No replacement was ever as good as John Daly. He is witty, super intelligent, personable, and his explanations, verbose as they may be, are spot on, impeccably phrased, and he knows how to keep the show moving along. In my opinion the best moderator ever to grace TV.
I love Bennett as a panelist. He’s always very polite and professional, and he seems to really enjoy the contestants and the game. I never before realized how much influence John Daly had on the show. Bennett did a good job for it being his first time but he’s obviously nervous.
John Daly was irreplaceable in this game show with his often long, meaningful (mostly meant for distracting the panel from finding the Treuddyn answer) explanations and conference calls and with his constant effort to fool the panels. And most of the times he succeeded in his efforts. Bennett did good but it was not easy to fill anyone's shoes as people always compare between the two. I can't be harsh on Mr. Cerf. He could do better if he got more chances as panel moderator.
Okay, so, Bennett humbly admits he's nervous at the beginning of episode. He later would decide not moderate ever again. While John Daly had charisma & was superb of all moderators throughout TV history, Bennett did a pretty decent job. It couldn't have been easy to go from panelist to host. Love this show & love this channel! This is the best, most reliable, & trusted channel. :-)
In spite of having several years of experience on the show you can tell Bennett is very uncomfortable as the host. I think he found out it's harder than it looks. Just shows what a fantastic job John Daly did. While most probably considered the celebrity panelists the star of the show I don't think it would have been nearly as good had he not been the host. He made it look easy and really pulled the show together. He was truly "the straw that stirred the drink". BTW, I thought Arlene looked exceptionally elegant this evening.
The previous week, after one of John's "explanations", Bennett remarked "I don't think I can do this next week". John's job was not at all easy, and he did it remarkably well. So well, in fact, that I firmly believe that this show would not have been a success without him.
Jeff Vaughn I don't think Bennett had any illusions at all about the job being as easy as it looks. I can well imagine he would've accepted the task put upon him readily but without trepidation knowing full well that Daly was supreme at it. Serf would've been looking forward to it being over before it started. As evidenced by Arlene's revelation at the end.
Amazing some of the jobs these guests had years ago! So many of them would be out of work in today's environment! Sells plastic toothpicks! WOW! Can't imagine being able to make a living doing that! Love the show!
I watched the show to the end. As much as I love Mr. Cerf...(who has a great smile) He is truly better on the panel than a host. But he did a good job for his first. You could hear how nerves he was. He is still the best.
I think Bennett was ok as moderator. Could have been a lot worse. Taking over from someone like John Daly is an impossible task and he was bound to be nervous. When your used to someone for so long it's difficult to comprehend anyone else doing the job.
You have to give Bennett Cerf credit where it's due. With John Daly out of town, who would keep the boat afloat? I don't think I'd have looked to anybody else, though of course, Bennett was no John Daly, but he was Bennett Cerf, he had to be himself. In my honest opinion, he did a decent job so I do give him credit for giving it a go. I know and understand that it wasn't easy, but it was still a good effort.
"Are you....and this is only a wild guess.....are you Abraham Lincoln?" Ernie was not for everybody, but even his detractors must admit that this was a great line!
The beautiful and sultry voiced Miss Julie London..Who I believe even to this day holds the record for the most beautiful record album covers and backs ever released..Not to mention her wonderful, deep smoky voice..
As soon as I read this my vision in my head was this album cover as a kid I used to look through all of my mom's album covers Don ho the list goes on and on in the face is on the album covers but I remember the Julie London cover I used to look at it a lot. And my mom would listen to it a lot her voice was hypnotic. 🤔 It reminds me of Olivia Newton-John.
Cesar Romero shows a brilliant smile when the contestants' lines are revealed, so he was doing his best to fill Bennett's place on the panel in that respect. Still, I don't think anyone ever beat Bennett in the generous grin he gave at the end of a round, whether the panel won or lost. His obvious joy in a well-played game was infectious to the audience, as well as being evidence of good sportsmanship and good humor. I miss that grin on every episode in which Bennett is away.
Wonderful show with unexpected and challenging guests. Very fun guests! Julie did a great job of disguising her voice! Her dress was amazing! Kudos to the designer 🥰
I loved when the panel addressed him as “Mr. Cerf” when he caught the panel “on their phones” if it were as he was trying to get them to put damn blindfolds on.
After looking up Henry J Kaiser, I learned that he owned over 100 major companies in addition to his other intetests. He fell in love with Hawaii and died there a few years after this appearance. He was a phenomenon!
John Daly made it look so easy even from day one. It is not easy to keep the pace just right, to know how to cut off something diplomatically when it is going too long, and to do all those explanations without giving away too much or too little. Bennett is OK for a one shot guest appearance, but I too think that Arlene Francis might have been a better choice. She had experience moderating game shows. In fact, I recently discovered a RUclips clip with her guest hosting the old Bill Cullen 'Price is Right.' I suspect Bennett Cerf did not quite understand the appeal of Ernie Kovacs -- It shows in flashes in this episode.
@@barrykendrick3146 Yeah Bennet even went so far as to spell out they were short on time and Ernie responded instead by acting a bit ostentatious instead of moving the game along
@Mollie Popp. He did that because he knew that he was older than everyone on the panel. My late mother taught me to call my elders "Mr, Mrs, Miss or Dr." Bennett Cerf was born in 1898. Each person on the panel was born in the 20th century. Therefore, it was proper for Bennett Cerf to call each panelist by his or her first name. Please ignore ignorant people who don't know that.
I refuse to say anything negative about Bennett's stint as moderator here. No one could possibly have replaced John Daly. Bennett certainly knew that -- better than anyone perhaps.
I do have to wonder, though, if there wasn't some sexism involved in their having chosen Bennett, who wasn't a performer really, and had only the most limited experience hosting programs himself. Arlene would have been the natural choice, and I'm sure she would have been better at it. Eamonn Andrews was the only one of the three subs for John over the years that I thought did a really good job-- but of course, he had years of experience hosting the BBC version under his belt. But yes, of course, no one can fill John Daly's shoes, no one.
What's My Line? -- Yes, I think Arlene would have done well as a guest moderator. She actually had a lot of experience as a TV host and even as an interviewer on TV, which Bennett didn't have. I do think there was largely some sexism involved -- the producers may likely have thought that having a man as moderator was necessary for some misguided reason. I can't think of any other game show or panel show that didn't have a male moderator back in the 1950s and 60s. Times have changed and, at least, I can remember watching some episodes of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" hosted by Meredith Vieira and, of course, "The Weakest Link" hosted by Anne Robinson. There may be others -- the only such show I watch regularly is "Jeopardy!" hosted by Alex Trebek.
Are you Abraham Lincoln? Greatest question in game show history. Ernie knew a lot about cars. He knew it was Henry Kaiser. His question about Ogden Nash just shows how far ahead of the times his humor was.
@@GOLDVIOLINbowofdeath I don't believe everything I read on the web, If I did, I would have stated as a fact that the Lincoln question ended Kovacs' chances. I merely pointed out that this particular view is expressed on the web without expressing a view as to its accuracy.
