What's My Line? - Ethel Merman; Tony Randall [panel] (Jun 27, 1965)

[@trentaccid2177]

I met Ethel Merman when I was a kid at The Camden County Music Fair and what a nice lady. Ethel asked me how I knew her because I was so young and i told her I loved her appearance on The Lucy Show and she laughed so loud and she said hold on for a minute she stepped away and came back an gave me her laminated pass with her picture on it and signed it and I still have it. Ethel was a great lady and wonderful singer.

[@mikegendron3723]

Arlene Francis was probably one of the most down to earth and genuine persons of the world of celebrities. She was kind, caring and funny!!

[@keithbuckenmeyer8659]

She exuded elegance, kindness, humor and good taste.

[@lorenzopalombo8909]

I want to see them both in the next life

[@roberttilton7927]

There is no next life, when you're dead you're dead.

[@design17]

Don't forget GRAND!! Classy and very fashionable. :-)

[@akrenwinkle]

@@design17 Better not google Peter Gabel recent pic.

[@daltonbelflower7331]

I love Arlene Francis. She's witty and attractive. She draws the best one-liners and reactions from John Daly and the guests.

[@jubalcalif9100]

Indubitably !

[@chrisallen7911]

1965 one of the last years for Real Glamour...Look at those ladies in those gorgeous Empire gowns and those magnificent ornate hairdos!! It never got better than this time period and the Kennedy Era.

[@freeguy77]

That era ended in Nov. 1963, not extending into future years.

[@missmellie6335]

Watch one episode everyday! What an absolute joy. Love how the panel dresses and the simple & uncomplicated set. They don't even have an extra chair if there is more then one contestant. So fun to see all the stars of that time too. Obsessed with the mystery surrounding Miss Kilgallen's death. WOW

[@deborahh2556]

A real tragedy regarding Dorothy.

[@lethaluks2942]

Can’t understand why two people must share a chair 🤔

[@cynthiat6505]

@@lethaluks2942hahahaha

[@EricRoberts-g8i]

The first guest in this episode, Sheila Bell, was my mother. She passed away last week. If the date on this episode was correct she was almost 19 years old here.

[@scottpardee6303]

It’s wonderful when someone sees a relative on this show. We can only say, RiP for this person’s mother.

[@brookehanley3659]

Pretty lady. And what a lovely, feminine voice

[@kentetalman9008]

I'm one year older than your beautiful mom. RIP.

[@satori03]

my condolences and may she rest in peace

[@trentrez6643]

Weird seeing your Mom so young, huh?

[@gabe-po9yi]

That was very thoughtful of Arlene to clue the bald guy in on why the audience was laughing. The comment she made about liking him the way he was was also very kind.

[@anntaylor2039]

I liked Arlene's Kindness concerning that gentleman also!

[@tigergreg8]

I agree with you, I love people who clear things up when they realize someone has been embarrassed.

[@louisemiller9921]

Very kind!

[@skyedog24]

No one can belt out the Star-Spangled banner like" Ethel merman" 🇺🇸 Best Ever

[@Majoofi]

I can't get over how this show makes me smile to the point of having my face hurt.

[@llcooljay520]

Read with a huge smile on my face!

[@rmelin13231]

It has that effect.

[@freeguy77]

And what a wonderful "hurt" it is, compared to the dreck that comes out of the television now!

[@jubalcalif9100]

Proves you have excellent taste.

[@leannsherman6723]

I love how Ethel Merman through a kiss to the audience. ❤

[@Rockaria23]

Just want to thank you again for showing these. I watch these more than i watch anything on British television today.

[@WhatsMyLine]

My pleasure-- glad you enjoy the videos. :) I just uploaded a rare complete episode of the BBC version of WML: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bYXLnGWFj5ufd7s

[@poetcomic1]

Ethel Merman had NO stage fright. None. No jitters. NOTHING. It was downright spooky.

[@rivaridge7211]

Well, our dear Ethel had already appeared (at this point in time) on a Broadway stage for more than 10,000 times. She was used to it. Cheers to Ethel and bless her memory!

