Lady Gold Miner on "What's My Line?"

This lady's elegant appearance reminds me of one of my favorite mid-century models, Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn.

[@karlakor]

How in the world did Bennett Cerf zero in on mining? The entire panel seemed to be out at sea with regard to her job, but he suddenly brought them home. Bennett was very smart!

[@8.5lives59]

He probably went by the audience's surprised reaction when her line was first announced, leading him to think it was not what one would expect. But being alert to that is what made him clever.

[@asantesamuel13]

She's from South Dakota so I think he thought she might have something to do with something blue collar more specific to South Dakota, such as oil and gas or mining or ranching.

[@hawkeyeten2450]

@@asantesamuel13 OH, I keep forgetting the Black Hills and other gold deposits are there. That makes sense now! She already said it was a basic product that she as a woman could use, so that pretty much limits it down to stuff like oil, meat or precious metals. Very good reasoning by Mr. Cerf.

[@londonlady227]

Serf sometimes knew in advance.

[@pvtjoker468]

"But the panel's going to have to dig." A subtle hint to the panel by Daley...

[@tgwnn]

and then "this is getting rough..."

[@anntaylor2039]

He said that line a lot..." The Panel is going to have to dig. "

[@augerontgen8240]

I like the perceptive mind of Bennet Cerf.

[@wiguy3]

@wmlfan9 That was a very strange comment. Given the humor of the time though, I think Dorothy was merely trying to be witty and charming like Arlene. Dorothy was an educated and well repspected journalists and would have no doubt gone on to great things had she not died very young. I firmly beleive she was killed because of what she was about to divulge involing the Kennedy assasignation. She wasn't always witty and she did take herself quite seriously but she was elegant and charming

[@benreyirl]

wiguy3 yes she interviewed jack ruby and said she had some information that would rock the world. Or something to that effect

[@troydante]

What was that comment from Cerf about George Jessel being interested in 'miners' ?

[@algoritmosalfredohipicasig7116]

Cerf fired off a cheap shot alluding to the scandal Jessel caused by marrying a minor. On a subsequent WML, Georgie shot back comparing Bennett to Sidney Luft considered a Hollywood loser.

[@vinrod4]

Daly doesn't know the word opaque?

[@cogidubnus1953]

Of course he does, but he's tactfully suggesting it's reworded so it's equally clear to all the viewers...

[@Celisar1]

cogidubnus1953 So he thinks we, the audience, are uneducated and ignorant? Swell.

[@SatchmoSings]

She was very tall; it would be interesting to find out how she shopped for clothes in those days; I'm a man who's 6'1.5" and even for me, it's hard sometimes; a woman that height, back then, would have had more of an issue.

[@tastx3142]

SatchmoSings Many women either made their clothes or had them made. I was 5'7" as a teenager in the early 70's and wore men's jeans because I could get them longer. Women's pants hit me 3" above my ankle. I had a friend who was 6' and we both sewed our clothes, back then you couldn't wear jeans to school and they started letting us wear 'coordinated pantsuits' to school. I grew up in Aurora, CO and remember having to walk to school, a little over a mile, in dresses in freezing weather. Things have changed so much, people don't believe that was the reality. With only one car for the family, we walked as did everyone else in our neighborhood.

[@irvingklaw57]

Bennett's last minute save is suspicious.

[@SatchmoSings]

@wmlfan9 I personally find the lack of self-reliance to look up stuff on your own pretty idiotic, especially so since it is obvious you have the internet; it's not as if you have to schlepp over to a library to look this up. Since I am the kind of person who can and does "look things up" I find it odd and even strange that others cannot or even refuse to do like wise. I also find it strange that someone who is my own age is not famaliar with Kilgallen's legacy over all these years.

[@Joe_Momma_]

God damn... People were weird back then...try and sound all proper and try and try to be funny, and the way they move around... it just looks really weird

[@calalilygirl]

Every age group young and old should watch these clips. I swear they're therapeutic.

[@jasonrowe344]

What a knockout!

