What's My Line? - Margaret O' Brien; Peter Ustinov [panel] (Nov 24, 1957)

[@dbarker7794]

Margaret O'Brien was one of the best Mystery Guests ever. Charming and funny.

[@marybarratt2649]

It was lovely seeing Margaret O Brian as I only ever saw her as a childhood actress. She was captivating. I would not have recognised her though as she got older and I know nothing about her later life. Must check up on her biography.

[@shuroom57]

This aired two days before I was born. I imagine my 19-year old Mom stretched out on a sofa watching this, grinding her teeth. Miss you, Mama.

[@dnhy7951]

Why would she be grinding her teeth?

[@shuroom57]

​@@dnhy7951I assume that being that close to labor is a very uncomfortable state. Grinding teeth, chewing her nails, smoking like a chimney, rapping her fingers on the table, chain-chewing gum.....whatever. I've never been pregnant, obviously.

[@dnhy7951]

@shuroom57 Ah OK.

[@leeclark4495]

Margret O'Brien was so hilarious using that voice. I wish they had more time to chat with her.

[@infonut]

She blew them all away. And she was as charming as she could be. Such a tragedy that more time wasn't allowed her.

[@stephaniecarrow4898]

Totally agree. I was hoping to hear her real voice as an adult. At moments, I could see the child in her that was in "Meet Me in St. Louis," one of my faves.

[@robertjean5782]

WML NOT a talk show 😊

[@princeharming8963]

Ms. O'Brien was quite the stunner. Super fun and super smart.

[@geoffm9944]

Arlene Francis was not only a very talented, intelligent and witty actress but also she was excellent at identifying guests with her forensic questioning.

[@pattimaeda6097]

Not as good as intuitive Dorothy

[@jmccracken1963]

Margaret O'Brien is, indeed, hilarious and charming and very beautiful (and only 20 years old) here - and she thoroughly stumps the panel, too (as did the other two contestants on this show). And her looks (hair especially) show the half-Spanish side of her (from her mother) as well as the Irish side.

[@leesher1845]

Only 20? She looks much older there. She was a good little actress.

[@4seeableTV]

@@leesher1845 MUCH older? She looks amazing.

[@Ashoodle]

This was a fun episode! Loved the crocodile hunter and Margaret O'Brien was hysterical.

[@adamodeo9320]

underrated and beautiful and talented Margaret O' Brien is still with us!

[@marinakaye8284]

Good natured Peter Ustinov was a delight to watch in everything he did.

[@geoffm9944]

Margaret O’Brien was simply brilliant playing the ‘cockney’ lass. Her assumed accent for the panel show was very engaging and entertaining!

[@ladyyuna2000]

Margaret O'Brien's a beautiful and talented actress and can you believe it she's 83 years old.

[@paulamiles9559]

She has continued to act on and off- any performance of hers is a treat.

[@THREESISTERS15]

Yes.

[@gp10020]

Everyone is intelligent, confident, funny. This is a great old show. When i got nothing to do, I watch these shows

[@robertjean5782]

You'll be hooked before long😂

[@budcortappreciation6785]

Margaret O' Brien, what a voice disguise! Good show. :)

[@nancysanders2398]

Mr.Hall's statement to Arlene Francis :"Its both women& men eating animal" was a real joy to hear! S,,,o funny!

[@kulturekritik9665]

Arlene was hysterical in this episode. She's really the heart of the show.

[@michellelekas211]

Love Arlene!

[@Baskerville22]

She overdoes it quite often.

[@dinahbrown902]

She is so memorable 😊

[@jacquelinebell6201]

I love Arlene!

[@bruno.prieto]

I honestly prefer Dorothy, but I like Arlene too

[@sansacro007]

Ms. O'Brien was 20 years old here! And still alive in 2024 at 87.

[@mercedeslatapie9772]

Yes indeed!!!! Alive and well. Thank God, so am I. Ms. O'Brien and I are both 1937 models!!! We hold up well!!!!

