What's My Line? - Marty Allen & Steve Rossi; Tony Randall [panel] (Sep 6, 1964)

[@savethetpc6406]

It's a relief to finally have a contestant who knows enough about animal classification (at least of his own product) to make sure all the answers on this subject are accurate!

[@WhatsMyLine]

Hear, hear! Yes! I was afraid one of the panelists was going to ask if the product had seeds. . .

[@galileocan]

Arlene - "Confection, not... Affection...John". Hilarious. Hard to beat the quick wit of Arlene Francis!

[@hunting69doehle62]

And just imagine the innuendos she would have come up with had she known that their little intimate conversation was about popsicles. 🙂

[@garyzerr9821]

This whole episode was “What’s My Line” perfection. That popsicle-making 2nd guest had lots of poise in front of the camera. I’ll bet she really went places in her life.

[@jeffschornack3519]

Marty Allen now here's a funny guy I haven't thought of in a while. Pretty high profile comedian in the 60s on the family Admiral black & white TV set.

[@mhk3360]

Jeff Schornack I just read today that Marty Allen is soon going to be 93 years old.

[@plusx5363]

What a classy show!

[@dawnfalvey6766]

20:29- love Arlene’s laugh. She seems like such a fun person. I would’ve loved to been her friend , I bet she was fun to hang out with on a ‘ girls night out’ .

[@mikejschin]

Arlene was truly delightful. I've thought that she would be the perfect hostess: after one of her dinner parties, everyone in attendance would go home thinking that she had considered them the most important person there. Such a personality is rare, and it can't be faked. Our dear Arlene was deep down a wonderful person.

[@leesher1845]

She did show a little jealousy though when her husband, Martin Gabel would look at or make a comment about an attractive woman.

[@leesher1845]

Did that skin diver mean amoeba?

[@tinat9486]

@@leesher1845 The Jealousy was odd considering he was not handsome, and portly and shorter than she. Was she passionate for him? What was their overall love story? He gave her the diamond heart necklace. Certainly not what I imagined her husband to look like. Dorothy Kilgallen's husband was handsome. I suppose Martin could attract a gold-digger type since I'm sure he had wealth. Arlene seems like she was born into wealth with the best education, her lofty voice, carriage and fashion sense. She seemed very competitive with Dorothy, not looking at her entrance ever. Interesting. How old were they on this show? 🤔

[@MrJoeybabe25]

Right. When John said don't take slither as a hint, it's like telling a jury to disregard the previous testimony. I think John realized the moment he said it he shouldn't have.

[@allenjones3130]

As Marty Allen used to say, "hello dere!" Rest in peace, Marty and Steve.

[@loissimmons6558]

Some people think that red tides off the coast of Florida are a relatively new phenomenon and would be surprised to hear the first challenger talk about a major problem with red tides in 1947. Actually, red tides have been documented since the 1800's and occur almost annually.

[@alanfollett6242]

1:50: "Bellybone," presumably from the French "belle et bonne."

[@Bigwave2003]

I've never seen John be as affectionate with a regular guest as he was with the Ohio State student, starting with holding her hand during the introduction.

[@TyrSkyFatherOfTheGods]

+Bigwave2003 He often held the hands of female contestants, I think to help calm them as well as to guide them to face the correct camera angle. He sometimes did the same thing with men, only holding their arms.

[@49yt]

This episode is a rare case where the mystery guest(s) are asked to perform and did so. Telling some jokes in this instance.

[@davidsanderson5918]

49yt Did you see Louis Armstrong a few weeks back?

[@49yt]

@@davidsanderson5918 Yes, he sang Hello Dolly because Arlene asked him. The story is that he wasn't supposed to sing it because there was an understanding that he would not, due to an upcoming appearance when he would sing it. Story goes *according to Gil Fates* that Armstrong's manager was very upset backstage.

[@TyrSkyFatherOfTheGods]

"Does this rule out a dairy product?" "No." And yet Dorothy can still ask questions?

