What's My Line? - Ezio Pinza (Nov 1, 1953)

MYSTERY GUEST: Ezio Pinza
PANEL: Dorothy Kilgallen, Steve Allen, Arlene Francis, Bennett Cerf
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[@CarloQuinto]

One of the greatest Opera singers of all time and one of the greatest singing actors of all time. Ezio Pinza, what a great episode!

[@juanettebutts9782]

I agree: an amazing voice! We were raised listening to "long hair" music and opera. Guess that's why I prefer those types of music/singing to any others. I hear the "singing stars" of today and cringe. To each his own, live and let live, as the saying goes. Whatever speaks to people's spirits. No criticism intended!!

[@greeneyes2256]

@@juanettebutts9782 Aaaaaaaa

[@michaeldanello3966]

@@juanettebutts9782: You like music not noise -- no need to apologize or explain for having good taste

[@JRobbySh]

A very charming man!

[@allenjones3130]

One of opera's greatest bassos!

[@richardgornalle4536]

This has been a huge thrill seeing the great Ezio Pinza. His voice had the most glorious sound.

[@miketheyunggod2534]

Steve Allen is always fun to watch on this show.

[@enriquesanchez2001]

The GREAT EZIO PINZA - sadly died FOUR years later! 😥

[@kattahj]

I love John's face after the guest says "yes" to "Do women ever come to you to return something or replace it?"

[@AceFurryTrash]

I enjoyed his frankness

[@listeningeyes3298]

When Steve Allen asks the contestants questions and the LIVE studio audiences starts laughing hilariously and the camera man pans out to get the other panelists in the shot, their laughter also is wonderful and adds to the humor😊.

[@listeningeyes3298]

I forgot to mention that John Daly’s reactions are hilarious also with some of Steve Allen’s questions.

[@adelebz7]

Love Dorothy's earrings, so glamourous.

[@huskydogg7536]

I was born on this very day!

[@hopicard]

Steve Allen and the marriage counselor, what a hilarious sequence! Allen really was a great entertainer, he knew what to do to make to audience enjoy it.

[@January.]

*what to do to entertain audiences.

[@maxreger100]

Ms. Francis often displays her lovely shoulders--I approve, as did many.

[@michaeldanello3966]

@Farque Matthews: She was born Arline Frances Kazajian in Boaton. She married Martin Gabel in 1946 and stayed married to him until his death in 1986. As with many actresses she retained her stage name for her public appearances

[@scotnick59]

She got her famous heart pendant ripped off her neck after exiting a taxi in NYC: disgusting

[@joiefulton4015]

Seems like Steve is in heaven with the marriage counselor. His questions are that perfect.

[@markoperak5989]

Dorothy and Arlene are just especially stunning this episode!

[@poetcomic1]

Some Enchanted Evening....

[@drednm]

Ezio Pinza became a Broadway sensation starring with Mary Martin in SOUTH PACIFIC.

[@Beson-SE]

Ezio Pinza was on the show to promote his short-lived and mostly forgotten sitcom "Bonino". I would rather remember him as a brilliant Don Giovanni in Mozart's opera. EZIO PINZA "FIN CH`HAN DEL VINO"

[@ToddSF]

Of course, his work as an opera singer will always be his greatest and most memorable career venture, but I'd love to see episodes of _Bonino_, just to see what that sitcom was like and what he did. Unfortunately, no footage seems to exist, even though it was an NBC TV series. We know it aired from September 12 to December 26, 1953, according to Wikipedia, 3-1/2 months or thereabouts, so it was clearly canceled mid-season. Wikipedia also tells us that the number of episodes was "no more than 16", so it's not even known how many episodes were made. Wikipedia also states that Ezio Pinza sang in each episode, and that alone makes me wish I could see those episodes, though, clearly, his opera work -- and his work in _South Pacific_ -- is far and away more important.

