What's My Line? - From Chicago: CBS News Convention Team; Perle Mesta (Aug 12, 1956)
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- čas přidán 5. 08. 2024
- NOTE: This episode was broadcast from Chicago, Illinois.
MYSTERY GUEST: CBS News Convention Team; Perle Mesta [socialite / U.S. ambassador to Luxemborg]
PANEL: Dorothy Kilgallen, Dr. Bergen Evans, Arlene Francis, Bennett Cerf - Zábava
![What's My Line? - Marge & Gower Champion; Martin Gabel [panel]; Tom Poston [panel] (Feb 8, 1959)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/MhBW0c2-Lxs/mqdefault.jpg)
![What's My Line? - Marge & Gower Champion; Martin Gabel [panel]; Tom Poston [panel] (Feb 8, 1959)](/img/tr.png)
I wasn't born until 63 but remember hearing about this show growing up. Came across these shows about 6 months ago and it truly relaxes, entertains and even makes me feel better! I love watching and am thankful for all the uploads!
That was a very 'Angelical' comment. ;-)
I was born in 63 as well....
I was 8 years old when this was aired...so many wonderful memories
The peanut farmer was very dapper and handsome, and even his flowing handwriting is beautiful! He pulls off the "Colonel Sanders" tie very well, too.
When news anchors were actual news anchors who were trusted.
I love it when Dorothy gets all "school girlyish" and giggly! What a sweetheart!
The CBC newsmen were, if we can depend on anyone in the news media, honest in their reporting and were greatly respected.
@1928gerry
The newsmen were greatly respected and greatly trusted. Now, I can only name a very few news people who I trust.
No one in the mainstream news media is honest or trusting. Today, they all lie!!!!
When journalistic integrity actually did exist. Hard to believe, considering these days, but it really did.
The Democratic Convention opened the day after this episode.
Daly and Kilgallen were in Chicago to cover the convention: Daly as the anchor and vice president of News at ABC, and Kilgallen was for the Hearst newspaper syndicate.
In his book "At Random ," Bennett Cerf recalls this show. The show's sponsor, Helene Curtis agreed to pay the costs of moving the show to Chicago for that episode, so Francis and Cerf also made the trip. The producers had gotten former president Harry Truman (who was attending the convention) to agree to be the mystery guest. As a formality, they had to clear this with both main sponsors. While Helene Curtis readily agreed, the show's other sponsor, Remington Rand, didn't. At the time, the chairman of Remington Rand (actually of the parent company Sperry Rand) was retired general Douglass MacArthur, who Truman had relieved of his command during the Korean War in 1951. MacArthur flat-vetoed the idea. This left the show with no mystery guest. While there were many notable politicians at the convention, almost all were running for some office, and the equal-time rules required the show to present one from each party; obviously, there weren't many Republican dignitaries in town. After some scrambling, they finally came up with Perle Mesta, who had been the mystery guest only a few months earlier. Kilgallen's reference to Mesta as "The hostess with the mostest" was well-deserved, as Mesta was well-known to host lavish parties for various political figures and celebrities.
While President Truman never did get a chance to appear as mystery guest, his daughter Margaret did twice: in 1953 and 1956 and was a panelist on four occasions. All can be found here on CZcams, uploaded by the same fine person who's uploaded many other What's My Line videos, including this one.
NO SHIT!!!!
Those shows were the only times I've seen Margaret Truman, and I thought she was adorable and charming. I read that many were very critical of her singing skills and disliked her intensely. After seeing her on WML? I don't know how she could be hated by anyone!
@@LazyIRanch As Harry S. Truman's daughter, she was subjected to political sport, especially before his own unique honesty and character became more appreciated over time. She did not sing all that well, and was no beauty queen, but her singing was not all that bad, and with character, you don't need much physical beauty. Music critic Paul Hume received a note from Harry Truman on White House stationery after a negative, rather cruel criticism of one of Margaret's concerts: the last part said, "Some day I hope to meet you. When that happens you'll need a new nose, a lot of beefsteak for black eyes, and perhaps a supporter below." There was a lot of fuss about this, and ostensibly Paul Hume sold the note for $3,500. Margaret's father was a family man.
That's too bad Harry Truman didn't get to do the show. Has any ex-President appear on the show? I know future President Ronald Reagan appeared on the show earlier.
