What's My Line? - Betty Hutton; Eamonn Andrews [panel] (Jun 1, 1958)

MYSTERY GUEST: Betty Hutton [film actress, singer]
PANEL: Dorothy Kilgallen, Eamonn Andrews, Arlene Francis, Bennett Cerf

[@rivaridge7211]

Mr. John Daly was the biggest star of WML in all of the show's long years! He was simply brilliant in all of his (live TV!) spot-on observations! Nothing flew by him - and yet he was fully able to casually explain the most fine-of-fine points in a way that made most of the rest of us viewers feel out of our league. Bless his heart for always!

[@oksills]

I would, without doubt, put him at the very bottom of the list. He and Rennet were very obnoxious and rude in their comments about the women.

[@sandrablock2077]

What would Serf consider not a easy of beauty? Women are more than their looks.

[@sandrablock2077]

I meant to say not a waste p of beauty.

[@marywebb9127]

@@oksills You are an upright prude!

[@marywebb9127]

@@sandrablock2077 Who cares! It is a 50+ years old show🙄

[@jimbeasley1931]

Love watching these shows. Thanks for posting them.

[@patrickgallimore6896]

"What's My Line?" was/is the best game show that I've even seen...Dorothy, Arlene, Bennett and John were excellent, as permanent panelists and host, respectively...The format of the show was perfect, because it wove famous, non-famous and ordinary folks together, into a wonderful, beautiful and exciting pattern, each and every week...Remarkably, each and every guest and each and every panelist were treated equally, each and everytime, by one another and by the brilliant, witty, charming and highly articulate host of "What's My Line?", Mr. John Charles Daly...None of the other numerous tv game shows that I've seen, to date, comes close to "What's My Line?", in terms of entertainment value, humour, wit, celebrity appeal, charm, class, good manners, civility, intellectual appeal and quality.

[@jeffbellin8224]

The thing to me about this show is an assumed intelligence needed for this witty show. Some cite Jeopardy as an example of intelligence, but to me, that's more about knowledge of trivia, not wits. Insight and deductive capability is a much richer use of intelligence. There were certainly other shows that attempted to capture these elements such as To Tell The Truth, but this show is far more captivating. Additionally, the was often delicious when, knowing the guest's line of work, questions asked created unintended humorous irony.

[@exerciserelax8719]

I somehow only discovered Betty Hutton recently, and can't believe I missed her all these years. A dynamite performer. She definitely deserves more recognition.

[@markandresen1]

What a lovely, sensitive person she was.

[@TyrSkyFatherOfTheGods]

My favourite segment in the history of WML - Peter Lomagistro. He must have had a bet with his buddies that he'd avoid giving a yes or no.

[@savethetpc6406]

fishhead06 I hadn't really noticed this before, but you've got a good point! He did end up using the word "no" a few times, but he never used the word "yes" and seemed very good at coming up with a variety of different ways to answer the questions in either the positive or the negative!

[@lauracollins4195]

fishhead06 - He is such a hoot! So fun. :)

[@markxxx21]

Yes Mr Lomagistro is one, if not the best non-celebrity guest

[@AnnA704-aa]

Yes, fishhead06, Peter L. is indeed one of the most naturally funny contestants of the show's long run! Especially when he gives Bennett Cerf too much info, and John Daly needs to shake his head at him. 🤣🤣🤣 It's a classic Laurel and Hardy moment! Also, Eamonn Andrews is charming and bright, with that adorable twinkle in his eye that makes you want to just squeeze him! 😍❤😍❤ I think the producers should have booked him more into the 1960's shows.

[@linasaidso1355]

Yuck, how can you say this? He was a total perv. Did you not understand what his job was? He was paid by the park to use a huge underground fan to blow a sudden gust of wind up a grate to partially disrobe unsuspecting women so that strange men could gawk at her underwear. The women didn't pay him to do it, and they didn't GET paid for being in an impromptu strip show. That's why that question of "Do people come to you for your services" was so tense. Nobody wanted his services. His whole career was looking up ladies' skirts and laughing at their embarrassment. A very poor excuse for a human being then, and a criminal by today's standards. I'm surprised anyone in the panel would shake his hand. If you found him amusing, you have very odd taste.