[@michaeldanello3966]

@@ToddSF : It aired LIVE from September 12 through December 26, 1953 weekly for 30 minutes. As you point out that's 16 weeks assuming it aired every week. Unless kinescopes were made, and kept, there would be no filmed records existing. That was before tape was routinely used Previously he was in The RCA Victor Show which also aired on NBC beginning November 23, 1951. He was the sole star who sang a song on two from his apartment. Leaving he would meet the weekly guest and they would return to his apartment and sing separately and together. As the show closed he would sing a last song alone. This show also was 30 minutes. As of February 8, 1952 Dennis Day was the host, every other week with Pinza alternating. But on April 11, 1952 the format changed to a dramatic story, again with guest stars and songs. When the show returned after the summer break Pinza was gone and Day remained. All of Pinza's programs were performed live.

[@miketheyunggod2534]

Where has all the talent gone? All in heaven .

[@akrenwinkle]

I forgot where I read it. Ezio and Lana Turner made one film together, "Mr. Imperium." (I didn't see it.) Ezio was very persistent trying to woo Lana, but no sale. One of her objections was his breath.

[@zekezacker9449]

In 1942, Pinza (who was born in Italy) was unjustly detained, for over a couple of months, by the FBI for supposedly being a fascist sympathizer - a singing rival of Pinza bragged about informing the FBI about Pinza. At the time, Pinza was just months from becoming a US citizen. This ordeal was so traumatic for Pinza to the point Pinza suffered episodic depression for years afterwards.

[@flannerymonaghan-morris7461]

Poor guy. Hope he got treatment for his PTSD/Depression.

[@peternagy-im4be]

@@flannerymonaghan-morris7461 The Acorn Syndrome.

[@Tenderness1959]

amazing that the guy indeed guessed that it is Ezio Pinza!

[@WhatsMyLine]

Thanks for your comments, hopicard. I agree on Steve Allen-- he was by far the most consistently hilarious of all the regular panel members, and I say that as a lifelong fan of Fred Allen. I wish I had the opportunity to see some of his talk shows, which are not circulating anywhere I can find. All I can find is his Plymouth variety series, which actually doesn't give him much to do. The one full talk Steve Allen show I've seen, along with various clips over the years, have been amazing.

[@adamodeo9320]

Steve Allen was also a kind and a good man - sad how he died -

[@lindalee2649]

That was a good show they had fun doing it .

[@juliansinger]

Because I had to look it up: Steve asks Pinza at 25:08 if he's Rudolph Halley. Halley was a Mayoral candidate, running as a Liberal/Independent Citizen and came in third, with 21% of the vote. (The vote was on November 3rd.)

[@loniedavis1167]

INTERESTING EPISODE !

[@44032]

The reference to humility is because Arthur Godfrey had just fired singer Julius LaRosa for the lack of it on 10/19/53.

[@jpireri6777]

John Daly looked so uncomfortable with that remark. It was a huge scandal on Arthur Godfrey's show, also on CBS, because he fired LaRosa on a live broadcast without warning. Arthur Godfrey claimed it was because the singer had lost his humility, which many people thought ridiculous because they felt that Arthur Godfrey had acted very pompously and in bad taste. He lost a lot of support from fans and his career declined. The network was embarrassed by the result. I wonder, did Steve Allen get in trouble after this episode for joking about it?

[@lemorab1]

I noticed the discomfort of John Daly here and I was wondering why mentioning "humility" created an awkward moment. Slim Keith, wife of South Pacific producer Leland Hayward at the time of South Pacific's initial heyday on Broadway, described Ezio Pinza as anything but humble. He seemingly expected the audience to stand and applaud after every one of his songs, as an audience at La Scala would do after each aria. So, the words 'humility' and 'Ezio Pinza' don't seem to belong in the same context. I listen to the original Broadway cast recording of South Pacific all the time, and his Some Enchanted Evening is one of my all time favorites. His voice really was gorgeous.