[@El_Ophelia]

I have always adored how Arlene wears such exquisite gowns, and nearly all of them have perfectly place and useful POCKETS! I don't think ANY gowns worn today for women have pockets. Don't know why. Walking in with a single hand in the pocket is quite elegant. Beautiful as always.

[@sandrageorge3488]

The pockets are my favorite.

[@SueProv]

You know I thought they had pockets too but recently I saw her hands looking like they were in pockets but she was pushing the gown out with her hands under the folds. I saw it. Either way she looks great.

[@iamintheburg]

I enjoy seeing Dorothy when the celebrity is someone she cares about : look how she stands to hug Ethel M. and how she's smiling and watching her walk offstage : heart is on yer sleeve, Miss K !!!!!!!

[@poetcomic1]

She was above all a theater goer and critic and could be just as starry eyed as anyone.

[@maggiehall3471]

Ethel and Dorothy were great friends - Ethel remembers her fondly in her autobiography as being one of the only writers she knew she could get dinner with, and not have to worry about her personal woes ending up in the next days paper.

[@SymphonyBrahms]

@@maggiehall3471 Dorothy was a real reporter, not a scandal monger like Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons.

[@tomhavens6006]

They were good friends.

[@mykkie100]

@@SymphonyBrahms Amen

[@donnacook8994]

Ethel Merman looked absolutely fabulous! What a talent she was, so beautiful!

[@geoffm9944]

Ethel Merman was a delightful and very talented singer.

[@jubalcalif9100]

Indeed. The biggest star Broadway ever had.

[@waynebrasler]

Ethel kept good care of herself and moved up in years looking great, as can be seen here.

[@bramlintrent1145]

Miss Francis: "Jolly good, let's swallow it. Let's not suck it; let's not chew it; let's just get it down!"

[@johnjaybonstingl9007]

Lolol. Arlene had a naughty wit.

[@rm2ken]

It sure is nice to see women's beauty not ruined by tattoos!

[@keithwilson6060]

I know, seriously. Tackiness knows no higher example.

[@Lava1964]

Getting a tattoo is like keying your own car.

[@johnjaybonstingl9007]

Amen!

[@patriciamooney928]

Arlene died from Alzheimers and Cancer. So wonderful she is preserved.

[@lorenengland4079]

Poor Dorothy had only a little over four months to live. So sad.

[@lalagonegaga]

"When you belt out a song, can it be heard several blocks away?" 💀💀💀

[@leannsherman6723]

The cameraman was also very good when the panelists found out what the line was; he always focused right on all four of their faces.

[@davidsanderson5918]

Very delicately and professionally handled by Arlene at 10:15 Someone HAD to do something with all that hubbub building. Then later she manages to loosen up a rather tetchy Daly over the 'eating' issue with her 'just get it down' bit. These little windows reveal a lot about a person if you add them up. This isn't just a game show, it's a human study.

[@leesher1845]

Arlene was so gracious.

[@leesher1845]

I love how Ethel Merman acknowledged the audience. Not very many of the celebrities did that.

[@arthurharrison1345]

The great Ethel Merman... Who could ask for anything more?

[@anntaylor2039]

I have noticed on several episodes that Dorothy makes effort to show she "Knows" the mystery guest by reaching out to them, as she did Ms. Merman. And the mystery guest always reaches out to Arlene first, as Ms. Merman did.

[@akrenwinkle]

Mary Tyler More. No, it's Moore. ... okay, I'm not good at this.

[@MsGoon40]

When that question is asked, my brain automatically answers, "Toyota!" Lol.

[@poetcomic1]

Bennett and Phyllis Cerf had famous parties at the house all the time and got to know everyone - and often their voices.

[@eliocuellar4076]

Man women in the 60s were so beautiful especially Ms.Francis and Dorathy are gorgeous.👍❤👍

[@stevekru6518]

Elio Cuellar Arlene yes, Dorothy no.

