What's My Line? - Bette Davis; Joey Bishop [panel] (Aug 28, 1960)

[@juanettebutts9782]

Yippee, nurses!! I've been a Registered Nurse 36 years. Current field: hospice. God bless us, all! Thank you for these fabulous shows! Enjoy each program.

[@bobbykestar]

This is my grandfather & my great uncles!

[@monicaclark9581]

Thank you for your service.

[@Merrida100]

Bette is so regal and commanding. You can't help but respect her as a person, as well as her body of work, her fights and struggles, her independence and strength. Love her!

[@tjbnyc76]

I REALLY like Joey Bishop's appearances on WML. His deadpan, self-deprecating humor somehow works wonderfully well in tandem with Bennett's charmingly pompous verbosity, Arlene's flirtatious charm, and Dorothy's sharklike intelligence.

[@justjohnney]

I agree. Not only is he funny, but he's a pretty good game player, too.

[@mikejschin]

Joey Bishop had a late night talk show in the late 1960s, opposite Johnny Carson. I used to watch Joey; as great as Johnny was, I found Joey's show more entertaining. His humor just worked for me, and he was an outstanding host in talking with the guests. btw, his "Ed McMahon" was a very young Regis Philbin.

[@kbrock9146]

@@mikejschin it's funny that you say that, because I was going to comment to OP and say that as great as I find Joey on "WML", I generally did not care for him when he guest hosted The Tonight Show for Carson. But I must say, I have never watched the show that Bishop had with Philbin; maybe it's different enough for me to like. I have to remember to check it out once I'm done my "WML?" watching binge.

[@davidsanderson5918]

Steve Allen is thirty, forty, maybe even fifty times better though!! Not keen on Bishop personally. I don't find him self-deprecating at all. He strikes me being rather vain and too eager to get a laugh (I've not laughed at him yet, I hasten to add!).

[@frankporto2646]

@@davidsanderson5918 u sound like a real boring individual

[@leesher1845]

I love how Bette Davis acknowledged the audience. Hardly any of the celebrities did that either when they arrived or when they left.

[@lopa2828]

That era long gone when celebrities acknowelge their fans and their likes and opinions. They interact freely with their fans unlike today's celebrities.

[@stephenguppy8886]

Ah, well, Bette was a one-off.

[@mehboobkm2018]

@@lopa2828 He is talking about other MGs on WML, not about the modern day celebrities

[@avvocato5543]

Actually, many did so.

[@orgonkothewildlyuntamed6301]

you must not have watched many episodes

[@nancyhenrichs8589]

In any interview , ms davis always acknowledged the audience and her fans warmly. A true classy woman and talent. Rest in oeace

[@nadiazahroon6573]

Ms. Davis was a lady with strong working moral most people do not have today. How polite of her to face the audience and acknowledge them. Sha was classy.

[@angelajoseph6709]

Nadia Zahroon Yes she was. Very typical of the old-school entertainers/performers. And NO TATTOOS😃

[@shirtless6934]

So much so she had several abortions.

[@shirleyrombough8173]

- So here are men doing jobs usually associated with women. I love that about this show. And Arlene is a riot!

[@peterwinkler3570]

Bennett's inability to imagine men working in a hospital as anything but doctors (or med students) says a lot about how the world has changed.

[@ericmaine]

Remember the first nurses allowed in hospitals were actually man. Because women were not allowed to work.

[@kristabrewer9363]

lol, I just made the same comment. I'm surprised they had male nurses back then

[@shirtless6934]

9:45 Dorothy describing them as "male" nurses shows a bias too. They are registered nurses. Period. A man who is an RN told me that hospitals prefer to hire men, "because we can lift patients up off the floor."

[@bunpeishiratori5849]

This was broadcast the night before I was born. Wonder if my parents watched it.

[@robertcollins7025]

Arlene looks great. That dress is great!

[@Angel-ts8rc]

Her and Joan were on the show 5 times!!! They were lucky to have them as regulars😂😂

[@333mrwill]

Amazing how WML holds up....just as much fun today as it was those years ago.BTW, Gil Fates, wrote a book about WML...can't remember the title offhand, but you can find it I'm sure.

[@scottpardee6303]

It’s name is “What’s My Line. TV’s Most Famous Panel Show.” I have read it, and suggest that anyone who is as addicted to these shows as I am should read it as well. You learn a great deal about each of the panelists and how they interact with each other.

[@bluecamus5162]

'The World of Carl Sandberg' has an interesting history. The fact that it's 2 stars, Bette and Gary, were married to each other and in the process of divorcing doomed the play.

[@erichanson426]

12:55, When Bennett asks the Bull riding guest, if this involves any transportation, and the lady says no. The look Mr. Daily gives is priceless.

