What's My Line? - Jack E. Leonard; Liberace [panel] (Sep 2, 1962)

[@alanfollett6242]

Liberace's "Is this service something that could be found in the Yellow Pages?" is a potentially very productive question, which I don't recall ever having been asked before.

[@LarsRyeJeppesen]

It has. Also by a guest panelist, think it was Tom Poston, although I'm not sure it was him.

[@philippapay4352]

@@LarsRyeJeppesen I've always liked Tom Poston's comedy and review those episodes sometimes, so will have to look for the one wherein he asks that question. It was really one of the better questions ever asked for narrowing down the sort of occupation by removing all the categories not in those pages.

[@preppysocks209]

It is not a bad question if it elicits a "No" answer. But if the answer is "yes," it only narrows it down to about 10,000 occupations.

[@915buck]

My father through the Brunswick organization made a bowling alley with one pool table in Elkhart Indiana in 1963. Mr. Mosconi did our grand opening, latter we added 14 more tables and 20 more lanes. He was a wonderful, graceful gentleman. Sixty years latter I can still see his trick shots...Wonderful, you should have seen him!!

[@johannarhymer1093]

I am from South Bend. Your story is very interesting

[@daler.steffy1047]

Great story piece! (You might check the difference between "latter" and "later.")

[@arikwolf3777]

The origin of "pool" for billiards is something I did not know until know.

[@rmelin13231]

I did not know that either. I find it quite interesting.

[@satori03]

I thought that was fascinating and will let my pool buddies know today!

[@sgmusicfan7]

The billiards champ was an excellent contestant! Gave great answers and John only had to interject once, twice. A very rare contestant.

[@davidsanderson5918]

Justin McLeod True. Being a billiards champ he must've given a lot of interviews and as well as that, being in 'the industry' (I've just seen some great stills of him working on pool shots with Newman) he has a degree of comfort in front of the camera.

[@BillyAlabama]

Billiards fellow was very interesting!

[@gailsirois7175]

Love Dorothy's dress and her hair tonight

[@MrJoeybabe25]

The whole regular panel was great, but Arlene, Dorothy, or Bennett could get on a roll and fish up the answer with great aplomb. These were master game players, though I have read that Dorothy really took it to heart and kept a personal scorecard.

[@philippapay4352]

Joe Postove - Dorothy took winning and losing quite seriously. One must understand she was reared modestly with her father a newspaper reporter. She, herself, in addition to being a gossip columnist, was an investigative journalist of great skills. So, as in her journalistic work, she needed to get to the core of the matter and get the real scoop.

[@alskndlaskndal]

I've seen Liberace as a mystery guest, didn't know he was ever a panelist. He didn't get very far with his questioning this time but at least he wasn't annoying like some of the other guest panelists. Bravo to Bennett on guessing that second contestant! Quite impressive. At the time this guest originally from Berlin appeared on the show, the Berlin Wall was in place but President Kennedy had not yet declared himself "ein Berliner." According to the Mount Kisco website, the town has a water fountain with a plaque reading "God’s Only Beverage For Man and Beast.” I gather that Bennett did not subscribe to this slogan. :-)

[@SuperWinterborn]

Reluctant Dragon I'm not surprised Bennett guessed the second contestant so fast. She had an attitude very close to the nature of her product herself. (Sorry, I know I should think of her, coming from Berlin, and the political situation at that time, but as Dorothy, I thought "Handcuffs!" when she turned around, after written her name on the blackboard ;)

[@loissimmons6558]

She fit the stereotype of the stoic German personality perfectly. Being half-German (ancestry, born in the U.S.), it is something I am very familiar with. I can't find it online, but I remember a Beck's Beer commercial years ago playing on this theme with a supposedly typical German romantic couple who were totally devoid of any emotion, loving or otherwise. But presumably they enjoyed their Beck's Beer.

[@44032]

Two great artists on the same show: Liberace and Willie Mosconi!

[@VahanNisanian]

Videotaped on April 15, 1962. There are a few film breaks here. Must be from the rushed assembly of the "What's My Line At 25" special.

[@loissimmons6558]

Both of them cutout something that probably related to Liberace: his introduction at the opening of the show definitely, and at the end with the piano tuner most likely since the line related to Liberace's talent.

[@davidsanderson5918]

Lois Simmons The mind boggles!!!