[@MrDetroitnews]

My mother grew up with Betty Hutton in Detroit Michigan they would have sleepovers at each other’s houses, they were great friends

[@brookehanley3659]

Seems she was a nice person

[@markschildberg1667]

Yes she was a wonderful and much loved performer, but as her star dimmed in the Sixties she battled many personal demons. By the mid Seventies she had pretty much stopped performing.

[@steveliveshere]

I loved Betty Hutton and her energy. Loved that she could also really act (see ’Spring Reunion’)

[@steveliveshere]

Yes it's such a shame that film failed, it was an intelligent performance.

[@jackjules7552]

For some reason Betty Hutton does not regard "Spring Reunion" as part of her motion picture career. During one interview she was asked about "Spring Reunion" and she spoke about it with such disdain and told the interviewer that the film was hardly more than "TV."

[@steveliveshere]

@@jackjules7552 yeah that was very much the film industry view of the TV industry back in the day and yes it does play like a TV movie with it's lack of big budget. Yet in retrospect it's still a quality piece of acting.

[@bigwilson8794]

Mrs. Falkenburg still lives in Overland Park, Kansas. She did eventually make partner in her firm.

[@steveburrus5526]

Good God she's still aliove?!

[@thamnosma]

Just in her 80's, nothing weird about it really

[@loissimmons6558]

For those who might not understand why it might have been difficult to guess her profession, she was the first women attorney in Johnson County, Kansas, which is in the Kansas City area. Her name is now Gwen Mitchell. Sadly as of 11 months ago, she is the middle stages of Alzheimer's. www.kswomenattorneys.com/content.aspx?page_id=5&club_id=459170&item_id=34886

[@lukeswall5999]

Lois Simmons is she still alive today, the page got taken down.

[@friendofdorothy9376]

Gwen’s sister was Marilyn Van Derbur as she stated...Miss America. Marilyn divulged later in life how her father repeatedly sexually abused her from the age of 5 to 18 years old. It’s so shocking I still can’t put my mind around it. After their father died was when this was divulged. Marilyn said in an interview that she confronted her mother about this, because her mother had to have known. Gwen also confirmed that it happened to her too.

[@madebutante]

i LOVE Betty Hutton!! the best!

[@fairlyvague82]

I have absolutely no clue as to why I’ve gotten addicted to these shows as I’m UK and they were decades before I was even born! Betty Hutton was lovely tho I’ve never heard of her, and the blonde lady on the panel is stunning!

[@brahilly]

My wife (she's French) and I have been watching these shows after diner for two years now and we still haven't run out of new ones to see. Many of the most prominent people in the public eye have made appearences: Bob Hope, Ronald Regan, John Wayne, James Cagney, Eleanor Roosevelt, Sean Connery, Fred Astaire, Jane Mansfield, Bob Mitchum, Jane Russell, Anne Bancroft, Steve McQueen and on and on. The studio where this takes place is right next to the one where the Beatles made their North American debut of Ed Sullivan. What's My Line was 90 mins later and you can hear some cast members making comments about the Fab Four. Little did they know what a pivotal, historical event that was. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jpzVgX-NotKGfqc

[@mehboobkm2018]

Likewise I live in India and glued to WML for last 4 years among other old shows though I am in my 30s

[@brahilly]

@@mehboobkm2018 Good to hear your thoughts. Your Prime Minister is in France today. He will be the guest of honnor for the French National Holiday tomorrow.

[@hcombs0104]

The Miracle of Morgan's Creek. A bona fide classic. Well-suited to Betty Hutton.

[@sheilamarie3788]

Considering Mrs. Faulknberg's sister, a former Miss America, wrote a book about a sexually abusive father, one can only imagine how doubly degrading comments about her looks must have been. Objectified at home and by Bennett. I was happy to read she made partner at her firm. What a great role model.

[@marywebb9127]

🙄

[@joanneaugust6611]

Commenting on good looks is not objectification. There's a difference between innocently calling someone beautiful and not-so-innocently addressing sexually attractive aspects. If you smile at me and call me beautiful, that's a compliment just as if you had called me smart or funny - because beauty is a "talent" just like those things, you know. If you whistle at me and stare at my ass, or if you simply state I'm sexy - well, that's a different thing an definitely objectification. Mrs. Falkenberg also didn't seem uncomfortable about this in the slightest. That being said, what happened to her at home (most likely) is horrifying and I'm very happy she still got to be so "together" and successful later in life.

