1970-To Tell The Truth (Bennett Cerf Panel #2 and Kitty Carlisle HOSTS!)

-This is the second of four programs I have from the one week that long-time "What's My Line?" panelist Bennett Cerf appeared on "To Tell The Truth" in 1970. But this episode is even more notable for the fact that for the first and only time in the many decades she was part of the show, Kitty Carlisle filled in as host on one segment of the program! The reason was because Kitty knew personally the subject of the first segment, Nina Hirschfeld, daughter of famed caricaturist Al Hirschfeld, who would always find a way of putting his daughter's name in all of his caricature portraits of famous celebrities.

[@your_royal_highness]

The segment on bicycles featured my dad. I finally tracked down the episode and was able to share with family and friends. I had not seen it for fifty years! He also appeared on the today show and was interviewed by Hugh downs.

[@mariannjack5839]

SWM How wonderful!

[@DennisDean-gm2gt]

Kitty did a fantastic job on that spot. She'd had made a fabulous hostess.

[@ewalker3]

Yes! Was thinking the same thing!

[@jaylentolbert]

@@ewalker3 Same

[@David-yw2lv]

She did host once.It's on KZbin.

[@th3f0x92]

Trippiest set decorations in all of TV history, bar none.

[@jenniferdas7809]

It was the hippest graphics of the times- yellow submarine and the age of Aquarius! 0:45

[@stanbrown32]

I love Kitty!

[@David-yw2lv]

She always came across as a very likable person.

[@lissalives1]

Bennett was, in my opinion, a genuine person. I adored everything about him. ♥️

[@elliebellie7816]

His wife remarried so fast after his death it would make your head spin.

[@savethetpc1547]

What a great episode! I loved the Garry-Kitty switch, as well as the opportunity to see the real Nina Hirschfeld, and I loved Bennett's admission of his woefully poor memory of the 2nd contestant at the end!

[@kennethhuang371]

KITTY CARLISLE GETS TO HOST A GAME OF “TO TELL THE TRUTH” IN 1970 BECAUSE SHE KNOWS ABOUT “AL HIRSCHFELD” THE FAMOUS CARACATURIST? SHE SHOULD DO THE ENTIRE SHOW! BRAVO! Kenneth Huang 3/24/2023.

[@r.menzel8020]

Kitty Carlisle seems like a very delightful woman. I love love the psychedelic decor of the show.

[@charlesmeadows6285]

I also recall Kitty hosted a segment on a dance teacher.

[@jacquelinebell6201]

Kitty looks lovely in black.

[@timbuckii9]

Yes. She was a classy lady and always well dressed .

[@Amolibros]

How wonderful. I've been an admirer of Hirshfeld for many years.

[@mthivier]

Garry should have said, "Will the panelist who knows the identify of our first guest please stand up?"

[@megamanj2004X]

Would not be the first time Garry played the game. Garry also played the game during the Bud Collyer era of Truth when he was the then-host of fellow G-T series “I’ve Got a Secret.”

[@bufb]

Kitty glamorous to me. Perfect dresser

[@michaelwascom62]

Garry Moore was one of the best TV hosts/moderators ever. Also was a great radio host.

[@WarioBarker]

It might have been the first time Kitty sat in as host, but it definitely wasn't the only time - here's an instance from later in Season 2: kzbin.info/www/bejne/romvnIp6n6idmqs

[@epaddon]

Appreciate that info. I guess they decided to give Kitty another turn because of this!

[@snowden67]

Had Kitty ever seen the show before? I am surprised at how shaky she is as host. Great to see it. Thanks for posting this.

[@PREGO1966]

"Ever seen it?" She's been on it since the days of Bud Collyer (in the 60s)

[@stuartharris2165]

Kitty Carlisle first appeared on TTTT on 5th March 1957.

[@jamesqualls8125]

This is very interesting, a couple members of the panel pinch hit for the host, Bennett Cerf and Kitty Carlisle took turns hosting, well, a few years later Peggy Cass did the same, but it was a different host,not Gary Moore

[@megamanj2004X]

And even Bill Cullen did a handful of times too. Especially during the back half of the 1976-77 season when Garry had to temporarily step away for throat surgery.

[@ebf1957]

Orson Bean also filled in for Garry for a segment one time.

[@PREGO1966]

As did Peggy Cass

[@ticerust3782]

Did I hear hear Garry say "Kitty Carl-izzle?" Did...did Garry Moore invent -izzle speak?

[@jaycee330]

Fo shizzle.

[@PREGO1966]

he did it on porpoise

[@Sphyraminx]

No, but it does originate in the 1970s.