[@mikejschin]

During World War II, Ezio Pinza was arrested on charges of being an enemy alien, apparently due to his having been born in Italy. After 3 months of internment at Ellis Island, he was cleared and released. As a result of this experience, he suffered from bouts of depression for the rest of his life. His wife, Doris Leak, was convinced that the stress of the incident contributed to his early death. On a side note, Pinza died in Stamford, Connecticut, coincidentally the place where the previous contestant (Mr. Prison Lock) lived.

[@pammilner7161]

Thank you so much for this Information. Sad indeed and happened too often.

[@joncheskin]

Hilarious that the marriage counselor seemed so certain that Steve Allen could use his services.

[@huskydogg7536]

And the prison lock maker saying Bennett Cerf would use his...

[@tejaswoman]

​@@huskydogg7536 * could, which is quite different

[@username178able]

Love these episodes , Dorothy & Arlene look lovely & Steve Allen is very handsome !

[@loissimmons6558]

Arlene was delightfully persistent whenever she lobbied for something to go in her direction. Most of the time, it was to get a no changed to a yes. But when Ezio Pinza is greeting the panelists at the end of his segment, she is imploring him to sing "one note ... just one note." You gotta love her. You just gotta.

[@jvcomedy]

Arlene had the habit of doing this to a lot of entertainers that appeared on the show and trust me when I say it's not something that many entertainers welcome. I was always surprised that Arlene did this as you'd think she'd know better.

[@loissimmons6558]

+Jeff Vaughn My assumption is that it was part adulation and part her way of honoring those people she considered to be especially talented. But I am aware that vocalists do not like to sing without being warmed up. I remember watching a Today Show segment where the interviewer wanted the guest, a vocalist, to sing a little, impromptu. The reply was along the lines of "At this hour? Are you kidding?" I also know that John Daly implored Judy Holliday to say something in her "Born Yesterday" voice when she made her first MG appearance. I could see her blink and search for it. If she hadn't found it, I'm sure she would have begged off. But she was a trooper! And yes, I would think that Arlene, as one of the performers among the show's regulars, would be more cognizant of these things than those whose connection with performing was more peripheral (like Dorothy, Bennett and John). But I think it was quite innocent on Arlene's part, the way that some celebrities will ask for the autograph of those who they consider to be a much bigger celebrity.

[@jvcomedy]

I'm sure Arlene means no harm when she does this because she's such a charming lady, but still no matter what the reasoning behind it, it's generally not accepted well by performers. No matter whether they're a singer, dancer, comedian, etc., etc. If you're not prepared for it the performer doesn't want the audience to not get a true view of their ability and many times in short spurts their talents just can't be shown properly, and some feel like they're being treated as a trained monkey when asked to perform like that. It's odd that performers seem to be the only occupation to get this treatment. You don't meet doctors, lawyers, and other career people and ask them to show you how they work as soon as you meet them. Would a person meet an accomplished salesperson at a party and then hand them an object and say "here, sell me this so I can see how you work". It's just not fair and a little rude. Very few performers might be OK with it, but in general it's considered quite an annoyance so I'm always surprised when she does it.

[@jvcomedy]

Lois Simmons I don't think I posted my comment above correctly as I didn't reply directly to you so I don't know if you'll be notified whether I made it or not. Please scan the comments of this thread for my reply to your last comment. Thanks and cheers!

[@loissimmons6558]

+Jeff Vaughn Hmm. I've been at parties and (depending upon which career of mine we are talking about) introduced myself as a stockbroker or tax preparer. The other person's eyes will light up and say, "Do you think I should sell my Underground Airways stock?" or "Do you mind if I ask you a tax question?" If there is something that is consistent in all the cultures I know about, people like getting something for free ... including a performance. And I've seen doctors asked medical questions and lawyers asked legal questions at first meeting. (Insurance agents, however, are generally shunned like the plague!) And I doubt you have to ask a salesperson to show you a sample of their technique. If you show the slightest bit of interest in the product or services they sell, they immediately convert from guest mode to sales mode. I know. My job involves selling my services at any opportunity. You never know when you will meet a prospect. Hey Jeff, are you looking for a good tax preparer with over 25 years experience and who has prepared taxes for 32 different states (including DC) and Canada? :-)

[@cyndifoore7743]

Dorothy has a Betty Boop hairstyle it this show.