I dunno.. about that second question/declaration there, Geleez... .😐😬😬😬😬😶😬 I could Delve into more specificals but Art Fern had some 🎢 queries .. . ...
@@preppysocks209 I hardly think that Kovacs' "Lincoln" line ended his being on the panel. Mark Goodson said that it was one of the funniest lines ever said on the show.
I remember Henry J. Kaiser for two things: Kaiser Aluminum and Steel, and for having founded Kaiser Permanente, the HMO that follows a similar model to the Mayo Health System. He originally organized Kaiser Permanente to provide health services for his employees. I also seem to remember a defunct make of automobile called the Kaiser-Frazer which went the way of the Studebaker. It seemed the panel had forgotten that car. They stopped making passenger cars in 1955 and eventually made the Jeep brand of utility vehicles, which eventually became part of American Motors in 1963.
I worked for Kaiser Permanente in Sacramento, Ca and my dad worked for Kaiser Electronics in Palo Alto, Ca in the 1960s. My dad would bring home Kaiser aluminum foil from work.
The first car I can remember was my father's 1950 Kaiser. He traded it in for a Dodge in 1956, when I was 5 years old. Strangely, I remember the Kaiser better than the Dodge. After my parents passed away a few years ago, I came into possession of lots of old photos they had stored away. Thankfully, I now have pictures of that old Kaiser.
THAT was a fun fantastic show! Seeing Bennett fill in for John Daly was a real surprise as Nd a treat for me, I Loved it. And And Mr. Kovacs and Mr. Romero on the panel with the 2 best woman, so cool!
Ever since I had triplets and then became a single mom and full time professional, I only wish I knew what the definition of a BORING day was! I really don't have the slightest clue! Even now, being unemployed from a lay-off, I still don't have a clue what "boring day" means! Well, I guess I'm blessed!
@@brookehanley3659 when would she have had time to recover from a face lift? Especially in the 50's and 60's when the procedures were much more invasive.
My late mother taught me to always call my elders "Mr, Mrs, Miss or Dr." It's obvious that Bennett Cerf was older than everyone on the panel because he called each panelist by his or her first name instead of his or her last name. Bennett Cerf was born in 1898. Each panelist was born in the 20th century.
Normally, Cerf is a panelist, a peer, and colleague, so it may have been his preference to speak informally to them as he did. Daly is a great moderator most of the time.
For once I was able to mouth read what Arlene said to Bennett when the toothpick contestant gave the panelist a souvenir and she jokingly said "I always wanted one!" to that degree. = ) (I been watching the heck out of these episodes lately. I can't stop! it's too addicting.)
I'm looking forward to seeing the first few October 1957 episodes to see if the panelists, especially Bennett, show John Daly greater appreciation upon his return. On the 9/22/57 episode, Daly mentions that he was looking forward to watching the kinescope of this episode with Bennett as host. Once he finished watching, I wonder if he and his agent marched over to the Goodson-Todman offices to renegotiate Daly's contract.
Imagine if Henry J had walked along the panel handing out free samples as the toothpick man did. He'd have been the most popular industrialist in the US.
Bennett was OK but he gave far too many hints and the panel still couldn't get any of the contestants right. I always liked Ernie Kovacs, but he was sort of a pain on this show. I agree with ToddSF, no one could replace John Daly as moderator.
Always shocked to see all the anti Ernie Kovacs comments on these shows, the man was a comic genius and a charming delight even if he was slumming here. And God bless the beautiful and talented Julie London too!
Henry J. Kaiser was vital to us winning WWII, also he invented the modern health care plan with his Kaiser Permanente which grew from a ten bed hospital for employees to a national phenomena.
Henry J. Kaiser was the child of immigrants whose father was a shoemaker. Without his leadership and business skills we could not have won WWII. Don't tell me immigrants are only bad people who hurt our country.
John was absent only 4 times over the course of the entire series. The producers began videotaping a handful of episodes in advance around 1959 so that there would never be another show without John as host. All the regulars were important, but John is the one I would claim was absolutely indispensable, as is demonstrated by the few shows where someone else subbed. He was subbed for two weeks in a row by Clifton Fadiman (host of the first panel show, on radio, "Information, Please"), and once by Eamonn Andrews, host of the BBC version of WML.
Wow, thanks for the reply. :D I agree that John is definitely indispensable. When regular members of the panel are missing now and again, it's not that bad, but when John's not there it feels like something huge is missing. Thank you so much for all your uploads btw. :) I'm completely addicted and working my way through chronologically.
In Rick Sklar's autobiography, "Rocking America", he talks about how his radio station, WABC, suffered when there was a strike that required the DJ's to walk the picket line. The music, the jingles and the format were still in place. The substitute personalities generally had some prior experience behind the microphone. But it wasn't the same. The rhythm was off and the talent level was down. I think this was similar. The format of WML was the same. You had contestants with unusual occupations and guests that required blindfolds. Bennett knew how the show worked. But his rhythm was off and his talent level as a moderator wasn't equal to what John Daly had learned to bring to the fore after 300+ episodes.
I wonder, during the entirety of WML, has John Daly ever been asked to be a panelist. It’s so interesting to see these stars trade positions and how that has an overall effect on the show itself.
Although somewhat stilted, being naturally out of his prevue as a panelist, I thought Mr. Cerf did an admirable job as moderator of WML?. Retaining his sense of humor and familiarity with the regular panelists may have given him some ease in his performance.
The panelists behaved like kids with a substitute teacher, muttering to each other and spacing out throughout the program. Bennett said in his taped recollections of the show that John cracked the whip, and this is proof, if ever it were needed.
I did notice that Bennett Cerf did the same thing as John Daily and throw in all the cards when time got a little long with one guest. I wonder if this was more of a producer decision so that they would have time for the mystery guest.
I have just noticed that Bennett was doing a lot of reading off the script in front of him. You’d think that he would have had it memorized since hearing it every week before hand.
Just watched an episode of Hawaii 5-0 and it was filmed on Kaiser estate...which led me to research his name..instrumental in us winning the war in the Pacific. Great man with vision
There's an unwritten rule on these shows; don't take your star off the panel and remove the antagonist factor from the audience. They would have been doing both if Arlene went to the other side.
@@WhatsMyLine The way Dorothy's looking so intently, that had the show had been recorded in the past decade instead of 1957, a logical assumption would be that she was distracted checking something on her smartphone. A big thank you for this channel. _What's My Line_ is one of TV's great shows, not just of the Golden Era, but any era--a true classic.
Thank you Mr. John Daly. Thank you for your flirtatious, in a gentlemanly fashion, behaviors, for your slight bow with introductions, and your Circumlocution! You tickled my brain. So delightful to watch. So handsome. 😘
Dorothy asked if Miss London was known for dramatic film roles, as apposed to musical comedies. Julie L did not hear what she said, but Bennett immediately said, "No!" - which of course was incorrect. Surprised Dorothy did not question this, afterwards - unless of course her dig at the end about Bennett not being kind to them - was in retaliation for being given a negative to what should have been an affirmative...
