What's My Line? (1968) Bennett Cerf is your Mystery Guest

Bennett's first appearance relating to the syndicated What's My Line? was as the Mystery Guest for the Wally Bruner version in 1968. Bennett would later be on the panel as well as a semi-regular, up until right before his death.

[@GodsFavoriteBassPlyr]

Just SEEING Mr. Cerf always makes me smile. If I were walking along a beach one day ..and came up on a lamp .. rubbed a genie out of it and were granted but One wish.. I would wish to live the life that Bennett lived. What a time he must have had!~

[@JohnJApanovitch]

Bennett Cerf appearing as a mystery guest just shows how the memories come rushing back in. What an amazing show, with some amazing people.

[@rickwhite3181]

The best of people Dorothy Fred Allen Arlene Bennett And John Daly there's no more of this Class of people . What a great time to be an American wish I was born 25 yrs earlier .

[@JohnJApanovitch]

@@rickwhite3181 I know. People back then talked and dressed so much nicer than the current generation. I wish we still had people like this.

[@kristabrewer6736]

@@rickwhite3181 Most definitely NOT Fred Allen

[@freeguy77]

@@kristabrewer6736 What do you have against the great Fred Allen?

[@moboutmen]

Bennett Cerf?!? NOT IN BLACK AND WHITE?!?

[@jamessnedeker4799]

I like to imagine Bennett, John, Arlene, and Dorothy are reunited again and dealing with new mystery guests like Joseph of Arimethia and Lisa Left Eye Lopes.

[@carolsharples6970]

Bet they will as well 😂

[@40stbotolph]

And Fred too.

[@autumngraceguitar6604]

Bennett, John, and Arlene estranged themselves from her in the later years of What's My Line? Dorothy would publish their conversations in columns and they felt betrayed. They wouldn't want to work with her even in afterlife.

[@jamessnedeker4799]

@@autumngraceguitar6604 maybe. I still have some hope that the passage of time allows them to forgive and forget. Dorothy wasn't in the best state of mind towards the end.

[@freeguy77]

@@40stbotolph Don't forget the marvelously, extraordinarily talented Steve Allen!

[@MrMatteNWk]

I love Phyllis's genuine excitement when she figures it out

[@warriormanmaxx8991]

@MrMatteNWK - Phyllis properly waits her turn to get "excited," as opposed to Soupy Sales, who cannot wait for his turn to talk !!

[@dennisdivine7448]

Bennett Cerf seemed like a very nice, thoughtful man. The premise of "What's My Line" wouldn't work (well) nowadays, because the panel that included Cerf celebrated the careers of working-class people. So the panel on the Sunday night show's original run would be dressed in formal attire, guessing the occupations of people who often had ordinary or offbeat jobs. And don't forget that Cerf was the co-founder of Random House, with his own humor books and a syndicated newspaper column--the man was entrenched in New York high society, promoting '60s authors as diverse as Truman Capote and Dr. Seuss! And yet he related perfectly to guests coming on the show with careers much humbler than his. One side note: it seems strange to see Bennett Cerf not in a tuxedo AND in color!

[@bluebear1985]

One such instance when Bennett was on the original show that was interesting was when Steve Allen was the mystery guest. After Dorothy Kilgallen had asked the first question, John Daly accidentally said "Mr. Allen" instead of "Mr. Cerf" like he was supposed to. Made for quite the hilarious moment.

[@StaciArdmore]

I watched that incident right before I saw this one.

[@tomassantolingodoy9818]

​@@StaciArdmore Same here. This is the link in case anyone else's interested kzbin.info/www/bejne/n5aXoHStiMaAi9E

[@paulblatchfordplymouth]

They all seemed to genuinely have fun doing the show. Fred Allen was hilarious.

[@moonlightray8493]

1:54 Arlene asks Bennett one of his favourite questions as a panelist, haha I do wish Arlene could've had a chance to be the Mystery Guest at some point... all of the other WML regulars have done it at least once (Dorothy, John, Fred, Steve, and now Bennett), and as an actress, I bet that she could've done the best job in fooling her friends on the panel!

[@JavaScriptJolt]

Bennett was my favorite WML Panelist. This is a treat!

