Judge For Yourself w FRED ALLEN - Henry Nostradamus - Intro by Phyllis Diller (Dec 29, 1953)

[@originalmatchgame]

Gary , you are the kindest , most generous person , on this earth . You give more of your time , than we can ever thank you enough for . I have viewed , and immensely enjoyed , each and every one of your posts . I look forward to every new video with the anticipation of Christmas Morning . I can't wait to be the first subscriber to your new To Tell The Truth channel . Once again , thank you for your hard work . Barry

[@WhatsMyLine]

Barry G Thank you so much, Barry, for the very, very kind words! But believe me, I get a lot out of this myself, most of all from the discussions with the great people in this community, not to mention all the video that has been sent to me by other collectors that I wouldn't have had access to if I hadn't started posting to KZbin. :) Hopefully now that I'm slowing down the schedule of new WML channel video postings to just the weekends, I'll finally have time to work on TTTT-- I honestly haven't even gotten started yet!

[@WhatsMyLine]

There's going to be a change in the posting schedule fro now on: I've mentioned before the possibility of our doing a re-watch of the series from the beginning, especially since the Facebook group was started only after two thirds of the series was already posted to KZbin. There seemed to be a good initial response to this idea, so. . . From now on, the new "extras" will be posted on the weekends, but Monday to Friday-- starting on April 20-- I'd like to start a WML re-watch of the episodes already on the WML channel in original broadcast order, to facilitate more great discussions like the ones we had about the shows posted after the channel really took off. This will also give me some much needed breathing room, since I haven't had time to work on anything but posting new videos every day (which has meant, among other things, no time to work on getting the "To Tell the Truth" channel started). Besides which, I think people may get burned out on extras without some sort of regular connection back to the actual WML episodes to anchor interest. I'll keep making announcements about it to get the message out (I have no idea how to effectively alert subscribers on KZbin), and I'll find *some* way to announce what episode we'll start the "reruns" with. The easiest way to follow the rerun discussions will be via the WML Facebook group, where I'll be posting links to the relevant episode every weekday. I think this will be the best way to keep our wonderful WML community strong and active now that the series proper has already been posted to KZbin in its entirety. Thanks, as always, for all the support, interest, and the great comments. I wouldn't still be doing this if I didn't genuinely love spending time with you folks! The schedule for new videos will be as follows, if all goes according to plan: 4/11: [I'm not telling yet-- it's a surprise] 4/12: Fred Allen on the Colgate Comedy Hour, with Tony Martin and Celeste Holm 4/18 & 4/19: Judge for Yourself 4/25 & 4/26: Judge for Yourself 5/3 & 5/4: WML regulars on nighttime Password 5/10 & 5/11: WML regulars on nighttime Password 5/17 & 5/18: WML regulars on nighttime Password 5/23 & 5/24: WML regulars on nighttime Password 5/30: To Tell the Truth with Dorothy on the panel (1962) 5/31: Fred Allen subbing for Herb Shriner on "Two for the Money" (1953) 6/6 & 6/7: John Daly on I've Got a Secret 6/13: I've Got a Secret with a WML-related segment [it's a secret. . . ] 6/14: Bennett Cerf speech at a NYC luncheon [audio only-- posted to the Facebook group before, but not on KZbin] 6/20: SCTV's "What's My Shoe Size" spoof of WML 6/21: Arlene hosting The Price Is Right (better quality copy than the one on KZbin now) ---------------------------------------------- Join our Facebook group for WML-- great discussions, photos, etc, and great people! facebook.com/groups/728471287199862/

[@soulierinvestments]

Fred Allen looks very good in this program. I like his suits. Too bad Fred never got a topical late night talk show of his own.

[@keithnaylor1981]

Great to see this gem after all these years. The soprano was magnificent with a very moving performance, which I watched twice. She should have got a standing ovation.

[@okitomagic]

Funny bits. Like it when Fred laughs at his comments to Nos .

[@soulierinvestments]

Arthur Fiedler started conducting the Boston Pops in the late 1920s and continued at it until a few months before he died in 1979. So here is Maestro Arthur looking very distinguished even at this early point which is roughly in the middle of his musical career. In August 1953, Maestro F and his orchestra were involved with none other than Kukla Fran and Ollie in a TV landmark: an early experimental color TV broadcast. This was months before the broadcast widely touted as the first network color broadcast -- NBC's 22 November 1953 "Colgate Palmolive Variety Show." Hard to tell if either one of them even got kinescoped. Nonetheless, Fiedler got kinescoped in December 1953.

[@Nyquil5]

I really like this show.Interesting to hear the "interviews" with the regular folks selected to judge and to compare their placings with those of the professionals.

[@jerryrichardson2799]

Thanks for posting this. Fred Allen should be better known.

[@loopshackr]

Judge Henderson: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Ezekiel_Henderson

[@fromthesidelines]

By the way, Bill Costa later recorded an album for the "Promenade" bargain LP label- "Holiday In Rome" (1958).

[@Bigbadwhitecracker]

What a treat this one was! Firstly, Fred was on the ball with his ad-libbing, and then we had this nut case "Nos". I really enjoyed all three very talented performers and what a show stopping surprise to see Bobby Breen all grown up. He nailed Ebb Tied, IMO.

[@daniellack3559]

Most Baby Boomers have either never heard of Fred Allen, or know very little about him, yet he was a giant on radio in the '30s and 40's on a par with Jack Benny, George and Gracie, Bob Hope, Red Skelton and many others...the problem is, Fred could never adapt successfully to the new medium of TV in the very late 40s and early 50s..The others mentioned above became just as popular on tv as they had been on radio for the previous 20 years..poor Fred just couldn't find the right formula for TV and so folks in their 60s and 70s just don't know him....