Too bad Arlene never moderated. Pretty certain she'd do at least as well as Bennett and probably with more grace. I imagine in 1957 that just wasn't in the cards.
Cesar Romero made many movies before Batman. He was famous onscreen as the Latin lover due his distinguished good looks, which overshadowed his acting abilities
In the early 1960's I worked at the newly-opened Kaiser Center on Lake Merritt in Oakland ca. I was surprised to learn of Mr Kaiser that his favorite color was PINK. Also, my father in his lifetime owned two Kaiser cars, one a pickup in early 1940's and sedan in 1950's, which is still in the family.
Bennett wasn't completely terrible as the "panel moderator". But his skills and personality were much better suited for being a regular panelist, and I like him very much in that role. John Daly was simply an impossible act to follow as the moderator -- nobody could possibly have done it the way he did, and the way he did it was simply topnotch and utterly inimitable. The three other occasions a substitute moderator appeared featured Eamonn Andrews and Clifton Fadiman. Mr. Fadiman had hosted the quiz show "Information Please!" on the radio and, briefly, on television and while his hosting skills were right for a quiz show, WML had quite different requirements and his style wasn't the best for WML. Eamonn Andrews, of course, hosted the British version of WML for the BBC, so he at least knew what he was doing in every way and managed to pull it off, but what worked in the U.K. didn't work nerly as well in the U.S. -- and, again, John Daly set a standard for the original U.S. version of WML that couldn't be equaled. I suspect that WML remained on the air for 17 seasons largely because Mr. Daly was such a great moderator. He and the regular panelists kept things entertaining. I watch these episodes of WML mostly because they're so entertaining -- arriving at the occupation of any given contestant or the identity of the mystery guest is part of the fun, but it's the process of getting there (or not getting there) that keeps me watching. The fun of that process largely involves the personalities of the moderator, the panelists, and the contestants or mystery guests. (Of course, nowadays, there's also the nostalgia factor!)
I'm glad most of these comments about Bennet were positive. I can't BELIEVE there were a few that said he was awful. He surprised me VERY MUCH!! ! Why in the world would John not have him back in his absence. He was REALLY good!!
Bennet... didn't seem to have prepared this good enough.. surpriced how uncomfortable he seemed. Got through it sort of ok though. Never ever seen the mystery guest being stopped by the clock!! Julie London was epicly gorgeous.. wow
With the guy who sells plastic tooth picks...could you tell if I had one of these?...Bennet: there's no way and I could care less. Funny. Love these shows!
at 19:20 is it possible that the little slipup was bennet possibly almost saying the name of the mystery guest? he began to say Miss but corrected himself to say ‘meet’
What a combo! Ernie Kovacs and, as Gil Fates put it in his book, "beamish industralist Henry J. Kaiser." This is just about the most famous bit Kovacs did on WML, and unscripted all the way. Brilliant man Kovacs; G-T auditioned him for 10 weeks and offered him the 2nd panel chair. I am not quite convinced his humor was right for the program.
What's My Line? I was just about to write that I never knew much about Ernie, but I think he was fabulous, and would have been a beloved regular panelist had be joined the panel. Does anyone know if he was offered a permanent position, and if so what were the reasons he didn't accept? He was great!! Go Ernie!
Galileocan g If you look up Kovacs on Wikipedia, you'll find a reference there to why he wasn't invited back on the show. He made a comment publicly to the effect that he would decline appearances on the show if he had other plans, and apparently (though this really does surprise me), this seriously offended the staff of the show and he was never invited back again. Glad I'm not the *only* one who loves him on the panel! There's a great appearance by Kovacs on a late 50s episode of "You Bet Your Life" that turned me on to him. But I have to confess, though I've tried many times, I can't get into his own TV shows at all. Conceptually interesting, but I don't find them funny at all!
What's My Line? I thought Kovacs was great on the panel. He's a very clever guy. His comedy on his own shows was very avante garde. Comedy back then was a little more simplistic and I think he was a little ahead of his time. I think his comedy is what one would consider an acquired taste. Probably not for everyone.
Jeff Vaughn I'm glad you commented on this thread that I'd forgotten all about, because here I am months later seeing my comment referring to Wikipedia's explanation for why Ernie didn't become a panelist permanently. . . which I've since determined is totally false. That had nothing to do with his not staying on WML-- he left NY for LA to do movies for Columbia.
Kinescope!!! Another word that so many people have never heard! I’m old enough to know what that means and thank heavens it existed or we wouldn’t be able to watch these wonderful old shows! I wish it had been used for so many other shows that we only can remember in our minds!
I worked for Kaiser Permanente for 33 years, my MIL was six years old when she became a Kaiser member in 1946 and her mother worked in the Shipyards as a welder in Richmond, Ca during WW2 ……
Florence Foster Jenkins or Howard Hughes!? Was this the one and only time she was ever mentioned on WML? I wonder if they ever tried to get her on the show.
I realize that my opinion will be regarded as the nadir in heretical statements, but I appreciated Mr. Cerf's turn as moderator MORE than I would have Mr. Daly's. Mr. Cerf's awkwardness, his deferential manner, and his humility was, and is, a departure from the usual overly slick performances put out by the more "professional" types. For me, it showed something refreshing and "real".
On this date, National League baseball left New York City until April 1962 when the Mets began play. The Giants had been on the road since September 8 when the beat the Dodgers in the last game in NYC between the two teams until Saturday September 28. They lost their last two home games to Pittsburgh, 1-0 and then 9-1. Because the Mets called the Polo Grounds home for two seasons, there were no major league lasts for the ballpark at this time. The Giants finished the season in sixth place with a mediocre 69-85 record. The Dodgers played their final game at Ebbets Field on Tuesday, September 24. They beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 2-0, behind a 5-hit shutout by Danny McDevitt. The Dodgers scored a run in the first, driven in by Elmer Valo's double that drove home Jim Gilliam. The Dodgers scored their final run at Ebbets Field in the third inning when Gil Hodges singled home Gino Cimoli. Hodges started at third base that day, the same position he played in his first major league game in 1943. Don Zimmer, playing shortstop that day, got the last hit at Ebbets Field with a 7th inning single. (Duke Snider hit the final home run at Ebbets Field on Sunday, September 22.) The Dodgers finished their 1957 season in Philadelphia on this day, losing to the Phillies 2-1. Hodges drove in the final run for the Brooklyn Dodgers with a sacrifice fly in the first inning. Gilliam's single in the fifth inning was the last hit by a Brooklyn Dodger. Sandy Koufax pitched the final inning in Brooklyn Dodgers history, walking two batters but surrendering no hits and no runs. He struck out Willie Jones as the final batter faced by a Brooklyn Dodger pitcher. Bob Kennedy was the last Brooklyn Dodger to bat, flying out to Richie Ashburn in center field. It was also Kennedy's last at bat in the major leagues. The Phillies won the game in the sixth inning on a double by Ashburn and a home run by Ed Bouchee off of Roger Craig. All three players were on the 1962 Mets in the first season that the National League returned to New York City. Hodges was also a member of the 1962 Mets, as was Zimmer. Koufax pitched a no-hitter against the Mets in 1962, his first of four no-hitters. The Dodgers finished the season in third place with an 84-70 record, 10 games behind the Milwaukee Braves. It was their worst finish since 1948. They would fall to seventh place in their first year in California while the Giants (bolstered by rookies Orlando Cepeda, Jim Davenport, Willie Kirkland, Bob Schmidt, Leon Wagner and Felipe Alou) climbed to third place. But the Los Angeles Dodgers rebounded to win the World Series in 1959, bringing a World Championship to California in their second season there.