[@bluecamus5162]

This question of transportation has come up before. The idea of riding the bull is not to convey a person from one place to another, therefore it cannot, or should not, be considered transportation. John was wrong on that one. But true, John's reaction was amusing.

[@orgonkothewildlyuntamed6301]

@@bluecamus5162 ummm watch it again John hesitated but gave a NO answer.......................

[@tjbnyc76]

And Bette must have thought QUITE a bit of Miss Arlene (and, realistically, who wouldn't have???) to give her a buss on the cheek -- Bette was famous for her "Yankee reserve," and quite often spoke about how she refused to hug or kiss people she didn't know very well or genuinely like, just for the "show bizzy" sake of doing so. She mentions this on her excellent appearance on Dick Cavett's show, after she firmly shakes his hand, but pointedly doesn't kiss him -- and she LIKED Cavett!

[@BeIIeDoc24]

such a great observation. i was taken aback myself, as well as the comment being a bobbsey twins. endearing!

[@so3ducme777]

I know, right! I was shocked myself!!

[@ToddSF]

Todd Brandt -- It's possible that Bette and Arlene went way, way back. Arlene was born in 1907 and Bette was born in 1908, and both of them were natives of Massachusetts. Their being within a year of the same age and their Massachusetts background might have been the foundation of a friendship. Just a thought.

[@nancypine9952]

The first time Davis appeared on What's My Line Hal Bloch was still on the panel. When she shook hands with him he grabbed the back of her head and forced her to kiss him. Davis was so angry I thought she was about to hit him. (You can actually see her hand shaking with anger). It was one of several incidents that led to Bloch's departure from the show, and I suspect it was one reason Davis didn't appear again for several years.

[@angelajoseph6709]

Nancy Pine Wow! Great 411. I'm going to look for that WML episode.

[@goldengirl1168]

It’s April 2020. I’m in the quarantine. Such simple times then. Wish I could have been born to watch my parents meet in the late 50s and go on to their year.

[@karlakor]

I always feel sorry for the final guest of the night because time is short after the mystery guest, and there is often a feeling of rushing in order to finish the show on time.

[@SuperWinterborn]

karlakor Personally I don't feel sad, if the final guest is low-salaried. They could almost as a rule, be sure of having the whole pot. $50 was a lot of money to many at that time.

[@WhatsMyLine]

SuperWinterborn It's the equivalent of about $500 today-- which would be considered a lot of money to most people now. That said, I still believe-- not on any direct evidence-- that all the guests got their full $50. It would have been so totally unfair otherwise, since John is completely arbitrary in when he flips all the cards over.

[@SuperWinterborn]

What's My Line? Yes, I have noticed "Daly's mysterious ways" with the cards, and usually to benefit the less privileged. But if they all got their $50 anyway? I remember once, with E. Andrews as a Guest Host, and there obviously was a poor Lady sitting there, when Dorothy(!) reminded Andrews that "John uses to flip all the cards, when situations like this one occures" (something about how the panel came to the right answer). Andrews so did, and both, Dorothy and the contestant, looked quite relieved. If all of them received those $50, wouldn't Ms. Kilgallen (of all!) had known?

[@WhatsMyLine]

SuperWinterborn Yes, but the *audience* didn't know. I'm not saying I'm right-- like I said, I have no evidence to back it up-- but I think that's a reasonable explanation.

[@SuperWinterborn]

What's My Line? I hope you're right, and that this generous flipping of cards just was a show-off to the audience.

[@mikeilamenk]

Bette Davis is the best actress ever lived.

[@joemartines3545]

Yes she was amazing... I love A Catered Affair...

[@ChrisHansonCanada]

NAH, I can think of two dozen others who were better. Bette was too mannered and always herself.

[@satori03]

@@ChrisHansonCanada agree to disagree..

[@leannsherman6723]

Funny line by Joey Bishop and his brothers coming from Egypt. He obviously learned something in Hebrew or Sunday school. ❤

[@dianemutchler9213]

Most people today would be clueless regarding Joey's excellent humor here.

[@davidsanderson5918]

Yay! At last! Perfectly edited at the 'word from our sponsor' part.

[@juliansinger]

In July of 1961, Pat Hayes got trampled by a bull whilst in the rodeo, went to the hospital with what were described as 'serious' injuries, and then I can't find her anywhere. I suspect this is just because a) Pat was not her full name, and b) she got married at some point. But I hope she was OK!

[@hiyapal7719]

Dorothy conducted herself, on this episode, very politely, and professionally. ❤ *Respect*

[@timprescott4634]

She always did. Such a class act. I could watch her glide in all day.