[@bronxbearbud272]

Yet another enchanted evening in the Atlantic Northeast courtesy of the guys and dolls on what's my line

[@neilmidkiff]

The confusion of "consult" and "insult" at 6:30 brings to mind an early short story by P. G. Wodehouse, "By Advice of Counsel" (1910), which you can read at www.madameulalie.org/strand/By_Advice_of_Counsel.html. The plot hinges on the same two words, with implications for matrimony as well!

[@MrDino-os5hc]

Ezio nearly kissing John will never get old 😂

[@SusanDofash]

I’m loving watching all these episodes! I’m watching them all in order! I wish I could time travel and watch this show filmed live! Thanks for putting up these videos!!!

[@briane173]

I'm old enough to have _seen_ them live -- between 1961 and 1967 when I was a child; I remember it distinctly and I _loved_ this show because of the class and grace of the panelists and John Daly. When the show ended on network TV the class and grace ended with it -- and nothing since has come close.

[@ToddSF]

Some footage survives of Ezio Pinza from South Pacific. Here's a link to footage of the duet sung by Mary Martin and Ezio Pinza toward the end of the play, including a reprise of "Some Enchanted Evening". I'm thinking the clip is from the 1954 TV special known as General Foods 25th Anniversary Show: A Salute to Rodgers and Hammerstein. That's just a guess on my part -- I don't actually know what TV show was involved -- but it is known that both Ezio Pinza and Mary Martin appeared on that live broadcast. Also, Ezio Pinza looks to be more like 62 than 57, perhaps a bit older than in his 1953 appearance on WML. In any case, it's amazing to see and hear the two performers singing together in a recreation of their Broadway roles. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oKKlpYB7Z9CLi7s

[@bovnycccoperalover3579]

Thanks. It was marvelous.

[@leesher1845]

I don’t know why but I never would’ve guessed that the first contestant Mr. Johnson, was a marriage counselor. And he was a PhD no less!

[@LarsRyeJeppesen]

Enzio died 4 years after this

[@princeharming8963]

Is it just me... or during Dorothy's introduction did anyone notice a slight pause by the announcer after the word 'Delightful'? As if he'd gotten ahead of himself and slipped up, having meant to use it for Arlene instead?

[@princeharming8963]

@z You're smarter... thought I'd ask you.

[@edwinrivera8449]

people had such great names back in the 50's.... Rosewell for your fist name. It says...Strength, power, someone who knows how to survive without food or water.

[@meh4062]

I love not knowing their lines and experiencing it like the panel.

[@juliansinger]

I keep looking up the non-mystery guests just because I'm interested in what information survives on them, if any. Sometimes it's more than I expect. Dr. Johnson (who has a wikipedia page) got his doctorate in sociology, and was an advocate of eugenics, in the then-progressive sense of bettering humanity that was advocated in the early part of the 20th century. I'm fascinated that he eventually became a marriage counselor, since it's an awfully squishy-emotional profession, but given some biographical information I link below, he seems to have done it for Eugenically Sound, Scientifically Rational Reasons. Plus, he got to write what he asserted was a a complex, rational, systematic, and scientifically accurate personality test, as a bonus! Um, anyway, he was an engaging guest, certainly. books.google.com/books?id=hApWNbEcxm4C&pg=PA122&lpg=PA122&dq=roswell+johnson+marriage+counselor&source=bl&ots=0keG-9x6it&sig=BgRqT4D_gJLKlgUnBjj9pM7hBpc&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiNs_KAxqbLAhVGgYMKHbtfBWsQ6AEIWzAJ#v=onepage&q=roswell%20johnson%20marriage%20counselor&f=false I can't find anything on Mr. Stout, sadly. (There is, ironically, a Criminology professor at Rutgers by that name, but he's too young to be this Mr. Stout.)

[@lauracollins4195]

I find the basic idea of eugenics repugnant... improving human genetics by promoting superior genetic groups w/desired traits and excluding inferior genetic groups. Oh brother...