[@OperaJH]

Ditto!!! 👍🏻

[@kenhenderson1762]

The "new" WML taped 5 shows in a day two days per week for 2 weeks per month. Each session started in the morning and went to mid-afternoon. Bennett couldn't participate because of his business commitments. Arlene was able to participate because her appearances on Broadway were at night (WML deliberately avoided taping on Wednesdays to accommodate Arlene's matinees) and she taped her radio show in advance of WML's tapings. After WML's first syndicated season Bennett occasionally took days off from his Random House duties so he could appear on the panel until his sudden death in 1971.

[@gphell33]

In addition to appearing on the original WML together, Arlene and Bennett were neighbors in Mount Kisko and their sons were best friends.

[@joemartines3545]

Interesting .... do you know Mt. Kisco well?

[@seriouslyyoujest1771]

Thank you for sharing that!

[@georgehellerman9344]

@@seriouslyyoujest1771 Arlene’s son, Peter Gabel died recently. He appeared as a Mystery Guest a few times.

[@georgehellerman9344]

@@joemartines3545 No other than I go by it frequently on I-684 on my way to Boston. Arlene’s son Peter Gabel died recently.

[@rpc717]

They appeared together as mystery guests when they were at Harvard.

[@kingforaday8725]

Even back in 1968 this show was nothing like the original.

[@MissLizaMay]

I've never seen him in color before!

[@DerGlaetze]

Bennett lived a charmed life. I would have loved to have been a good friend of his.

[@seriouslyyoujest1771]

And although gone a long time, still gives such joy to the works. I’m so glad these shows are on KZbin

[@madeleine9907]

Well he sure liked his own voice 😅

[@1aikane]

Mr. Cerf looks just like he did in the 50s-60s. Good show

[@kevinw9073]

Bennett Cerf is a classic! Well done.

[@loutimmons3099]

Awe, I miss Bennett. But honestly, wasn't he a master at disguising his voice?!?

[@smadaf]

Color (as opposed to black and white) adds so much . . . and takes so much away.

[@youminholastransit3218]

This was when class truly vanished. Every song the late 60s and early 70s

[@thediamonddog95]

At least 2 big differences : no John Daly, and a different camera movement style. It almost looks like a half succesful reunion.

[@musicom67]

@@thediamonddog95 And it's taped, not live.

[@someguy23475]

Some of the CBS shows were taped. The final year was in color.

[@GeeBee909]

Hard to believe that only 10 years before this show was 1958 and the entire original what's my line gang was together. Also, this is a rare case where color hurts a show. I much prefer the black and white John Daly ones to these

[@billbrimmer1739]

Nice seeing Arlene and Phyllis on the panel. Bennett was such a personality! It may be my imagination but Wally Bruner sounds a bit like John Daly.

[@gnirolnamlerf593]

Happily Gawn Grainger and Darryl Hickman are still with us. Sadly, Arlene, Phyllis, Bennett and Wally no longer are, and Darryl just recently lost his brother Dwayne, whom I fondly remember from my childhood as Dobie Gillis.

[@joshron99]

Panelists of WML were terrific as was Bennett. Good to mention Fred Allen and, though not likely to be mentioned was Hal Block whose wit saved the show as it debuted flat even Goodson thought it was flat and wouldn't make it. Block was put in and got it off the ground, unsung hero. Became best panel (game) show in TV hx.

[@mistermac56]

Bennett Cerf stated in a NYT oral history about his life and career that he thought Hal Block wasn't a good panelist.

[@seethevolcane-qj8ys]

A lot of troubling stories re Hal as panelist.@@mistermac56

[@QuadMochaMatti]

Hal Block was a buffoonish clod. The episodes that he appeared on are painful to watch. It's a real life example of "one of these things is not like the others; one of these things just doesn't belong..."

[@seal3081]

He looks great for being 70 years old here

[@youminholastransit3218]

I know. Hard to believe he died a few years later.

[@JohnJApanovitch]

@@youminholastransit3218 I think the last surviving panelist of the original show was Arlene Francis. She died in 2001 in her 90s. We had such classy people back then.

[@mehboobkm2018]

To me he never changed.. He looked how he looked 18 years ealier

[@jayonnaj18]

Bennett Cerf was my favorite WML panelist!!!😊

[@bencheshire]

John would have clarified the entertainment answer

[@lydiarodgers]

i’m surprised this version ran for as long as it did, it just doesn’t seem to have the spark the original did. even the audience didn’t seem that bothered when bennett appeared

[@gedias1]

I'm thinking color TV and the more ornate sets that came with that had something to do with it. Picture this particular show in black and white.