[@cuttersboi08]

Why wouldn't she?

[@September2004]

It hit me that for actors, they can guess ones that are appearing in New York. They must scan the papers to see who has a picture currently in the theatres or going to be in the theatres. I think that’s why they couldn’t guess Raquel Welch.

[@username178able]

Love these episodes… and I love Joey Bishop!

[@mthivier]

It sounds like Arlene interviewed Bette for her radio show a few days prior.

[@59frex]

I cannot believe Arlene pronounced her name as "Bet" Davis. Joan Crawford once corrected an interviewer who used the same pronunciation, saying "She'd (Bette) kill you for that."

[@angelajoseph6709]

Fredrick Marshall I remember that! Bette was pronounced Betty and sometimes spelled that way. It's interesting that Jazz Icon Miles Davis had a wife who was somewhat of an entertainer and her name was Betty Davis😅

[@maryzorn3365]

I saw Bette Midler interviewed and she suggested that Miss Davis preferred “bet” but couldn’t get people to catch on…

[@bluecamus5162]

It was obvious that Arlene and Bette were friends, and as you know, friends or family will often use different forms of the name --- nicknames, terms of endearment, etc.

[@moonlightray8493]

Alongside Steve Allen, Joey Bishop has got to be my favourite fourth panelist. His deadpan wisecracks are just great - and I would've rather liked to see a mortician on WML, haha!

[@orgonkothewildlyuntamed6301]

fairly funny but virtually clueless in guessing occupations/celebrities

[@bingobenny12]

Arlene is almost 6 months older than Bette Davis. 😲

[@cruisinwithcorey]

and somehow looks 10 years younger!

[@prokesuk]

This is the fourth episode I have seen in the past few days with Davis as the mystery guest. I believe the usual three have been on the panel each time.

[@tomitstube]

no way for bette davis to disguise that voice. she would have been 52 here.

[@janeiwasduncan8463]

tomitstube Bette Davis did a Perry MASON episode this. Very year called constant Doyle. Great episode but no Perry a!l Bette!!!

[@orgonkothewildlyuntamed6301]

only 52 yikes

[@so3ducme777]

aww I see Francis got some sugar from Davis...how cute was that!!!

[@neilmidkiff]

Last week the pizza tester dealt in a service, although it was stated that there was a lively connection with a product. This week the zipper tester merely deals in a product. Not very consistent!

[@loissimmons6558]

No hobgoblins of little minds to be found anywhere near "What's My Line?"

[@poetcomic1]

The Carl Sanburg reading with her husband Gary Merrill was the last gasp attempt to save their marriage. As always in such cases he didn't want to be Mr. Bette Davis as she herelf acknowledged is the perennial problem for famous actresses.

[@janetmarletto6667]

The guest panelists received $750 per appearance which was huge then!😄☘

[@Cheyrose397]

That's my great grandfather

[@satori03]

who?

[@ChrisHansonCanada]

REGISTERED NURSES RIDES BRAHMA BULLS IN RODEO (Bennett didn't get the chance to say "ro-DAY-o"). ZIPPER TESTER Bette Davis, one of the highest paid actresses in the 1940s, was at a low point in her career, eking out a living appearing in TV series such as "Wagon Train". 😆

[@rapunzelz5520]

No way does contestant 2 look like what she does.

[@kasperjoonatan6014]

Imagine this show today, with people like Stephen Colbert, Jenny Lawrence, Ryan Reynolds, Steve Carell.. would be awesome.

[@ChrisHansonCanada]

🤮

[@debbigray1752]

I'd want Paula Poundstone in the mix-- very sharp and SO funny.

[@leesher1845]

I hated how they rushed those final contestants; I thought that was so inconsiderate. They should’ve done something else for those last few minutes.

[@mikejschin]

I've had the same thought. On the other hand, if you were sitting in the green room, you'd probably rather be trotted out for a minute and a half of time on national TV than be told to go back home because they didn't have time for you. This was broadcast live, so they didn't have a second chance to get the timing right. I think they did the best they could.

[@orgonkothewildlyuntamed6301]

whenever time ran out the guest automatically got the full $50 so dont feel too sorry

[@emmgeevideo]

LOL. In 1960 there were "nurses" and "male nurses". It really stumped those old folks. Dorothy figured it out as usual.

[@audreydaleski1067]

A most famous star.

[@TaxesDontLikeMe985]

Holy moly, that’s my grandmother😄 10:55

[@SweetChicagoGator]

For the mystery guest the panel is allowed to ask if they are appearing in a stage play or movie on Broadway, then it is easy to guess ! 🙄🙄🙄

[@tomitstube]

the bull rider was fun, pat hayes i believe, 12:42 is hilarious, never seen john so stumped as to clarify an answer. wonderful retort by john to bennett @ 18:26.