[@Kerithanos]

​@@lauracollins4195 - Why? Do you hate people who are better than you, or do you just hate good people in general? Why do you want to choke the planet with genetic detritus and allow the ugly, the stupid, the feeble, the criminal, and the parasitic to inherit the Earth? I, personally, love beauty, strength, intelligence, wisdom and purity, and I love humans who represent these virtues. I hope that one day, those who are stronger and smarter than I am will triumph over the hideous, dull, violent, simian masses that plague this magnificent globe. I do wonder what sort of mental illness or petty jealousy would cause anyone to feel differently.

[@stanmaxkolbe]

@@Kerithanos You would make a good Nazi.

[@Kerithanos]

@@stanmaxkolbe Thank you! I'm flattered.

[@JRobbySh]

Regarding eugenics, a famous supporter of it wa one Adolph Hitler.

[@peternagy-im4be]

Pinza with his majestic Roman nose.

[@YY4Me133]

With that hairstyle, Dorothy looks a bit like Betty Boop.

[@dutchtea8354]

The 12th episode with all male guests (men’s night)

[@WhatsMyLine]

Today's KZbin Rerun for 11/18/15: Watch along and join the discussion! ----------------------------- Please click here to subscribe to the WML channel if you haven't already-- you'll find the complete CBS series already posted, and you'll be able to follow along the discussions on the weekday "rerun" videos: kzbin.info/door/hPE75Fvvl1HmdAsO7Nzb8w Join our Facebook group for WML-- great discussions, photos, etc, and great people! facebook.com/groups/728471287199862/

[@beadyeyedbrat]

I don't understand how John can hear the panel but the contestants can't. Does he have an earpiece that we can't see?

[@yeahnoonecaresifyouarefirst]

Awwww it would've been fun to continue the alphabet for 25 more shows Marriage counselor: I didn't last very long Me: that's what he said Client: that's why I'm divorcing him 😂

[@Perrosiutico]

Now how the hell did Steve Allen guess Ezio Pinza so easily?

[@tejaswoman]

I don't know who all was on TV at the time, but once it was stated that the mystery guest had his own show, that would have narrowed it down considerably. Add to that the clue that he was known for his music and that the music wasn't necessarily pop music, and it's narrowed down even further. Once Steve thought to inquire whether the guest was born outside this country - quite possibly because the prior narrowing of possible responses made Pinza come to mind - there likely would be only a few possibilities left.

[@MrDino-os5hc]

Well the panelists were active members of the New York high society at that time (especially Dorothy and Bennett) and they’d know exactly who’s currently in town. Once they heard the mystery guest’s occupation they simply filtered it down, e.g. which Opera singer is currently in town.

[@pattimaeda6097]

Bennet is so whiny when he thinks he got an undeserved “no”

[@tejaswoman]

Yeah, but what do you expect from a grifter who tricked people into thinking if they paid for his writers school they would get the feedback they were promised? Never been able to enjoy Bennett since I learned that.

[@pattimaeda6097]

@@tejaswoman didn’t know about that - just read an article about the “Famous Writers School” - what an ass. He was quoted as saying about Jules Montenier (the Poof guy) “he was a sweet man but a bit of a fraud”. Takes one to know one.

[@aphrabenn3233]

Around 18:44 did you notice the ‘almost kiss’ between John Daly and Ezio Pinza? With all those close conferences it had to happen, sooner or later :-)

[@Robbi496]

This show was a class act, not like today with everyone whopping and hollering and the panel telling stupid off color jokes

[@briane173]

The show was a class act because there were class acts on the panel and at the moderator's seat. And at the time the audience and viewers expected nothing less. We've lowered the bar so far that _nothing_ is worthy of interest or respect -- not when we reward playing to the lowest common denominator.

[@WilliamMurray-lr1bb]

Arlene never forgets to ask the contestants to perform ...... some do !