[@miketheyunggod2534]

This show was way ahead of its time. It would bring in women who work at traditional male jobs.

[@googleuser7454]

I like that about this show. Plus, they didn't usually treat women in traditionally male jobs or people in general in unusual lines of work as a joke

[@hawkeyeten2450]

Maybe on TV, but LIFE Magazine was also famous in the 1950s for showing career women among others. One of their cover stories showed a dual US Navy couple (the wife was a servicewoman, NOT a nurse), while another article I saw featured a female home builder (and mining engineer) from Anchorage, Alaska. REALLY cool stuff.

[@TimsNew77]

I think Dorothy made it as a compliment. She was saying that she was good looking. It was just her trying to be witty.

[@colasalz2]

Beeinga Gold Digger is Not considered tobe a compliment

[@cdh79]

@@colasalz2 Different times, different perception of what's offensive and what not.. we're talking about more than half a century back here and what deems very offensive nowadays used to be normal.. quite often women (mostly the mystery guests) on this show were also asked about their husbands and the husbands profession, while nowadays i could imagine some women rightfully could get upset about being asked of the achievements of their partner instead of their own..

[@IrishEagIe]

@@colasalz2 It wasn't offensive at the time, it didn't have that meaning at the time.

[@IrishEagIe]

@@colasalz2 She was being coy

[@tastx3142]

She is striking enough to be a model!

[@Celisar1]

TAS TX One of the most attractive contestants on the show: elegant, gracious and beautiful.

[@gmaureen]

She looked and carried herself like a model. Wonder if she had done that at one time?

[@Inonca]

The Lady carried herself so well.

[@Celisar1]

What a beautiful and naturally elegant woman!

[@sysjkb]

Bennett frequently tried to guess the occupation of the contestant based on where he resided. South Dakota is well known as a mining state, so -- given the previous discussion about how it was a "basic product" and was somehow affiliated with jewelry -- I'm not particularly suspicious.

[@sweeney60]

@intooblv ya, golddiggers were very attractive women and she was implying she could have any man she wanted on that alone. It truly was a compliment.

[@tabor721]

Unlike Hal Block, Dorothy said the statement about "gold digger instead of gold miner" in a respectful manner. It looks like Dorothy may have good intentions when she said this statement. But a statement like this can end up being viewed "negatively" if we don't understand the inner intentions of the person who spoke it.

[@charlieinslidell]

Yes, sometimes comments like this were meant to acknowledge the attractiveness or pleasant attributes of a person rather than try to degrade. You can tell by the genuineness of the comments not being sarcastic.

[@IrishEagIe]

She was only being coy.

[@bendakstarkiller1270]

1:23 - I love John giving them a vague, clandestine hint "but the panel's going to have to dig" :)

[@SoaringTrumpet]

Did you catch the knock against George Jessel at the end? "You better stay away from George...he's always interested in minors." Bennett often went for bad puns, but that's one of the cleverest jokes I've heard from him. And quite risque too!

[@Vedergewicht]

I have no idea if you still maintain this account but I laughed out loud at that joke too, literally saying 'oh my!' to myself. A decade later -- again -- Cerf keeps entertaining us!

[@Vinterfrid]

Thing is that what he actually said was "interested in mining" - not "minors". Right?

[@Vinterfrid]

@@Vedergewicht "Mining" - not "minors"!

[@qwiklok]

I think this was a stacked jury. there's no way he could have bumped on mining so quickly. not right

[@dforscher]

man, even a miner has classy manner in those days. nowadays even royalty couldn't act like one

[@Udobrenie]

I agree with you

[@MrPoupard]

dforscher You're dead right. As they age these old shows demonstrate sadly how social mores have reduced. The woman is naturally beautiful and exhibits a natural grace and elegance light years from what you'd expect from an equivalent in 2018.

[@RobJazzful]

Is there really a reason to denigrate people to point out something nice about others?

[@MrPoupard]

As these shows age they demonstrate forcefully how social mores have reduced. As someone else has commented below in a few short minutes the lady miner exhibits more natural beauty, elegance and grace than even Royalty could ever muster today.

