What's My Line? - Edward G. Robinson; Martin Gabel [panel] (Dec 18, 1960)

MYSTERY GUEST: Edward G. Robinson
PANEL: Arlene Francis, Martin Gabel, Dorothy Kilgallen, Bennett Cerf

[@leesher1845]

This program relaxes me at night more than just about anything. It’s nice to see decorum dignity among people.

[@lllowkee6533]

Me too!

[@cathymurphy5536]

Me, three.@@lllowkee6533

[@charlieking3115]

Mr Edward G. Robinson great Actor .R.I.P.

[@robbob1234]

21:20 Dorothy deprecates herself over her poor game play, but John corrects her and says, "You have done very well. You've made a lot of laughter and good fun tonight." A reminder of what the show is really about.

[@jackkomisar458]

That's exactly right. But Dorothy also guessed the occupation of the first contestant.

[@tomhavens6006]

I think she was just as good as any of them.

[@dancelli714]

When Daly announce that Edward G. Robinson was in a play or movie called PEEPEE, I lost it.

[@hopicard]

Martin Gabel is really sophisticated, and he has a wonderful wife :)

[@BeIIeDoc24]

and his wonderful wife adores him. she writes about him with so much love and admiration in her memoir.

[@VahanNisanian]

Lorna Badeo Does Arlene's memoir mention what was the ancestry of her mother, and her husband? The only thing I know is that her father was an Armenian immigrant. I bring this up, because I, myself, AM an Armenian immigrant as well.

[@BeIIeDoc24]

It does! I do remember that her mother is English. Martin is Jewish, but I can't remember what else she said of his ancestry. I'll let you know if I come across it again.

[@atronish]

Arlene Francis Gabel (Kazanjian); Daughter of Aram Kazanjian and Leah Kazanjian

[@davidsanderson5918]

Really? I think he's such a "cold fish" bore of a man.

[@emailrobertbm]

Dorothy takes her investigative skills so serious in the game she seems to get aggravated when others don’t! Especially the back scratcher.

[@bluecamus5162]

She did take Mrs Gayde's flippant remarks quite literally. I'm not being flippant when I say that Dorothy would've made a good trial attorney.

[@dirtcop11]

I have seen a lot of movies with Edward G. Robinson and I have enjoyed every single one. He is famous for playing "heavies" but has also played police detectives and even a private detective. He always gave a great performance. I think he was in "Double Indemnity" with Fred Macmurray as the criminal in it.

[@RobertLofrano]

Wendy was so beautiful, one of the top beauties to appear as a contestant, mystery guests included. For me I wish it was December 18th 1960 again.

[@loissimmons6558]

Interesting that the first challenger signs in as "Wendy" (which was her billing when she appeared as an actress on "Wagon Train" in 1960), but for most of her professional career she was known by her birth name, which was "Wende".

[@OperaJH]

Arlene was always so elegant and beautiful

[@dgoldg]

I just have to say I love Arlene's hair in this one. I'm sure it took most of a can of hairspray to get it to look like that! But as an '80's girl I'm perfectly fine with that! :)

[@MrUhwoody]

I had one of those back scratchers.

[@vingotaq777]

Nice to see the great Edward G. Robinson wish John Daly well on his upcoming marriage

[@gilliankew]

Bennet has such a warm smile.

[@usermikes]

Once in NYC..Edward G. wanted to meet a real gangster..Cause he alway played one...So a friend took him to a restaurant in NYC..The men were in 3 piece suits..Edward G. said to his friend.."They are gangsters"..He friend said, yea, there all lawyers..True story..

[@VahanNisanian]

Earlier that same night, the 12/25/1960 episode was taped. John was still a bachelor during the tapings of both episodes.

[@Merrida100]

It is so strange after watching ten years of this program, to see John go from a happily married man, divorced, and now getting married again.

[@sdacj]

Makes one wonder what people thought if they hadn't read about his divorce - he mentioned his family from time to time on the show, and now all of a sudden he was getting married when they'd heard about his wife and children for several years.

[@gaelengesser9484]

electric back scratchers? I want one!

[@dgoldg]

Me too!

[@Baskerville22]

On December 22, 1960, Daly married Virginia Warren, daughter of then-chief justice Earl Warren,

[@Etnik13]

I love it when contestants bring a little bit of personality to the table, as did the second one. Also, yet again I cannot go without mentioning how broken Dorothy looks as of late, and especially so in this episode. I feel really sorry for her. She had a lovely giggle, and it was unheard on that night's show, despite some rather funny moments.