[@musicom67]

@@gedias1 It's ugly as hell either way! The carpenter/set-builder was in his own heaven, though... Probably re-used the cut shaped wood for Fire Department plaques.

[@gedias1]

@@musicom67 It was the style of the late 60s, early 70s. The set design is created by a whole team, and had to be approved by producers.

[@edwardoneil3962]

They probably all passed away 12😀

[@someguy23475]

The final CBS season was in color, sadly the show was saved on B&W kinescopes. Perhaps color did kill some of the charm and ended up playing a part in cancellation.

[@TnseWlms]

I was first introduced to him through his children's books of riddles and laughs. "What is big and red and eats rocks?" "Teacher, would you get mad at me over something I did not do?" "Of course not." "Good. Because I didn't do my homework."

[@rpc717]

I got that book in 1969 and still have it - the big red rock eater is on the cover!

[@tomtransport]

In the late 50's Mike Wallace interviewed Bennett. Mike asked quite a few Loaded question about books, book censorship and outright book banning. Mike Wallace, although he was in a room with two very smart men, Mike was not the smartest of the two and it showed during the interview. I came away as a bigger fan with a great respect for Bennett then I was able to see as a panelist on WML. Point? I got to know the man better. I have to wonder if Bennett has a picture of himself in his attic showing age, as he sure looks the same to me as in the 50's.😆😆😆Ps, that interview can be found here on UTUBE.

[@mistermac56]

During the original run on CBS, there was a rumor that Mike Wallace was going to replace John Daly. Dorothy Kilgallen ran with the rumor in one of her columns and Daly was furious. Bennett stated in a NYT oral history about his life and career that after she did this, anytime they were discussing any personal information backstage getting ready for the show, and Dorothy entered the room, the conversation would change. Bennett also stated in his oral history that Daly's relationship to Dorothy soured after the incident and he never forgave her. Bennett also stated that if he or Arlene Francis knew who the mystery guest was, they wouldn't immediately say who they were, so that it wouldn't totally ruin the mystery guest segment, but he said Dorothy wouldn't play along.

[@devingibson4463]

I wonder if John Charles Daly ever saw this. I know he'd get a kick out of it.

[@larrygrebler5054]

What a great clip! Thanks for posting this!

[@youminholastransit3218]

After the reboot, what’s my line? Was never the same

[@MissLizaMay]

is anything the same after a reboot?

[@RichardHannay]

And who would’ve thought he only has three years left after this episode

[@jacquelinebell6201]

Sad thought. Loved seeing him as a guest instead of on the panel.

[@January.]

*he only had

[@richatlarge462]

@@January. historical present so it's fine

[@wschmrdr]

Considering the year started with 18 when he was born....

[@brkitdwn]

You can hear the old episodes much more clearly than these newer ones.

[@patcurrie9888]

Because Gary W. lovely restored each episode. It a cryin shame the last yr of color shows on Sunday night were never restored. You can tell in the B& W version they're a bit fuzzy.

[@oldsguy354]

I'll bet that's because they have a lot more restoration work in them. This version of the show was recorded with the intention that it must survive at least until broadcast. The original was a live broadcast so whatever recordings that were made were not high quality, first class sorta things to begin with. They probably didn't see the need to put a lot of digital manipulation in this recording, but the originals would likely be unwatchable without it. I'm actually surprised that so many of the original show recordings survive at all. Most shows of that era don't have many (if any) surviving recordings. Even recordings of Johnny Carson's live broadcasts from New York are as scarce as hens teeth.

[@MitchellHang]

Did John Daly ever appear on the syndicated version of WML? It's been rumored that he was a mystery guest but no video surfaced yet.

[@teddytodorova]

He was mystery guest on the last show of the CBS version from 03-Sept-1967, he never appeared on syndicated

[@SamSanders072764]

@@teddytodorova JCD appeared on the 25th anniversary special for ABC

[@djhrecordhound4391]

@@teddytodorova When he doubled as mystery guest, he got me laughing pretty hard.

