Since you don’t know a single living soul with style, substance, grace and manners, perhaps you should adopt those characteristics and serve as an example for every other human on the planet. We eagerly await seeing you in action.
Arlene Francis was so intelligent & witty that she was literally writing a sitcom at the spur of the moment, in front of millions of people. Her level of talent has gone with the wind & she will never be replicated.
Every entertainment show needs a star. John and Dorothy were terrific, but they were primarily journalists. Bennett Cerf was an accomplished book publisher. Good people all, and a great fit for WML, but none of them had star quality. The star of this show, for 17 years, was without a doubt Miss Arlene Francis. It's sad that America doesn't seem to produce intelligent, classy, and witty people like her anymore. At least, the entertainment business doesn't.
I lived in those days. The big difference as compared to today, as I see it, is that, in those days, most people aspired to possess the easy elegance she portrayed. That's not true today.
Even when I was a young lad watching the show I was enthralled with Arlene. Man did she have class, poise, grace and style! This is what I idealized as THE American Lady. Grace, so well mannered and queenly. It was like having ROYALTY on the show with her presence!! Yes, I loved her too!
I never knew how many loved Arlene Francis, until I commented favorably on a CZcams video. 😂 She seems marvelous to me. Witty, charming and seemingly worldly, in the best sense of the word. A bright piece of humanity. I am 67 but didn’t appreciate her till relatively recently.
Whenever I see Arlene on screen, it makes me smile & grin, from ear to ear. She is enjoyable in everything that I have had the pleasure of seeing her in, however, seeing her talent, gives me pleasure for the rest of that day....
In an interview in the late 60s Bennett said that Arlene made many naughty comments but she get away with it because she was very charming. I am still cross with myself that I forgot to include: "I can feel it but I cannot put it any place."
My favorite Arlene moment is when Bishop Sheen was the mystery guest and in the process of questioning Arlene goes, ''Weekly on television and nonprofit! Boy, do you have a crazy sponsor!'' And then she realizes who he is and exclaims, ''OHHH!''😂
What a beautiful lady, and obviously someone whose company one could never tire of. No wonder Martin adored her madly. What a lovely person inside and out, and so much fun to be around. She was such a great personality who carried everything off with grace, charm, and her warm spontaneity. I loved it when she was wearing gloves, indicative of a time gone by long ago. I never tire of watching her. Thank you for a fine compilation of Mrs. Frances ~~~~~
I liked that also. It remind me of mother who wore hers when she went out. It reminds me of that time when it was as normal as sunshine to see women with their gloves and purse. Very real for me because I saw those times. And you are right. They are long gone by.
@@calvinjackson8110 Weren’t they just so lovely! I wish I had my mother’s gloves and costume jewelry, some other things; she was never one to keep things like that. I have purchased vintage items in the past and they’re so special to find in good shape, wearable shape. Such simple elegance in those well made, tailored clothes. People don’t know what that is now, to wear clothing that’s tailored, fitted, well made. Yes indeed, sadly, long ago times. At least some of us can fondly remember those days, and hear their whispers. Blessings, friend.
@@mynamedoesntmatter8652 that's why I love looking at old movies from the 1940s and early 1950s. Women wore such lovely outfits with hats, stocking and gloves. They were so tailored and well fitting and they looked like movie stars. What incredible times. They carried themselves with decorum, good manners and respect.
I loved watching this show on the Game Show Network only because of Arlene. She was absolutely delightful. I was intrigued by Dorothy because I could never get a real read on her.
This is a wonderful compilation of Arlene Francis moments! There has never been a panel show as good as this, and Arlene was the star! In fact with so much material on 'CZcams' I have been spending a great deal of time during lockdown, re-embracing some of these shows! It's been a delightful experience in troubled times!
When there was “must see TV” this was the place to be on Sunday nights, right after Candid Camera. I always had to go to bed before this came on at 10:30 but I might as well have stayed up to watch because all the laughter from downstairs made it impossible to sleep. Now, thanks to CZcams, it get to see all that I missed, and it is worth the wait.