[@RH-cv1rg]

@@epistemophiliac5334 I remember everyone being addressed as Mr./Mrs/Miss, people wore hats and dressed up to go shopping, even in small towns. Not everyone had the linguistic skills of the panel but they certainly didn't wear pajamas and sagging pants to the grocery store addressing the clerks as "dude".

[@silviutiplea7126]

Dude. Bennett Cerf is so smart.

[@swimasfastasyoucan]

Thanks for these video's. Subbed

[@wmlfan9]

Did you notice that at the very instant that her occupation came up (1:25), John told the panel that they'd have to dig? I wonder if that was a deliberate pun.

[@anntaylor2039]

I noticed that John said that phrase in a lot of episodes.

[@nocalsteve]

It was a compliment.

[@LandondeeL]

4:52 John sure loved having those "small conferences"!

[@HotelPapa100]

Too bad Dorothy dropped the hint she'd got from looking at her hands. (I guess that "are you a Farmer" did not come out of the blue.)

[@jmccracken1963]

I'm SOOOO glad that, as this outstanding program evolved, the producers eliminated the "perp walk" and the free guess by the panel. Thank you for sharing this with us!!!!!

[@woffus]

I like Bennet Cerf. He was a smart guy.

[@ShawDAMAN]

Bennett is the man! always my favorite male panelist, :) (Arlene is my favorite female one) ;P

[@anntaylor2039]

Arlene is just my favorite and Bennett my 2nd fav.

[@bambi274]

A goald miner is a goald digger?

[@wmlfan9]

@intooblv The term "golddigger" carries a negative connotation, does it not? It refers to a woman who beguiles men out of money and gifts. I can think of better ways to compliment a woman than that. Still, Dorothy did say "respectably" and "digging gold" rather than "golddigger" and I'm sure there was nothing mean-spirited in her heart, so, very well - I take your point.

[@smallpseudonym2844]

Any other compliment would have failed to create a pun. "Digging Gold" could compliment her looks and achieve the pun. Perhaps you should think a bit before you criticize.

[@davidevans3175]

Panel comments have to be taken in the context of the time. If you weren't around then, relax.

[@franklesser5655]

Hal block was really creepy and annoying.

[@wmlfan9]

Point taken. I'm sure Dorothy's heart was in the right place and meant her comment as a compliment. Good to hear from you.

[@bighands69]

It was a joke. Today's society is just too sensitive.

[@bigred997]

she looks like a body double for an older janet leigh or dina merril. amazing how bennett pulled it out oike that. he must have figured what else does one do in south dakota.

[@bigoldinosaur]

"Quit gettin so close to her."

[@ShawDAMAN]

@pildskadden Agreed, big Bennett fan in spite of the cheesy puns and wordplay ;)

[@wmlfan9]

@SatchmoSings Again you insult me and call names. What on earth did I do to bring such vindictiveness from you down on my head ? All I did was ask you why you said what you said. When you make an accusation you, not I, have the burden of proof. If you had said "I base my statement on what I read in Wikipedia" I would have gladly accepted that, but to rant and rage at me - why?

[@wmlfan9]

A hillbilly? With those chiseled features and patrician looks? Really?

[@KarinPluss]

@SoaringTrumpet I was surprised that joke got by without as much as a giggle. Great joke actually! I did find Bennett's sudden guess about mining a bit sketchy, though. Seemed a bit too out of the blue....

[@Vinterfrid]

You misheard it.

[@wmlfan9]

Yes, Dorothy did say respectfully, and she said golddigging rather that golddigger, and there was no edge to her voice so - very well- I'm sure her heart was in the right place.

[@shuboy05]

Indeed, it sounded like Dorothy was stating that she was too attractive to be gold mining.

[@Sspiral1]

wmlfan9 excellent point the difference between “goldigging” & “golddigger”. That is just the “Finest” details on Lovely DK’s Class!