[@BeIIeDoc24]

definitely noticed the same about Dorothy as well. :(

[@SuperWinterborn]

Corleone About Dorothy, I have already answered Ry Cade , and I think we all agree in this matter. The Second contestant: She was hilarious! Like a fresh rural wind, with a melodious dialect, and Dorothy's remark about her product; "It's a Fairy Wand" was hilarious as well. ;)

[@Bonobanos]

Corleone at 23:46 she laughed

[@JAHinHK]

Forgive me, but is Dorothy high in these episodes? Her stuttering and such is odd. Anyone know the story? Also, is the joke with the back scratcher that it is an underground sex tool?

[@erichanson426]

She almost seems to get on the verge of a tad angry with Daily at times.

[@leannsherman6723]

I have such respect for Edward G. Robinson, who wasn’t afraid to let the world know that he was Jewish at a time when many celebrities were changing their names to hide it.

[@kentetalman9008]

Robinson was one of those who had changed his name. It was originally Menashe Goldenberg.

[@MrJoeybabe25]

The back scratcher lady was a hoot! She was a real West Virginian! She was almost as good as the all time best contestant, the wind blowing machine man.

[@davidsanderson5918]

Oooh 'get you'. Check out the raised eyebrow and catty expression of the backscratcher woman when Dorothy's pushing for clarification of the product's availability.

[@martinz60]

Wendy Wagner did some acting later in her career, including a role in the science fiction film, DESTINATION INNER SPACE.

[@martinz60]

Didn't know that, thanks!

[@JuliaAustralian]

+Martin Zimmerman haha

[@markcornish2519]

She was Secretary to the green hornet on the tv series in 1966-67

[@wendywoo2180]

She was also a friend of Sharon Tate, I think they might have been roommates

[@Baskerville22]

She married actor, James Mitchum, son of Robert Mitchum, in 1967

[@nandofigueira2005]

Legend!!

[@MrJoeybabe25]

John said 'ergo" twice in one show!

[@juliansinger]

Martin really did say something about Dr. Kinsey at about 13:00. Well, hey, live television, what're you gonna do.

[@bettycogswell9851]

Back scratcher should have brought in one and used it

[@OperaJH]

Pepe starred Cantinflas in the title role

[@leannsherman6723]

Nice that they brought up the subject of a Chanukah (Hanukkah)celebration. Edward G Robinson was obviously proud of the fact that he was Jewish, and unlike some celebrities, didn’t hide it. Martin Gabel and Bennett Cerf were both Jewish but never mentioned it.

[@accomplice55]

Of course he did change his name, but he probably had little choice in those days.

[@robbob1234]

When Dorothy is trying to guess the church steeple, at 23:01, she says "Is this product ... holy?" My mouth dropped and I yelled "WHAT??!" But then she continues, "Is this product ... wholly or partially of metal?"

[@mikejschin]

It's odd that Bennett mentioned Federalsburg, Maryland, in his introduction of John. Neither John nor his soon-to-be wife appears to have had any connection with that town. Perhaps Bennett was poking a bit of fun at himself for his confusion the previous week between Fredericksburg, Virginia, and Frederick, Maryland. The names are not all that similar, but Bennett was known to stretch somewhat while playing with words.

[@garyedwardgray7549]

Love this show, but specifically watched this episode out of curiosity to see if they mentioned the tragedy. I’m shocked that there was no mention. I know it’s a light and fun show. They don’t want to dwell on it. However, earlier this season they did make reference to Hurricane Donna. I know in later seasons they also mentioned the losses of JFK and Dorothy Kilgallen. In case anyone reading is unaware, since it’s largely been forgotten, this episode aired two days after a tragic airline crash. A midair collision. I *think*, at the time, it was the worst air disaster at the time. AND, it occurred right there in New York City. It was quite a big story at the time. Two of the most popular airlines (TWA and United) and one was a jet - pretty new and unique at the time. I describe the whole thing because my point is that it was a MASSIVE story at the time. Breaking news and local to the show. And they’ve mentioned news events before. Not this time. Surprising.