[@miketheyunggod2534]

Feminazi.

[@thesweeples3266]

Ya the big smile on her face and the “thank you” really made it clear she was offended. But you go right ahead and Virtue Signal all you want if it makes YOU feel better.

[@joekeen60]

@@thesweeples3266 She can give a sheepish smile and cringe insideat the same time

[@karensheline6958]

Gosh, how I LOVE Betty Hutton…my 🤩 favorite singing, comedy actress.

[@virghammer1]

Well I love Doris Day even more -- but yes, agreed; Betty was terrific!

[@GeneRogers-xl9um]

Most hilarious guest on WML- Operates skirt blowing machine!

[@MrJoeybabe25]

The second contestant was perhaps one of the most entertaining of them all.

[@sw5114]

He was remarkably entertaining and most likely enjoyed his work.

[@770WT]

Betty Hutton very talented,beautiful but for some reason was underrated .

[@marywebb9127]

She had drug and mental issues.

[@wtju3883]

It totally blows me away that John Daly knew how to pronounce correctly all the contestants' names. He was probably coached back stage, but it's still impressive. Thanks again for working so hard to post these episodes.

[@williamsecor7745]

It's called professionalism. It's his job. Something totally lacking in the fools that host various programs today.

[@richatlarge462]

He pronounced "calligraphy" in a way I wasn't expecting. Either that pronunciation was optional then and has since gone out of use, or it was incorrect then. The panelist from the UK used the current "cal-LIG-graphy" pronunciation.

[@debbigray1752]

If you look closely, sometimes you can see he is referencing a card at his desk. I would think good production crew who made the card(s) would also include the pronunciation.

[@dinahbrown902]

Me also

[@johnfulton4921]

A show like this would never make it now too much class wit and intellect the two sharpest panelists were Arlene and dorothy

[@voyaristika5673]

So very true. These folks were in my parents generation. So different now

[@larnakeane8940]

They all are so professional and respectful. I enjoy the witty flavor as well. Glad for this production.

[@David-qi1ys]

QI? Jeopardy? [QI is a British panel show]

[@Wizardofgosz]

Eamann rockin the sharkskin suit!

[@LANCSKID]

Insufferable old Blarney Stone kisser.

[@madelinetramantano8302]

LOVE YOU BETTY.

[@sandraelder1101]

Betty Hutton was a genius!

[@tomtriffid]

One of the better episodes of WML.

[@virghammer1]

The skirt-blowing guy! HILARIOUS!

[@juliansinger]

13:24 -- Bennett's talking, and a fire engine siren emerges in the background. (I mention this because my speakers suck, and I usually can't hear the outside sounds.)

[@juanettebutts9782]

It's not uncommon to hear sirens in the background. Not every show, of course. Sirens were pretty loud just a few shows back (watching these in chronological order).

[@malw1193]

haha @ John Daley's reaction to that kiss.

[@BillyAlabama]

This is my favorite segment of all of the shows! 😂❤❤

[@RobertPerrigoOkiechopper]

I know she was in costume, but Betty Hutton looked very nice in a pant suit, the first and only time I ever saw a woman on WML not in a dress.

[@neilmidkiff]

Carol Channing wore pants suits as a guest panelist on August 8, 1965 and one other time I'm not finding now.

[@sandrageorge3488]

It has happened a few times.

[@jacquelinebell6201]

@@neilmidkiff probably would be in the 60s rather than the 50s. Women's fashion changed a lot then.

[@amberola1b]

I think if Hal Block had had the same amount of class and delivery as Bennett Serf, he would have lasted longer on the show, although Bennett's comments could be no less sexually crass than Hals. Maybe it's because Bennett and John seemed like they were good friends and got along better.

[@geraldkatz7986]

But it's ok when Arlene and Dorothy make their own comments when a handsome and/or muscular man appears. It's called flirting. It was a compliment before certain people decided to take offense because they weren't getting the flirts so no one could and convinced people who were getting flirts to hate them.