Arlene never looked any more glamorous (my opinion) as she looked on the #5 ("Off and On") bit, at 8:14. She had the greatest laugh, a wonderful Boston accent, and lived life to the fullest, as anyone could. She lived to be 93. Birthname: Arline [with an 'i', later changed to an 'e'] Francis Kazanjian, from an Armenian father. Oct. 20, 1907 Boston, MA - May 31, 2001 San Francisco, CA, from Alzheimer's disease and cancer.
Alzheimer's at the finish, but the real life lives on in the respect and admiration she generates among people who never saw her in her prime. An exemplar of what America has somehow mislaid.
"...Mr. Tony, [long pause] just come in!" --Arlene Francis, one of the funniest slip-ups in the 17-year history of the original WML? (Sun. Nov. 17, 1963)
Arlene's father, Aram Kazanjian, was Armenian, originally from the Ottoman Empire; when her dad was in France, Arlene's grandparents perished as victims of the Hamidian Massacres (1894 -- 1896). Her dad then took the family to Massachusetts, where Arlene was born, and later to Manhattan, New York.
We would watch this show as kids/teenagers and enjoyed Arlene but could not figure out why she was famous, so we named everything after her: pet turtles, a puppet we made, etc. We even made several home movies with plots with the main character being Arlene Keekeekee, American Agent. She brought a lot to our party and the What's My Line audience.
Love Arlene on WML? Watched all shows that Gary put on YT in order and got my wife a diamond heart necklace for our 25th anniversary and presented it to her in front of Sleeping Beauty's castle in Disneyland. Too bad Arlene's was snatched off her neck getting out of a cab in the 80s.
From my acquaintance with showbiz history, I get the same vibe from Arlene as from those two buddies, Anita Loos and Adele Astaire. Charming, feminine but risque when it suits the company; capable of fusillades of impromptu wit but kindly with it. The sort of dame who always lifts spirits and stays classy. Unlike those two other American mistresses of repartee, Mae West and Dorothy Parker, they were never mean bc they were less wrapped up in themselves.
Question: was the show done with no rehearsal or the panel not having any prior information? If so, their quick wit and humor are amazing! I am too young to remember the show but my folks remember it well and each panelist. From my perspective WML seems like an anomaly for the time period and something which would not exist in the real world of the 50s and 60s. Dressy and polite NYC society interacted on the same level as regular folks. African American guests appeared and shook hands with the white panelists. And the show beamed across the country where it was a huge hit for many years. I am not sure how the producers pulled it off and why the show was so well accepted by average Americans, but it was pure genius!
Very nice said. I think one of the reason the show is loved so much is the chemistry between the panelists. The show is not rehearsed and the panel is not given prior information. Although some people think it is, I find it very stupid idea. There's no point for a show like this to be prepared in advanced. Plus all of the contestants get the 50 dollars anyway and the cards are only for following the Yes and No-s.
@@teddytodorova Thank you for the response, Teddy. One of the funniest things Arlene said on WML was to the Indigenous American guest named Black Beaver who was a USMC pilot. Arlene told him, "Black Beaver, you can refer to me as White Mink!" Knowing all of this was improv makes it all the funnier.
According to TV Guide, Francis was the highest-earning game show panelist in the 1950s, making $1,000 (equal to $11,263 today per show on the prime time version of What's My Line?. By contrast, the second-highest paid panelists on TV, Dorothy Kilgallen and Faye Emerson, received $500 (equal to $5,631 per appearance) - Wiki
This is probably one of the most famous Arlene moments. The contestant designs girdles. When it was Bennett turn, he asks if one of the ladies on the panel wear this. John said immediately to Bennett to withdraw that question. Bennett said: I want to know! (All this in jokingly manner). Arlene said: Ask us! and when it was her turn she said: I don't wear one. The episode is 06 May 1956 with Peter Lind Hayes on the panel.