[@thezmanchar]

Oh my goodness Dorothy Kilgallen actually got up entirely. So did Arlene Francis.

[@diedonner299]

There was one episode with a nun and Dorothy actually did a curtesy.

[@saifonlawrence2044]

Tont Randall was a loveable fellow

[@allancuseo7431]

There is only one Ethel Merman...and I love her

[@mariemarchesani1595]

There will never be another Merman!

[@photo161]

As big as Miss Merman voice famously was, her all-embracing theatrical personality was bigger still! In "it's a Mad...World" she emerged as the funniest of all the comic stars.

[@Jasper7182009]

eoselan7 ... I agree with you 100%. She's the reason that I watch "it's a mad mad mad mad world." Ms. Merman came off as the funniest one in that picture among all the great comics.

[@lancedukel3436]

I love when she says" We're in the Imperial and we're in last?!"😀

[@bluecamus5162]

True, but still, my favorite Ethel Merman film role is that of Lt Hurwitz. No one in the world could play Lt Hurwitz like her.

[@grandma.p]

Dorothy is so smart!

[@wilkiecoco]

Arlene is so witty and intelligent - she was able to diffuse the bald man's embarrassment at following a toupee salesperson where John Daly was otherwise speechless.

[@perryjohnson1801]

LOL, Dorothy Kilgallen looks like Snow White with her hair style and puff up sleeves.

[@myphonyaccount]

the grace, intelligence, innocence and energy of the panelists is so desperately needed in today's rotting culture.

[@MajorSeventh]

In 1979 Merman released a disco album and I found a promotional copy of it about ten years later in a thrift shop. It included a mimeographed copy of a magazine article, from Variety if I remember correctly, titled "Can Ethel Disco? Yes She Can Can Can!" Looking back, that sounds like a Bennett Cerf joke.

[@Beson-SE]

A disco album? Wasn't the disco era rather out in 1979?

[@MajorSeventh]

Nope, that was right at the tail end, 1974-ish to 1980-ish. Ethel killed it! :-P

[@WhatsMyLine]

That album is one of my favorite entertainment train wrecks, which I return to often when I really need a good laugh. The amazing thing about it is not so much that Ethel Merman did a disco album in 1979-- there are a slew of godawful disco albums by artists who should have known better. It's the way it was recorded: she recorded her vocal tracks with the accompaniment of her usual pianist, having no idea whatsoever what the arrangement that was laid over them would sound like. And you can tell, because she sings in her usual style with no modulation whatsoever for the genre. It just makes the insanely conceived album that much more over-the-top insane in execution. You haven't lived till you've heard Merman belting out "Alexander's Ragtime Band" set to a disco beat. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZnjEoGuiaN2EmLM

[@Beson-SE]

What's My Line? That record must have been a real floorfiller at the discos... My goodness... :)

[@MajorSeventh]

What's My Line? I think the disco version of "There's No Business Like Show Business" works in spite of itself - "why why WHY baby?" If you like (?) that album you might enjoy (?) the movie _Sextette_ with Mae West, possibly the worst trainwreck at the junction of old Hollywood and '70s cheese.

[@davidsanderson5918]

Four months to go....and still no sign whatsoever of the 'decline' people have said Kilgallen supposedly suffered. Been watching chronologically since 1950 so waiting for the 'decline' to start. As yet, she looks in perfectly good nick to me as well as very clear and articulate...as I'm sure her reporting will've been at this juncture.

[@chrisbowen9043]

What decline? Dorothy was always healthy looking, bright, humble, kind, witty, and extremely on point!

[@smdftb8495]

I agree. So tragic.

[@scottpardee6303]

When we get closer to her demise, you will see more comments about her behavior.

[@nedmarc]

So sophisticated

[@savethetpc6406]

20:02 -- we can clearly see that the final contestant, Miss Cummins, is wearing a diamond heart necklace, very similar to Arlene's. At 24:30-:35, when Arlene greets her, it looks as if she has noticed too and shows Miss Cummins that she has hers on, even though it has been somewhat hidden beneath her clothing and other jewelry.