[@preppysocks209]

I think it was meant to be a clarifying question but I see your point.

[@bigoldinosaur]

"That's the longest no I ever got."

[@preppysocks209]

And after all that time, John gave an incorrect response. Bennett always thought he was right about his "no's" when he argued with John after the line was revealed, but this time he was actually correct.

[@davidsanderson5918]

preppy socks I disagree. I would say, as most people identify confectionery or candy, her product is not in that category. I thought John's explanation was just.

[@tmlinmi]

Confection not affection

[@savethetpc6406]

tmlinmi That was a great moment for Arlene!

[@VahanNisanian]

"Fluffy" with Tony Randall was wrapping up filming at this time.

[@LandondeeL]

Marty must be saying "hello dere" to Steve right now....

[@quizmaster85]

"If I said _Hello Dere_ , would it mean anything to you?" 😊

[@gbrumburgh]

Marty Allen (1922-2018) and Steve Rossi (1932-2014) teamed from 1957-1968. Rossi was the handsome, singing straight man and Allen the unattractive, butterball funnyman with wildly frizzy hair.

[@peternagy-im4be]

Unattractive??

[@jrnfw4060]

@@peternagy-im4be I beg to differ. Marty was cute, even as an old man he retained a cute quality about him. A childlike spirit.

[@shuroom57]

Following the Martin & Lewis model.

[@soulierinvestments]

I'm the panel on the second contestant. Why was he taking so much time with her on the question of confection. My dictionary seems to imply that a confection by definition is not frozen. And Dorothy caught that distinction instantly.

[@mcmlxii4419]

I would easily refer to a popsicle as a confection. I don't get why that was so hard for John Daly.

[@mikejschin]

Interesting that Tony refers to Dr. Johnson's dictionary in his intro. That dictionary, published in the 1750s, was the first comprehensive dictionary of the English language and was one of the great intellectual achievements in history. Dr. Johnson personally did all the intellectual work of compiling it, in the process reading everything that had been written in the English language up to that time. In putting together his great tour de force, he even managed to slip in some humor, such as giving as one definition of marriage "The triumph of hope over reason", and defining oats as "A grain that in this country is fed to horses but in Scotland supports the population".

[@preppysocks209]

Dr Johnson defined a second marriage as a "triumph of hope over experience."

[@rmelin13231]

And leave it to Mr. Randall to be in possession of that knowledge, as well as the humor therein.

[@soulierinvestments]

I think Allen & Rossi were pretty danged funny -- but of course I remember Henry Barnes, Barry Goldwater, Nelson Rockefeller, and Lyndon Johnson. This was after all during the backdrop of the 1964 general election.

[@VahanNisanian]

"What's My Line?" had been using this set for over five years, and aside from some minor cosmetic changes, it had stayed the same all this time. Starting with the next episode, the set is going to undergo some fairly drastic changes.

[@richatlarge462]

I looked for changes in the next episode (9/13/64) but didn't notice anything special. What gives?

[@michaelnivens6267]

great comedy team from the past

[@davidsanderson5918]

Apparently the study of sponges is called Spongiology. :) Something to cheer us up in this horrible year of 2020.

[@RonGerstein-tf5tp]

It is now 2024 There are still annual covid-19 booster shots because of the mutant variants that develop but everybody is back to work, stores, movies, restaurants, amusement parks, etc.

[@VahanNisanian]

Recorded on June 28, 1964.

[@savethetpc6406]

That explains the conflicting ideas of how soon the popsicle maker would be going back to school. ;)

[@VahanNisanian]

SaveThe TPC And Tony Randall is guest panelist, just like he was in the live episode on this day.

[@zapdunga12]

They never splurged and got 2 chairs for mystery guests

[@ATINKERER]

I always get a big kick out of Marty Allen.