@@iammrmat To my knowledge, no former president has, but Gerald Ford appeared while still in Congress and Eleanor Roosevelt did around 1953.
So interesting seeing all the CBS news team members with dark hair.
That peanut farmer was very handsome
Arlene was a real sweetie in this episode.
@MiketheYung God
I agree! Arlene's eyes positively sparkled when speaking with the peanut farmer.
Arlene liked to flirt with the handsome men. Some of her comments were quite suggestive for the early 1950's. Dorothy did her share of flirting too. They were beautiful, classy ladies!
The second contestant was a mix of Errol Flynn and Fernando Lamas. 12:05 His name was Merrill Connally from Texas and his brother was John B. Connally (governor of Texas from 1963-1969) who sat in the car with president Kennedy during the ride through Dallas in 1963.
He also had a film career, appearing in two Spielberg films and as Davy Crockett in the 1988 picture, Alamo. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merrill_Connally
+Jim Elliott The thought has occured to me too sometimes.
The program Quantum Leap is science fiction. The idea that we need to fix something in the past is tempting, but in reality we don't know the consequences of changing one moment of history, especially if it involves someone influential. Edith Keeler is a much better science fiction example of the dangers of traveling back in time and changing things. Just ask the crew of the Enterprise who suddenly had no ship to communicate with because of what Dr. McCoy had done when he went back in time. ("The City on the Edge of Forever" episode of "Star Trek" - TOS) Kirk and Spock had to go back and find him to prevent him from changing history, a history that included Nazi Germany developing nuclear weapons and winning WWII.
Of course, there's also the matter of whether the people involved would believe the warnings. An attempt by some unknown person to change the course of President Kennedy's motorcade through Dallas would have probably led to the person traveling back in time being suspected of an ulterior motive, detained and investigated. Trying to stop Oswald would have been risky with either the police arresting you for trying to get into the building or Oswald shooting you.
Regardless, one can only speculate what would have happened had President Kennedy lived. How would that affected the 1964 election and the Vietnam War and the progress of the Cold War? Would the Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed? The ripple effect would have been enormous. It's even possible that some of the younger people posting on this board would never have been born as a result of that one change.
Johan Bengtsson. Wow. He's better looking than his brother.
@gcjerryusc The thought crossed my mind as well!
RE: Puppet question. Cronkite did work with a lion puppet named Charlemagne on the CBS Morning News back in the early 1950s.
Very clever to have four of the five newsmen signed in ahead of time and in place behind John Daly so only Walter Cronkite signed in and walked over to John's desk when they were back on the air. It reduced the chances that the panel would immediately know that more than one challenger was present.
WML has done that quite often when there was more than one Mystery Guest. It is a good idea.
President Carter became a peanut farmer (same profession as the second challenger) in 1953 upon leaving the U.S. Navy. But he didn't enter politics until the early 1960's and he won his first elective office in 1963 (Georgia State Senator).
Near the end of the first segment Walter started to use his real voice. But in 1956 he was not yet widely known, like DE.
love how pretty and elegant Dorothy looks in this episode...
She always does!!
@@Majestal1 Only when she had her natural dark hair.
She does look especially pretty.
You all realize Dorothy is the funny looking one stage left. The pretty one, seated toward the center, is Arlene
@@stevekru6518 Dorothys looks improved over the years
Mr Daly was the head man at ABC news during this time . However he did formerly worked for CBS so he probably worked together with most if not all of the CBS newsmen as teammates . Note no one from rival NBC. The team of Huntley / Brinkley debuted in this 1956 convention .
five CBS news legends
@@johndonahue3162 I wish we still had the likes of their credibility in any news organization.
All those great newsmen in one place ! Mrs. Mesta was portrayed by Ethel Merman in the musical CALL ME MADAM . She was a favorite of the Truman administration and continued her reign in the Eisenhower years . Oddly this ended in the Kennedy years . despite her being a personal friend of Mrs. Rose Kennedy . I guess her time had passed her by .
Dorothy is my favorite and she was really sparking tonight!
She looks pretty here
interesting that Arlene gave her address to the last contestant! I can't imagine a celebrity nowadays doing that on TV!
In a later episode, Arlene’s husband, Martin Gabel refused to identify the neighborhood where they lived. He said something like ‘it wouldn’t be a good idea to say it on the air’.