[@WhatsMyLine]

SaveThe TPC I noticed this too, but couldn't find a clear enough shot of the necklace to decide if it was really heart shaped or not, so I didn't say anything about it. :) You may very well be right about Arlene mentioning it when the guest is leaving.

[@diedonner299]

23 years after this episode a mugger snatched the necklace from Miss Francis’ neck and it was never recovered.

[@AaronHahnStudios]

NICE Watch Anthony Randall. I want one.

[@bradredford4846]

When I grow up I want to sign my name like Ethel Merman.

[@OldTelivisionRocks]

Kind of dislike the comments criticizing Randle. Randle was just a big puppy in my opinion that said the first thing that came to his head but meant no harm often. But secondly this is one of the only times I have seen the girls rise for another girl guest star.

[@Tahoenjr]

I wish Daly would let the contestants respond more in their own words.

[@taraxacum]

And even when they do answer he speaks at the same time or nods or shakes his head at the same time. I remember in one episode when the mystery guest was talking, Daly was saying the exact same sentences right over their sentences.

[@AnnieKCleary]

@@taraxacum Yes! and the Panel started asking him why he kept answering questions for the guest xD

[@brookehanley3659]

Agree that was wrong and i think the first contestant noticed

[@amberola1b]

@ 11:02 mark......I just looked up the word comestible, it means an item of food. Damn that Tony Randall using complicated words. lol.

[@alanhumphrey4198]

He had a bountiful vocabulary...

[@richatlarge462]

"is it masticated?"

[@dameinnoble3995]

Miss Bells hair was amazing!

[@scottmiller6495]

Ethel merman was a fabulous lady and terrific singer and entertainer!!!!!

[@buyvital]

Arlene Francis isn't too happy Cerf interrupted her at 8:36

[@gimmeachallenge]

+buyvital HA! You're right. She looks ready to cut him in two with that glare!

[@akrenwinkle]

You're right. It wouldn't happen today, but if it did, Arlene's retort would contain the word "mansplain."

[@Walterwhiterocks]

He interrupted people frequently on this show through the years. I remember one night Henry Morgan called him on it rather sharply. Cerf pouted for the rest of the show.

[@leannsherman6723]

Dorothy Kilgallen was smart. Tony Randall was doing was frustrated that he didn’t guess it😢

[@toreckman8899]

‘Tell her about the women I know John’. Classic Arlene. Ethyl Merman. Practically stole the show in “it’s a mad mad mad world”.

[@DA90027]

Ethel was great at disguising her voice

[@tnate6004]

She sounded a bit like Julie London here.

[@kat35lulu88]

Beautiful..... classy......talented....... handsome....... few celebs of this caliber in our world now. So glad I was a kid in the 60s to grow up in that wonderful era.

[@tomhavens6006]

I totally agree!!

[@Matt02341]

“ I thought it was Kirk Douglas “ #ripkirkdouglas Mr Douglas just passed early February 2020

[@VahanNisanian]

Today was a double-up, as the July 4 show (yes, Independence Day), which we'll be seeing tomorrow, was taped earlier that same night. The cast and crew had the night off on July 4.

[@susanslack6347]

Ethel Merman was one of my mom's favorites

[@soulierinvestments]

Arlene very funny tonight

[@leesher1845]

That Dorothy Kilgallen was really smart.

[@piustwelfth]

Ethel Merman was one of the all-time greats. In addition to her prodigious talent, she loved to have fun and had many friends (as is evident in this video).

[@soulierinvestments]

RE: Gary’s posting the 1965 Ethel Merman “What’s My Line?” -- Memory is a strange critter. I remember watching this episode on live TV when I was 9. What do I remember? Not that striped thing on Dorothy. Not the bald guy selling vitamins for pets. What I remember is the question for the Merm posed by Bennett at 17:12. Go figure.

[@Beson-SE]

In 1964 Ethel Merman was married to Ernest Borgnine. The marriage lasted one month.