[@stevekru6518]

Bennett had a record of success unmatched by Hal, and was considerably more charming

[@steveliveshere]

I think he was punted because went a bit too far? There's a thread about it in one of the early episodes

[@janmccall7608]

Being rather long in the tooth (that which I have left) I watched this as a girl, Many of us longed for the lovely diamond heart almost always ( if not always) gracing the neck of Miss Francis. The story, I believe, was that it was a love gift from her husband. It wasn't long before rhinestone copies showed up in shops.

[@stevet7487]

I read a comment recently from one of these WML videos that the necklace was stolen from her in broad daylight as she walked down the street years after the show ended. Someone also made the comment she had a copy made, and the original has never been found. I'm not sure how much of this is accurate, but thought you might like to know.

[@ChrisHansonCanada]

YES. My Grandma had one, with a matching set of heart earrings. She wore them on special occasions.

[@shirleyrombough8173]

Imagine a time when it was so unusual for a woman lawyer to be on WML. I am glad we changed that

[@bopechanga1129]

she was a replacement for judy garland. she said in an interview on TCM that she was treated so bad that it turned her off so that she lost her love of moviemaking

[@bleepiestofbloops]

Wow, that's one of the most unique outfits I've seen a mystery guest wear so far!

[@miketheyunggod2534]

It's a costume. She didn't have time to change into her regular clothes.

[@jameshenrey1198]

.

[@Marcel_Audubon]

​@@miketheyunggod2534 she couldn't have changed while Mr. Lomagistro was regaling us??

[@carollee444]

Could think of, while alive!

[@jeffzest8393]

Good thing not passed to Cerf or a conference where he gives input!

[@sanseifromkofu728]

I can imagine a lot of people in those days complaining that Betty Hutton's costume was "too tight" for national TV.

[@keithnaylor1981]

Can’t imagine why.

[@crispincain5373]

Over the years a number of skirt blower operators have been on the show!!

[@loissimmons6558]

Ironic, since they threw Hal Block, the skirt chaser, off the panel.

[@stevekru6518]

@@loissimmons6558 Therein lies the difference. Block, who chases skirts, is thrown off, but Cerf, who is much more likely to catch them, is welcomed

[@jamesfox2579]

I live in Overland Park, Kansas!❤️😁

[@dianefiske-foy4717]

I was almost five years old when this episode aired. If I watched it back then, I wouldn’t understand much of what they all said.

[@timothydouglas7949]

It used to be human nature. I still love it when women tell me how i look at 62.

[@BellaFirenze]

Eamonn Andrews, CBE (19 December 1922 - 5 November 1987) was an Irish radio and television presenter, employed primarily in the United Kingdom from the 1950s to the 1980s. From 1960 to 1964 he chaired the Radio Éireann Authority (now the RTÉ Authority), which oversaw the introduction of a state television service in the Republic of Ireland. He is perhaps best remembered as the UK host of This Is Your Life from its inception in 1955 until his death in 1987.

[@dianefiske-foy4717]

When John Daly pronounced calligraphy, I had trouble figuring out what he said. He said it so differently than I learned to say it that I couldn’t even pronounce it the way he did. Of course, I always thought it spelled with one “L” instead of two.

[@NondescriptMammal]

I miss the good old days when such an occupation as "Skirt-Blowing Machine Operator" existed.

[@LANCSKID]

… and generated plenty of adolescent sniggering.

[@lewisner]

Betty Hutton was looking damn fine here.

[@rogerlephoque3704]

"Our British cousin, Eamon Andrews." Eamonn Andrews was a proud Irishman and Gaelic-speaking.

[@FlockOfHawks]

Well , in Dot's defense : he hosted WML's _UK_ version from '55 till his death in '87

[@thomasevans9279]

I thought that that was pretty dodgy, especially coming from someone who was herself of Irish descent. Pretty offensive stuff.

[@adamodeo9320]

though I miss many things from that time - I don't miss how women were valued

[@scook5599]

John Daly could see that Mrs Falkenberg was nervous, and he gently held her hand as if to reassure her.

[@keth8947]

The funny thing about watching these old shows is some of the comments they make would likely literally blow people's sensitive brains today. In fact looking at some of the comments below it appears their sensibilities have already been assaulted... from something that appeared 50 years ago. oh lawd.