WHAT'S AMAZING ABOUT THIS SHOW WAS IT'S POPULARITY AND RATINGS IN ITS TIMESLOT... SUNDAY NITE @ 10:30 PM. IT GOT SO POPULAR THAT ITS FIRST SPONSOR COULDN'T AFFORD TO CONTINUE BECAUSE OF WML's DEMANDS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. WHICH BROUGHT ON BIG BOYS LIKE KELLOGGS... OK NOW, I'M FLIPPING ALL THE CARDS OVER! TJ SAG-AFTRA 🎬🎙📺
Less than 15 minutes and still WAY more funny than a weeks worth of modern sitcoms.
Tell me about it I can't get enough 🤣
So true
When people had style, substance, grace and manners. She was delightful.
Since you don’t know a single living soul with style, substance, grace and manners, perhaps you should adopt those characteristics and serve as an example for every other human on the planet. We eagerly await seeing you in action.
@@BillyAlabama Thanks for the validation with your tedious and completely unnecessary comment.
Talent and very interesting 😄
Now I understand why my parents were roaring with laughter in the evenings when they put me and my sister to bed.
I was born in 1942, so I got to be up and watching.
Arlene Francis was so intelligent & witty that she was literally writing a sitcom at the spur of the moment, in front of millions of people. Her level of talent has gone with the wind & she will never be replicated.
I love her so much. She's the reason I watch this so much. I wish I could have had her as a friend. Thanks for memories Arlene...
Absolutely ❤️
Wish I could have met her as well. Glad her legacy stays alive on you tube. She had genuine beauty and lived life to the fullest.
@Bowen Kendall really?
Same
Every entertainment show needs a star. John and Dorothy were terrific, but they were primarily journalists. Bennett Cerf was an accomplished book publisher. Good people all, and a great fit for WML, but none of them had star quality.
The star of this show, for 17 years, was without a doubt Miss Arlene Francis. It's sad that America doesn't seem to produce intelligent, classy, and witty people like her anymore. At least, the entertainment business doesn't.
Arlene was adorable.
What a remarkable lady she was! It breaks my heart that she ended her life dealing with something so horrible as Alzheimer’s.
That was her end? You're right. That's heartbreaking.
To whom are you referring?
@@calvinjackson8110 Arlene Francis
A blessed life and lived into her 90s though.
😥‼️
Arlene never fails to make me smile with her wit and jokes, she is so wonderful, I love her so much!
What Mr . Daly said about Arlene was 100% correct. I loved this show very much. I find myself wishing I lived in those days.
I lived in those days. The big difference as compared to today, as I see it, is that, in those days, most people aspired to possess the easy elegance she portrayed. That's not true today.
@@hijodelaisla275 "Easy elegance" - what a marvelous capture of her personality, & beauty.
The definition of "Class". And oh, those laughing eyes!
Even when I was a young lad watching the show I was enthralled with Arlene. Man did she have class, poise, grace and style! This is what I idealized as THE American Lady. Grace, so well mannered and queenly. It was like having ROYALTY on the show with her presence!! Yes, I loved her too!
I never knew how many loved Arlene Francis, until I commented favorably on a CZcams video. 😂
She seems marvelous to me. Witty, charming and seemingly worldly, in the best sense of the word.
A bright piece of humanity.
I am 67 but didn’t appreciate her till relatively recently.
Same here! What a classy dame she was!
Whenever I see Arlene on screen, it makes me smile & grin, from ear to ear. She is enjoyable in everything that I have had the pleasure of seeing her in, however, seeing her talent, gives me pleasure for the rest of that day....
What’s my line was exceptionally brilliant television! The personalities outshine today’s media which is ironic given modern technology.
That smile and her personality were crush bait.
She got away with "Let's not swallow it, let's not chew it, let's not suck it, just get it down" on TV in the early 1960s?! I'm amazed!
In an interview in the late 60s Bennett said that Arlene made many naughty comments but she get away with it because she was very charming. I am still cross with myself that I forgot to include: "I can feel it but I cannot put it any place."
My favorite Arlene moment is when Bishop Sheen was the mystery guest and in the process of questioning Arlene goes, ''Weekly on television and nonprofit! Boy, do you have a crazy sponsor!'' And then she realizes who he is and exclaims, ''OHHH!''😂
Bishop Sheen had a great sense of humor too.