[@ericpregosin511]

That stuffed shirt did everything he did on porpoise

[@pfflyer3381]

M.Franklyn your Beautiful

[@michaelwascom62]

Peggy Cass looks like she underwent a face-lift, or else wearing a lot of make-up . She looks much younger than when she was panelist on the original TTTT. Love the psychodelic set! Also, Bill Cullen's "new and mod" look!

[@January.]

To me, she just looks like she lost a bit of weight.

[@David-yw2lv]

Nina #1 was very pretty.The real Nina & #3 were not bad either Garry Moore is the only one I ever heard pronounce the word bicycle with the Y pronounced as a long I.

[@770WT]

Gary Moore aged dramatically from 1970 to 1973 episodes .

[@megamanj2004X]

I guess you can chalk that up to his many years of being a heavy smoker. On the original version of I’ve Got a Secret during a good portion of Garry’s tenure as host there that show was sponsored by a cigarette company (in that case, Winston). His many years of smoking also played a part in his eventual retirement from hosting this show (and much later in his life death from emphysema) when he had to miss half of the 1976-77 season of Truth to undergo throat surgery and then returning for the start of the 1977-78 season to hand the reigns over to Joe Garagiola (who was not only a semi-regular on this version of Truth but also was a fill-in as well) permanently. Those lifetime smoking habits eventually caught up and did in both Bill Cullen (who died in mid-1990) and Garry Moore (who ultimately passed away in 1993).

[@robertdesantis6205]

He reminds me of Buster Keaton

[@scotnick59]

I think Peggy looked more attractive during this period

[@jeffpiegari4942]

Anymore please

[@pfflyer3381]

Going with traffic is how most people get hit by vehicles.( Which is the law and why its stupid.) Because, most people aren't paying attention as they drive. I like to see if they can see me. So i can bailout. also the parked car opens door on you thing. Not fun. again ,if you can see them you'll know if they see you and most probably will since they should be looking forward. not many people look back before opening their door. Or get out on the right like back in the 50s. And yet ,the law is if you walk in the street you should walk against traffic .so wtf. Having wheels makes a difference? What about bike paths, people walk in the same direction as the bikes. How many stories of the drunk driver who runs over a jogger or bicyclist who was going the same way. Open to thoughts.not fights

[@allanshulstad1783]

I googled Nina's picture

[@philiphoward1731]

Set a Schwinn’s bikes were made at the factory in Chicago Chicago Illinois I think the bikes are now In China although they’re not that bad really

[@usermikes]

Bennett Cerf died in 1971..

[@Bigbadwhitecracker]

He also woefully filled in for John Charles Daley on WML I think in 1957. Truly cringe-worthy. After that, they flew in Eamonn Andrews from London who was terrific.

[@wardholman4844]

I cheated and googled images of the name.

[@elliebellie7816]

Why does Gary Moore call them BYE-cycles?

[@TylerDeBoy]

A year before Bennett died? He looks great! What happened?

[@peternagy-im4be]

He simply died. These things happen.

[@michaelwascom62]

He was 73 --- considered OLD in 1971. Also he was a heavy smoker much of his adult life.

[@LaptopLarry330]

According to his obituary at “The New York Times” website, it stated that, several months before his death, Cerf had underwent “major abdominal surgery”. Translation: Bennett Cerf died of colon cancer. In Gil Fates’ book about “What’s My Line?”, it stated that when the syndicated version of the show was starting in 1968, Bennett Cerf did not want to go through the stresses working a full-time TV work schedule in his old age. They agreed to an arrangement, where Cerf would appear on the Monday and Friday episodes of the show. That way, he would not have to go through a lot of wardrobe changes during the extensive TV taping workload. This may have been done by Cerf to conceal his colorectal bleeding issues. I am really surprised that Bennett Cerf made a number of guest panelist appearances on “To Tell The Truth” during the first two seasons of syndication.

[@RJS3566]

Bennett Cerf died less than one year later.

[@edwardvogel9094]

Peggy Cass asks what kind of bike would you recommend for me? Answer: an Oldsmobile!

[@nelsonricardo3729]

bye-cycle?

[@jackbusby9602]

I've always liked Bud Colyer as host so much better than Garry Moore. To me, Garry always seems to be a little full of himself and hogs the air time. In this episode he was typical Garry and didn't help the panel at all.

[@davidmunns135]

First time in the hot seat and she flubs it like a Gooden

[@TheCosmicVagabond]

Nina seems very snobbish and acts like a spoiled little witch! 😵