[@galileocan]

Sometimes when the line of the person is flashed on the screen, you know the panel doesn't have a chance of guessing it. When I saw the man who makes prison locks, I knew the next few minutes would simply be an effort in futility due to the obscurity of the man's work. In addition, the contestant and John mislead the panel when they replied in answer to Dorothy's question, "Would you think looking at me I might have held this in my hand"? John and the contestant agreed that "It's possible". Or they claimed that you might get a "sensation" from it of some kind. Come on!

[@tejaswoman]

"Possible" just means possible, not likely, and they did try to establish whether she meant a physical sensation as opposed to an emotional one. A person could have a sensation of embarrassment, for example. Stretching, yes, but not unpardonably so IMHO.

[@519djw6]

Ezio Pinza may have been a great opera singer--but "bobby-soxer" bait? I think not!

[@WhatsMyLine]

I think it had something to do with his role in "South Pacific", which raised his profile well above the level of his fame as an opera singer. But I'm certainly not disagreeing with you. The bobby-sox crowd swooning over Pinza? I think not as well. :)

[@519djw6]

+Zenith Stratosphere Even if he had been considered "romantic" by "mature" women who saw him in "South Pacific," I think it was misleading of Daly to say that he drove the "bobbysoxers" crazy, as this was a designation for teenage girls who swooned over pop idols in the 1940s and '50s.

[@ToddSF]

I think it was highly unlikely any bobby soxers even knew who Ezio Pinza was. In the late 1940's, when he starred in South Pacific on Broadway, not that many bobby soxers would even have seen him on stage and, if they did, he turned 57 years old the year South Pacific premiered. In his younger days as an opera singer at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, I doubt that any teenaged girls that were of the bobby soxer sort were opera fans. I note that immediately after Steve Allen guessed Ezio Pinza, John Daly said, ""Well, uh, anybody have any complaints? I must admit I was on some thin ground there once in a while." Perhaps that disclaimer was meant to include the bobby-soxer thing.

[@519djw6]

John Charles Patrick Croghan Daly strikes again, leading the panel down the primrose path to nowhere! This is the same man who maintained that plants do not live and that birds and fish were not animals! :)

[@WhatsMyLine]

519DJW Well, first off, note that the panelists all understood and for the most part agreed with or went along with all of John's terrible calls on basic biology questions, so he wasn't misleading them in the slightest. He was utterly, hopelessly wrong, but not misleading. And I think he gets a pass on allowing a "yes" on the bobbysoxer question, as I think it was more of a priority to him to be as flattering as possible to the guest than it was to make a point of the guest's lack of appeal to young people. I don't think it was meant on any level to mislead the panel so much as to be gracious to Pinza.

[@boognish999]

Dorothy sure hogs the screen time when it came to guessing the marriage counselor. She knew right away.

[@kristabrewer9363]

Are people on this show deaf? This is my first time watching it and I like it, but there are so many episodes that I've seen where the panelists would speak loud and the guest would still look at John to find out the question.

[@jackkomisar458]

The acoustics in the studio are said to have been terrible. Why "The Tiffany Network" didn't bother to fix them is something I have never seen an explanation for. The fact that John Daly could understand the questions and the person sitting next to him could not also needs explaining, but I guess he had had a lot of practice making do with faint sounds and lip movements.

[@Michaelbos]

Great television, but, come on, they always knew who it was. With all the great singers of those days, how could you pick just one out of a big hate.

[@mr.m.5719]

Anyone else just plain sick and tired of John Daly speaking all the time? He could’ve had Ezio Pinza speak for a minute and didn’t let him. And he is constantly answering the questions instead of letting the contestant answer. John is just too full of himself

[@SusanDofash]

John is the best part of the show! I love him! He’s charming and witty 💕

[@tejaswoman]

I don't know that I agree with your first sentence, but I was amazed not to get to hear Mr. Pinza speak even once in his normal voice.

[@robertholman8730]

WML not a talk show😊

[@peternagy-im4be]

I wouldn't go to the first contestant for marriage guidance. He seems clueless, senile and utterly hopeless.