[@DDELE7]

@@djhrecordhound4391 John Daly appeared as the final mystery guest on the original WML. He never appeared on the syndicated show but he did moderate the 25th anniversary special. After John Daly’s Mystery Guest game he mentioned how fans over the years wrote to the show about how they wanted him to do the mystery guest spot but he and the show never used it except for being a last resort should a booked mystery guest fail to appear for the taping. It never happened although there were a few close calls (allegedly one celeb who was almost late was Judy Garland. She finally appeared with one minute to spare before the taping of her mystery guest segment began).

[@banjochris]

@@DDELE7And Judy Garland was actually in the studio but being a HUGE pain in the ass and saying she wasn’t going to come on until about a minute before her segment started live. The full story is in Gil Fates’ WML book.

[@elliotudell164]

i wonder why they dont' recreate the show now.

[@Lava1964]

I'm not sure if the mystery guest segment would work well nowadays. For example, I'm 59 and I don't have a clue who the popular singers are now. Back in the 1950s and 1960s the top entertainers had more appeal across all ages.

[@4seeableTV]

Why wasn't Wally flipping the cards over? That was more than 10 guesses.

[@wschmrdr]

They didn't play the cards in the syndicated version, only tried to identify the guest.

[@TheMk1960]

They used a time limit, usually 2-3 minutes in the new version.

[@edwardoneil3962]

53 years ago incredible 11😀❤😀

[@galileocan]

Lovely, wonderful Bennett Cerf

[@salange17]

He was a panelist on a major tv show for a decade - he wasn't in entertainment? Hrmmm....

[@kali3665]

I really expected Arlene to guess Bennett.... 🤣

[@goldeneve]

Yea I thought so too lol

[@roberthetrick8849]

My great early memories of watching the show with my grandmother I loved Bennett we still have a park named after him here in Maryland where Random House the books were published still Harford County way

[@gabesmith1933]

Thank you for uploading this.

[@ebf1957]

With Bennett's responses I thought one of the panelists would ask, "Are you a caveman?"

[@mehboobkm2018]

That's the reason Phyllis asked "are you a man." She wanted to be a bit polite

[@gabesmith1933]

With Wally Bruner saying they have a perfect score in their first game I'm assuming Bennett was the first mystery guest on the syndicated show.

[@balconi89]

This was from the second week of the Syndicated run. Joel Gray was the first MG in the syndicated run.

[@djhrecordhound4391]

@@balconi89 Cool, didn't know that! I'm a comedy fan and have records of Joel's dad, Mickey Katz.

[@paullad3919]

I Love Phyllis & Arlene & Bennett. Especially Phyllis!

[@nmr6988]

I have always adored been at surf and have many of his books. He was a singular person, totally unique. What a wonderful gentleman.

[@JohnWesleyDowney]

I loved this show very much, I watched it as a child and a teen. It was a great show. There was only one thing about it I hated. Bennett Cerf. I thought he was a smug, entitled jerk. I had the vibe from him that he felt like he was the star of the show. The fact that he was an executiver at a big New York publisher was a poor qualification for being on TV. But it's testimony to how good the show was that I watched it and tolerated Bennett. I wondered a laot of times if he was slipped the identifty of the mystery guest. He guessed it a few times in a way I felt was suspicious.

[@williamvasilion7448]

I agree!!!

[@JohnMurphyabc]

This was great

[@jeffzest8393]

Not turning over No’s for Cerf.

[@Smuley_ROA]

Arlene and Bennett in color 😮 wow 👏🏻

[@dinklehimerschlitz9111]

i love Bennett

[@bambi274]

I love Bennet❤

[@englishcountryside4581]

Handsome

[@bradburks696]

Wally Brunner was a Indy guy who in the mid-70s had a home workshop show with his wife on a local independent station, WTTV channel 4 after his time on WML ended. RIP.

[@rodserling6955]

Wow such nice people,i remember some of those shows when Nyc was a different place full of surprises!

[@miyoshiumeki]

He looks great

[@BellaFirenze]

Bennett Alfred Cerf (May 25, 1898 - August 27, 1971).

[@FrankIsAlwaysRight]

Even in its final broadcasts it was still entertaining. They were not drawing talent on the panel though…the great Arlene Francis and three people they got off the street?