At 15:12, Bennett asks if it's a grain and is turned down. Peanuts are actually legumes, which are a grain.
@henjutsu1
Legumes, including beans, lentils, soybeans, peanuts and peas, are plants with seed pods that split in half. They are an inexpensive, nutritionally dense source of plant protein. Legumes may be counted as a vegetable or as a source of protein in the meat and bean group.What Food Group Are Legumes In? | Livestrong.com
Legumes are of the Leguminosae family. They enclose their seeds inside their pods - these seeds are the food that we eat. When both the seed and the pod is consumed - as with green beans and snow peas - the legume is considered to be a vegetable. Under the legume umbrella we have beans, lentils, peas, and peanuts.Oct 22, 2014Difference between: beans and legumes -
Yup. With their fine grasp of vocabulary you'd think they'd know legume.
Historic group!
I can’t believe Cronkite, Trout, Severeid, Douglas Edwards, Charles Collingwood are here!!!
Robert Trout lived to be I think 99!
You're close. He died in 2000 at the age of 91. Of the cup of life, he enjoyed a full measure.
WHEN newscasters were HONORABLE
@@enriquesanchez2001 as well as politicians....
MISS +ARLENE+...... +DOROTHY+.... +BENNETT+ .... AND +JOHN+...
Of COURSE, WHAT’S MY LINE?😢😢😢😢😢😢. GREAT SHOW MANY MANY MANY YEARS AGO...😢😢😢
Walter Cronkite was such a classy gentleman. He did a great job disguising his voice; funny guy! They were all the epitome of class.
This episode aired about a week before my dad was born.
Thanks, I was wanting to know that.
@@krystonjones
And we all wanted to read your rude comment to someone who is probably still quite young, and pondering the passage of time, as we all do, especially when young.
At this time Douglas Edwards was still the anchor of the CBS Evening News. He should have been in the chair instead of Cronkite.
Perle Mesta was obviously a household name in 1956, but would draw a blank for most people today. Thank goodness for Wikipedia.
I noticed Wikipedia lies at times. I don't trust them.
the 2nd contestant was sooo handsome looking and reminded me a lil bit of Gregory Peck !!
Even the voice was great, like GP
Douglas Edwards should have been the one sitting as he was the anchor of the CBS evening news.
Perle Mesta, messed around a lot with poiticos, however. Here's what Wikipedia had to say"
She was active in the National Woman's Party and was an early supporter of an Equal Rights Amendment. She switched to the Democratic Party in 1940 and was an early supporter of Harry S. Truman, who rewarded her with the ambassadorship to Luxembourg. Former President Richard M. Nixon said in grand jury testimony after the fallout of Watergate and his resignation, in June 1975, that Mesta was appointed by Truman because: "Perle Mesta wasn't sent to Luxembourg because she had big bosoms. Perle Mesta went to Luxembourg because she made a good contribution."[3]
But Mesta is most noted for her parties, which brought together senators, congressmen, cabinet secretaries and other luminaries in bipartisan soirées of high-class glamour." An additional note, Wiki says she switched back to the Republican Party in 1961.
She was the basis for the Irving Berlin musical "Call Me Madam."
Douglas Edwards didn't really disguise his voice and he was the anchor of the evening news back then!
Merrill Connally was a treat: John Connally's brother, a classic Texan,and charming.
His left eyebrow has a life of its own! Peanut as a vegetable??? Bizarre!
Arlene would LOVE Texas!
back when newscasters only told us the news.
not whatever this social media, dramatic acting, propaganda, politically one-sided, opinion piece, tell us what to think, that we have now.
For the exception of Uncle Walter. 🇺🇸😃
MrYfrank14 "Let's hear from our political correspondent...." That's when I switch off. I want news, not opinion.
So much has changed since the 1950s. In the early years of our country, we had purely partisan news coverage. Then we had yellow journalism. Then due mostly to Walter Lippmann and Ochs, we had more professional journalists, who sought to be objective and who viewed their audience as the politicians rather than the viewer, and the citizen was a spectator of news. . Once technology allowed new networks not so broadly focused, and even more once anyone could post and blog, journalism became more democratic and we have come back full circle to the days of partisan journalism that is self-selected and results in confirmation bias. But this has changed before and maybe it will again.