[@THREESISTERS15]

Yes. I watched her growing up. It was nice to see a child star without blonde hair and blue eyes, us brown hair/eyed girls felt left out until MO was in a film.

[@lanadale2868]

A Wonderful episode. Thank You posting. Loved seeing Margaret O Brien!

[@freemangriffin4953]

Margaret O'Brien was one of the best mystery guests ever! (:

[@largemember]

I was born in '58'....never heard of this beautiful young lady before today but I just did a 'search' for her on the net....I'm in love!!!!

[@stephaniecarrow4898]

Make sure to watch her in "Meet Me in St. Louis," a wonderful movie, and she basically steals the show from the great Judy Garland. She was a fabulously talented child actress.

[@inspiringtone2975]

Margaret O’Brien was a great actress love her

[@dovbarleib3256]

Margaret O'Brien is hilarious. Considering that most of her movies and Television work was done before the age of 25, she would have be classified as a child star.

[@bostonblackie9503]

Peter Ustinov was Angela Lansbury's brother-in-law at one time having married her older sister.

[@davidsanderson5918]

Peter Ustinov was a favourite humourist of my father's. Of course, one of the UK's greatest ever raconteurs. But he was also very creative with the voice (much like Peter Sellers), accents and surreal things like imitating a cello!! A very intelligent man.

[@clearfield2009]

And sexy

[@JDAbelRN]

My favorite film of mine, in which Mr Ustinov is great a character actor, is " Spartacus".

[@jackkomisar458]

In 1958 he released a comedy record called "The Grand Prix of Gibraltar" in which he did British, American, German, and Italian accents, and also made the sounds of the race cars.

[@donclark4685]

A very cute Child Star who grew to be a Beautiful young woman.

[@paulamiles9559]

Margaret is adorable personified.

[@esmeephillips5888]

She sounds like she's auditioning for the road company of 'My Fair Lady'. Her answers are frank about her lack of work. Already a long way down from 'Meet Me in St Louis' as the only trouper who ever upstaged Judy Garland.

[@esmeephillips5888]

Looks-wise, she is Liz Taylor level. Plus acting ability.

[@legrandeanorey3860]

Adorable MARGARET !!

[@ToddSF]

Interesting to see Margaret O'Brien at 20 years of age -- I only remember her as a child actress, for example, in the 1944 musical film "Meet Me in St. Louis" when she was 7 years old and played Judy Garland's kid sister. (Judy was 22 years old in that film.)

[@THREESISTERS15]

Judy Garland insisted that MO be in the film.

[@barryrudge1576]

The days when ladies appeared in such shows wearing full evening gowns and men wore dinner suits. How times have changed.

[@zzzbbbooo]

The men would stand to shake the hand of a guest whether it was a man or a woman too. You don't see those manners nowadays.

[@oldschoolmuscle4436]

I came into this world one day after this program was broadcast. Thank you for posting!

[@elspethcoogan1499]

Love Arlene’s comment at 21:39 - “Busy little soul ain’t she” mirroring Margaret O’Brien’s mock cockney.

[@Beson-SE]

The second contestant, the Crocodile Hunter, was from Bulawayo in Zimbabwe, although in 1957 it was called Rhodesia.

[@genenewman9522]

What a wonderful experience to enjoy such a talented and gifted young childhood actress doing what she does best. Margaret was always such a delight whenever she was out in the public with her fans and friends. I miss her very much.

[@jvcomedy]

She's still alive and acting. She just completed a film that will be released in 2015.

[@stevenrantanen9621]

She's still alive in 2019.

[@juanettebutts9782]

She's still going on Nov 29, 2019!

[@ronmackinnon9374]

(Might as well keep this going.) She's still alive in 2023, age 86.

[@Beson-SE]

Arlene (to the Crocodile Hunter): Is it a man eating animal? Graham Hall: Both woman and man eating! :) 16:10

[@wchumphries]

+Johan Bengtsson Arlene: What I like is an impartial wild animal.