[@mikekelly9108]

It is because we live in the day of Political Correctness that is another way of saying " You need to lie about what's true" so people don't take offensive or as you can it " Blow their sensitive brains" Political Correctness is a bad thing and will lead to the destruction of the west if it's not opposed.

[@gilliankew]

It’s amazing what we accepted then - imagine being told you are wasting your beauty by being a lawyer today, and the shock that such a beautiful woman was intelligent 🤪

[@peternagy-im4be]

@@mikekelly9108 I don't live in the age of political correctness. It's all total and utter BS

[@marywebb9127]

Exactly 👏

[@marywebb9127]

@@gilliankew Who cares!

[@sodality3970]

Bennett Cerf said what I thought about the first contestant ..."are you related to Jinx Falkenberg" ?

[@ChrisHansonCanada]

7:02 "Peetah." Betty Hutton could have extended her career another 30 years had she transitioned into smaller character roles. Joan Blondell did it successfully once she entered her forties.

[@williamlinington9166]

Does anyone know when WML start broadcasting in colour?

[@jeffbellin8224]

I'm pretty sure not until after it went off the air in the mid-'60s, to be revived much later in the early '70s.

[@JoeDebono]

William Linington You won’t see any in colour because the machine that was used to capture the TV shows actually filmed the TV screen and it was only capable of B&W.

[@sdacj]

The last year ('66-'67) was broadcast in color but all that exists today are black and white kinescopes.

[@lukeswall5999]

There could be some of the color broadcasts somewhere, but who knows if we’ll ever see them

[@nancysanders2398]

Crocodile hunter,that Is some profession for a woman from Austria,especially,during that period of time!

[@robbycan]

Some horn dogs tonight, take it easy there Bennett and John....

[@TheProfessorpat]

The panel’s (and the era’s) sexism was on full display in the appearance of the attractive attorney Miss Falkenberg. Cringey in the extreme, especially Bennett’s idiotic “what a waste of beauty” remark.

[@jacquelinebell6201]

I thoroughly agree. He came out sounding boorish and sexist. Like a beautiful woman can't have brains and is only decorative. He really came from a different era, born 1898 I believe.

[@bonasa99]

It's clear to me--and I think the audience at the time as well--that Cerf's joke was more about her profession--lawyer--than anything else. Lawyers have been a butt of jokes since at least Shakespeare's time...it comes with the territory when you pass the bar. Cerf was constantly surrounded by strong, smart, accomplished women, (including Arlene) and published them at Random House. He also undoubtedly dealt with lawyers on a daily basis...

[@FlockOfHawks]

Every Paradise has its Serpent . . .

[@MOGGS1942]

Cerf was always crass, imho.

[@joiefulton4015]

The people doing Annie get your gun was so Pro-Judy Garland that they treated Betty Hutton like trash and the love and the intimacy in that movie was strictly for the performance. Right, +What's My Line?

[@WhatsMyLine]

I don't know anything about the backstory of the film. Musicals aren't really my area!

[@deliarealtor]

I had heard this story too.

[@GOLDVIOLINbowofdeath]

Didn’t Dore Schary fire Judy Garland and give the job to Betty Hutton for Annie Get Your Gun?

[@bluecamus5162]

I wonder how many letters from the Catholic League of Decency CBS received for Betty's form fitting outfit?

[@Marcel_Audubon]

not as many as they received concerning pedo priests on the prowl during the same era

[@MOGGS1942]

Only mental retards would be interested in anything coming out of the catholic league of decency. Just think of all those priests and their penchant for little children.

[@ToddSF]

I was surprised to hear Dorothy Kilgallen introduce Eamonn Andrews as "our British cousin", even if she was referring to his work as the panel moderator or chairman, as they called him, on the British version of WML. Eamonn Andrews was Irish, not British, and I know a lot of Irish people would have been insulted to have been identified as British, even in 1958. Miss Kilgallen, being an Irish-American herself, would have known better, or at least I should have thought she would.

[@savethetpc6406]

ToddSF 94109 I am the first to admit that I know very little about this, but it was my impression that although there is an important distinction between England and Ireland, both are considered part of the British Isles. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

[@ToddSF]

SaveThe TPC -- Yes, technically, in a geographic sense, Ireland is one of the "British Isles". Seriously, though, you don't know that the Irish haven't exactly thought particularly well of the English and that there have been a lot of "troubles" for that reason, only fairly recently resolved. to the extent that they have been resolved.