[@dorothypascoe5708]

Dorothy looked a little annoyed

[@perrybarton]

Was there EVER a guest who DIDN’T know how the scoring system worked? 😆

[@sandrageorge3488]

A few

[@mistergrandpasbakery9941]

Daymar is still in business but they go by a different name.

[@leesher1845]

Good for Edward G Robinson for not hiding the fact that he was Jewish like so many other actors did by changing their names, etc. both Martin Gabel and Bennett Cerf were Jewish and yet they said nothing about Chanukah during that conversation.

[@accomplice55]

Robinson's real name was Emmanuel Goldenberg.

[@RichardHannay]

“We call it Pepe” lololol

[@hcombs0104]

The infamous pee pee episode.

[@atronish]

About:Edward G. Robinson / Edward G. Robinson Jr. www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/actors/edward-g-robinson-net-worth/ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_G._Robinson_Jr.

[@brookehanley3659]

I like the name Kilgallen. Really Irish sounding.

[@kristabrewer9363]

Do you know who that second lady reminded me of? Not only with her accent, but with the boldness of her words, the second I heard her talk I thought of Cousin Mae from Petticoat Junction

[@wyatt_kincaid]

The first contestant Wende Wagner would co-star With Van Williams and Bruce Lee in the DC Comic style series The Green Hornet 6 years later kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZvWmoaQYtmkh9U

[@loissimmons6558]

How many people had a hankering for pizza pizza when Edward G. Robinson signed in?

[@markcornish2519]

Oh i get it little caesar' s ha ha

[@Walterwhiterocks]

Dorothy appeared to be in a particularly pissy mood tonight. Cantankerous as ever, but with an edge.

[@pianoplayrpiano99]

During the introductions I thought she looked like she had been drinking, a lot. Slurring her words quite badly.

[@sherryhesner5940]

😘

[@allanshulstad1783]

Wend e was on the Green Hornet TV show

[@preppysocks209]

Edward G. Robinson and I had two things in common: 1) Neither of us ever won a competitive Oscar. 2) Neither of us ever was nominated for a competitive Oscar. One difference is that at the end of his life, he was awarded an honorary Oscar.

[@racheln.spaterost2709]

I wonder what would have happened if one of the panelists had somehow already heard of the contestant.

[@jackkomisar458]

That has happened a few times, and those cases the panelists have disqualified themselves.

[@zickey100]

John Daly had 4 sons he named John Daly. Reminds me of a Louis Jordan song, Five Guys Named Moe.

[@loissimmons6558]

And I always think of George Foreman. I think he did John one better and had five sons, all named George.

[@sdacj]

He also had a grandfather, father, brother, at least one nephew and at least one grandson named John. It was tradition in the Daly family to name all male babies John.

[@shirleyrombough8173]

zickey100 - John really seemed to have fun that night.

[@kristabrewer9363]

um what? Who in their RIGHT MIND would name all 5 of their kids the same name?

[@accomplice55]

@@kristabrewer9363: They all went by their middle names. I'm sure John Daly was in his right mind.

[@519djw6]

Just short of 5:00 Kilgallen asks Wendy Wagner if she has ever been a stand-in for a star, and she answers, "No." This is misleading, as what she did was to act as a stand-in for a *co-star.*

[@ChrisHansonCanada]

STUNT SKINDIVER FOR MOVIES AND TV (she changed the spelling of her first name to Wende and appeared in the TV series "The Green Hornet"). MAKES ELECTRIC BACKSCRATCHERS SELLS CHURCH STEEPLES

[@LarsRyeJeppesen]

Seeing Robinson smoking his cigar every time he's on WML always makes me think of him dying of bladder cancer in 1973. The highest risk factor for bladder cancer is smoking...

[@robbob1234]

He was going to die anyways. I'm glad he found so much pleasure in those cigars for decades of his life.

[@michaeldonovan4793]

They should have given a monetary reward for any guest who stumped the panel...A required amount from each panel member...🙂

[@galileocan]

Oh oh...I think Dorothy stopped by the bar at Toots Shor's before the show...

[@davidsanderson5918]

Galileocan g Good for her! My sort of gal. I might crack open a bottle myself.

[@dorothykilgallenwasmurdere1653]

😀

[@peterorleman3043]

No mention of the disaster that occurred two days earlier?

