Duke Ellington on "What's My Line?"

[@lolotho9951]

Duke's interaction with the panelists was hilarious. Really showed his great sense of humor. He was truly a genius and very much loved.

[@2dasimmons]

Wow! What a treat to see iconic DUKE ELLINGTON. RIP DUKE.

[@scotnick59]

Duke's speaking voice! = such a gentle sophisticated gent

[@AzlanValentine]

Yes his voice is divine though he is doing a bit voice in this

[@mitchellcolen6765]

duke exuded so much class and talent and is on of the great american composers

[@Lostintimes1]

We can see here that the great genious of the music had a fascinating, sparkling personality too.

[@Ctrl-XYZ]

*genius

[@timsering9964]

What a great show....wish tv was still like this

[@zildj1an]

Duke Ellington...so many great bands, so many great tunes. What can one say? Actually, "starstuff" said it best...truly a national treasure.

[@ameroux]

Duke is fabulous! And I love the eyelashes on Arlene's blindfold.

[@clydebermingham121]

Ellington was so Graceful & Gracious 🤗🙏🏽❤️🏅

[@iamintheburg]

I am in everlasting love with Arlene Francis, who must be the most charming woman who ever drew a breath.

[@roberthockett270]

DEFINITELY!

[@opale1572]

​@@roberthockett270Yo opino igual.

[@joeblow7407]

America's greatest composer!!!!!

[@ApoloExpress]

hahaha this was one of the funny ones! arlene was hilarious!!! "NOW LOOK HERE...!" oh man, funny stuff, thanks for putting this up!

[@shivani41]

How much pleasure it gives to see the elegant and very beautiful Duke Ellington again! What a dream, so thank you, rerun PARADISE! Ooh my.

[@soulierinvestments]

Thanks for posting this. Edward Kennedy "Duke" Elllington was one of the most significant composers of the 20th century. And of course he wrote great songs as well.

[@angelabryant8808]

Definitely a leading man, the "Epitome of Perfection" Duke Ellington. 'Je 't aime 'a la folie Duke!!!💖.

[@bimsie01]

I love how New York this show was.They would always mention someone's engagement at a nightclub,or the Broadway show they were in,and acted like they all ran into each other all over town.When I was a kid this show was in its later stages,and between this and The Dick Cavett Show,I was infatuated with New York Nightlife.

[@chrisallen7911]

That was back when NY had Real Class.

[@begs54]

God was this funny. You would NEVER see that today with the entertainers we have. The had style and class back then. Not flash and trash like today......!!!!!

[@2legit64]

Duke was sauve back in the day.

[@bigeman25]

Love him madly!!

[@Drumminman4U]

That, ladies and gentlemen, was America's Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Ravel and Stravinsky all wrapped into one guy. There has never been a big band sound like his (with the exception of Count Basie who used many of the same musicians). Our current culture could not produce such a being as this. What is commonly called "jazz" today is light years from what this man produced. Don't get me started about "hip-hop" etc! Duke personified total talent, total command, commitment to the music, dignity and class. What an era that was. Beyond category.

[@bmwjourdandunngoddess6024]

I have no clue why you’re mentioning random yt men. 💀 He was Duke Ellington not some sl@ve owners….

[@gordonm7038]

The Black Beethoven. Genius of the First Rank.

[@moodyteresa52]

Wow!!! The most beautiful Duke!!

[@sharoncuff9920]

Just wonderful- a real gem, this episode!!!

[@franzkafka77]

A towering figure in American music, far, far greater than any of the panelists including slick, condescending, egomaniac Steve Allen. "What's My Line" was commendable in that it ignored the color line by inviting numerous African American artists on the show including, Lena Horne, Nat 'King' Cole and Louis Armstrong among others.

[@esmeephillips5888]

Nobody complained when Duke shook hands with the ladies, yet 15 years later Petula Clark was in hot water (in some quarters) for touching Harry Belafonte's arm in a TV special. Guess that is the difference between New York City and Tinseltown. If he'd shaken my hand, I'd have left it unwashed till it stank.

[@dufasaurjoe2899]

She should have said are you "Billy Strayhorn." Duke would have lost it.

[@clydebermingham121]

Man ..... he had such good hand writing ... as well as being so Eloquent 🙏🏽👍🏽

[@rubengreenberg2253]

He wrote rhythmically: he did everything rhythmically.

[@spindalis79]

Take the "A" Panel.

[@kidneymcsecrets8402]

He was really loved! Thanks for posting, I wish I had known when this episode was on GSN, I would have recorded it...

[@esmeephillips5888]

Imagine a primetime TV show today in which the regulars do not seem out of place in company with the country's greatest living composer. Inconceivable. Edward Kennedy Ellington acquired his nickname as a little boy because of his courtly manners. Did the man ever lose his cool in public in his life? Favorite story: when he was introduced to the Queen of England (born 1926) in 1958, she asked him when he had last visited the UK. He replied: 'In 1934, ma'am, some years before you were born.' Now we have Kanye West and Beyonce as leading lights of African American arts...

[@gordonm7038]

Wow! I can't believe this upload! The Duke in the flesh baby! The Funk and Soul has ALWAYS existed. It comes from You Know Who! Strike up the band

[@alexandrebertrand-lafleur3114]

Duke Ellington: The greatest genius of the jazz

[@tiffffers]

duke is AWEsome

[@feralfarrell1336]

I love this show and was so excited to see duke Ellington in an episode. Big mouth!!