[@savethetpc6406]

ToddSF 94109 Yes, I know. I was saying that I understood the distinction between "English" and "Irish," but I had thought that "British" was an umbrella term which included England, Ireland and Wales. I just did a small bit of research and learned that although England, Scotland and Wales are all considered part of Great Britain, Ireland is not. So I stand corrected in that regard. I do think Dorothy's reference to Eamonn as "our British cousin" was to his connection with the British WML, though, as you suggested, and for what it's worth, he seemed perfectly fine with that description (at least publicly).

[@ToddSF]

SaveThe TPC -- It was right nice of Eamonn Andrews not to embarrass Dorothy by objection to her description of him. A lot of Irish people from the Republic of Ireland would not have taken kindly to being called British, the way Scots object strenuously if someone calls the "English" by mistake. The Welsh, the Scots and the English are all correctly referred to as Britons or "Brits" for short, I note. Citizens of Northern Ireland are part of the U.K., but not really Britons since they live on a different island from Great Britain.

[@savethetpc6406]

ToddSF 94109 Eamonn Andrews, but I get your point. :)

[@cameramanceltic4915]

Eamon Andrews was not British he was Irish , big big big difference lol

[@accomplice55]

I'm guessing you didn't read the comments before posting. ;)

[@trock6577]

The panelists are always looking down at the desk so obviously they have some possible questions to ask the guests. They are all brilliant but they had a little help with their questions.

[@Dharmon1]

Normally, I like Bennett, but I found that remark he made to the lawyer really insulting.

[@marywebb9127]

That is funny episode 😂 A skirt blower as a job😂🤣 I know guys that would love that job😜 Girls don't wear dresses and skirts as much though!

[@LANCSKID]

One of my mistresses wears a skirt so short that it is more like a belt!

[@jacquelinebell6201]

I just realuzed Betty Hutton was wearing pants, sparkly and elegant, but still pants. Highly unusual back then.

[@Marcel_Audubon]

it was a costume from her show at Cafe de Paris, as explained in the show

[@BrunoSilva-vz9lj]

7:04 melhor participante não misterioso kkkkkkkk

[@alamudesky1959]

No Arlene was

[@jennjenn61]

If you close your eyes, Peter the skirt blower & Bennett sound awfully similar with that distinct Yankee accent

[@TrainsFerriesFeet]

There is no such thing as a "Yankee" accent; each borough in NYC has a distinct accent and so does Long Island.

[@shirleyrombough8173]

jennjenn61 - Why did the skirt blower not shake the hands of the female panelists?

[@oksills]

ABSOLUTELY correct!

[@oksills]

@@TrainsFerriesFeet Rude; you know, and we all know exactly what was meant.

[@YY4Me133]

The second contestant reminds me, visually, of Kirk Douglas.

[@ChrisHansonCanada]

*_Lawyer_* *_Operates Skirt Blowing Machine at Amusement Park_* *_Crocodile Hunter_*

[@amberola1b]

So i guess Steve Irwin wasn't the first crocodile hunter

[@accomplice55]

This contestant wasn't even the first on the show.

[@dougw.4788]

anyone know why none of Betty Hutton's kids attended her funeral? It sounds like she was not well liked in her later years. I also find it odd that Peter Lomagistro went from WW2 hero to a skirt blowing operator.

[@tapestry6455]

She was an addict of pills for many years. I am sure her 3 girls didn't see her much she worked a lot and taking pills for an addict is more important than family togetherness. She went through a few marriages, she was just as erratic as Judy Garland but she didn't look as frail so didn't get the sympathy. I think she turned her life around at the end I am sure she is at peace even if her daughters didn't attend the funeral. Having family at your funeral doesn't mean she was a bad person just means there was no closeness in the family.

[@billmiller119]

HIS SKIRT BLOWING ACT MIGHT HAVE MADE HIM A KIND OF HERO AT THE AMUSEMENT PARK !....////

[@Marcel_Audubon]

from hero to superhero - the guy had a good life

[@MrJoeybabe25]

Jeepers! Is that a blue serge suit that Eamonn is wearing? YIKES!