[@CottonO]

@@loissimmons6558 As an old projectionist, I've seen my share of torn film. Had these been sections spliced out, there would have been a sudden jump and maybe a pop in the optical sound track. These were crude tears over a few frames which means that either the film had been torn and crudely repaired or the original medium had been damaged, and the kinescope had filmed that damage.

[@MrJoeybabe25]

Some celebrity panelists were just not good at the game, nor entertaining either. Groucho is a good example. I don't really care if he was good at the game (he probably would have been if he had settled down to play) but he was so much fun, that did not matter. Now we have Liberace, a great talent, and a very interesting person onstage and on talk shows. But here he is a dud. Maybe the other panelists are so good they outshine him by several suns. But other celeb guests have done well. Maybe the more you're on the better you get. Tony Randall is a good example of that.

[@satori03]

and Steve Allen

[@jmccracken1963]

Indeed, Jack E. Leonard had been a guest panelist on WML? before - in June and July of 1956, several months after the death of Fred Allen. He first appeared as guest panelist on 10 June 1956 and then three weeks in a row in July (1/8/15 July 1956). As it turned out, those were his only appearances as a guest panelist on the original CBS WML?, though he would appear twice more as Mystery Guest (20 December 1964 and on the pre-recorded episode which aired on 6 August 1967 (not one of the Henry Morgan episodes, by the way; Steve Allen and Jayne Meadows were the guest panelists that evening)).

[@ChrisHansonCanada]

*_WORLD'S POCKET BILLIARD CHAMPION_* *_MAKES HANDCUFFS_* *_PIANO TUNER_*

[@peternagy-im4be]

Liberace sounds like Paul Lynde

[@peternagy-im4be]

Birds of a feather

[@leesher1845]

My goodness; the austere look on that German woman’s face, coupled with her speech, made her look like a commandant at Dachau. Handcuffs are a perfect match for her personality and look. Bennett sure called that one.

[@snugglyshadow2049]

It's those eyebrows! I'd say that there was no way they were natural, but who would intentionally draw that shape? She would have looked cute, but reserved, without those interesting features

[@daler.steffy1047]

I'm not sure that making the comparison, or reference, to a game show contestant-guest's demeanor to one of the worst and unimaginable events in the history of World War II is the best--or most appropriate--comparison to make. Perhaps going the route of a colloquialism by saying "she's a loser" in how you feel about her might be a little more suitable, and certainly less severe. But then, that's still passing judgment on someone who we're not even close to getting to know during the several minutes of fame a guest is given on national television. (09/28/24)

[@FermatWiles]

1:38 the first time ever probably that Bennett Cerf pronounced Daly's full name correctly.

[@davidsanderson5918]

FermatWiles No there's a much earlier episode where he does it and Daly congratulates handsomely for getting it 'spot on' at long last!!! :)

[@gailsirois7175]

No he's actually done it on at least 2 other occasions

[@jacquelinebell6201]

He did it once before, in the last year or so.

[@poppykane7230]

Re the hand cuff lady. John have them so many hints !

[@DanieltheTruebadour]

As is the custom with male contestants to female panelists, I wish just once a mail contestants would give Liberace a peck on the cheek. Of course, I respect his desire to have stayed closeted. But still, personally, I would have thought it would be sweet. Bless him, and may he rest in beloved end musical peace.

[@dominicpiscopo7915]

Liberace reminds me of Wally Coxs when he was a panelists the similar type of questioning kinda of funny

[@peternagy-im4be]

Cox was the worst ever panelist. Cringeworthy, embarrassing and unfunny.

[@jacquelinebell6201]

At least Liberace was serious about the questioning! He tried hard.

[@mjanavel]

Shenanigans with Cerf re: handcuffs.

[@loissimmons6558]

Very few comments on this episode compared to others, even after nearly 4½ years. Although it had its entertaining moments, it wasn't up to the usual level of enjoyment for me.

[@davidreid8075]

Handcuffs? Not a big surprise!

[@leesher1845]

Not a big surprise at all. She could’ve been a commandant at a concentration camp.

[@johnsmisek02]

How did Mr Cerf possibly take this route for the handcuffs answer??

[@shuboy05]

He's been doing this show for a long time. I think the way the audience laughed when he asked whether anyone on the panel could use the product cued him in on the product being something unpleasant or risque (which handcuffs can also be used for). Then he decided to follow his intuition and asked about whether the product was found in prisons. That said, that was still an impressive leap in logic.