Bennett was clearly a fish out of water doing this and its not surprising the next time this happened, they went to two veteran hosts in both Eammon Andrews and then later Clifton Fadiman to fill in for Daly. It's too bad that Julie London is more remembered for "Emergency!" than for her singing for the most part.
I tend to agree with you. It surprises me that the first few comments are so positive on Bennett's attempt to fill John's shoes. I love Bennett on the panel, but feel he's pretty terrible as moderator. The main benefit of this program for me is that it highlights how exceptionally skilled John Charles Daly was!
![What's My Line? - Danny Thomas; Ernie Kovacs [panel] (Oct 6, 1957)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/E-571SalKYk/mqdefault.jpg)
![What's My Line? - Danny Thomas; Ernie Kovacs [panel] (Oct 6, 1957)](/img/tr.png)
![What's My Line? - Gale Storm; Robert Monkhouse [panel] (Nov 10, 1957)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/6S7vezUGa5k/mqdefault.jpg)
![What's My Line? - Mike Todd; Ginger Rogers; Martin Gabel [panel] (Feb 17, 1957)](/img/1.gif)
No replacement was ever as good as John Daly. He is witty, super intelligent, personable, and his explanations, verbose as they may be, are spot on, impeccably phrased, and he knows how to keep the show moving along. In my opinion the best moderator ever to grace TV.
He was low key and never dominated the show - he let the guests and panelists make the show.
Bennett was just subbing for John while he was in Greece
@@poetcomic1I agree the best ever. Please youtube, add his wonderful witty barbs
Amen! Rest in peace, John.
I think Bennett did a great job. I wish they were all still with us. 😢
I love Bennett as a panelist. He’s always very polite and professional, and he seems to really enjoy the contestants and the game. I never before realized how much influence John Daly had on the show. Bennett did a good job for it being his first time but he’s obviously nervous.
John Daly was irreplaceable in this game show with his often long, meaningful (mostly meant for distracting the panel from finding the Treuddyn answer) explanations and conference calls and with his constant effort to fool the panels. And most of the times he succeeded in his efforts. Bennett did good but it was not easy to fill anyone's shoes as people always compare between the two. I can't be harsh on Mr. Cerf. He could do better if he got more chances as panel moderator.
I love Mr Cerfs smile.
He sucked as moderator
Okay, so, Bennett humbly admits he's nervous at the beginning of episode. He later would decide not moderate ever again. While John Daly had charisma & was superb of all moderators throughout TV history, Bennett did a pretty decent job. It couldn't have been easy to go from panelist to host. Love this show & love this channel! This is the best, most reliable, & trusted channel. :-)
I would put Bud Collyer of To Tell The Truth on equal footing with Daly as a superb moderator. Both were excellent.
Today, November 8, 2020, one of the all-time great moderators died at age 80: Alex Trebek, who hosted Jeopardy for 37 years.
to quote a former coworker..... "its different when its in your name"
In spite of having several years of experience on the show you can tell Bennett is very uncomfortable as the host. I think he found out it's harder than it looks. Just shows what a fantastic job John Daly did. While most probably considered the celebrity panelists the star of the show I don't think it would have been nearly as good had he not been the host. He made it look easy and really pulled the show together. He was truly "the straw that stirred the drink". BTW, I thought Arlene looked exceptionally elegant this evening.
Jeff Vaughn
I enjoyed reading your words; thank you for the wonderful articulation.
The previous week, after one of John's "explanations", Bennett remarked "I don't think I can do this next week". John's job was not at all easy, and he did it remarkably well. So well, in fact, that I firmly believe that this show would not have been a success without him.
Arlene did look stunning and she was so kind to Bennett at the closing, look up "class act" in the dictionary and you'll find Arlene's picture.
Jeff Vaughn Bennett was horrible
Jeff Vaughn I don't think Bennett had any illusions at all about the job being as easy as it looks. I can well imagine he would've accepted the task put upon him readily but without trepidation knowing full well that Daly was supreme at it. Serf would've been looking forward to it being over before it started. As evidenced by Arlene's revelation at the end.
Great line from Cerf: Daly is in Greece this week. I don't know why he went to Greece when he speaks to us in Greek all the time!
Amazing some of the jobs these guests had years ago! So many of them would be out of work in today's environment! Sells plastic toothpicks! WOW! Can't imagine being able to make a living doing that! Love the show!
He was a seller to buyers at department stores, grocery warehouses, etc. certainly not a door to door plastic toothpick salesman!
I watched the show to the end. As much as I love Mr. Cerf...(who has a great smile) He is truly better on the panel than a host. But he did a good job for his first. You could hear how nerves he was. He is still the best.
I have sympathy for Mr. Cerf. I love watching these episodes when I know “the line” but found out pretty quick that i dont care to play along!
I think Bennett was ok as moderator. Could have been a lot worse. Taking over from someone like John Daly is an impossible task and he was bound to be nervous. When your used to someone for so long it's difficult to comprehend anyone else doing the job.
Who would have done worse? He was repeatedly answering the questions for the guests, typical ham
You have to give Bennett Cerf credit where it's due. With John Daly out of town, who would keep the boat afloat? I don't think I'd have looked to anybody else, though of course, Bennett was no John Daly, but he was Bennett Cerf, he had to be himself. In my honest opinion, he did a decent job so I do give him credit for giving it a go. I know and understand that it wasn't easy, but it was still a good effort.
I thought Bennett did a good job the night he sat in for John.
"Are you....and this is only a wild guess.....are you Abraham Lincoln?"
Ernie was not for everybody, but even his detractors must admit that this was a great line!
(Easily) One of the Funniest, Most Brilliant Laugh Producers and Getters EVER (imo)
I love Ernie!
Such a great line, the other panelists were throwing their own similar jokes in there. Ernie sure had a knack for on the spot quips.
Ernie was very funny. Quit texting Marylin Monroe put your blindfold on!!
WHAT’S MY LINE has made me a huge Julie London fan! She is fab! Love all of her appearances….. ❤️
The beautiful and sultry voiced Miss Julie London..Who I believe even to this day holds the record for the most beautiful record album covers and backs ever released..Not to mention her wonderful, deep smoky voice..
As a boy, I saw Julie on a show called "EMERGENCY!", and at that point KNEW I was a MALE person!