Yes. Fox.
The msm now is controlled by the CCP Communist Marxists and that's why they lie about everything political. It's sickening.
the first road show of wml in Chicago
Seeing Cronkite out there with his boys is like watching a 50s version of “The Anchorman”
Walter Cronkite responds to John Daly's question about the scoring system and the first question from the panel. When the second panel question is asked, Daly motions for Bob Trout to answer but Cronkite answers instead. In response, Daly makes a mock admonishing gesture towards Cronkite. (4:05)
@Lois Simmons
I noticed this, too. I also noticed he used his regular voice when answering John Daly's question about the scoring system, but then disguised his voice to answer Dorothy's first question just a moment later.
Mr. Peanut, so dapper! Straight out of the cast of Giant!
Mr. Connally is a dish, but not the sharpest if he thinks peanut plants aren’t alive!
But, wow, he is just delicious.
He’s just so arch in arching his eyebrows. Such a charmer.
As I remember,Douglas Edwards from there,went on to anchor the network’s midday news for a long time before he retired some years ago...in answer to the last one-yes it’s from the WBBM-TV facilities,which was on N McClurg Court at that time.
Edwards continued to do the evening news till the early 60's. After that he did a few daily radio newscasts in addition to the mid day TV news.
Mr. Connaly is from Floresville, TX (pop. 8700). I had to Google it. the most promenant feature on the Google Map is the Connaly Mememorial Hospital.
24:29 It's hilarious how the whole panel leans back, ahahah
Amazing! Arlene gave her a dress on TV!
I wonder whatever became of that Walter Crankcase guy. He was funny.
Wow, Eric Sevareid is so young he's unrecognizable and Cronkite is only 40, but looks 60.
Cronkite was born looking 60, and didn't change after that.
I don’t think he looked that old!
Yes, one of those people who never really look young.
When I was a kid, Walter Cronkite reminded me of comedian Frank Nelson (Jack Benny's "Yessss..." man).
Gave him gravitas and surely helped his career. America's (gran)dad
Peanuts are a live product
Any idea which theater in Chicago this was filmed?
That's a good question. I wish it had been announced.
Gracious of Bennett to compliment Dr. Evans (on the other hand, his book WAS published by Random House :) )
Going even further, Bennett was always giving very complimentary unprompted plugs to guests who had books published by OTHER firms when the occasion arose. It's one the things I find admirable about him.
Bennett always complimented distinguished authors, no matter the publisher. So he would have been remiss if he didn't publish an author published by Random House, complimenting all authors but the ones he published. My impression is that he respected what authors did and he probably took the view that no one publishing house, not even his own, could publish every author out there, and I'm sure he didn't want to stir up any ill will in the literary circles in which he himself moved. (I have no reason to think that Bennett Cerf was in any way mean-spirited.)
ToddSF 94109 "At Random: The Reminiscences of Bennett Cerf" is a fascinating read, and gives great insight into Bennett's thoughts and attitudes.
wchumphries I read it and enjoyed it and found it very interesting. The good news is I was able to get it as an eBook, and it still had all the black-and-white photos published with the book. I've always liked Bennett Cerf and reading his memoirs made me like him all the more.
wchumphries I’m currently reading this book. I find it well written and fascinating!
I doubt that in 1956 the general audience (especially given the rather tepid, comparatively speaking, reception she got from the studio audience) would have recognized Perle Mesta. Here is a short clip of her some years later from "The Tonight Show" with Jack Paar, where she became somewhat of a semi-regular Original Tonight Show Clips Jack Paar
+Joe Postove
I was thinking along similar lines. It seemed to me that the CBS broadcast team covering the convention would have had more public recognition than Perle Mesta and that it would have been more logical to swap their segments.
Since the central character of Irving Berlin's "Call Me Madam" was based on her, and CBS Playhouse 90 was doing a real bio on her, I think she had a higher public profile than you imagine.
@@loissimmons6558
She was extremely well-known. People knew her as the rich lady who threw the lavish parties. She was filthy rich. Her parents were wealthy and then she married a wealthy man who became even more incredibly wealthy, who then died early and left her an astonishing amount of money (equal to 1.14 billion dollars today). She threw outrageously lavish parties. Everyone knew who she was.