[@wmlfan9]

@SatchmoSings Dear SatchmoSings, thanks you for ceasing your insults. One last thing - the ONLY thing I was attempting to do was "pick your brains". You kept refering me to Wikipedia (which of course I read) but the Wiki article only gives me facts - it does not give me your worthy opinion which is what I was hoping to elicit. I thought you'd enjoy sharing with me your personal favorite of DK's dastardly deed. It was just a good-natured question. OK, now I'm done. No hard feelings. WMLFAN9

[@swingmanic]

This lady (Reggie) certainly was an attractive lady with her tall, willowy frame and gorgeous facial structure..She seemed very shy and vulnerable..Both she and the rocket scientist (Helen P Mann) from Cape Canaveral stand out in my mind, who I found out was widowed with a little boy after losing her husband in a car crash.

[@GiveMeThatLetter]

She looks a lot like Lena Headey.

[@wmlfan9]

@SatchmoSings Thanks, SatchmoSings, for your kind, civil response. I sincerely appreciate it. And now, my friend, with any luck we'll meet each other on other threads devoted to the greatest TV show ever - What's My Line. (PS You've GOT to love that Sinatra appellation for DK - "The Chinless Wonder" LOL)

[@flaggerify]

I thought they weren't going to get that.

[@fever_spike]

*BENNETT!*

[@philipusher4282]

Unusual looks??

[@Baskerville22]

John Daly too often acts as though he is the contestant, with him answering the panels' questions before the contestant has a chance to. He seems rather too full of his own cleverness and maximizes the opportunities to display it. The contestant is often left as an onlooker rather than as an active participant.

[@jmarlow2153]

Bennett traveled all over the world and took a keen interest in everyplace he visited.

[@sweetiepillow]

Bennet rocks, rest in peace

[@eron1963]

yes Bennet rocks he was amacing

[@calalilygirl]

Bennett read the papers and knew who was in town.

[@wmlfan9]

More insults ("idiotic"). I do not insult you - why do you insult me? All I ever did was ask a simple, harmless question. Again, when you insult someone for no reason you reveal much more about your own character than you do about the person you're insulting.

[@wmlfan9]

@SatchmoSings I too can and do "look things up". I was just curious as to what your specific source was that you based your comment on. I maintain that mine was a perfectly reasonable question. "Her entry in Wikipedia" would have been a civil response from you - agreed? And without the insults, name-calling and vile language. If you only knew how your hateful comments hurt me, I'm sure you wouldn't do it. BTW, what makes you think we're the same age? This time not a screed, please.

[@SoaringTrumpet]

@KarinPluss Yeah I agree about Bennett, he was a bit sneaky when it came to figuring out these things. Although it usually came into play regarding celebrities; he'd scoured the news pages to see which were in town that day! :P

[@wmlfan9]

@SatchmoSings My heavens - I ask a simple, harmless question in reply to your post and you repeatedly insult me. When you insult me for no reason that says more about you than about me.

[@wmlfan9]

@SatchmoSings You say you find all my comments to be something that still stand? OK, so do I. You don't want to speak anymore. OK, we won't - this'll be my last missive to you. (Gee, I was just trying to be friendly.) One last thing - I know about 99% of the celebrity guests.

[@wmlfan9]

@wiguy3 Just so I understand, when you say "that was a very strange comment" are you refering to the comment I made or the comment Dorothy made? Otherwise I do not know how to respond to what you said.

[@wmlfan9]

@SatchmoSings Awright, Satchmo - NOW we're on the same page! I'm sure if Kilgallen were around today her hair stylist would inform her that it's not 1922.

[@MsSarjen]

@wmlfan9 Seing the time this show was set in, you occationally hear some very strange remarks on it.

[@calalilygirl]

She wrote. She didn't necessarily read. Bennett also made associations with the geography of the guests home state.

[@Fordham1969]

This would be one of those instances in which a person might be suspicious that one or more of the panelists were fed the occupation in advance.While I'm not saying that I think that's the case,how in the heck did he get mining from everything that went before it?!