[@davidsanderson5918]

Glad I saw it before you gave it away! It's a lovely surprise quip from a member of the public.

[@rivaridge7211]

Margaret O'Brien remains a very lovely and classy lady today in 2020. There's a wonderful true-life story involving Margaret and her "Juvenile Oscar" which was stolen from her home (by a maid) in 1954 - and how it was recovered and returned to her in 1995 (forty years after it disappeared and 50 years after she had won it!) This after some sleuthing on Margaret's part - it's too long to describe here, but worth a "look-up" for those who might be interested.

[@hollingbourne]

Yes Margaret was the first actor to reduce me to tears when she played Beth March (from the heart) in 1949 version of Little Women. What a wonderful little actor ....I could cry even now just remembering

[@paulamiles9559]

I loved the scene with Margaret and Elizabeth Taylor at the party- Miss Taylor ( as Amy March).said her sister was " simply fastidious "

[@jacquelinebell6201]

I loved her in that. Havent seen her as an adult actor tbh.

[@dnhy7951]

​@@jacquelinebell6201She really had very little work as an adult apart from some TV.

[@stephaniecarrow4898]

She was also fabulous -- and even younger -- in "Meet Me in St. Louis."

[@thediamonddog95]

What a lovely, beautiful girl Margaret is.

[@jacquelinebell6201]

I havent seen Peter Ustinov so young. Handsome man. Gorgeous head of hair.

[@keithnaylor1981]

Margaret O’Brien one of the most beautiful women ever to appear on the show.

[@SuperWinterborn]

It is not to my knowledge if she has ever done the role, but it seems to me, that Margaret O'Brien could jump straight into "My Fair Lady" as Eliza Doolittle, without much difficulties. She sure had the talent!

[@brookehanley3659]

SuperWinterborn She should have played the role in the movie I think.

[@williamludlow3788]

I got hooked on this show even though I watched it 65 years ago.

[@howiecricket52]

Margaret O'Brien (child star) is lovely as a young lady here, and the faux English accent is so totes delightful too!

[@donnacook8994]

Ms. O'brien was hilarious! She was absolutely stunningly beautiful, and so was her dress! 🥰🤣🥰👏

[@reinacoffee8557]

"Little Women" and many more; wonderful talented lady. and very cute! Love her dress!!

[@andytaylor5476]

Margaret O'Brian, who's probably best remembered as Tootie in the film Meet Me In St. Louis, is still alive as of January 2020!

[@leeclark4495]

Yes, she was so adorable in that movie, and in all her works as well.

[@stephaniecarrow4898]

One of my favorite movies, largely because of her.

[@geoffm9944]

Margaret O’Brien was a superbly funny guest. Hilarious.

[@toreckman8899]

Great episode

[@jimchabai3163]

watching Jan 2022, and this is the first person (Margaret) who's still alive I've seen for many episodes.

[@robertjean5782]

Watched this show since its inception, till 1967😊

[@Liesl_Cigarboxguitar]

Her accent does alternate between cockney and some kind of Australian but still this is fantastic by Margaret O'Brien

[@TheMusicalJourneys]

Alisa Smith Yes I agree. Seeing her here I so wish they'd have given her film roles as an adult she was adorable. It's hard to understand why prodicers wouldn't give her adult film roles as a young woman, she'd have made a great comic ingenue.

[@MauriatOttolink]

Alix. Her 'accent ' was neither! In fact, it doesn't exist, ANYWHERE! Anyway... Who is she? What's HER line?

[@robertfiller8634]

@@MauriatOttolink A pretty 20 y.o. here, she was best known as a child star. Unfortunately, her pathetic attempt at a cockney accent was quite irritating to listen to.

[@MauriatOttolink]

@@robertfiller8634 Sure Robert There is only one thing worse than an American doing an English accent and that is a Brit trying to do a American accent.

[@jackkomisar458]

@@MauriatOttolink Peter Ustinov could do an American accent well. You can hear it on the comedy record "Grand Prix of Gibraltar." On that record, he also did Italian, French, and German accents as well as providing the sounds of the race cars.

