What's My Line? Election Day Special

[@peterdevita6308]

One of the best shows ever on early television. So Wonderful to be experiencing this great game show from the early 50's. So much fun and both the panelists & John Daly are super great!

[@elizabethmartin4328]

And Jimmy Carter, at 100 yrs., is still with us, so far.

[@Andrew-w1t4e]

God bless him. He has more class and empathy in his little finger, than Trump has in his whole 250 pound fat body!!

[@ghidrah76]

He’s still here as of today!

[@suziethomas1481]

How impressive that the panelists were so knowledgeable on elected officials and current events!

[@johnw8984]

This is when Americans were smart before cell phones

[@hothemeep1219]

They were not average Americans. They all belonged to the intellectual spheres

[@LimitlessThinker]

My parents were very well informed. Neighbors often read their newspapers and kept up on political affairs. They often discussed issues over coffee at the kitchen table. I loved sitting and listening to them, when I was a child. People went to libraries and read books. I think they interacted more.

[@JohnParks-zc1pn]

@@suziethomas1481 That was before Bible thumping hillbillies ruined our education system.

[@tumarbongrox6074]

@@johnw8984 CORRECTION!! Senator Estes Kefauver was on TV and in the news daily trying to get legislation passed to prosecute the organized crime syndicates that were terrorizing cities and communities across the U.S. There were large amounts of murders, extortion and robberies plaguing the U.S. Every American citizen at that time was aware of the violence and massive amounts of ongoing corruption. However Senator Estes was unsuccessful because organized crime STILL exists in America today

[@elizabethmartin4328]

This is the bestest of the best of WML ! ! ! Ronald Reagan was superbly funny ! ! ! What great history memories.

[@jackroberts6938]

A few years after panelist Bennett Cerf passed away in 1971 after 25 years of marriage, his widow Phyllis Fraser married mystery guest NYC Mayor Robert Wagner (see 15:00) and they were married for 20 years until his death.

[@shirleyrombough8173]

When Republicans were normal people. Gads, how far they have fallen.

[@shirleyrombough8173]

Good. Another patriot. And another Republican. I am not used to that.

[@shirleyrombough8173]

A fellow Californian. I think that one of his descendants became governor of California as well. Known as Jerry Brown.

[@shirleyrombough8173]

Makes me home sick to see a fellow Californian.

[@melianna999]

Wonder how they met? Was she among public on that WML??

[@brookehanley3659]

Really enjoying this show❤

[@Kleidenwaht44]

I just loved John Daley telling Richard Dailey that no city handled conventions as well as Chicago!

[@mistermac56]

Yes, that didn't age well.

[@shadowlouise]

@@mistermac56 Agreed. When I hear the words "Chicago convention," I think of the 1968 Democratic National Convention. What a shocking mess! Considering the times, I suppose it would have been the same in almost any city in America. Certainly Chicago was not to blame for the Party's infighting.

[@greeneyes2256]

August 7, 2024 - and there is another convention in Chicago next week. Interesting times we live in.

[@deepdrag8131]

@@shadowlouise it wouldn’t have been the same if they held the convention in Honolulu.

[@lisakane6708]

I just love this tv show

[@divinewon73]

Amazing compilation… Dates and names. Thank you for the effort and posting it!😁👍

[@Cris43130]

Ronald Reagan is doing a perfect imitation of Buffalo Bob Smith.

[@RonGerstein]

You mean Knucklehead Smith, who worked with Paul Winchell.

[@DebbieRamsey-Hanks]

Excellent timing and so welcoming. Thank you

[@uyeda]

Classic game show.

[@ColonelJack1]

If you noted a rather subdued tone about Mayor Norma Walker's appearance, it's because that was the first show after Dorothy Kilgallen's sudden death in 1965.

[@melianna999]

Very sudden and suspicious.

[@Brdsh0t]

No chance it was an overdose. She was absolutely murdered by the government cabal trying to cover up the Kennedy assassination. She was the only person willing to talk that knew who did it. All of her book notes and research documents just magically disappeared.

[@wormwood8191]

@ColonelJack1 One might add that Kilgallen claimed to have unearthed secrets about the death of President Kennedy and the "Truth" of who killed him and why, only to suddenly die unexpectedly. She was highly regarded as an investigative reporter.

[@roberttelarket4934]

I love it: What's My Crime?

[@janetmarletto6667]

Interesting segment.

[@larry3802]

Henry Cabot Lodge

[@TheTerryGene]

When politicians at least were adults rather than squalling children.

[@93Jubilee]

Someone, no matter the subject of these retrospective shows, has to say "back when things were better." It never fails! And not always true!

[@ChaimS]

American politicians were never adults... Look into the first 10 or so presidencies, they had fights and scandals too.