[@MrJoeybabe25]

I think EB and EM separated because they looked too much like each other.

[@Beson-SE]

Joe Postove Birds of a feather flock together?

[@MrJoeybabe25]

Johan Bengtsson I was just thinking if they had a child together would it be a singing butcher?

[@Beson-SE]

Joe Postove Named Marty. :)

[@MrJoeybabe25]

Johan Bengtsson Very good, Johan! You know your Americana. For 10 bonus points, who played Marty in the live television play that ran in 1953, before the motion picture came out (in 1955). No peeking!

[@shirleyrombough8173]

Ms. Bell has quite a hairpiece herself.

[@oldschoolmuscle4436]

Tony asking Ethel if she's known for her recordings. Could u imagine trying to unwind at the end of the day and putting on an Ethel Merman record?

[@mikeq5807]

Good night, John boy. Good night, Ellen. ...

[@butziporsche8646]

When I was 5 or 6 we saw "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World" at the Orange Drive-in in Orange California and I still remember when Terry Thomas and Milton Berle turned her over and shook out the car keys. I have seen it several times since then and I'd say she had some great legs!

[@freeguy77]

She stole every scene she was in, and she was the surprising, hilarious character in doing that from some of the greatest comics in history!

[@SymphonyBrahms]

The greatest Broadway star. Ever.

[@charlescooke6609]

This was in a period of time when to have class was cool.

[@leannsherman6723]

Why were people laughing when that second contestant signed in? Maybe because he was bald? Arlene was so gracious by telling him that she liked him just the way he was.

[@geoffm9944]

Ethel Merman was a great singer and entertainer.

[@ericsamuelson5656]

This episode aired on my mom's 24th birthday when she lived in The Bronx married to her previous husband and they had my sister Valerie who was 8 months old then

[@patriciamooney928]

Ethel Merman was only discovered 1 out of 3 times on WML.

[@leannsherman6723]

Ilene was right that hairpieces are both decorative and functional. Sometimes John Charles Daly didn’t get it quite right.

[@GGR741]

ethel deserves an enchore for her halarious comedy guest appearance in ''airplane ! ''

[@MrJackben32]

this was the day after my mum was born

[@TacomaPaul]

Ethel Merman was in "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" as Jim Backus' wife and her "son" movie is Dick Shawn. AND... she was in "Airplane"... for just a minute. In a mental hospital and she sings "There's No Business Like Show Business"... and she's given a shot. She's out ! ;-)

[@freeguy77]

She did not play Jim Backus wife in that classic movie!

[@SueProv]

I thought it was Milton Berle s mother in law.

[@RonGerstein-tf5tp]

ETHEL MERMAN WAS MILTON BERLE'S MOTHER-IN-LAW IN IAMMMMW!

[@MrJoeybabe25]

My word! Did Bennett ask the bald guy if he sucks it? Jeepers!

[@soulierinvestments]

To Merman -- Is your spouse in show-biz? Uh yeah. The year before she married Ernest Borgnine for a month. I hear that chapter in her biography is blank.

[@TheTerryE]

+soulierinvestments She wasn't asked if her spouse was in show biz. She was asked if her spouse was a singing star. Plus she was divorced from Borgnine. So your comment was STUPID>

[@TruckTaxiMoveIt]

TheTerryE although his comment was wrong it was definitely informative and no where close to "stupid".

[@diedonner299]

Yes a blank page in her book.

[@bradredford4846]

Ok, Cerf had to have had an inside scoop on Merman being there.

[@brkitdwn]

Cerf was savvy and picked up on famous voices easily.

[@MikkoHere]

@@brkitdwn He was in publishing and had a lot of inside information, and also apparently would scour the newspapers for celebrities in town. Not exactly cheating but would have been nice for him to have just gone in blindly.

[@BlankCanvas88]

Sometimes I think Bennett knows who the star is early on but doesn't say so.

[@jubalcalif9100]

I think you're right. He probably wanted to keep the game going & not end the suspense too quickly.