Dorothy was very pretty here !
Dougas Edwards made no attempt to disguise his voice as he perhaps should have done, more than any of the others, since was on every week night as Anchor of CBS News (1947-62).
By the time Douglas Edwards spoke, there was already such a jumble of voices that it was difficult to tell what was what. I was surprised that it took the panel as long as it did to ascertain that there was more than one person challenging them.
I must come to the comments to say peanuts are NOT vegetables, they are legumes! 🤣 (Members of the pea family)
Maybe source information varies but as of 2022, the USDA Dietary Guidelines classifies legumes as vegetables.
Cronkite DID use puppets on the CBS Morning Show which he hosted about 1954-55
i believe Dick Van Dyke was the host, Cronkite did the news , Barbara Walters was one of the writers , and the then famous Baird puppets ( Hinson was probably a local DC outfit ) . They were strange bedfellows .
Does anyone know who was on the CBS Radio Network team in 1956. I'd bet it's makeup was almost entirely different (little sharing even in 1956) and that Ed Murrow was probably the anchor. John Daly's old crewmates still seemed to have much affection for him despite lowering himself to the depths of ABC News which was a tugboat then compared to the S.S. CBS.
While I could not find a definitive list, I did read a 1957 article by ABC newsman Quincy Howe which mentioned that Bob Trout, who had made his mark originally in radio, continued to cover the political conventions on radio. So the assumption is that some of the news reporters were carried on radio as well as on television, perhaps simulcast on a number of occasions.
Quincy Howe covered the convention for ABC with John Daly. Here's a picture of them together in their booth at the 1956 Democratic National Convention. Unless it is a staged shot, they were apparently providing convention coverage in mid-afternoon.
4.bp.blogspot.com/-V0lUVHIumCo/VbJ2o1O7yAI/AAAAAAAACSI/ShSDIIDLj2U/s1600/John_Daly_Quincy_Howe_ABC_Presidential_convention_1956.JPG
In the article by Howe, he mentions a significant difference in the approach to news between CBS and ABC. His network was committed to present a wide range of political viewpoints from conservative to liberal, featuring such newsmen/commentators as Paul Harvey, George E. Sokolsky, Erwin D. Canham, Edward P. Morgan, John W. Vandercook, and Cecil Brown.
In contrast all the featured reporters at CBS, while having individual personal opinions on the issues, generally had a liberal perspective on news matters. However, they were held to a stricter standard of objectively reporting the news and there were far more stringent limits on presenting commentary during CBS news broadcasts. Indeed Brown had been rebuked by the CBS news director in 1943 for giving what CBS considered news commentary during a radio news broadcast. Brown opined that enthusiasm for the war was "evaporating into thin air." In response, Brown resigned his position with CBS and began to work for the Mutual Network. He also worked for NBC during his broadcasting career.
John Daley almost gives it away at 7:30 when he refers to the guests as "they" before it has been established whether it is single person or a group.
Wrong. Go to 5:38.
Doesn't matter the time... Daly does this always...
Looks like a Kinescope recording.
Love Cronkite's voice ❤
32 East 64th Street - Nice address for Arlene!
Indeed a very ornate looking six story apartment building just east of Madison Avenue, sharing the block with a similar but taller building across the street and smaller brownstones as one moved eastward away from Central Park. She lived fairly close to where Fred Allen had lived at the time of his death. Interesting how comfortable she was giving out her home address over the air, even though people would still need to know which apartment she lived in (and no doubt there was a doorman).
By 1960, she no longer lived at address, but on East 57th St., where the accident with the weight occurred.
They couldn’t recognize Walter Cronkite’s voice? Weird.
He wasn't as famous then as he later became.
The panel didn't watch much television as they would have picked on some of the voices at least half way though the contest.
I am looking for another episode where they had a big guy from Texas and Daly says "it had to be Texas" and shortly after the Texan says "you better believe it", which episode was that?
A peanut farmer as guest. Sort of anticipates the convention to come twenty years later.
Since when are peanuts not alive?
They have never been and are definitely not alive.
@@peternagy-im4be How did they grow?
5:14 Interesting that movies were still being called "moving pictures" in 1956. The first segment was a snooze.
Ah, when Newscasters (Newsmen!) were trusted and impartial! Dose were the dayz!