That is a great one!!
Love Arlene - she's my favourite of all the panellists.
AINEC.
Dorothy was a bloodhound who could track you down. Arlene was a golden retriever who delighted with her charm. Such a wonderful lady duo.
Best 15:00 I’ve ever spent on CZcams. Would kill to be a part of this era
Do you realise I’ve spent 10 mins trying to work out why your ‘15:00’ link doesn’t take me anywhere?! 🤣🤣🤣
Such a radiant gem. Wit and charm and style. Thanks.
She was to panel shows what Lucy was to sitcom. Now they tell us that 1950s women on TV were oppressed nonentities.
11:30 - Arlene's personality had a *r-r-r-r-r-r-ringing* sound about it 😄
One of my favourite movies is The Thrill of it All because of her and her perfect performance
The sense of companionship that Arlene and Martin showed each other was endearing; thanks for sharing!
You could really see they were in love ❤️
I love this show never get tired of watching 👀 these episodes
What a beautiful lady, and obviously someone whose company one could never tire of. No wonder Martin adored her madly. What a lovely person inside and out, and so much fun to be around. She was such a great personality who carried everything off with grace, charm, and her warm spontaneity. I loved it when she was wearing gloves, indicative of a time gone by long ago. I never tire of watching her. Thank you for a fine compilation of Mrs. Frances ~~~~~
I liked that also. It remind me of mother who wore hers when she went out. It reminds me of that time when it was as normal as sunshine to see women with their gloves and purse. Very real for me because I saw those times. And you are right. They are long gone by.
@@calvinjackson8110
Weren’t they just so lovely! I wish I had my mother’s gloves and costume jewelry, some other things; she was never one to keep things like that. I have purchased vintage items in the past and they’re so special to find in good shape, wearable shape. Such simple elegance in those well made, tailored clothes. People don’t know what that is now, to wear clothing that’s tailored, fitted, well made. Yes indeed, sadly, long ago times. At least some of us can fondly remember those days, and hear their whispers. Blessings, friend.
@@mynamedoesntmatter8652 that's why I love looking at old movies from the 1940s and early 1950s. Women wore such lovely outfits with hats, stocking and gloves. They were so tailored and well fitting and they looked like movie stars. What incredible times. They carried themselves with decorum, good manners and respect.
I loved watching this show on the Game Show Network only because of Arlene. She was absolutely delightful. I was intrigued by Dorothy because I could never get a real read on her.
Thank you so much for sharing, she is the most adorable, loveliest actresses and human being's 😍😘
She is indeed!
I do love the way she laughs with her eyes, as well as her beautiful laugh...Her eyes are twinkling at about 10.34secs in.
She's wonderful.
I love love love love love her to the nth power! ♥️♥️♥️
Tell me about it! I fell so deep it's painful
I also have some Arlene videos in my account. ♥️ She just radiates positivity, charisma, humor and wit all the time. ♥️
@@jocelynsenado Yes, I've seen them several times.
Aww. Thank you so much ♥️
Aww. Thank you so much ♥️
So lovely in all senses, so funny, love people who laugh at themselves
Please make one on Steve Allen. He was my fav next to Arlene....He was soooo funny..
what ^^he^^ said
I loved Arlene Francis on the show. She was witty,charming and so very funny.
I loved Arlene’s humor and Dorothy’s laugh. ❤
Very clever quips by Arlene.
This is great. You should make one for Bennett Cerf
She has the smiliest and laughiest eyes I have ever seen...totally amazing lady
Arlene made me laugh so much, and thanks to being able to watch these shows, she continues to do so! Thank you so much for airing these!
This is a wonderful compilation of Arlene Francis moments! There has never been a panel show as good as this, and Arlene was the star! In fact with so much material on 'CZcams' I have been spending a great deal of time during lockdown, re-embracing some of these shows! It's been a delightful experience in troubled times!
Remarkable. So entertaining and classy. I'm so glad I found this.