[@jmoss491]

I’m in my 50s - how did that happen? - and adore Mr Allen. Thanks in great part to all Gary’s gift of these shows. I watch a couple every evening, and am surprised when I talk about all the cool guests and panelists that no one knows what I am talking about.

[@usermikes]

I'm 74, and as a kid I did hear of Fred Allen, but could never put a face to the name.

[@tomservo56954]

And his sudden passing only a couple of years after this aired...

[@soulierinvestments]

16:10 > > Nostradamus coming up in a TV conversation in 1953 is so improbable that it is still startling. Personally, I don't buy that this guy is the reincarnated Nostradamus. If he were, his epic prophecy poem would have mentioned his appearing on the network big glass eye with [whatever is Latin symbolism for] funny man with the suitcases under his eyes.

[@WhatsMyLine]

soulierinvestments Fred gets in a few really solid laughs versus this guy, though it does require him to react a bit more in a Groucho vein than was his usual nature. But as funny as this interview was, it still doesn't escape the bigger problem plaguing the whole show, that none of this has anything to do with the supposed talent contest. Here we've lost even the tenuous pretext of Fred making the conversation at least start with why the contestant thought he would be a good judge of talent. Fred would have been much better off with a quiet format that had a simple quiz at its center, something that could have easily been downplayed. You Bet Your Life had a very simple quiz, as did Two for the Money. What we have on JFY are two separate programs with different tones alternating with each other every few minutes, and practically cancelling each other out. :( But Fred is very funny in this one! My beef is with the format, not him.

[@fromthesidelines]

As previously noted, Fred filmed the pilot of "TWO FOR THE MONEY" in June 1952. But then his doctor decided he wasn't "up" to doing such a weekly quiz program- even on FILM- and risk his blood pressure and heart condition at the same time. So, Herb Shriner was chosen as emcee. When "JUDGE FOR YOURSELF" was conceived, Fred didn't have to do any more than deliver a short monologue, and chat with the "civilian" judges.....THAT his doctor approved of. But, as you noted, there seemed to be TWO different shows conducted here.....and the shift to picking out potential new song hits didn't work, either. In fact, it increased the show's budget to the point where Lorillard decided it wasn't selling enough Old Golds (as "TWO FOR THE MONEY" obviously was) to justify the cost of sponsoring it for more than one season. They cancelled the show in May 1954, replacing it with the less expensive "TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES" {with Jack Bailey as emcee}.

[@WhatsMyLine]

Barry I. Grauman My feeling is simply that Fred was in better health by this point and got a doctor's go ahead to do a weekly series. I can't see how hosting TFTM would have been any more taxing on him than hosting JFY was. A short monologue, then a series of seated interviews with guests. The only difference, really, is that there were no production numbers, but I don't think Fred having to to be onscreen for an addition 4 and half minutes would have made the TFTM format any more demanding. I found an article a while back that outlined the production costs of various panel shows, and JFY had about DOUBLE the production budget that any other series had. No wonder it didn't last!

[@amberola1b]

this kind of reminds me of the early "Town Hall Tonight" shows where there was a segment towards the end of the program when they introduced amateur talent and had them perform for prize money except the judges of this show received the money. and for some reason the female judge of this show seemed to be holding in her enthusiasm at her winnings at the end of the program. I don't get it. but anyway it was nice to see Fred doing a tv show, but the premise was kind of unimaginative and I think they could have given Fred a better vehicle for a game show.

[@WhatsMyLine]

I agree with your reaction to this format completely, and allow me to add a "wow" to see a *real* Fred Allen fan, if you're familiar enough with those early Town Hall Tonight shows to have made the astute connection you did to those amateur contests. Fred's whole career in showbiz started as a young kid juggler in amateur contests, too! "Two for the Money", which Goodson-Todman developed for Fred in 1952, was a **much** better format for him, basically akin to "You Bet Your Life". He filmed a pilot for it, but had to turn the actual series on doctor's orders, so Herb Shriner took the gig instead. We do have one episode of TFTM where Herb was off and Fred subbed for him, which is quite good. A real missed opportunity that Fred had to give up TFTM for health reasons, but got saddled with a full season of JFY instead. Then again, had his own shows worked, he'd never have ended up on WML, so there's that, too, I guess!

[@snuppy]

No one noticed Bobby lip syncing?

[@algoritmosalfredohipicasig7116]

Two things I guessed. First, the pro's would favor the sexy opera singer despite the rousing third vocal. Second, if there was any money to be had, it would go to the banker. Nowadays, Nos would be considered a perfectly normal KZbin guest speaker.

[@SheilaB]

Nice show. I would feel more comfortable watching it if Fred could have stumbled over his words less. I don't think he was at all comfortable with this kind of show. I just want him to stop for a few seconds and take a deep breath and keep calm and carry on.

[@WhatsMyLine]

Sheila B I totally agree with you. Despite his ad libbing prowess, it seems to me that when delivering prewritten material Fred was very, very uncomfortable without a script in hand as he had on radio for 17+ years.

[@waynehowell6160]

That just wasn't my cup of tea at all. Fred Allen always complained that he just couldn't make it in Television, and perhaps it was because they kept putting him in such unsuitable vehicles. I fear this program would have flopped no matter who hosted. The game aspect was weak, and the talent was rather pedestrian, although I did enjoy the soprano's aria.

[@soulierinvestments]

The accordion is so out of style in mod American pop music that it is hard to even understand how difficult the thing is to play. One hand must play a keyboard. The other hand must play rows of buttons. Then there is the business of squeezing it hard to get the volume. All this multitasking while the artiste stands up. Thank heaven costa did not do "Lady of Spain" on his instrument. That would have been too cliche for words.