[@motnosniv]

Dorothy was somewhat of a detective herself. Sadly, it didn't end well for her.

[@Beson-SE]

What an irony for an almost bald man to follow a contestant who sells hairpieces...

[@savethetpc6406]

Johan Bengtsson It took me a while to figure out why the audience was laughing so hard, because we did not see anything but his hand and arm at first -- but once I saw the rest of him, I laughed too! I felt kind of bad for him for getting laughed at like that, though -- leave it to Arlene to put it in perspective in a way that did not make fun of him and probably helped him feel more comfortable -- good going, Arlene! (I personally couldn't help noticing that his name rhymes with ballerina, but I suppose after he'd already drawn laughs once, just by walking onto the stage, nobody dared embarrass him further by mentioning that!)

[@WhatsMyLine]

SaveThe TPC I can't decide if the producers did this on purpose.

[@Beson-SE]

What's My Line? Why should they have done that? Perhaps it was only an unfortunate coincidence.

[@WhatsMyLine]

Johan Bengtsson To get a laugh-- just as happened on the show. I'm not saying they did, I'm just saying I wondered. Mainly cause the guy wasn't just bald, he was *very* bald.

[@shmuli9]

Well, who would you EXPECT to sell a hairpiece? Captain Caveman? :-)

[@stephaniedavies1354]

john says, ‘Bless you [miss merman] for coming’ sweet🍭🙏🌸 wishing each in turn a good night... reminds me of that classic ending of “the Waltons” with a shout out to John-Boy Walton👏👏👏👏😉

[@bigoldinosaur]

What Bennett says at 8:40 was just hilarious.

[@smdftb8495]

Goodness that's a gorgeous private detective

[@kentetalman9008]

When the first two contestants met backstage, I wonder whether a sale was made.

[@MrJoeybabe25]

Did John, when they began coming out to be introduced, rather than already being seated, ever come out without his cards?

[@salvatorecollura2692]

Seems like a terrible idea for a private detective to reveal her identity in front of millions. Cover blown?

[@stevepick6621]

What happened to all the What's My Line videos which are suddenly private? I've spent two years watching every episode since the first, and now I'm here finding several upcoming episodes which were available a few days ago are now gone.

[@WhatsMyLine]

See this message: kzbin.info/door/hPE75Fvvl1HmdAsO7Nzb8wcommunity?lb=Ugyciu6MBPpgztCiOX54AaABCQ&fbclid=IwAR2t1c6_8TKwXFtRP0hY9gbQvnwXAvdbBRQYttJk9rY4nTpOSwA9zdGHr5Y

[@TheBraveIntrovert]

Yaaay Toni Randall again.....-_-

[@saran3214]

I heard the whistling for the last contestant and wondered if she was all that attractive. She was.

[@Kat-fw9se]

The circus is back in town! Yikes Dorothy!

[@Vitte4]

It's astonishing after watching many of these mystery guests how terrible Tony Randall was and how good Bennett Cerf was with voice recognition.

[@gbrumburgh]

In the hilarious musical revue FORBIDDEN BROADWAY, which spoofs Broadway musical shows and their stars. a scene between Ethel Merman and Mary Martin has Ethel yelling out to the audience. "Do you want to hear me sing a duet?"

[@cdrugly]

12:31 Bennett Cert is KILLING me!

[@MrJoeybabe25]

OK, John. There is a special character to the vitamin. Say it twice, so that you put the panel on the right track. Maybe he's making up for all of the times he's mislead them.

[@WhatsMyLine]

Oh yes, he gave away far more than he had to, I totally agree.

[@heh701]

12:30 best line in 1965 television history. 12:37 2nd best.

[@lindaroper2654]

I know why the audience was laughing, cause the guy come out mostly balled. But that could of made him feel bad

[@disvids8754]

Something werid happened - a whole bunch of commnents from a Lauren Bacall episode posted here.

[@leannsherman6723]

Is it masticated? Seriously Tony Randall?