[@boognish999]

Sometimes I'm confused by the 1950's. People seemed sexually uptight but at the same time a skirt blowing machine was acceptable.

[@loissimmons6558]

+Zac M Having grown up in the 1950's and 1960's, I have a pretty good idea of the cultural mindset of the day. "Sexually uptight" is too strong a phrase. Sexuality was acknowledged. After all this was the heyday of Marilyn Monroe, Jane Russell, Lauren Bacall and other sexy female stars as well as their male counterparts. Madonna's song "Vogue" mentions the sex appeal of the stars of this time with great admiration. Does this film clip from 1944, even with the motion picture code in effect, seem sexually uptight? kzbin.info/www/bejne/n2qkqmpobKqMsNk But there were boundaries of good taste that weren't to be crossed. Children were shielded from sexual references until they were considered old enough. In an interview with Dick Cavett, Groucho Marx talks about the practice after formal dinners where the men would retire to one room and tell dirty stories. He guessed that the women might also tell dirty stories in their room. Those stories weren't told in mixed company as part of those boundaries. Groucho also contended that he didn't get laughs by telling dirty jokes. Innuendo and double entendre were permissible. In fact it was an indication of a comedian's skill to be able to get a laugh where the sexually innocent in the audience didn't get the sexual reference but experienced people got it. (For example: "Remember you're fighting for this woman's honor ... which is probably more than she ever did.") In his opinion, it took no skill to get a laugh being dirty and using dirty words. On the other hand, scenes with the Marx Brothers, or W.C. Fields and Mae West for example, were skillfully funny and clever in their conveyance of sophisticated sexual content. The humor was achieved without being coarse or crude.

[@bobbywimsy6741]

Lois Simmons Whatever happened to norms, good taste, tact, civilized conversation Lois? Today's crudeness degrades women and men.

[@shirleyrombough8173]

Zac M. - Yeah. I wondered that myself.

[@Mmdmade]

Bunch of pervert voyers

[@marywebb9127]

@@bobbywimsy6741 Exactly 🎯

[@leannsherman6723]

Why on Earth did JCD give Arlene a “No” to “They search you out”?

[@donnawoodford6641]

The blonde hair on Francis and Betty is striking, but the color doesn't seem flattering.

[@vastolive8]

"What a waste of beauty" "You look so intelligent" sexist remarks!! Imagine saying that on TV Now to a lawyer Or a woman

[@gilliankew]

Bennet was a lovely man, but a man of his time. Women at the time were almost always judged first and foremost by their gender and looks, and almost every panel member did the same. It just sounded different coming from the ladies.

[@marywebb9127]

Male feminist alert 🙄📢

[@marywebb9127]

@@gilliankew Women could take some notes on how to dress from women of the past. I do!

[@Marcel_Audubon]

calm thyself, sweetie, this was almost 70 years ago

[@Marcel_Audubon]

​@@marywebb9127 hope you wear a nice '50s dress to Frank Pavone's fraud trial. That creep is going to do hard time.

[@daisyflowerrose2005]

5:40 you know, that's a really assholish (and obv sexist) thing to say even as a joke. Do you think the same would have been said (even by Arlene or whatever) if she were an attractive male lawyer? Of course not. Lawyering is a /male/ profession, after all, so it's a waste for an attractive woman to have that job, instead of one as a model or a stage prop for everyone to stare at, and never really listen to.

[@RikardPeterson]

In a similar line of thought, something that I've reacted to is how often female mystery guests are asked about their husbands, while I can't recall any instance where they've asked if a male mystery guest also has a famous wife. Am I mistaken or is there something there?

[@WhatsMyLine]

Rikard Peterson I think it's the same kind of casual sexism that was considered totally acceptable, as it was the norm back then.

[@jvcomedy]

I guess everyone could interpret it differently, but my take on Bennett's comment was that he was mainly showing his disdain for the legal profession, plus it was a compliment to the contestant.

[@ToddSF]

daisyflowerrose2005 -- There were very relatively few women in the legal profession in 1958, I note, and I think it's a mistake to expect that people in 1958 should have behaved in anticipation of today's standards. Complimenting a woman on her beauty in 1958 was commonplace, and women didn't mind that at all back then. Neither was making a very small joke about lawyers. By the way, your remark about Arlene "or whatever" is misplaced, in my opinion. Arlene made sly comments about handsome contestants all the time -- in fact she could be counted on doing that, and frequently in a slightly naughty way, e.g., "Could I use your services?" "Yes, you could." "Well, I'd certainly like to." And if you want to suggest that Bennett was being "assholish", to use your term, I'd say he wasn't at all, not even close to that.