When there was “must see TV” this was the place to be on Sunday nights, right after Candid Camera. I always had to go to bed before this came on at 10:30 but I might as well have stayed up to watch because all the laughter from downstairs made it impossible to sleep. Now, thanks to CZcams, it get to see all that I missed, and it is worth the wait.
Awwwww, I love her so much! Great compilation 🥰🥰🥰
Thank you, Teddy! This was delightful.
Arlene never looked any more glamorous (my opinion) as she looked on the #5 ("Off and On") bit, at 8:14. She had the greatest laugh, a wonderful Boston accent, and lived life to the fullest, as anyone could. She lived to be 93. Birthname: Arline [with an 'i', later changed to an 'e'] Francis Kazanjian, from an Armenian father. Oct. 20, 1907 Boston, MA - May 31, 2001 San Francisco, CA, from Alzheimer's disease and cancer.
She had a Trans-Atlantic accent which I find fascinating.
One of my favorites!
pure treasure
"Is it something the cow does something on"--probably a sentence that has never been uddered before. lol
Is that you, Bennett?
Looks like laughter was good Rx for Arlene. She lived a long life - hope it was happy.
Alzheimer's at the finish, but the real life lives on in the respect and admiration she generates among people who never saw her in her prime. An exemplar of what America has somehow mislaid.
"...Mr. Tony, [long pause] just come in!" --Arlene Francis, one of the funniest slip-ups in the 17-year history of the original WML? (Sun. Nov. 17, 1963)
Beautifully made video! I love herrrr
HOOAH! I enjoyed watching that. Thank you for posting.
Such a wonderful movie. Great montage.
WHAT A LADY ! WATCHED HER ON WML SINCE IN THE 50s ! SHE HAS NO EQUAL !
So nice to see spontaneity…. That’s when television was entertainment . Hate that everything is scripted today and every reads from a screen.
She's beautiful.
Arlene's father, Aram Kazanjian, was Armenian, originally from the Ottoman Empire; when her dad was in France, Arlene's grandparents perished as victims of the Hamidian Massacres (1894 -- 1896). Her dad then took the family to Massachusetts, where Arlene was born, and later to Manhattan, New York.
What a boss! She was perfect.
Thank you I enjoyed it very much
# 11...her reaction to Colonel Sanders! 😂
In another episode, there was a judge (really handsome), she lost the ability to speak
Gasp! Arlene's grammatical flub - "Could you teach Dorothy and I the same thing?" Her English is usually impeccable.
Thank you for uoloading
We would watch this show as kids/teenagers and enjoyed Arlene but could not figure out why she was famous, so we named everything after her: pet turtles, a puppet we made, etc. We even made several home movies with plots with the main character being Arlene Keekeekee, American Agent. She brought a lot to our party and the What's My Line audience.
She should’ve said “can you teach Dorothy and me” not “Dorothy and I.” That was a surprise.
Poor thing eventually died from Alzheimer’s disease.
I saw a young Arlene in All My Sons, with Edward G. Robinson. She only had a small part, but she was hot and sexy. Nobody ever aged more wonderfully.
If ever there was a Game Show that was rightly and consistently DELIGHTFUL it was WML.🎯💯💎💖
Love Arlene on WML? Watched all shows that Gary put on YT in order and got my wife a diamond heart necklace for our 25th anniversary and presented it to her in front of Sleeping Beauty's castle in Disneyland. Too bad Arlene's was snatched off her neck getting out of a cab in the 80s.
What a beautiful lady. Incredible personality and sense of humor. I miss the days when television was worth watching.
Happy Birthday Miss Francis
A classy lady in love with her husband.
I show some of these to my Friday Night Movie Quizzers as part of the entertainment along with movies. They are all great! Tks--
What a beautiful lovely lady she was. Who could watch her for any length of time and not fall in love with her.
I love the thumbnail so typical of Arlene such a lovely lady
"When she was cute as pie" ... like Always
What a lovely lady
Delightful!