[@carolv8450]

Love tony Randall

[@brookehanley3659]

He was like a male Kilgallen

[@joetaylor5170]

I love this show but they only gave the contestants $50? Even in 1960 $50 wasn’t a life changer.

[@sandrageorge3488]

But it was worth over $400.00 by today's standards, which was a lot back then.

[@MrJoeybabe25]

According to Wikipedia the man who came up with the hairpiece, "Glen Hearst Taylor (April 12, 1904 - April 28, 1984) was an American politician, businessman and United States Senator from Idaho. He was the vice presidential candidate on the Progressive Party ticket in the 1948 election. Taylor was otherwise a member of the Democratic Party. By one measure Taylor was the second most liberal member of the United States Senate (trailing only Wayne Morse of Oregon), and the fourth most liberal member of Congress overall between 1937 and 2002. In 1958 Taylor and his wife, Dora, moved to Millbrae, California, and began making hairpieces by hand based on a hairpiece Taylor made for himself in the early 1940s. By 1960 Taylor Topper Inc. had become the major manufacturer of hair replacements in the United States. Taylor told the Washington Post in 1978 that it was something he was very familiar with. "I was 18, a juvenile leading man in a traveling show, and my hair had begun to fall out. There isn't much demand for bald juvenile leading men, and I tried everything - sheep dip, what have you - and that just made it fall out faster." Taylor explained that he had run for public office without the hairpiece and found that voters "didn't have much use for bald politicians", but "I ran the fourth time with it and won." His original toupée was made from a tin pie plate, which he lined with pink felt and swatches of human hair. Glen and Dora Taylor were successful manufacturing hair pieces, and Taylor Toppers became famous. The company, now known as Taylormade Hair Replacement, is still active in Millbrae."

[@loissimmons6558]

+Joe Postove An interesting history lesson, especially in view of the fact that the first two major party Presidential candidates after I was born (and shortly before) were both in the advanced stages of balding: Dwight Eisenhower and Adlai Stevenson. Reading more about Taylor, his views were pretty far left for the times and even his own party. In his first year in the Senate, he submitted a resolution "favoring the creation of a world republic." So did the hairpiece make the difference? Or was he finally able to get elected in 1944 after a few years of the public hearing that the Soviet Union was our ally, "Uncle Joe" Stalin wasn't really such a bad guy after all and with all the pictures of the leaders of the three major powers together at the Tehran Conference? Taylor has the distinction of being the first professional actor to be elected to Congress. He was also a Country-Western singer and was known in DC as "The Singing Cowboy" while in the Senate. When he arrived in DC, he rode his horse up the steps of the U.S. Capitol Building. He also allegedly broke the jaw of a leader of the rival major party on election night 1946 in a hotel lobby in Boise. His toupee did not help him in 1950. He lost his bid for reelection in his party's primary. He ran for the other Idaho Senate seat in 1954 but lost in the general election with only 37.2% of the vote in a two-way race. He narrowly lost his party's nomination in 1956 and received 5.1% of the votes as a write-in candidate in that year's U.S. Senate election, but his party's nominee, Frank Church, easily won the election anyway despite the Eisenhower landslide nationally and two liberal candidates being on the ballot and possibly splitting that vote. With the move to California, that ended Taylor's political career and the beginning of a corporate one. (An earlier attempt from 1950-52 was curtailed when the company he had been named president of was in danger of losing government contracts because he had been labeled a security risk.)

[@preppysocks209]

Taylor languished in obscurity following his one Senate term and his stint as Henry Wallace's running mate although he made money, until he was featured in a book in 2019 called "Desk 88." All Senate desks are numbered and the holders of them, all of whom scratch their names into the tops of the desk, are recorded. Desk 88 is currently held by Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and it was used by many liberal Democrats prior to his coming to the Senate, including George McGovern. Brown wrote a book with chapters about various senators whom he admired who previously had that desk, including Glen Taylor, and some of the publicity associated with publication of the book mentioned Taylor a bit (but not his baldness or his toupee business).