As soon as I read this my vision in my head was this album cover as a kid I used to look through all of my mom's album covers Don ho the list goes on and on in the face is on the album covers but I remember the Julie London cover I used to look at it a lot. And my mom would listen to it a lot her voice was hypnotic. 🤔 It reminds me of Olivia Newton-John.
@@georgemartin1436 see my post
I like Bennett. He was quick and to the point. You did great Bennett.
Especially when Ernie was trying to jump the line early there with Julie. One question at a time moving clockwise!!!
Cesar Romero shows a brilliant smile when the contestants' lines are revealed, so he was doing his best to fill Bennett's place on the panel in that respect. Still, I don't think anyone ever beat Bennett in the generous grin he gave at the end of a round, whether the panel won or lost. His obvious joy in a well-played game was infectious to the audience, as well as being evidence of good sportsmanship and good humor. I miss that grin on every episode in which Bennett is away.
Wonderful show with unexpected and challenging guests. Very fun guests! Julie did a great job of disguising her voice! Her dress was amazing! Kudos to the designer 🥰
Poor Bennett with the blindfolds, he's like a substitute teacher trying to gain control of the class!
Bennett really surprised me. He did REALLY good
@@kristabrewer9363
To Borrow a term sometimes employed upon this show: Kum Sei, Kum Sah. (Though the spelling might be off)
I loved when the panel addressed him as “Mr. Cerf” when he caught the panel “on their phones” if it were as he was trying to get them to put damn blindfolds on.
Ernie probably texting Marylin Monroe!!!
After looking up Henry J Kaiser, I learned that he owned over 100 major companies in addition to his other intetests. He fell in love with Hawaii and died there a few years after this appearance. He was a phenomenon!
I must've been too young to appreciate Julie London's beauty when I saw her on tv now and then in the sixties; my God, she's beautiful.
She’s quite stunning…….
John Daly made it look so easy even from day one. It is not easy to keep the pace just right, to know how to cut off something diplomatically when it is going too long, and to do all those explanations without giving away too much or too little. Bennett is OK for a one shot guest appearance, but I too think that Arlene Francis might have been a better choice. She had experience moderating game shows. In fact, I recently discovered a RUclips clip with her guest hosting the old Bill Cullen 'Price is Right.' I suspect Bennett Cerf did not quite understand the appeal of Ernie Kovacs -- It shows in flashes in this episode.
Kovacs was wasting too much time & Bennett was frustrated that he did not know a nice way to get him moving.
@@barrykendrick3146 Yeah Bennet even went so far as to spell out they were short on time and Ernie responded instead by acting a bit ostentatious instead of moving the game along
The first thing I noticed about Bennett hosting was that he dropped the formal mr. and miss when referring to the panel.
Because he was very much older than the rest
He did a good job.
He was great and if that’s what you are going to find he did, that’s pretty lame.
@Mollie Popp. He did that because he knew that he was older than everyone on the panel. My late mother taught me to call my elders "Mr, Mrs, Miss or Dr." Bennett Cerf was born in 1898. Each person on the panel was born in the 20th century. Therefore, it was proper for Bennett Cerf to call each panelist by his or her first name. Please ignore ignorant people who don't know that.
@@worldpeace32and Mr. Daly was a newsman too. He never took that hat off
Mr. Cerf did a good job filling in for Mr. Daly :)
Good Samaritans' Kitchen NOPE - he was awful
Yes, Bennett Cerf did very well for his first day subbing.
This country needs more Henry J. Kaisers.
A couple decades later, Julie London and her husband Bobby Troup would co-star in the TV series "Emergency".
dagdogg which is how i've heard of both of them
I can't recall the name of the film, but she was quite beautiful in a 1940s film she was in with her husband of the time, Jack Webb.
I refuse to say anything negative about Bennett's stint as moderator here. No one could possibly have replaced John Daly. Bennett certainly knew that -- better than anyone perhaps.
I do have to wonder, though, if there wasn't some sexism involved in their having chosen Bennett, who wasn't a performer really, and had only the most limited experience hosting programs himself. Arlene would have been the natural choice, and I'm sure she would have been better at it. Eamonn Andrews was the only one of the three subs for John over the years that I thought did a really good job-- but of course, he had years of experience hosting the BBC version under his belt.
But yes, of course, no one can fill John Daly's shoes, no one.
What's My Line? -- Yes, I think Arlene would have done well as a guest moderator. She actually had a lot of experience as a TV host and even as an interviewer on TV, which Bennett didn't have. I do think there was largely some sexism involved -- the producers may likely have thought that having a man as moderator was necessary for some misguided reason. I can't think of any other game show or panel show that didn't have a male moderator back in the 1950s and 60s. Times have changed and, at least, I can remember watching some episodes of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" hosted by Meredith Vieira and, of course, "The Weakest Link" hosted by Anne Robinson. There may be others -- the only such show I watch regularly is "Jeopardy!" hosted by Alex Trebek.
ToddSF 94109 The only game shows I'm aware of hosted by women in the 1950s and 60s were hosted by. . . Arlene!
***** She was just filling in for Bill Cullen for that one week, but yes, Arlene hosted TPIR briefly.
What's My Line? Do you think that this is more than a coincidence?
Are you Abraham Lincoln? Greatest question in game show history. Ernie knew a lot about cars. He knew it was Henry Kaiser. His question about Ogden Nash just shows how far ahead of the times his humor was.
According to some items on the web, it was the Lincoln question that ended all chances Ernie had to be a permanent panelist.
@@preppysocks209 Sounds like BS to me. And I hope you don’t believe everything you read on the Internet.
@@GOLDVIOLINbowofdeath I don't believe everything I read on the web, If I did, I would have stated as a fact that the Lincoln question ended Kovacs' chances. I merely pointed out that this particular view is expressed on the web without expressing a view as to its accuracy.
I dunno.. about that second question/declaration there, Geleez... .😐😬😬😬😬😶😬
I could Delve into more specificals but Art Fern had some 🎢 queries .. . ...
@@preppysocks209 I hardly think that Kovacs' "Lincoln" line ended his being on the panel. Mark Goodson said that it was one of the funniest lines ever said on the show.
Such lovely, talented, and classy people. What a teriffic show.
I remember Henry J. Kaiser for two things: Kaiser Aluminum and Steel, and for having founded Kaiser Permanente, the HMO that follows a similar model to the Mayo Health System. He originally organized Kaiser Permanente to provide health services for his employees. I also seem to remember a defunct make of automobile called the Kaiser-Frazer which went the way of the Studebaker. It seemed the panel had forgotten that car. They stopped making passenger cars in 1955 and eventually made the Jeep brand of utility vehicles, which eventually became part of American Motors in 1963.
I worked for Kaiser Permanente in Sacramento, Ca and my dad worked for Kaiser Electronics in Palo Alto, Ca in the 1960s. My dad would bring home Kaiser aluminum foil from work.
When I was a kid playing hide-and-seek in the early 50s, I remember hiding behind Kaiser (and Hudson) cars.