[@abbycross90210]

Politicians have always been squalling children. They've always been awful, they'll always be awful. Politicians appearing on a game show are obviously going to be on their best behavior.

[@leannsherman6723]

And when they had some dignity

[@pattih7]

Yes!

[@deepdrag8131]

Three future presidents, and at the time of their respective appearances, I don’t think anyone could have imagined them in that position.

[@Superstrike_11]

"One of the smaller but mightier states.." being used to describe Maine really puts a date on this program.

[@RonGerstein]

Maine is the only state that borders only one other state (New Hampshire).

[@Superstrike_11]

@@RonGerstein I was referring to "mightier". Its size hasn't changed, but boy has the manufacturing base.

[@deepdrag8131]

@@Superstrike_11 Moxie is what makes Maine mighty.

[@Superstrike_11]

@@deepdrag8131 Moxie sales decreasing and Maine's legislator all being from Portland is what makes it crippled. We hear the cries of Western Maine from our humble homes in New Hampshire: "Save us! Save us from these pink haired tyrants!"

[@ADAMSIXTIES]

15:00 Reagan ran away quick...guess Nancy was waiting This was 1953 and he married Nancy in 1952, which changed his politics from FDR Democrat to Eisenhower Republican. But he didn't officially join that party until 1962. He became Governor of CA in 1967 and President in 1981.

[@dozerthelab]

Loved seeing Future Presidents.

[@davidcurran-z8g]

Jimmy Carter’s appearance was at some point in 1974. I’m sure nobody on the panel or elsewhere would have ever imagined that he would declare his candidacy for the 1976 presidential nomination in December of 1974. As an aside, it seemed like Arlene Francis found him very attractive!

[@balconi89]

IMDB lists it as December 13, 1973. But since it was syndicated at that time, it probably aired in most areas in early 1974.

[@RonGerstein]

Governor Carter was Georgia governor 1971-1975

[@davidcurran-z8g]

@@RonGersteinYes, and the Georgia governor could only serve one term at the time.

[@soulierinvestments]

Bennett Cerf to Mayor Robert Wagner: "Do you plan to marry my wife after I'm gone?"

[@ColonelJack1]

One further potential political guest should be mentioned in this juncture. I don't know if the story is true or apocryphal, but when "What's My Line?" was in Chicago during the Democratic Convention the week after Mayor Daley's appearance, the producers wanted to get former President Harry Truman to appear as Mystery Guest. However, the sponsor of the show that week - Remington Rand - vetoed the idea, because one of the board members of the company was General Douglas MacArthur. (Draw your own conclusions from that.)

[@beverlyshank9313]

I saw that story in an interview with Bennet Cerf. He was annoyed that some WML guy had asked permission from Remington instead of just doing it. When Cerf told Truman, he just laughed and said something like, that’s what I had to put up with.

[@charlesritt5088]

Look at all the people who smoked and it was not just then but look at talk shows into the 1970's

[@lewiscarey1593]

Having cigarette smoke going in guests face!!!😮😮😮

[@RonGerstein]

There was no rule that smoking was not allowed in the studio.

[@edmundpower1250]

It's a pity John F Kennedy was never on

[@ModMokkaMatti]

Dorothy Kilgallen paid for it in the end anyway, whether he was or wasn't.

[@billolsen4360]

Or Frank Sinatra

[@beverlyshank9313]

@@billolsen4360 Frank Sinatra was on the episode with Mia Farrow. But he only slipped into a panelist seat during her part.

[@RonGerstein]

WML never had a vice president nor a president, former or current, as the MG. WML had people who later became president, like Ronald Reagan, as the MG. The syndicated WML had Jimmy Carter as a regular contestant, when he was Governor of Georgia, and Gerard Ford, also as a regular contestant, when he was a US congressman.

[@thereseember2800]

This is the first episode that I noticed John Daly was smoking.

[@furysmith6564]

Wow, after Bennet Cerf died, his wife Phyllis married Robert Wagner, the mayor of NY, who was a guest

[@ChaimS]

"All $160M?" So we've DOUBLED in the last 50 years?? Wow...

[@johnscanlan9335]

This episode of WML was recorded in the mid 1950s, so it's nearly 70 years since it was filmed.

[@RonGerstein]

2020 US census: 331 million residents

[@SusanSlack-j8f]

My dad worked for Capital Recirds

[@Mrgop]

Three future presidents. In April 1994, they would be together with George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton for Richard Nixon's funeral. This was the first time in US history that that many presidents and their wives were together. I was extremely fortunate to be invited to attend.