[@alanfollett6242]

For anyone puzzled by the comment, this refers to the 12/16/1960 mid-air collision between a DC-8 and a Constellation over Brooklyn, with a death toll of 138.

[@jackkomisar458]

@@alanfollett6242 Airline safety has improved dramatically since then. According to a study completed in 2014 by Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty with the assistance of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, "In 1959, there were 40 fatal accidents per one million aircraft departures in the US. Within 10 years this had improved to less than two in every million departures, falling to around 0.1 per million today."

[@maxreger100]

The movie they are talking about is not PiPi but "Pepe", a horrible follow-up to "Around The World In 80 Days". Too bad--LOTS of Hollywood stars but a terrible story line or lack thereof. UNWATCHABLE!.......

[@davidsanderson5918]

Heyyyy I like Dorothy in this tipsy mood 13:25. She's always been so proper up to now, I'm ready for the boozy phase. :)

[@davidsanderson5918]

EDIT: ....which never came. Watched the lot now!

[@davidsanderson5918]

Bennett needs to dye his hair again before next week. :)

[@neilmidkiff]

Since the episode to be broadcast next week had just been taped in the studio immediately preceding the live broadcast of this episode, that wouldn't have been possible.

[@brucelevy5603]

Does Bennett Cerf make anyone's skin crawl? Asking for a friend.

[@ChrisHansonCanada]

"Slip out of those panties, little goil!" I can imagine him saying.

[@tamiobannon]

They're really making fun of the second guest!

[@kristabrewer9363]

The second I heard her speak, I heard Cousin Mae from Petticoat Junction

[@TheBraveIntrovert]

Wait, John was getting married but was still wearing his original wedding ring? He wasn't remarrying his first wife was he.

[@ToddSF]

Purple Capricorn -- No, his second marriage was to his second wife, Virginia Warren, daughter of Chief Justice of the United States Earl Warren. Look carefully and you'll see that it's a man's ring that has a dark stone in it of some kind, perhaps onyx, and is simply a piece of jewelry. A man's wedding ring in that era was pretty much always a plain gold band of constant diameter, less than 1/4 inch in width.

[@TheBraveIntrovert]

ToddSF 94109 It just looked like the same ring to me.

[@markxxx21]

I'm surprised he married a woman, along with Cerf and Gable, we have three closet cases here.

[@anneroy4560]

It looks to be a family ring ... not a wedding ring ... did men wear them very much back then? It was his 2nd marriage ...

[@morganfisherart]

@Markxxx - oh really?! I must say I have noticed how John likes to put his arm around the shoulders of male guests, as he did here with Edward G. Do you have any sources for your rather naughty allegation?

[@davediamond7228]

wende died way to young

[@dancelli714]

PEE PEE . . . HAHAHAHA . . .

[@SwarthySkinnedOne]

Dan Celli Yeah I agree, funny as hell. You hear Robinson slip in ,"Yeah we better clean that up" in correcting Mr. Dally's pronunciation on that. Noticed how the laughter on that from the panel kind of lingered until Dorothy Kilgagen broke in with a mildly-put request of "Can we change the subject?" "Pee pee"??? Ahh ha ha ha...what kind of movie is THAT!?!? PAH ha ha ha:)...sounds like one with a lot of cute lil toy dogs in expensive Park Avenue high-rises leaving behind puddles on costly linoleum kitchen floors and living room carpets. Ah ha ha:)

[@jackseward7779]

As many Mystery Guests demonstrate: diarrhea of the mouth [much as I liked hi]. BTW: his last film was Soylent Green/

[@josephpalermo4538]

Lighten up Dorothy...she took the game to damn seriously !!!

[@erichanson426]

Thank you

[@charlesstiglich5325]

Xzz

[@WhatsMyLine]

Qww

[@loissimmons6558]

+What's My Line? Oh sure, if you want to use the slang expression instead of proper English! :-)

[@gailsirois7175]

Just skin diver...not LADY skindiver.. there are thousands of them..🙄 brother !!

[@geraldkatz7986]

You can choose not to be offended over minutiae and live a happier life.

[@peternagy-im4be]

@@geraldkatz7986 best to simply ignore these fools

[@TheMarylandRoadKing]

Dorothy obviously drunk again. Sad.

[@tomhavens6006]

She was never drunk on the show or she would not have been allowed to be on it!!

[@ChrisHansonCanada]

Drunk as a skunk (whatever that means).