[@neilmcdonald9164]

Ms O'brien us still with us and turned 87 earlier this year🎩

[@wchumphries]

Graham Hall was not only amusing, but he was a hunk!

[@wholeNwon]

Not having allowed enough time for Margaret O'Brien was a tragedy.

[@MauriatOttolink]

wholeNwon Who is she?

[@wholeNwon]

@@MauriatOttolink Google is your friend.

[@ModMokkaMatti]

@@wholeNwon A visit to their local library would be friendlier. Google is an ally to no one.

[@wholeNwon]

@@ModMokkaMatti Why do you say that?

[@stephaniecarrow4898]

Yes, I wish they'd used the minute they had left to talk let her speak in her natural voice, rather than spend it on their good-byes.

[@dancelli714]

I saw her a few months ago in a Studio One drama with James Mcarther . I forgot the title, it was a very good drama. I think if I met her, I would cry, I liked her so much as a kid. I saw her recently on TV in a shelter to get away from the fires in California and still cute for an 82 year old. She's Married and has a daughter. I've seen her enough on TV that I can tell , she's a positive thinker. My fantasy is to be married to her. I believe she has a good life with husband and daughter. Some actresses have tragic lives. Margaret didn't disappoint her fans or her self.

[@voicetube]

Wild how Peter Ustinov has as I understand it, a long and storied career but I know him basically for one amazing performance in one fantastic film: Logan's Run from the 1970s :-)

[@jacquelinebell6201]

He was great in Logan's Run. I had forgotten that.

[@larciabella]

What a hoot Margaret is!

[@Ingentiy]

My dad used to sell for Helene Curtis in '57. I didn't start watching this show until '61-62. It's been great catching up on the older shows.

[@briantunzi2462]

Loved All Her movies !

[@esmeephillips5888]

Margaret O'Brien had become 'forgotten but not gone'. She was the most phenomenally gifted child actor of the Sound era. Like Shirley Temple she matured attractively into adulthood but seemed to lose her special quality. Her descent into small roles in nothing films is saddening, but she has never stopped trying, unlike Deanna Durbin and Shirley. Margaret's comedy turn here might have been intended to counteract her image as a junior tragedy queen. Once when she was only a little girl she asked a director if she should play a crying scene so the tears ran all down her face or only halfway!

[@dancelli714]

I'm still a fan of Margaret to this day and my first movie crush as a little boy.

[@timc_etc]

i wish they had time to speak to Margaret in her real voice at the end!

[@stephaniecarrow4898]

Agreed!

[@robertjean5782]

WML not a talk show 😊

[@TheBoyMooner]

margaret is fantastic

[@Baskerville22]

Margaret O'Brien was such a cutie in Little Women & Meet Me in St Louis. She's still alive at 83 y.o today

[@spudwas]

This has to be Margaret's peak in looks! Quite lovely.

[@marcuslarinen684]

Oh, Margaret is hilarious! :D

[@JLionelWaller]

That she is ....

[@hollingbourne]

Yes Margaret was the first actor to reduce me to tears when she played Beth March (from the heart) in 1949 version of Little Women. What a wonderful little actor ....I could cry even now just remembering

[@johnanon6938]

I found Margaret O' Brien to be wildly entertaining with that accent and so very different from other Hollywood guests. Thankfully she's done a fair bit of acting over the decades and as late as 2018, hope she keeps on keeping on!

[@letrebuchet6098]

WOW! Margaret O'Brien was to-die-for at twenty -- like a Super Yummy cross between Liz Taylor and Debbie Reynolds. Too bad the industry was still hung up with stereotyping her as a child star to let her spread her angelic wings as a leading lady. Dee-licious!

[@letrebuchet6098]

orgonko the wildly untamed Her credits are all for mediocre and minor supporting roles -- nothing like she deserved.

[@libertyann439]

Le Trebuchet She could have done My Fair Lady's Eliza Doolitle!