From my acquaintance with showbiz history, I get the same vibe from Arlene as from those two buddies, Anita Loos and Adele Astaire. Charming, feminine but risque when it suits the company; capable of fusillades of impromptu wit but kindly with it. The sort of dame who always lifts spirits and stays classy. Unlike those two other American mistresses of repartee, Mae West and Dorothy Parker, they were never mean bc they were less wrapped up in themselves.
Great Lady
She is forever 🌟 and sweetheart 💕 💗
You didn't include her 1-derful question to Yul Brynner...
An American Girl !
🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲
I gather that the Francis/Gabel household was full of fun and laughter
Question: was the show done with no rehearsal or the panel not having any prior information? If so, their quick wit and humor are amazing! I am too young to remember the show but my folks remember it well and each panelist. From my perspective WML seems like an anomaly for the time period and something which would not exist in the real world of the 50s and 60s. Dressy and polite NYC society interacted on the same level as regular folks. African American guests appeared and shook hands with the white panelists. And the show beamed across the country where it was a huge hit for many years. I am not sure how the producers pulled it off and why the show was so well accepted by average Americans, but it was pure genius!
Very nice said. I think one of the reason the show is loved so much is the chemistry between the panelists.
The show is not rehearsed and the panel is not given prior information. Although some people think it is, I find it very stupid idea. There's no point for a show like this to be prepared in advanced. Plus all of the contestants get the 50 dollars anyway and the cards are only for following the Yes and No-s.
@@teddytodorova Thank you for the response, Teddy. One of the funniest things Arlene said on WML was to the Indigenous American guest named Black Beaver who was a USMC pilot. Arlene told him, "Black Beaver, you can refer to me as White Mink!" Knowing all of this was improv makes it all the funnier.
According to TV Guide, Francis was the highest-earning game show panelist in the 1950s, making $1,000 (equal to $11,263 today per show on the prime time version of What's My Line?. By contrast, the second-highest paid panelists on TV, Dorothy Kilgallen and Faye Emerson, received $500 (equal to $5,631 per appearance) - Wiki
Me too Betty...
Too many great ones here.
11:18 I think there was some drinking going on before the show
I love Arlene also.
The segment beginning at 12:02 and ending at 12:46 is the funniest in my opinion, and I would have placed it at number 1.
One of the best episodes when Arlenes son guested !!!
I understand why John frequently referred to her as Miss... Because she was eternally girlish...and kittenish... and sexy and witty... and SO cool!
Peter Gable sounds just like his dad.
... and looks like his mother.
Looks like his dad also.
Wonderful! ❤️ Who was the man that Arlene recognized, that the others didn‘t know? (Starting around 4:50).
Hey Tessa! Thank you for the feedback! He is Don Piccard (01-Sept-1963 episode)
mili4ka Thank you! 😊
What on earth were they talking about in the scene at 10.05? I love it, I just don't know the episode
This is probably one of the most famous Arlene moments. The contestant designs girdles. When it was Bennett turn, he asks if one of the ladies on the panel wear this. John said immediately to Bennett to withdraw that question. Bennett said: I want to know! (All this in jokingly manner). Arlene said: Ask us! and when it was her turn she said: I don't wear one. The episode is 06 May 1956 with Peter Lind Hayes on the panel.
@@teddytodorova Wow, thank you! I love these videos
Now we have Rosie O'Donnell, Joy Reid, Ellen De Generes, Rachel Maddow, Whoopi Goldberg... OMG, I'm so depressed.
I saw one of the newer WML and Peter did it in the 1970s
I love her
It's a bell
@@teddytodorova thank youu
I'm a gay man but I could really fall in love with her.
WHAT'S AMAZING ABOUT THIS SHOW WAS IT'S POPULARITY AND RATINGS IN ITS TIMESLOT...
SUNDAY NITE @ 10:30 PM.
IT GOT SO POPULAR THAT ITS FIRST SPONSOR COULDN'T AFFORD TO CONTINUE BECAUSE OF WML's
DEMANDS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
WHICH BROUGHT ON BIG BOYS LIKE KELLOGGS... OK NOW, I'M FLIPPING ALL THE CARDS OVER!
TJ SAG-AFTRA 🎬🎙📺
Crushing so hard 😍