[@savethetpc6406]

What's My Line? Oh, my! For the first time ever I'm among the first 15 viewers to watch one of your videos! (#14 -- assuming the count when I opened it does not include my own viewing)

[@WhatsMyLine]

Yup-- that's how it works. If you're the first viewer, it would show no views.

[@RonGerstein]

I am #598 6/6/24

[@michaeldanello3966]

I'm suprised that the 3 regular panel members didn't have a nervous breakdown on hearing that the sponge is an animal. This is a well-educated group that for about 14 years (!!) has labored under the conceit that fish and birds are somehow not animals, that lobsters, dolphins and whales are fish.. I would guess they had never heard of Poriferans since none of them appear to have ever taken a biology class.

[@toinimoore3463]

Bingo Michael and Merry Christmas 🎄

[@kentetalman9008]

And that worms are somehow closely related to snakes.

[@soulierinvestments]

Fortunately the world is still full of bellybone women.

[@savethetpc6406]

www.thefreedictionary.com/Bellibone

[@marthagill8336]

Popsicles are NOT dairy products!

[@MrJoeybabe25]

See, lying about when you're on and when you tape leads to such confusion that John couldn't figure out when that poor second contestant was going back to school.

[@VahanNisanian]

Joe Postove Or better yet, how about not implying or saying the airdate.

[@savethetpc6406]

Joe Postove Yeah, he really got caught in it that time!

[@kt9166]

Allen and Rossi were huge in the Sixties. *****Hallo Dere!*****

[@godschosenvessel4473]

Sheryl Ruth Barker-Slate lived to be 61, died June of 2009.

[@twinsonic]

Only 61..that is pretty sad..

[@MrJoeybabe25]

Did anyone catch what the audience member yelled out at abut 3:48?

[@jmccracken1963]

I think that that person was shouting "Opaa!"

[@davidsanderson5918]

jmccracken1963 That's literally a good 'shout'. 'Opaa!' being, according to Wikipedia, a cry of enthusiasm in Mediterranean and specifically Greek circles.

[@MrJoeybabe25]

After five minutes of Allen and Rossi I need a Martini & Rossi.

[@loissimmons6558]

Wow! I can still remember the jingle ... Martini & Rossi imported vermouth on the rocks ... M&R on the rocks, M&R on the rocks ...

[@shirleyrombough8173]

I never heard of Marty and Rossi but I certainly heard of Martini and Rossi. I too was sent to the latter two by the former two.

[@golden-63]

Martini and Rossi on the rocks, say yes!

[@fanboy2015]

Steve Rossi died in June of this year.

[@WhatsMyLine]

Oh,, that's too bad. And I had no idea. :( If I had realized, I would have posted this early in tribute, as I have for Lauren Bacall, James Garner and Polly Bergen. Thanks for the note about it, though. Amazing no one else had mentioned it yet!

[@donnacook8994]

RIP Mr. Rossi, and thanks for the many laughs! 🥰

[@jrnfw4060]

And sweet Marty Allen died in 2018, just four years after Steve Rossi. 💔

[@bbailey7818]

I can remember back to 1964 and liking kid treats like popsicles but I don't remember they were ever a dairy product or ice cream. 🤔 Frozen water, sweetener, and flavoring was pretty much it. And still is. (Fudgsicles are different.)

[@RonGerstein-tf5tp]

Creamsicles

[@davidsanderson5918]

John Charles Daly needs glasses. 21:35 I saw him do that in the last episode too..looking at Arlene as she started her next question

[@VahanNisanian]

Gary, regarding the BBC episode of "What's My Line" from the 1950's that you just acquired. You may want to post it after you've posted all the other episodes. I heard the BBC is tough as nails on copyright claims.

[@MrJoeybabe25]

Does The BBC seek to enforce their copyright in the U.S.?