[@bighands69]

Fordham1969 It was simple he found out that it was gold. He had only a minute to get it. He even said what do you do with the gold and had a few options and decided to go with the most unusual one for a women. Remember the audience laughed at first. They were not going to laugh at somebody who was a jeweler or gold trader. Process of elimination is what they used. Times were simple back then. Men were men and women were women. There was no cultural confusion. Today we go around acting as if the Nursing industry is 50-50 or the construction industry has large volumes of women employed.

[@wmlfan9]

@SatchmoSings Oh? Why do you say that?

[@63utuber]

great save by Bennett!

[@calalilygirl]

What a lovely comment. You rock for that!

[@wmlfan9]

True, true. I'm sure her heart was in the right place.

[@colasalz2]

I would find it rude this comment

[@MrPoupard]

As ever Dorothy is closest off the mark …..

[@SatchmoSings]

@wmlfan9 First of all, you're not the kind of person who "looks things up," otherwise you'd not have asked the question you did in the first place. Secondly are ages are fairly close; I looked up yours on your homepage and obviously you didn't bother to look up mine; another example of how you DON'T "look things up." That you somehow "need to be told" to look up Kilgallen's bio on Wikipedia seems rather idiotic to me.

[@SatchmoSings]

I wouldn't mind being marooned with her on a tropical island, at least for a little while . . .

[@ellDiavolo666]

well dorothy wrote the papers and she didnt know

[@Crazycatperson66]

I feel like every time they had a woman of non-celebrity status, all the questions implied "Are you a prostitute?"

[@bighands69]

None of the questions implied anything like that. Your modern conditioned mind simply thinks that way.

[@clifftonicstudios7469]

@@bighands69 I drive a 50s car live a 50s life . and people assume I'm racist. the pathectic world today i,m only 33. and hate it. was in the army was helped by Muslims in afghan there not all bad, stupid world.

[@B2T.]

Your comment confirms you are indeed a crazy cat person.

[@wmlfan9]

Oh, honestly, Dorothy. Did you really have to tell that nice lady that she would be better suited to be a goldigger than a gold miner? That coming from Hal Block I could see, but you?

[@SatchmoSings]

@wmlfan9 Do me a big favor and don't bother speaking with me; I've been skimming our thread and I find all your comments subsequent to my pointing out your inability to research Ms. Kilgallen for yourself to be something that still stands as far as I'm concerned. I'm also fairly sure you have no idea who most of the celebrity guests are; you must find other elements of this show appealing.

[@gaylespencer6188]

What a smear by Kilgallen, "She's more suited for gold digging than mining." That lady should be pissed.

[@stephenkennedy8767]

Gayle Spencer kilgallen was a total buffoon

[@twoonthewall]

He ment she was pretty ad aposed to the typical image of a dirty miner swinging a pick

[@Celisar1]

Gayle Spencer I took it as a compliment meaning she is very attractive and could get every man she wants- and it was wittily adapted to the contestant’s job.

[@Daramouthe]

It was meant more as a joke. Hence why everyone laughed. Maybe it could be construed as an insult, but it didn't feel as such.

[@SatchmoSings]

@wmlfan9 The Wikipedia article on Kilgallen covered many highlights of why she was not popular with the other panelists and, at least, a somewhat controversial figure who was not so well-liked; these also includes the details of her death. Frank Sinatra used to call her "The Chinless Wonder;" she's also a person of somewhat limited warmth, charm and overall good humor; she tends to take herself rather seriously.

[@Celisar1]

She is very sharp and likes to apply her keen thinking making her quite competitive but she can also be very sweet and charming.

[@SatchmoSings]

@wmlfan9 Well, Kilgallen was an incredible low-life.

[@rowbygoren1830]

Is that so? Please elaborate.

[@Bestoftherest222]

She was high as a kite.

[@sanfrancisco48]

Dorothy tends to be rude ... "gold digger" ? Geez.

[@smallpseudonym2844]

Heaven forbid she call the person beautiful and make a pun while she's at it.

[@SatchmoSings]

@wmlfan9 I'm sure that if Kilgallen had been around today, she would have had a chin implant