[@Bigbadwhitecracker]

I was thinking the same thing. Either replacing Julie Andrews on Broadway or well... she was already a known movie star....

[@sitarnut]

A goddess.....

[@jackanthony976]

She found lots of work doing live television plays which were quite popular in the 1950's.

[@BellaFirenze]

Margaret O' Brien was 20 years old in 1957.

[@kenowens9021]

She's only 20 years old here.

[@dancelli714]

Her mother was Spanish and a dancer. Margaret's real name is Angela.

[@johndangelo7434]

Very nice.

[@davidarcudi230]

Ustinov had such great hair

[@ModMokkaMatti]

He probably used Finesse, the flowing creme shampoo from Helene Curtis; first offered to the public by "famed cosmetic chemist," Dr. Jules Montenier.

[@aprilove2005]

For those of you who never heard of Margaret O'Brien, watch The Canterville Ghost or Journey for Margaret. She was an amazing child star.

[@dnhy7951]

Don't forget Meet Me in St Louis.

[@christopherstilley7756]

Wonder why Margaret O'Brien was reduced to mainly television appearances later on ?..She is so adorable here and so funny and very pretty..she had 'em all laughing..Would have liked to have heard her natural voice..see if it was still cute as in her younger days..

[@robertjean5782]

WML NOT a talk show 😊

[@michaeldishler9673]

love this

[@ChrisHansonCanada]

11:10 I own my Grandfather's vintage crocodile shoes from the 1960s, and I still wear them. I keep them in great condition and often get complimented on their look.

[@karensheline6958]

Spectacular

[@kenyongray2615]

Miss Naturel the fire eater was indeed hot. Margaret O'Brien was a gorgeous woman. It was great seeing Peter Ustinov on the panel. I thought he was great in Spartacus and Quo Vadis.

[@RachelDavisMatthews]

I used to see Ms O'Brien at Chin Chin in Studio City, CA eating - lovely person!

[@mehboobkm3728]

Love Bennet's smile!!

[@henrygrove100]

Margaret is so funny!

[@kugelweg]

My GOODNESS Peter Ustinov was a handsome fellow in his day!

[@timothydouglas7949]

Peter was great in We're no angels with Bogie

[@wtju3883]

Wow! That woman fire eater is gorgeously slender. I guess eating all those flame nust burn off a lot calories. Sorry, I couldn't resist.

[@Chris73388]

LOL

[@joeambrose3260]

You're a riot. A regular riot !

[@shirleyrombough8173]

W T Ju - You just couldn't resist? Egads. My cousin would make these kinds of puns.

[@waynechapman9823]

You must be possessed by the ghost of Bennett Cerf.

[@erichanson426]

Very funny 😄

[@rickcharles5064]

Think I'm in love with the fire-eater. Wonder how many different names the crocodile hunter's country has had since this show. In love with Margaret too. Where were the wolf whistles? Both young ladies deserved them!

[@michelcosic9335]

The Fire eater was my Dear Mother

[@obbor4]

@@michelcosic9335 She was very beautiful. I once knew a girl whose face was very similar to hers.

[@waynechapman9823]

@@michelcosic9335 I hope she wasn't eating fire when she was pregnant with you. Most doctors advise against it.

[@esmeephillips5888]

Graham Hall, the croc hunter, is like some handsome, haunted teen boy from a 1950s movie about JDs, school of Sal Mineo and James MacArthur.

[@esmeephillips5888]

The croc hunter says he is from 'Bulawayo, Central Africa'. At that time this was Southern Rhodesia (later just called Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe), but it had briefly joined with Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) and Nyasaland (Malawi) in the Central African Federation. If young Mr Hall stayed on, he would have had to grapple with more than crocs. First Rhodesia's rebellion against the British Crown under a white-minority government; then years of savage guerilla war by black forces; then the terrible, ruinous dictatorship of Robert Mugabe, only overthrown a few years ago.

[@steffybabes]

She was in Meet Me In St. Louis. As a kid.