[@MrRazorblade999]

One the greatest!

[@user-yk7vp2qw4h]

Yas A vary talent man , and possible a really great friend to his friends....

[@worldnotworld]

Friggin' brilliant!

[@dereckvon]

Fantastic!

[@PM-rp4bl]

3:44 “You tell ‘im, Arlene!”

[@sleazyslytherin6836]

"you tell him Arlene" love her xD

[@pantano207]

A real Duke!

[@maxwilson4748]

A national treasure!

[@billolsen89]

Pure class.

[@evonza4858]

I love that man he's black excellence 🥰❤️🖤💚

[@peternagy-im4be]

Wait a minute.... he's black??

[@andrewcharley1893]

An absolute class act Duke Ellington.

[@stewartnicol3028]

SIR DUKE....

[@barrtok]

excellent!

[@leesher1845]

I guess since Duke Ellington was older he was having trouble with his hearing. He was so charming! And Steve Allen as usual, was so funny and clever.

[@mca1218]

Tres' elegante!!

[@Twentythousandlps]

July 12, 1953. Ellington was sharing a bill with Count Basie at the Band Box that month.

[@esmeephillips5888]

This WML appearance was when he was struggling to keep his big band together, and was heading for what is often thought to be his lowest ebb- accompanying the Ice Capades in 1955. Then he topped the bill at the Newport Jazz Festival, lighting the place up with 'Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue' featuring Paul Gonsalves's storming (and atypical) 27 choruses on tenor sax. Duke's curve pointed upward again.

[@SatchmoSings]

Ellington was a fairly urbane man; today he would have been a guest panelist.

[@wardka]

The guy really does carry himself like royalty. No wonder his friends called him "Duke." Was he a little hard of hearing perhaps?

[@Conn30Mtenor]

Class.

[@timmetts8595]

Trolllllllll got to love the duke

[@mmjaljs]

Mr. Ellington! Need I say more.....

[@jobeLewOOH]

a "pie-annie"?

[@juancarlosvillacrecesvega3999]

Excelent performance

[@dangraphic]

LOL "now look here!" LOL

[@SatchmoSings]

@wiguy3 Well, true enough and anyway, I'm a big fan of Ellington and his music; in his particular field his music represented his fine and finely tuned intellect.

[@melvinwren]

DUKE

[@busessuck1]

i wanna play along but the names are there on youtube

[@RocketKirchner]

Duke is toying with them .

[@justplainbrad7713]

@ roots66 - At the start, was the man shaking hands with the panel, Ronald Reagan? It's hard to tell, as he's so damned young, and I didn't see him until he was much older. I've re-run a few times, and a very young Frank Sinatra also come to mind.

[@Littlewhitelephant]

At 4:40 the host is addressing panel-member and journalist Dorothy Kilgallen. Dorothy Kilgallen investigated Kennedy's assassination and in 1965 declared to do so for all her life. On November 8, 1965, she was found dead on the third floor of her five-story building, just 12 hours after she appeared live on "What's My Line?". (taken from wikipedia)

[@soulierinvestments]

Leading man. Well, he lead the orchestra LOL

[@DrdrGames]

Is it bad that I have only ever heard of Duke Ellington because of that one Hozier song “Almost”

[@iamfelixthecat7233]

It's only bad if you don't go out and listen to *more* of his songs!

[@countalucard4226]

I love Led Zeppelin and their first album was not possible without the black blues guitarists that came before them.

[@bailinnumberguy]

Classic show, but for some reason everyone on stage seems to become hard of hearing, guests and panelists as well.

[@brianlbedsworth4105]

Studio acoustics were horrific, something Frank Lloyd Wright noted immediately on his appearance.

[@neoman91661]

I wonder why the host spoke into Duke's ear so many times?

[@wiguy3]

@SatchmoSings That would have been great. Remember though, this was America in the 50's. Even though the producers and cast of this show would have promoted your plan, much of the country wouldn't have accepted it. I'd like to think most of WML's viewership was sophisticated enough to appreciate it, I'm not sure. Have we come a long way? Yes, but so far to go.

[@you2449]

I wonder if the decades of playing had taken a toll on his hearing...

[@TheBatugan77]

Sir Duke... When he signed in he could've just signed DUKE.

[@johnparadise3134]

What year is this from?

[@user-rr3rm8nv7s]

1953

[@juancarlosvillacrecesvega3999]

Hahahaha

[@samoanfun11]

Good suggestion, but someone else has that Title...By an actor who goes by the name of John Wayne.

[@beatlesfreak89]

He should've signed in as "The Duke". :-)

[@gordonm7038]

In Heaven Duke leads the band. Frank Sinatra says tinkle your glasses and shake your ass!

[@SDG.12]

busta rhyme's dad lol

[@jokamund]

Lol a piani?

[@brianlbedsworth4105]

Studio acoustics were horrific, something Frank Lloyd Wright noted immediately on his appearance.

[@TheGamingBreak]

Big Mouth, anyone?

[@girl43]

I thought the panel was a bit rude :-)

[@milest3560]

Damn ya boi Duke doesn’t have that good of hearing does he?

[@rayjr62]

Good. Reagan had nothing of importance to think of or say then...and he didn't when he became president, either.

[@janeiwasduncan8463]

How about "TEAR DOWN THIS WALL"?