and 'inclusivity' can go too far in using token ethnic minority figures, but today's panel would hopefully be more diverse in accent, origin and social class. In fact John Daly is the outlier among the show's regulars in that he came from South Africa.
I didn’t know lifeguard was a profession
Adorable hair do.
No one can sing raglan road like Luke Kelly RIP THE great singer
I would been born 43 years later.
Did Ms Francis leave her curlers in?!
Never in the comments do I ever see a contestant commenting, but of course the program is so old that nearly all have passed on by now. In this case, I figure the lifeguard here is probably 18 and one of the youngest guests ever to appear, and if so, she would be 87 this year. I wonder, is she still with us? Perhaps there may be contestants from the 1960s still with us.
wow bennett had more hair in 1953
Who are they? they seem pretty funny. I might wanna look them up.
I guess I don't understand what a bridal consultant is. Maybe it was different then than now.
John explains at 24:25 that this bridal consultant recommends the right clothing for the whole wedding party: bride and bridesmaids, groom and groomsmen.
Wow that is quite a hairdo Arlene
Is Arlene's hairdoo "Grecian"? It looks more "I just stepped out of the shower".
It was for the play she was doing in Philadelphia, but despite Mr. Cerf's plea for her to keep it, it did not suit her.
Steve Allen was funny and he was CLEAN (Except for a few double entendres)
Even Arlene? Yes, in 1953 it would be. Today though not necessarily.
There are only two
@@dinahbrown902 Yes there are. But we seem to have many today who don't see the obvious so clearly.
@@sandygort Crazy world Sandy😊
@@dinahbrown902 Yes. I'm afraid so.
I'm not a fan of Messers:Olson and Johnson.
The Canadian from Hamilton sounds like Joe Friday from Dragnet ...
Anne Roy u r so right he looks like a teenage joe Friday
That last contestant looked like a relative of Adam Sandler.
I don't like Arlene's hairstyle in this episode. I hope she doesn't wear it like this again.
It's for a play she did.
I never see it again.
Are they expecting petite women to have calluses on their hands in the 50s?
I wonder if they had air conditioning in the theatre.
No they didn't. In future shows, John Daly complains about how hot it is in there and you can see people sweating.
This should have flipped all the cards for the girl that was a lifeguard
Wouldn't you figure, they spend 10 min on some frump but they get a knockout like that life guard and get her in 2 min. Life is so unfair. You can see through her lovely white dress 2:45 down to her brassiere. meow!
On a side note this is the first episode that I noticed just ever so slightly that odd tendon or ligament or whatever you would call it on Ms. Dorothy Killgallen's neck. It would become much more visible in later shows, especially in the 60'sepisodes. I always thought Dororthy had a very pretty face when she was younger in the 1950' to 59' range. I wonder what caused her neck to have that appearance and why it seemed to get worse as she got older.
I really think a lot of her medical problems were due to her thyroid. That is about the right area.
@@sandrageorge3488 Her medical problems were caused by substance abuse,alcohol and pills
😂🤣😂😂
No disrespect intended but I was around back in these days but have never, never, ever, ever, heard of Olsen and Johnson!!!!
That first girl is cute. Looks about 17.
I don't like worm stew.
liberty Ann
Nancy James 2:14 from Brooklyn. She was (as Dorothy said, “Don’t tell me you’re a lifeguard!”) at Palisades Park Beach.
Dorothy is such a nightmare.
people ate worms in 1953?
@MrYfrank14 Kids, teenagers, or college students on a dare, I'll bet!
They're eaten by fish, aren't they?
Hey they eat them today when challenged to win money, so why not now? (people eat ANYTHING on Fear Factor, how do you know they didn't have such a game show back then)?
Have you never read the book, "How to Eat Fried Worms"?
In 1521, they had a whole Diet of Worms.
Now today, they seem really weird
ASk,,
So Canada is so cold they have to breed worms?
Cerf was such a suck up to Daly
Bennett Cerf irritates me to ne end: "Are you of the female persuasion?"
Jeezus! Just ask if the person is a lady, okay?
I imagine it gets tiresome asking the same questions the same way each week