[@gphell33]

I used to wonder about some of the panelists that appeared on game shows in the 70s. Many were tv stars at that time, but I think they also got people off Broadway. Darryl Hickman was in tv and radio and the older brother of Dwayne who starred in the Many Lives of Dobie Gillis. Phyllis Newman was a Broadway star. I don’t know the other guy.

[@banjochris]

Phyllis Newman was also a regular on To Tell the Truth for quite a while in the 60s. Gawn Grainger was the other guy - British actor who was here in the US at that time. I’ve seen him in quite a few UK TV shows over the years. Not a big star there or here but working actor.

[@peternagy-im4be]

Jeez they sure ruined this show after Daly left. Low rent, low class, cheap and crass.

[@stratplayr6997]

How did Arlene not figure it out once they connected him with books?

[@Hollywoodin2001b]

The syndicated show lacked the feel of the old show. I never saw either when they first aired.

[@David-yw2lv]

Bennett Cerf's imitation of Scooby Doo.

[@hoosierladyus48]

Bennett Cerf was a very handsome man in his younger days.

[@bthe1ulove876]

Dude was the best. Huge fan. He should have been asked to solve mysteries and any detective work. He should have a fan club and I’m thinking of starting one.

[@dickiegreenleaf750]

Dude? Good Lord.

[@bthe1ulove876]

@@dickiegreenleaf750 i don’t know about calling him that but he’s the best on what’s my line.

[@veneration1]

I always wished Bennett was my uncle.

[@warriormanmaxx8991]

Bennett spoke his intelligent mind, politely in all the 17 years of being on What's My Line. Totally understand Bennett's sadness of not being on the show Sunday nights.

[@mariacau]

I love both Bennett and Arlene

[@SamuelBoreas]

Shame on you Arlene!

[@pcallas66]

This made me smile.

[@histubeness]

It was good to see this, but it should be posted at better than 240p. Why so low? The B&W shows look better, at 480p.

[@GarryMooreFan]

This came from a DVD someone sent me, in 2007, on SLP eight hour mode. That means it's going to not be in the best of shape because the more space is taken up on a DVD, the more the quality drops. He literally just burned entire eight hour tapes onto DVD. Beggars can't be choosers, especially with episodes like this that aired on Game Show Network in 1995 and likely haven't been seen since then.

[@dinklehimerschlitz9111]

everybody loves Benette

[@duncangreen5505]

except henry morgan

[@boydblackwell]

I just loved Bennett. The best of the panel, but that beautiful smile and personality.

[@jasonayres]

I've been (kind of) addicted to the back catalogue of WML- all in black and white. My eyes had to adjust to see the regulars from the show in colour. Strange, but true.

[@pettytoni1955]

My Grandfather told me that "coffin/coughing" joke years ago still funny!

[@TheMikester307]

It says everything that it is November of 2023 and I am applauding this literally!

[@vdoggydogg3922]

He was on a tv for many years..he was in entertainment

[@peternagy-im4be]

He was in publishing not entertainment.

[@vdoggydogg3922]

@@peternagy-im4be being on tv every week for 10 years is not in entertainment?

[@Starrman69]

Priceless!!!

[@PeterDime-ds9ch]

Love him.

[@tonylani2015]

Is it me, or is Phyllis Newman one of the most attractive women on television! 😍

[@peternagy-im4be]

What are you drinking?

[@lrg3834]

Does anybody know why Bennett stop appearing as a panelist?

[@4seeableTV]

This syndicated version lasted until 1975. Bennett did appear as a panelist from time to time, but passed away in 1971.

[@lrg3834]

@@4seeableTV , well that explains much. Thanks for your reply.

[@bluebear1985]

Even in the first couple of syndicated seasons while he was still alive, the taping schedule didn't allow him to appear as often as he did in the original primetime show, as he was still busy running Random House Publishing.

[@Lava1964]

Sadly, the last few months of Bennett's life he suffered from dementia. From what I've read, he descended into childlike behavior. It's sad to imagine this happening to such a brilliant and witty man.

[@elia.8993]

@@Lava1964 We all go back being a child-our skin gets thinner each year, our hair gets thinner and our memory gets foggy. We all going to end up weak and even loosing our memory to dome degree some more than others. It is life and life is married to death.

[@glennmorris1807]

As a child- I never liked obnoxious Cerf- A truly faux group of panelists and guest.

[@joemartines3545]

He had class...

[@mehboobkm2018]

Do you now!?