The Henry J.
The first car I can remember was my father's 1950 Kaiser. He traded it in for a Dodge in 1956, when I was 5 years old. Strangely, I remember the Kaiser better than the Dodge. After my parents passed away a few years ago, I came into possession of lots of old photos they had stored away. Thankfully, I now have pictures of that old Kaiser.
THAT was a fun fantastic show! Seeing Bennett fill in for John Daly was a real surprise as Nd a treat for me, I Loved it. And And Mr. Kovacs and Mr. Romero on the panel with the 2 best woman, so cool!
Ironically, a couple of years after this Ernie Kovacs would host his own panel show, Take a Good Look, and Cesar Romero would be one of the panelists.
"Can you fold this product?", that's Ernie's trademark question in almost every episode. :) 4:40
I should edit together a montage of Ernie asking that question, on some future especially boring day.
What's My Line? I can't imagine *YOU* having a boring day with WML and other stuff, Gary. :)
Ever since I had triplets and then became a single mom and full time professional, I only wish I knew what the definition of a BORING day was! I really don't have the slightest clue! Even now, being unemployed from a lay-off, I still don't have a clue what "boring day" means! Well, I guess I'm blessed!
i never knew who arlene francis was til i watched this on youtube. she is such a peach
and i am under 50
She is indeed and one of those rare ladies who became more beautiful as she aged, in my opinion.
+Chad Quick She had at least one if not more facelifts. Agree beautiful though. But she had help.
+Brooke Hanley beauty is only skin deep thats why my wife was born inside out 😂😂
@@brookehanley3659 when would she have had time to recover from a face lift? Especially in the 50's and 60's when the procedures were much more invasive.
@@MrJoeybabe25 In the summer.
Great job, Bennett!
My late mother taught me to always call my elders "Mr, Mrs, Miss or Dr." It's obvious that Bennett Cerf was older than everyone on the panel because he called each panelist by his or her first name instead of his or her last name. Bennett Cerf was born in 1898. Each panelist was born in the 20th century.
I have been binge watching these for the past three days. They keep me from getting bored when I'm painting (which can get tiresome after a while)
Yes, Miss Kalgallen, a toothpick definitely improves the appearance, especially if you have a piece of spinach caught between any of your incisors!
I was saving that for later, in case I got hungry.
Strange to hear Bennett call the panelists by their first names after always hearing them addressed formally (Mr. Cerf, Miss Francis, etc.)
Normally, Cerf is a panelist, a peer, and colleague, so it may have been his preference to speak informally to them as he did. Daly is a great moderator most of the time.
He called them by their first names because he knew that he was older than they were. He was born in 1898. Each panelist was born in the 20th century.
For once I was able to mouth read what Arlene said to Bennett when the toothpick contestant gave the panelist a souvenir and she jokingly said "I always wanted one!" to that degree. = )
(I been watching the heck out of these episodes lately. I can't stop! it's too addicting.)
I agree, one night I got so involved I was up to 2am watching.
right
I'm looking forward to seeing the first few October 1957 episodes to see if the panelists, especially Bennett, show John Daly greater appreciation upon his return.
On the 9/22/57 episode, Daly mentions that he was looking forward to watching the kinescope of this episode with Bennett as host. Once he finished watching, I wonder if he and his agent marched over to the Goodson-Todman offices to renegotiate Daly's contract.
Imagine if Henry J had walked along the panel handing out free samples as the toothpick man did. He'd have been the most popular industrialist in the US.
Bennett was OK but he gave far too many hints and the panel still couldn't get any of the contestants right. I always liked Ernie Kovacs, but he was sort of a pain on this show. I agree with ToddSF, no one could replace John Daly as moderator.
Always shocked to see all the anti Ernie Kovacs comments on these shows, the man was a comic genius and a charming delight even if he was slumming here. And God bless the beautiful and talented Julie London too!
Henry J. Kaiser was vital to us winning WWII, also he invented the modern health care plan with his Kaiser Permanente which grew from a ten bed hospital for employees to a national phenomena.
Henry J. Kaiser was the child of immigrants whose father was a shoemaker. Without his leadership and business skills we could not have won WWII. Don't tell me immigrants are only bad people who hurt our country.
From the liberty ships to the jeep carriers
Mr Kaiser still has an iron mine and a company ghost town rotting away in the California desert.
@@bluecamus5162 he's got an old aluminum smelter that's now an epa superfund site in Washington State as well.
@@williamsturley6631 everyone is the child of immigrants
Well done Bennett - I wonder why it is that this show seems so fresh and alive so many years later?
Maybe because it wasn't scripted. :)
Was this the only time John wasn't there to moderate? I hadn't realised how big his presence on this show was until he wasn't here. It's so strange.
John was absent only 4 times over the course of the entire series. The producers began videotaping a handful of episodes in advance around 1959 so that there would never be another show without John as host. All the regulars were important, but John is the one I would claim was absolutely indispensable, as is demonstrated by the few shows where someone else subbed. He was subbed for two weeks in a row by Clifton Fadiman (host of the first panel show, on radio, "Information, Please"), and once by Eamonn Andrews, host of the BBC version of WML.
Wow, thanks for the reply. :D I agree that John is definitely indispensable. When regular members of the panel are missing now and again, it's not that bad, but when John's not there it feels like something huge is missing. Thank you so much for all your uploads btw. :) I'm completely addicted and working my way through chronologically.
Ceri My pleasure-- glad you're enjoying the shows!
In Rick Sklar's autobiography, "Rocking America", he talks about how his radio station, WABC, suffered when there was a strike that required the DJ's to walk the picket line. The music, the jingles and the format were still in place. The substitute personalities generally had some prior experience behind the microphone. But it wasn't the same. The rhythm was off and the talent level was down.
I think this was similar. The format of WML was the same. You had contestants with unusual occupations and guests that required blindfolds. Bennett knew how the show worked. But his rhythm was off and his talent level as a moderator wasn't equal to what John Daly had learned to bring to the fore after 300+ episodes.
the second time,,but cerf is the best of th sustitutes
I wonder, during the entirety of WML, has John Daly ever been asked to be a panelist. It’s so interesting to see these stars trade positions and how that has an overall effect on the show itself.
On the last show, in 1967, John Daly was the "mystery guest". And they guessed it quickly!
watching this show gives you +1 in Class.
Julie London was a absolute stunner. The bygone years when women were real women and showed it.
No kidding!!!
I remember julie London from TV show emergency!
Dorothy got to be a mystery guest. Bennett was a host. Shame Arlene never appeared on the other side of the panel.
Job well done, Bennett!
Randy Hansen NO!!!
It's a shame Dorothy & Arlene didn't get a chance to guest host as well.
Although somewhat stilted, being naturally out of his prevue as a panelist, I thought Mr. Cerf did an admirable job as moderator of WML?. Retaining his sense of humor and familiarity with the regular panelists may have given him some ease in his performance.
It was nice to see Julie London, I first became aware of her as Dixie the nurse on the TV show Emergency, there is a back story to it.