[@bigwilson8794]

+ToddSF 94109 There were not "very few women in the legal profession in 1958".

[@sandygort]

If I had been a teen or adult in the 1950's, and took a date to an amusement park, I'd have to make sure she wore pants instead of a skirt.

[@stevekru6518]

If asked if there was a product involved I wonder if underwear would count

[@sbalman]

For people like me, who have watched all the seasons of WML, it is easy to see in retrospect how this entertaining show becomes less and less relavant as the country changed....the covert ractist statements, the anti-feminist statements, the criticism of "rock and roll"....the lst could go on and on. And in this one...upon finding out the young woman was a lawyer, Bennett's response that it wa a "totalc waste of beauty," So disgusting.

[@sherry-lynnbeardslee4288]

Peter was really funny.

[@LANCSKID]

Steve Irwin hunted and wrestled one too many crocs!

[@adolphesax1982]

"What a waste of beauty"? What a sexist comment, Bennet. Thank God times has changed since then.

[@sandy3482]

a female lawyer was odd in 1958

[@BellaFirenze]

So many sexist comments about the lawyer. Sexist comments all around.

[@carollee444]

All Bennett can think of is women, all the time 😜

[@hot88s23]

Sorry Miss Hutton, you can’t do accents.

[@MrVerno46]

I cringe at the sexual innuendo especially from Bennett Cerf and reinforced many times by host JCD.

[@thesweeples3266]

Virtue signal

[@LANCSKID]

Upskirting … oh, what a laugh they had then! These days, it will get you a five stretch and rightly so.

[@hariseldon2450]

"What a waste of beauty"? A very sexist comment from Bennett!

[@LANCSKID]

You sound surprised …

[@joiefulton4015]

Skirt blowing machine? Eww....then again it was 1958, right +What's My Line? To me, it sounds too pervy to be a legal practice.

[@WhatsMyLine]

Oh, it was legal-- but I know what you mean! They even had more than one skirt-blowing-machine-operator over the years on WML. At least two, maybe even three times.

[@KckStartMyHeart]

Don't know if this was already mentioned elsewhere, but I think this episode was filmed within a year or so of the release of "The Seven Year Itch" with Marilyn Monroe. And of course, it contained the iconic "skirt-blowing" scene😂😂

[@jess4metoo]

KckStartMyHeart I thought everyone knew about skirt blowing because of Monroe. There's a Snickers commercial currently playing showing a clip of that scene. The original poster must be very young.

[@sleb99]

Joie Fulton as a child I saw those things in use at fairs. I was embarrassed for the girls since seeing panties was a big thing then. My friends and I stepped back and watched for a bit. The operator saw us and when he listened to us whisper the word panty, he said sometimes they “ant got nothing on.” When we figured out he meant no underwear we almost passed out.

[@bobbywimsy6741]

KckStartMyHeart But what if someone caused the President's tie and wig to upskirt so to speak? Heavens, a baldy with 3 spare tires!

[@Fatherofheroesandheroines]

#METOO would HATE this show because women enjoyed being complemented back then lol

[@marywebb9127]

Not all women like the MeToo movement. It is a bunch of BS. Women who regret their hook ups!

[@accomplice55]

@@marywebb9127: Wow.

[@marywebb9127]

@@accomplice55 Go wear your pink hat and complain about toxic masculinity! Yet you Western Feminist are silent about how women are treated in Afghanistan by the Taliban!

[@thesweeples3266]

😂 Ya if she heard that in the future that people would “virtue signal” in mock indignation because of a simple complement she would have shaken her head in disbelief.

[@dadakijito]

@@marywebb9127 I am neither for or against the "Me too" group, but there is a huge difference between regretting a "hook up" or having casual sex, and having sex forced upon you. HUGE difference. Rape is a brutal assault on much more than just the body.

[@MarshalTennerWinter]

A woman lawyer?! WTF?

[@marymorrison3645]

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