Anyone else think John Daly is about to pop a cough drop at 19:12?
DR. Bergen Evans! Is not CELERY a green vegetable?
+Joe Postove
Well, if one of the very first questions asked if the second challenger dealt with something alive and the answer was "no" and not challenged by the panelists during or after the questioning, then perhaps we only think celery is green. I'd love to hear the explanation of how peanuts can grow in the ground (a later question by the panel, one that was answered "yes") without being alive. Did they think they were like those magic crystals we saw the ads for in the comic books ("just add water and watch them grow")?
The paucity of STEM knowledge among celebrities and (even more sadly) members of the news media is appalling.
@@loissimmons6558 "I'd love to hear the explanation of how peanuts can grow in the ground (a later question by the panel, one that was answered "yes") without being alive."
On another show, Daly said that according to the show's terms of reference, "alive" meant animal life only. The regualar panelists seemed to be aware of this, because I recall several questions of the form "Is this something that is alive or has ever been alive?" being answered No when the product was made from cotton or cane or straw, etc.-and there was no protest later when the product was revealed.
@@loissimmons6558 ...as described in C.P. Snowe's The Two Cultures.
Anyone know how many road shows WML did? And where and when?
As far as I know WML went on the road twice. This time in Chicago and once to Hollywood around 1957.
They also did a couple of remote broadcasts in Miami, Florida (Florida Orange Juice was their sponsor on those shows). Perhaps one of the shows took place during the same week "The Ed Sullivan Show" did a special broadcast of the show there, to allow The Beatles to perform for the second week in a row, after their colossal TV ratings bonanza the previous week, at the start of their very first US Tour in 1964.
The one in Chicago in 1956 and the one in Hollywood in 1958
@@LaptopLarry330 no they didn't have a show in Miami Beach sorry
Didn't these people know that plants are alive?
That was a weird looking long shot of the panel just before they were introduced.
Bennett used some extra darkening Brycreem for this episode!
Never thought of any kind of nut as a vegetable!
I would imagine that of all the shows in which Dorothy appeared she had the greatest number of correct guesses.
It's not technically classified as a nut.
It's a legume.
Did hoist the NY set to Chicago for this broadcast?
Joe Postove Do you mean to say if they brought to set to Chicago? Yes, they did.
But when they did the CBS Television City episode in Hollywood, CA in January 1958, they did not. The desks used were similar, but were not the exact same ones used in NY.
***** No, I thought they brought it. I wanted to know if they hoisted it. Or at least heaved it. :)
Joe Postove If you look carefully at where the challengers that night sat in, you can clearly see blotch marks on that part of the desk. They weren't there during the Hollywood-based episode (meaning the desk wasn't shipped from NY).
+Joe Postove
At 25:26, the announcer explains that the WML production was flown to Chicago on American Airlines. That way, WML didn't have to be hoisted on their own petard.
How does a peanut farmer not work with something that's alive? And peanuts certainly have an aroma, sorry.
@robbycan
The question was "Does the product have a distinctive odor" and they do not. "Distinctive odor" would be things like onions, oranges, vinegar, brewed coffee, rotting carrion, etc.
at age 44 i had to watch this show.. to find out that nuts are vegetables :)
@Crusoe
And sorry, but peanuts are not nuts. They're legumes. A vegetable, indeed. 😋😁🤗
Does anyone know why Dorothy always looks to the upward right when she is introduced?
Profile shot
who were the 4 guys standing behind john daly?
He rattled off their names 10:46.
Was the peanut farmer related to Jimmy Carter?
24.30 They leaned at the same time!
Out of curiosity: was this show aired from the WBBM-TV studios (CBS' Chicago TV station) on McClurg Court?
Well, I haven't the foggiest idea. Anyone?
Yes, it was. As far as I know, it was the first show aired nationally from the McClurg studio, which opened in 1956. WBBM also hosted the first of the Kennedy-Nixon debates in 1960.
What I noticed was that the acoustics were far better in this studio than the one that WML used in NYC at the time.
Bennett Cerf would say years later that Perle Mesta was a last minute substitute for former President Truman as the Mystery Guest because sponsor Remington Rand vetoed Truman appearing (as Douglas MacArthur was at that point the honorary Chairman of Remington). The story has always frankly struck me as a little dubious.