Married Jack Webb then her CoStar
By the time of Emergency! She was divorced from Jack Webb.She was married to her costar. Bobby Troup.
Wow I didn't know you could ever say the Joker was once a panelist on What's My Line.
Did Cesar ever come back? He was one of those people who got asked everywhere b/c they were such good value as party guests.
The panelists behaved like kids with a substitute teacher, muttering to each other and spacing out throughout the program. Bennett said in his taped recollections of the show that John cracked the whip, and this is proof, if ever it were needed.
It's true. Dorothy never would have zoned out like that if John was there. Made for a hilarious moment tho.
@@AllenMQuinn You can’t blame Dorothy for being bored to sleep with Bennett Cerf hosting
That's three times that Julie London stumped the panel as mystery guest!
"It's Mr. Volks Vagon."
Wow, Ernie Kovas was 50+ years ahead of his time-he referred to Florence Foster Jenkins in this episode. . ;-)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Foster_Jenkins
I think a lot of people knew of her 60+ years ago.
Besides Bennett Cerf being host, another historic moment was Dorothy having to be reminded that the camera was on her and to ask a question.
As I stated earlier, she was occupied with her
Cellphone.
I did notice that Bennett Cerf did the same thing as John Daily and throw in all the cards when time got a little long with one guest. I wonder if this was more of a producer decision so that they would have time for the mystery guest.
I have just noticed that Bennett was doing a lot of reading off the script in front of him. You’d think that he would have had it memorized since hearing it every week before hand.
Just watched an episode of Hawaii 5-0 and it was filmed on Kaiser estate...which led me to research his name..instrumental in us winning the war in the Pacific. Great man with vision
Henry J. Kaiser was a real hero his work during WWII helped win the war - and Bennett was charming in his own way
Very nice to see Julie London. I would enjoy her as a toddler on Emergency in the early 1970s.
Seeing Julie London as a toddler is not for me.
Oh Caesar Romero ! Super Star !
CBS should have brought in the "What's My Line" host from the UK, Eamonn Andrews.
zardon4 Yeah, I think Arlene would have done a much better job than Bennett did.
What's My Line? I agree especially that she had experience on some of her other shows.
Arlene had experience as a moderator. Why DIDN'T they use her?!
There's an unwritten rule on these shows; don't take your star off the panel and remove the antagonist factor from the audience. They would have been doing both if Arlene went to the other side.
maynardsmoreland. NO !! definitely NO !!
It looked like Cerf took a step to the left as if he was going to the panel chair. Lol
Dorothy at 7:07. Very funny! Even if she was mortified!
I included that bit in the "Bloopers and Unexpected Moments" video! :)
I'm glad to see that! Arlene may have been great at one-liners, but Dorothy's reactions were priceless. I saw the bloopers video a few days ago.
@@WhatsMyLine The way Dorothy's looking so intently, that had the show had been recorded in the past decade instead of 1957, a logical assumption would be that she was distracted checking something on her smartphone. A big thank you for this channel. _What's My Line_ is one of TV's great shows, not just of the Golden Era, but any era--a true classic.
@9:01: Bennett lost track of this "no" and didn't flip the card or move to the next panelist.
Thank you Mr. John Daly. Thank you for your flirtatious, in a gentlemanly fashion, behaviors, for your slight bow with introductions, and your Circumlocution! You tickled my brain. So delightful to watch. So handsome. 😘
Dorothy asked if Miss London was known for dramatic film roles, as apposed to musical comedies. Julie L did not hear what she said, but Bennett immediately said, "No!" - which of course was incorrect.
Surprised Dorothy did not question this, afterwards - unless of course her dig at the end about Bennett not being kind to them - was in retaliation for being given a negative to what should have been an affirmative...
As someone that grew up in the 70s the only thing I know of Ms London was her role as Dixie on the 📺 series Emergency
Too bad Arlene never moderated. Pretty certain she'd do at least as well as Bennett and probably with more grace. I imagine in 1957 that just wasn't in the cards.
D. Jensen. Robert Q.Lewis. would have been good. So too. Alan Ludden..
@@dcasper8514 Allen Ludden, yes
Seeing Cesar Romero prior to his role as the Joker in colour is pretty interesting to me.
Cesar Romero made many movies before Batman. He was famous onscreen as the Latin lover due his distinguished good looks, which overshadowed his acting abilities
@@OperaJH Cesar Romero acting as a Latin lover to a bunch of beautiful women is _very_ good acting on his part
It just shows how hard the job of moderator is,,, Bennett done a fine job
Ben Davison he done a horrendous job
chilling how kovacs died then his daughter 20 or so years later. sad
Dorothy is lost in thought. :) 7:03
That's great. :)
What's My Line? She was texting.
+RemmersMusic hahahahahahahaha
In the early 1960's I worked at the newly-opened Kaiser Center on Lake Merritt in Oakland ca. I was surprised to learn of Mr Kaiser that his favorite color was PINK. Also, my father in his lifetime owned two Kaiser cars, one a pickup in early 1940's and sedan in 1950's, which is still in the family.
Bennett wasn't completely terrible as the "panel moderator". But his skills and personality were much better suited for being a regular panelist, and I like him very much in that role. John Daly was simply an impossible act to follow as the moderator -- nobody could possibly have done it the way he did, and the way he did it was simply topnotch and utterly inimitable. The three other occasions a substitute moderator appeared featured Eamonn Andrews and Clifton Fadiman. Mr. Fadiman had hosted the quiz show "Information Please!" on the radio and, briefly, on television and while his hosting skills were right for a quiz show, WML had quite different requirements and his style wasn't the best for WML. Eamonn Andrews, of course, hosted the British version of WML for the BBC, so he at least knew what he was doing in every way and managed to pull it off, but what worked in the U.K. didn't work nerly as well in the U.S. -- and, again, John Daly set a standard for the original U.S. version of WML that couldn't be equaled. I suspect that WML remained on the air for 17 seasons largely because Mr. Daly was such a great moderator. He and the regular panelists kept things entertaining. I watch these episodes of WML mostly because they're so entertaining -- arriving at the occupation of any given contestant or the identity of the mystery guest is part of the fun, but it's the process of getting there (or not getting there) that keeps me watching. The fun of that process largely involves the personalities of the moderator, the panelists, and the contestants or mystery guests. (Of course, nowadays, there's also the nostalgia factor!)
ToddSF 94109 yes he was COMPLETELY awful
The only imitator of John Daly who was spot on was Art Carney! Loved watching that talented man. Hilarious and ALWAYS impressive. 👏
I'm glad most of these comments about Bennet were positive. I can't BELIEVE there were a few that said he was awful. He surprised me VERY MUCH!! ! Why in the world would John not have him back in his absence. He was REALLY good!!
Krista Brewer he was terrible!!!!!!
Bennet... didn't seem to have prepared this good enough.. surpriced how uncomfortable he seemed. Got through it sort of ok though. Never ever seen the mystery guest being stopped by the clock!! Julie London was epicly gorgeous.. wow
It seemed as though he just showed up and thought he could swing the show with little preparation.