[@redbird28able]

I wish John would have let Margaret talk in her normal voice....very funny and she was so pretty!!!

[@robertjean5782]

No time, live show😊

[@voicetube]

I think this is the first mystery guest I've never heard of - I've never heard of Margaret O'Brien before (and yes probably old enough to have heard of her as I'm in my 50s)

[@wholeNwon]

Really? Maybe "Meet me in St. Louis"? I think she won an Oscar for that.

[@voicetube]

@@wholeNwon Yes; it might be partly due to the fact that although I've heard of "Meet me in St. Louis" I have never seen the film.

[@wholeNwon]

@@voicetube Great! Something to look forward to.

[@garrettmeadows2273]

Right now, I'm also watching Margaret in "Our Vines Have Tender Grapes"

[@loissimmons6558]

Bennett shows some restraint in his puns with the first challenger. He refrains from asking her if she performs her service au naturel.

[@michelcosic9335]

That was my Mother!!!!!

[@shirleyrombough8173]

Lois Simmons - I am so glad.

[@neilmidkiff]

Instead, he asks if she had anything to do with the fashion industry, which would hardly be compatible with going about au naturel.

[@amberola1b]

I think Bennett and john had a very close friendship (The way they closed out the show saying goodnight to each other), but i think because they saw each other frequently on the show, and Bennett was a definite regular on this show, in certain episodes you could see them get mildly contentious with each other. Like on the episode where John kept on referring to Bennett as chuckles. You could see Bennett was getting very irritated with him and on another show when they said good night to each other you could see that Bennett was visibly upset with John about something and John looked very rattled at the end of the show before he signed off.

[@danielfronc4304]

amberola1b Cerf had a very high opinion of himself.

[@robertjean5782]

Cerf lived nextdoor to Arlene and Gable😊

[@bkavanaugh863]

She should have had more of a career and opportunities as an adult. So very beautiful.

[@loverofoldtimes]

Brooke Kavanaugh You're right, Brooke!

[@jackanthony976]

She found lots of work acting in live television plays which were popular in the 1950's.

[@dancelli714]

She was my first crush when I was 6 and she was 9. She's in her early 20's here and I never saw her act so funny until I saw this appearance. Maybe 19 or 20? She was born in 1938.

[@barrykendrick3146]

She was born 1/15/37.

[@joeambrose3260]

Don't believe everything you read

[@ronmackinnon9374]

Part of Arlene's head bizarrely suspended in air at 5:43.

[@geoffm9944]

A very entertaining performance from a wonderful Hollywood actress. Too many actors and actresses were reluctant to disguise their voice! Sadly, Peter Ustinov was clearly out of his depth! Although he was a great actor and director, he found this show as a guest too challenging as he really couldn’t get the hang of it. Like David Niven, he was blissfully unaware of the American entertainment industry. Clearly he never watched the show as he struggled to frame any relevant questions.

[@dnhy7951]

How on earth could David Niven have been 'blissfully unaware of the American entertainment industry' ?He was in Hollywood for years!

[@vinmeister1]

She was the funniest mystery celebrity on the entire series of What's My Line?

[@joncheskin]

It's a bit of a cliche that the guy they got from Africa would be a big game hunter; that's why the panel narrowed it down so quickly (even though they could not come up with a crocodile). I wish that for once the guy from Central Africa would be shoe salesman--that might trip them up!

[@robertjean5782]

Alligator shoes were very much in demand😊

[@GOLDVIOLINbowofdeath]

“People are annoyed with the Chinese for not respecting more human rights. But with a population that size it's very difficult to have the same attitude to human rights." Peter Ustinov

[@Bonobanos]

john daly was hardly ever amused w bennett cerfs jokes, but his own jokes aren’t much better lol

[@slaytonp]

That's part of what made them both more funny than they a actually were.

[@ModMokkaMatti]

Bennett Cerf was stuck on himself.

[@pzingh3663]

Did he say "quacks my line"? - LOLOL !