I've never heard that story, but I agree, it sounds dubious to me, too. Then again, Truman did do a guest shot on Jack Benny's TV show (to promote the new Truman library), so I guess it's possible.
+What's My Line? I don't know that it is particularly surprising that Truman was supposed to do the show. He was the elder statesman of the Democratic Party which was about to start its 1956 Convention in Chicago the next day. He was very familiar with the show because of the number of times his daughter Margaret had appeared both as a mystery guest and as a panelist. Finally it Truman retired from the presidency with quite a significant debt that he never fully paid off so the appearance fee for a show like this (guests were paid an appearance fee on top of any money they won with the panel in the days before John started flipping all of the cards over for almost every guest), would have been quite welcome.
As for the rest, well MacArthur was the Chairman of Remington Rand (not the honorary chairman) although there is some question of how much power he actually had after Remington Rand was purchased by Sperry in 1955. Remington Rand remained as a subdivision of Sperry Rand for many years, but whether it needed a chairman or not is another question. Certainly one thing is true...MacArthur was a man who knew how to hold a grudge.
Brent McKee Mystery guests received a flat appearance fee. There was no actual prize money involved.
The info you offered is interesting. . . but I'd say it's pretty surprising you wouldn't find it surprising to think of a former U.S. president appearing on a game show. It's pretty surprising that Eleanor Roosevelt was a WML guest. In any event, we have to bear in mind with any of these unsubstantiated, unverified anecdotes that they may be completely untrue, or grossly exaggerated for effect, especially when it's a guy like Bennett Cerf telling the tale. Seems an odd detail to for the producer of WML to leave out of his book on the show, doesn't it? He took great pride in having had Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford on the later syndicated series before they were presidents.
It could very well be true, but it could also not be true. And surprising, it is.
I'm rather inclined to believe Bennet Cerf's account of why Harry Truman didn't appear as the "Mystery Guest" on this segment of WML. Having read both "American Caesar," William Manchester's biography of MacArthur, and "Truman," by David McCullough, it's almost impossible to underestimate the enmity that Truman and MacArthur felt for one another--although Truman, a man with a greater sense of humor than "The General," was more apt to apt to get a kick out of how petty his former subordinate could be. (In Cerf's telling of the incident, he said something to the effect that HST thought it was hilarious---or words to that effect--that "Dugout Doug" could hold a grudge so long and go to such lengths to get his "revenge.")
The part that I find dubious is the idea that MacArthur *himself* would have had anything to do with nixing Truman. MacArthur's chairmanship of Remington Rand was just a ceremonial title and where would he be in position to do anything about controlling WML? I am willing to believe that someone else at Remington might have taken it upon himself to nix Truman out of perceived respect for MacArthur, but that MacArthur himself could have gotten involved in the process is what I'm not inclined to believe.
Miss Arlene says her address in New York, near Central Park.
Indeed, something which would never happen today.
This was Not her address!!! It was her radio Studio's address in NYC.
Her radio show was five days a week live. I lived in NYC at that moment and time. From Los Angeles. Best regards 👍
Did mr. Conolly know Jimmy Carter?
11:25 pretty sure that’s the only time John got violent with a contestant
"Are the blindfolds all in place, panel?" He asked the same question on every damn show.
17:36 Who is this?
Now arent peanuts legumes and not a vegetable?
Peanuts are not alive?
Not in the normal terms of reference - it usually referred to the animal kingdom
@@Sylvander1911 - Superb answer!
@@Sylvander1911 Also, they're roasted before they get the consumer, hence they are dead at that time.
@@Sylvander1911 Regardless of usually, plants are alive.
@@bobanderson6656 That wasn't the question. It was whether he deals with anything alive.
Dorothy has such a pronounced tendon in her neck & it's to the side.
I was thinking that may be one of the reasons she had different ailments??? Thyroid????
17:35 Who?
Victor TalkingMachine I ask that often if they aren't movie stars!
Severaid didn't want to join in. I suspect he wished hew as somewhere else. Does Daly have a new toupee?
I think he seemed to fade into the background because there was no microphone close to him. But he was the one who answered Dorothy Kilgallen's question about whether they would be getting paid for appearing at the convention by saying, "A little." That cracked everyone up.
This is the only episode, that I've seen, where the female panelists stand when the guest (Perle Mesta) exits the stage.