Not only Bennett was a wonderful panelist, he made a great host too, John was probably proud hehe
i watched three of these with ms london and she stumped them all three times
With the guy who sells plastic tooth picks...could you tell if I had one of these?...Bennet: there's no way and I could care less. Funny. Love these shows!
at 19:20 is it possible that the little slipup was bennet possibly almost saying the name of the mystery guest? he began to say Miss but corrected himself to say ‘meet’
What a combo! Ernie Kovacs and, as Gil Fates put it in his book, "beamish industralist Henry J. Kaiser." This is just about the most famous bit Kovacs did on WML, and unscripted all the way. Brilliant man Kovacs; G-T auditioned him for 10 weeks and offered him the 2nd panel chair. I am not quite convinced his humor was right for the program.
I seem to be the only one in the comments who thinks that Kovacs was great on the WML panel!
What's My Line? I was just about to write that I never knew much about Ernie, but I think he was fabulous, and would have been a beloved regular panelist had be joined the panel. Does anyone know if he was offered a permanent position, and if so what were the reasons he didn't accept? He was great!! Go Ernie!
Galileocan g If you look up Kovacs on Wikipedia, you'll find a reference there to why he wasn't invited back on the show. He made a comment publicly to the effect that he would decline appearances on the show if he had other plans, and apparently (though this really does surprise me), this seriously offended the staff of the show and he was never invited back again.
Glad I'm not the *only* one who loves him on the panel! There's a great appearance by Kovacs on a late 50s episode of "You Bet Your Life" that turned me on to him. But I have to confess, though I've tried many times, I can't get into his own TV shows at all. Conceptually interesting, but I don't find them funny at all!
What's My Line?
I thought Kovacs was great on the panel. He's a very clever guy. His comedy on his own shows was very avante garde. Comedy back then was a little more simplistic and I think he was a little ahead of his time. I think his comedy is what one would consider an acquired taste. Probably not for everyone.
Jeff Vaughn I'm glad you commented on this thread that I'd forgotten all about, because here I am months later seeing my comment referring to Wikipedia's explanation for why Ernie didn't become a panelist permanently. . . which I've since determined is totally false. That had nothing to do with his not staying on WML-- he left NY for LA to do movies for Columbia.
Dixie of Emergency 51. Loved her in that show.
Kinescope!!! Another word that so many people have never heard! I’m old enough to know what that means and thank heavens it existed or we wouldn’t be able to watch these wonderful old shows! I wish it had been used for so many other shows that we only can remember in our minds!
Back when a "Millionaire" really meant something!!!
I worked for Kaiser Permanente for 33 years, my MIL was six years old when she became a Kaiser member in 1946 and her mother worked in the Shipyards as a welder in Richmond, Ca during WW2 ……
Dorothy the reporter who knew too much. Rip
Cesar Romero was a good panelist but he was even better and more funnier as the MG when he used the voice of a seal. :)
he was the joker in batman
Florence Foster Jenkins or Howard Hughes!? Was this the one and only time she was ever mentioned on WML? I wonder if they ever tried to get her on the show.
So that's what Cesar Romero looks without paint on his face!
7:05 Dorothy is adorable.
Gotta love Dorothy!
Ernie kovacs was one of the funniest comics ever .his is the only one how could get me to laugh from my gut😂
Brings in many memories
I realize that my opinion will be regarded as the nadir in heretical statements, but I appreciated Mr. Cerf's turn as moderator MORE than I would have Mr. Daly's. Mr. Cerf's awkwardness, his deferential manner, and his humility was, and is, a departure from the usual overly slick performances put out by the more "professional" types.
For me, it showed something refreshing and "real".
Why can't you be the person who interviews me for a job and then becomes my boss?
Maybe so but the show would never have lasted 17 years if darling Bennett had been the moderator.
On this date, National League baseball left New York City until April 1962 when the Mets began play.
The Giants had been on the road since September 8 when the beat the Dodgers in the last game in NYC between the two teams until Saturday September 28. They lost their last two home games to Pittsburgh, 1-0 and then 9-1. Because the Mets called the Polo Grounds home for two seasons, there were no major league lasts for the ballpark at this time. The Giants finished the season in sixth place with a mediocre 69-85 record.
The Dodgers played their final game at Ebbets Field on Tuesday, September 24. They beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 2-0, behind a 5-hit shutout by Danny McDevitt. The Dodgers scored a run in the first, driven in by Elmer Valo's double that drove home Jim Gilliam. The Dodgers scored their final run at Ebbets Field in the third inning when Gil Hodges singled home Gino Cimoli. Hodges started at third base that day, the same position he played in his first major league game in 1943. Don Zimmer, playing shortstop that day, got the last hit at Ebbets Field with a 7th inning single. (Duke Snider hit the final home run at Ebbets Field on Sunday, September 22.)
The Dodgers finished their 1957 season in Philadelphia on this day, losing to the Phillies 2-1. Hodges drove in the final run for the Brooklyn Dodgers with a sacrifice fly in the first inning. Gilliam's single in the fifth inning was the last hit by a Brooklyn Dodger. Sandy Koufax pitched the final inning in Brooklyn Dodgers history, walking two batters but surrendering no hits and no runs. He struck out Willie Jones as the final batter faced by a Brooklyn Dodger pitcher. Bob Kennedy was the last Brooklyn Dodger to bat, flying out to Richie Ashburn in center field. It was also Kennedy's last at bat in the major leagues.
The Phillies won the game in the sixth inning on a double by Ashburn and a home run by Ed Bouchee off of Roger Craig. All three players were on the 1962 Mets in the first season that the National League returned to New York City. Hodges was also a member of the 1962 Mets, as was Zimmer. Koufax pitched a no-hitter against the Mets in 1962, his first of four no-hitters.
The Dodgers finished the season in third place with an 84-70 record, 10 games behind the Milwaukee Braves. It was their worst finish since 1948. They would fall to seventh place in their first year in California while the Giants (bolstered by rookies Orlando Cepeda, Jim Davenport, Willie Kirkland, Bob Schmidt, Leon Wagner and Felipe Alou) climbed to third place. But the Los Angeles Dodgers rebounded to win the World Series in 1959, bringing a World Championship to California in their second season there.
Bennett was clearly a fish out of water doing this and its not surprising the next time this happened, they went to two veteran hosts in both Eammon Andrews and then later Clifton Fadiman to fill in for Daly. It's too bad that Julie London is more remembered for "Emergency!" than for her singing for the most part.
I tend to agree with you. It surprises me that the first few comments are so positive on Bennett's attempt to fill John's shoes. I love Bennett on the panel, but feel he's pretty terrible as moderator. The main benefit of this program for me is that it highlights how exceptionally skilled John Charles Daly was!
epaddon It is just unfortunate that his mystery guest was the boring Julie London
Dick Wilson Nothing boring about Julie at all.
I don't think Julie London was boring, either! Good Night! To each his own, I suppose...