[@1USPRES]

John Daly's comments and the audience's reactions usually give them away to the extent they are guessed early on.

[@jamesfeldman4234]

As a long-time fan of this show, Bennett is one of the sharpest panelists ever. But in this case, the leap to "in captivity" was far too improbable to be explained by reasoning. So, in my opinion, one way or another, Bennett must have received or gotten some tip somewhere. Bennett is very talented, but clairvoyance isn't one of them.

[@davidsanderson5918]

The early episodes had some REALLY irrationally quick arrivals at the right answer which caused me to comment at the time. It's been a long long while since that was apparent. So much so, I would say a 'tip off' is unlikely. Why all of a sudden have one? Cerf suggests he has no idea how he arrived at the answer so early but there may be reasons. For instance, he always hones in on where people are from and picks out their location's significant elements. Is there are a significant prison or penitentiary in Springfield, Massachusetts?

[@neilmidkiff]

@@davidsanderson5918 Springfield was known as a manufacturing city; I also associate it with firearms e.g. Springfield rifles and Smith & Wesson guns. It might not be too big a leap from arms for the police to other manufactured tools for law enforcement.

[@emilio6556]

Today in 1962 ❤

[@geraldkatz7986]

A quick google search didn't find any video of Liberace and Van Cliburn playing together. That would be something to experience.

[@sophieseeker6620]

No

[@enriquesanchez2001]

It would be a complete musical TRAVESTY, such as Madonna singing with Maria Callas. 😡😡😡😡

[@daler.steffy1047]

@@enriquesanchez2001 How can a painting by Raphael even sing?

[@marycleary7810]

John must have been beside himself when he realized he had used slang. D D

[@daler.steffy1047]

I just bought a bottle of aftershave called Clone Cologne. It's for men who ARE beside themselves.

[@Traderjoe]

Where did Bennet get handcuffs from? I swear it was mental projection, since Dorothy also go it.

[@brucealvarez9263]

Dorothy said something to Liberace as Jack left. He responded "I'd love to kiss him but I can't". In the closet all his life but apparently not??

[@SmilinJackAccordion]

... she asked Liberace ... 'what did he say', and Lee simply replied with Jack's comment to him ... Jack said ... 'I'd love to kiss you but I can't'. He is kissing the ladies as he departs and wants to give Lee a good laugh ... that's all ... relax.

[@davidsanderson5918]

Bruce Alvarez I'm not sure who you mean was in the closet. Surely not Liberace!! In any case, just to be clear, Liberace wasn't stating his own point of view. He was repeating to Dorothy what JACK said!! Jack (and no doubt everyone else in the business) knew. :)

[@johniacocca3168]

Why was the introduction of Arlene get followed by a quick cut to Dorothy's intro? Liberace got cut out completely from the initial panel introduction.

[@MrJoeybabe25]

Fat Jack was not really that funny in the substance of his ad-libs. However his delivery was so quick, and his timing and voice so good, that the package(!) really came together. Gee, he looks like 250 pounds there. I don't think I ever saw him at 400 pounds!

[@davidsanderson5918]

Joe Postove No way has he lost 10 stones! BS. I'm 6ft 1 and I lost five stones over the course of a year some time ago. Had I lost five more I would've been a rake.

[@cogidubnus1953]

I'm sorry but UK viewers of a certain age will forever see "Pocket Billiards" as being synonymous with masturbation....

[@Reticence9zen924]

Oh my! Lol.

[@brucealvarez9263]

"Pocket pool" in the USA.

[@nadiazahroon6573]

cogidubnus1953 haha

[@kentetalman9008]

Which makes it all the more remarkable to be the "World's Champion". The mind boggles!

[@daler.steffy1047]

Chef: "We just hired a new bakery chef!" Kitchen assistant: "That's exciting! What title will you give him? Chef: "He will be simply known as a Master Baster."

[@jackseward7779]

How many obnoxious comedians were there (including behavior as panelists)?? In a related vein: shut up egocentric Mystery Guest as the less said the better!

[@gailsirois7175]

Bennett cheater cerf...impossible to get this with no clues...has to be cheating... bottom line

[@enriquesanchez2001]

I was APPALLED at CERF's JUMP in logic! Had to have been cheating! Absolutely no clue could have made him think of that!

[@Justin-ti4xc]

You are a loser