It happened on occasion, but usually as clear show of respect for a figure of great prominence, e.g., Eleanor Roosevelt. Why they would have stood for Perle Mesta, I don't know!
Likely because of her esteem within the the social circles of the day.
+EasyPolitics123 They also did it for a priest (I think a cardinal) and Frank Lloyd Wright ... so far. [I'm watching all the episodes in chronological order.] Those and, as our What's My Line? channel host mentioned, Eleanor Roosevelt. I had always assumed it was to show their deep respect for the individual, but I have no idea why they did for Perle Mesta.
+Jack Decker I went back to check, and they stood for Mesta in her 1952 appearance, too. But that makes more sense, since she was an active Ambassador at that point. Maybe it's just her former Ambassador-ship.
I think it was also done for some in recognition of those MG's being clearly the elders of the female panelists.
I am surprised that Walter Cronkite and company didn't go over to shake the panel's hands like the celebrities they were. They didn't before because the panel was blindfolded. In fact, I think most "contestants" wish they could shake the panel's hands afterwards since they no longer did so at the beginning of their segments. Oh well. Old habits endure. Though this "rule" was broken on occasion as what happened when Frank Lloyd Wright was the first mystery guest and then went over to shake the panel's hands.
My guess is that five people going through the "receiving line" would have taken too much show time.
Was Walter Cronkite the first contestant in WML history who DIDN'''T understand the scoring system? In the immortal words of Bugs Bunny, "What a maroon."
In the early days before the show became well-known, the challengers wouldn't have been familiar with the scoring and at first they weren't even asked. Later, occasionally someone from a foreign country wasn't familiar with it.
In this case, I think it might have been a ploy by Cronkite to throw a curve ball at the panel. There was something in his attitude and the smile on his face that tells me his answer wasn't on the level.
The kettle calls the pot black! Quite a few guests answered in the negative simply to throw off the panel.
Sometimes ordinary people trying to be comedians are painful & embarrassing. & who found the Dr. ring in panelist?
Peanuts are legumes. Dorothy looks great here and WTF is Pearl Mesta?
I collect buttons. I've never sat on one...😏
liberty Ann and plants are alive!
I'll bet you could if you tried.
Peanuts are vegetables? Were they nuts? This show was sorely missing a comedian, except for convention politicians, don't forget Pres. Reagan once classified Ketchup a vegetable.
@Alfredo Santiago
Legumes, including beans, lentils, soybeans, peanuts and peas, are plants with seed pods that split in half. They are an inexpensive, nutritionally dense source of plant protein. Legumes may be counted as a vegetable or as a source of protein in the meat and bean group.What Food Group Are Legumes In? | Livestrong.com
Legumes are of the Leguminosae family. They enclose their seeds inside their pods - these seeds are the food that we eat. When both the seed and the pod is consumed - as with green beans and snow peas - the legume is considered to be a vegetable. Under the legume umbrella we have beans, lentils, peas, and peanuts.Oct 22, 2014Difference between: beans and legumes -
Daly acts weird when a man taller than him appears.
Audial quality is poor, needs to be louder.
jmKelley09 Sounds fine on my TV.
Tried it again 6-7-20 and audio now sounds fine
That's good
A peanut is more fruit than vegetable.
@KasparJoonatan
Legumes, including beans, lentils, soybeans, peanuts and peas, are plants with seed pods that split in half. They are an inexpensive, nutritionally dense source of plant protein. Legumes may be counted as a vegetable or as a source of protein in the meat and bean group.What Food Group Are Legumes In? | Livestrong.com
Legumes are of the Leguminosae family. They enclose their seeds inside their pods - these seeds are the food that we eat. When both the seed and the pod is consumed - as with green beans and snow peas - the legume is considered to be a vegetable. Under the legume umbrella we have beans, lentils, peas, and peanuts.Oct 22, 2014Difference between: beans and legumes -
@6:31 "Ku Klux Klan" *everyone laughs*
Sure. Why not?
@@peternagy-im4be right at home for you :)
@Brandon M. OK Brandon. Y'all be having yourself a great day y'all
Bennett Cerf: Do you work with puppets?
Everyone laughs.
Man sitting next to John Daly: "Ku Klux Klan".
Everyone laughs.