[@brkitdwn]

Bette appeared on WML several times starting in the 50s, however, she didn't get raucous on here until after Baby Jane. From that point on, it was no holds bar!

[@SS-rw2pc]

Where the four brothers work is right by me it's haunted now

[@bobbykestar]

Lol it’s not haunted silly

[@joannsmith150]

I realize that this is 1960 but how on earth did a zipper tester make enough money to live! Some of these jobs seemed to be so low paying that I am surprised these people were able to dress the way they did!

[@ToddSF]

Joann Smith -- You didn't need a huge amount of money to live decently in 1960. Everything was so affordable then. Houses in middle-class suburbs were $20K or less in most places and with a 20-year mortgage at 4 to 5% interest, the payments were low. My father paid cash in 1963 for a Ford Fairlane 4-door sedan -- $2,900 including tax and license. All types of candy bars like Snickers or a Hershey milk chocolate bar were either 5 cents (for the regular size) and 10 cents for large. Milk in California back then was 25 cents a quart, 49 cents for a half gallon. My mother wouldn't buy butter because it was 70 cents a pound and maragarine ranged from 19 cents to 39 cents (for Imperial). Ground chuck for hamburgers was 59 cents a pound. Don't even get me started on how cheap apartment rent could be in 1960 -- in 1977, 17 years after that, I rented a 2-bedroom, 1-bathroom apartment for $125 a month. It could have used new wall-to-wall carpeting and wasn't by any means luxurious, but it was clean and comfortable, and I was making $1,000 a month gross pay. Of course, gasoline in 1960 cost around 25 to 29 cents a gallon for regular.

[@joannsmith150]

ToddSF 94109 I understand that but wages were also quite low at that time. Wages are much higher now but then so is the cost of everything else. It is all relative I guess.

[@lucindasommer720]

+Joann Smith My grandfather was mad because his electric bill rose to $6 one month, & that was in 1970. 1970 also happened to be the year I graduated high school & rented my first apartment for $45 a month. Things were just so different years ago.

[@ToddSF]

I remember the late 1970's when I rented a 2-bedroom, one-bath apartment in Downey, California, a suburb of Los Angeles for $185 per month and I can't tell you how cheap my electric and gas bills were, not to mention the monthly rate for telephone (though long distance was way more expensive then). Groceries were dirt cheap, too, and gasoline, and seeing a movie at night was something like $2. I was earning $1,000 a month on the job I had then, and I managed very nicely.

[@joannsmith150]

I remember the 70's prices quite well...showing my age! LOL I still don't understand how a zipper tester made enough to support themselves. She must have been married to someone with a better paying job. At least I hope she was. $1,000 a month in the late 70's was a pretty decent income. I just wonder how much that contestant made doing what she did for a living.

[@Kathleen.81110]

My friend’s grandma is in this💀

[@drumbum3.142]

12:50 🤣🤣🤣😂😍☺️🤣😂😂😂😂🤣😂😂😂🤣😂

[@samsowden]

I really would have thought rodeo counted as acrobatics, tbh

[@orgonkothewildlyuntamed6301]

actually the bull is more the acrobat; trying not to fall is not exactly an acrobatic feat

[@kasperjoonatan6014]

She's got Bette Davis eyes

[@bluecamus5162]

There goes the panel again, showing their big city prejudices. Any panel from anywhere else other than the Atlantic seaboard would have been able to guess a rodeo performer, but the thought never entered any of their minds. Gotta' think outside the city, guys. But it WAS funny to see them twist themselves in knots.

[@gailsirois7175]

Are you MALE nurses ? Lol...things really have changed..for the better..just NURSES...PERIOD

[@1013pka]

First time I've seen the clever Bennett's hair a little bit unkempt. Love all these WML shows.

[@frankporto2646]

What hair

[@Griffinmc]

A little reverse sexism from Bennett there with the male nurses.

[@kristabrewer9363]

WOW, I'm surprised theyy had male nurses back then

[@kasperjoonatan6014]

also male babysitters.

[@bobbykestar]

That’s my grandfather & great uncles :)

[@TheBlackhawkbrat]

The hospital that three of them worked in, Pilgrim State, was a mental hospital. Probably a good portion of the brothers' time was spent subduing patients.

[@raymondkymsuttle]

The sexism & gender role stereotyping is fierce in this episode. Also, are there still people working as zipper testers???

[@josephpalermo4538]

Was Arlene the resident "kiss -ass" on the panel...sometimes she was so sickening with her praises of the Mystery Guests....

[@kasperjoonatan6014]

Yes she overdid it a little bit, but partly because she was an actress herself.