[@WonderfulEagle-mm1vj]

They had to be to compress the voterd to vote for them they couldn't impress acting like spoiled children

[@harveyudell9650]

At that funeral Bob Dole stated that they won't have Nixon to kick around any more. Just joshing. Dole gave a moving eulogy and wept. But Bob Dole was quite a wit. When asked to assess the last 3 presidents in 1980, the Senator said: 'See no evil, hear no evil, and evil.'

[@wntastd]

Was Wayne Morse, or any Oregon politician on the show?

[@balconi89]

Don’t think anyone was on the CBS version. Syndicated I’m not sure.

[@johnscanlan9335]

Oh for the days when there were actual adults in the United States government!!!

[@andysiegel6131]

They all all stood for Senator Chaise Smith

[@harveyudell9650]

Chaise Smith was her brother, who ran a lounge. Senator Margaret Chase Smith was the Senator.

[@krisstromgren8268]

When politicians EARNED respect. Trump thinks you just demand it!

[@Andrew-w1t4e]

Right on! I have little respect for him!

[@vickiearle5390]

Well, I wasn't there, however I wonder if the marzipan was too heavy. The whole thing seemed to be collapsing under pressure.

[@RalphOnofrio]

Future President Ronald Reagan.

[@roxierocker5624]

Who's DANA? What's her last name?

[@balconi89]

Dana Valery. She was a Broadway actress and singer.

[@44032]

@@balconi89 Sister of Segio Franchi

[@brookehanley3659]

Was this from 1956? Maybe 1952

[@balconi89]

The show ran on CBS from 1950 till 1967, then syndicated from 1969 till 1975.

[@brookehanley3659]

This looks around 1952

[@ArmpitStudios]

OMG, read the description.

[@RonGerstein]

​@@balconi89 Syndication started in 1968, not 1969.

[@nsnopper]

Why, that’s Kamal Khan, the villain in Octopussy!

[@Fonzwav]

I wonder what the blindfolds are for

[@davidcurran-z8g]

So they can’t see the mystery guess. It didn’t matter in most cases since the panelists were very good at guessing!

[@ArmpitStudios]

LOL. Really?!

[@entropybabe]

The mystery guests often disguised their voices as well.

[@RonGerstein]

Why do you think they are called MYSTERY GUEST?

[@annwagner5779]

Hate seeing John Daly smoking. I can virtually smell the stink. I remember too well when people smoked everywhere and I would come home with a horrible sore throat after an evening out.

[@winonafrog]

👵🏻🫀

[@englishcountryside4581]

@ 12:07 Population of the USA 🇺🇸 160 million

[@RayhanAhmed-qr3vz]

Why is the man smoking ?

[@andreaplummer3841]

Because he could

[@nsnopper]

Smoking was ubiquitous in those days. Rod Serling would often deliver his opening monologue on The Twilight Zone with a lit cigarette in his hand. And I’m old enough to remember smoking on airplanes, in movie theatres, restaurants, and other public places.

[@macmcleod1188]

Because his cigarette tastes like a cigarette should.

[@latinforever]

Doctors would smoke while examining patients.

[@leonweech]

Hard to believe nobody recognized Jimmy Carter back then he's been in the public eye for fifty years now 😊

[@MelvinSimKH]

I’m pretty sure that if Bennett Cerf were on the panel, they’d all have to be blindfolded.

[@RonGerstein]

Jimmy Carter was Governor of Georgia 1971-1975, so he was not well known in New York City when this show was broadcast.

[@brontewcat]

It is incredible he went from being almost a complete unknown to arguably the most famous man in the world 3 years later

[@deepdrag8131]

@@leonweech Carter turns 100 tomorrow.

[@gingerdude7040]

Thank god smoking has gone out of fashion. It's disgusting and low.

[@bobflewin3024]

Celebreties we're much better more untelligent than they are todat😊

[@krisstromgren8268]

Unlike Trump, politicians and actors had class.

[@dalhaybron7063]

We had some Great Americans back then on both sides of the aisle that wanted to protect you & me.. Kefauver, McClellan & Mundt were the best, then we had the rest.. Buckethead Gerald Ford & the worse President ever before Obama & Biden Jimmy Carter was a nice touch...

[@richardpape5546]

I am a democrat, but president Ford was not a Buckethead. An honest and decent man, especially after the Watergate years of Richard Nixon. His wife was even more admirable.

[@dalhaybron7063]

@@richardpape5546 Your really Low IQ, Buckethead was on the Warren Commission that covered up LBJ killing JFK..

[@hazelanderson1479]

@@richardpape5546 I beg to differ. Buckethead Ford was on the Warren Commission, and he and his cohorts perpetrated the biggest betrayal to the American people.

[@rap4880]

The worst President was Donald John Trump.

[@deepdrag8131]

@@dalhaybron7063 McClellan was a segregationist and avowed racist.