[@WhatsMyLine]

It would absolutely SHOCK me if there was any sort of copyright on a show that survives only by the grace of pure luck-- the BBC wiped almost their entire series of WML shows. There's also a clip on YT already for years now, so I think it's pretty safe. But I'll think about it. I don't have the show yet anyhow. Joe, whether the BBC is aggressive about their copyrights in the U.S. or not (I have no idea), it really isn't relevant when posting a video to KZbin, which is a worldwide platform. You can't post videos for just one specific country.

[@TheGadgetPanda]

What's My Line? Post it! As soon as you get it! Pretty please with sugar on top?

[@WhatsMyLine]

***** These things do need to be carefully considered. One copyright strike would mean my account would be crippled for 6 months. Would you rather see the rest of the CBS run posted daily, or a single BBC episode that could cause a 6 month delay in further postings? That's why Vahan was trying to warn me. I'll have to see what I can find out about the copyright status when I get the show. It's usually impossible to determine without paying thousands of dollars to copyright lawyers to do a search. It's maddening.

[@MrJoeybabe25]

What's My Line? Doesn't KZbin block videos in some countries and not others as a courtesy to copyright holders?

[@kentetalman9008]

In what universe are popsicles dairy products?

[@MrJoeybabe25]

It seems the last several shows that the WML bookers have reaching father and farther down into the teenage group. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

[@savethetpc6406]

I think they often had students with summer jobs on during the summer months -- for a number of years before this as well.

[@davidsanderson5918]

Joe Postove So what? What are you implying?

[@leesher1845]

I hated when they rushed the final contestant. I thought that was so unfair and ungracious.

[@peternagy-im4be]

It was TV sugar pie. Tight schedules and all. Y'all understand?

[@calliopivogiatzis2235]

John savopoulos must be from tarpon springs

[@preppysocks209]

Bennett frequently argued with John after the line was revealed that he should have gotten a "Yes" instead of a "no," and he was in nearly all instances wrong. But this time he was right. John took a very long time and then gave the wrong answer about whether the product was a confection.

[@gailsirois7175]

I wouldn't classify popsicles as a confection. At all

[@ChrisHansonCanada]

*_SPONGE DIVER_* *_PACKS POPSICLES_* *_SELLS FIRE ENGINES_*

[@nanaberry4120]

Popcicles are NOT a dairy item.

[@loissimmons6558]

Some are made of ice. Others, like Creamsicles, are made wholly or partially of ice cream or some other dairy product (like frozen yogurt).

[@washoe4827]

@@loissimmons6558 I thought "pop"cicles were made of "pop"... maybe not !

[@loissimmons6558]

@@washoe4827 The word "popsicle" is a portmanteau of pop and icicle. The pop portion of the word comes from lollipop, not soda pop. In turn, the word "lollipop" has multiple origins. George Smith of New Haven, Connecticut, who started making large hard candies mounted on sticks in 1908, named them after a racehorse of the time, Lolly Pop - and trademarked the lollipop name in 1931. There are earlier uses of the term. The term 'lollipop' was recorded by English lexicographer Francis Grose in 1796. The term may have derived from the term "lolly" (tongue) and "pop" (slap). Alternatively, it may be a word of Romany origin being related to the Roma tradition of selling candy apples on a stick. Red apple in the Romany language is loli phaba.

[@washoe4827]

@@loissimmons6558 interesting, thanks !

[@RonGerstein]

​@@washoe4827 N O

[@orgonkothewildlyuntamed6301]

13:30 Dorothy should have gotten a "NO" & card flipped

[@RichardHannay]

What did that Sponge Diver say the classification of sponges are?... It certainly wasn't "Porifera"...

[@alanfollett6242]

+Richard Hannay It sounded to me like /oneemba/, but I've been unable to find any term remotely like that in any article or chart on sponge taxonomy

[@jmccracken1963]

"Onema," I think - as in "nematode."

[@hugovangalen]

​@@jmccracken1963Yeah Asconema is a species of Porifera

[@savethetpc6406]

Methinks Tony Randall was showing off just a bit with his knowledge of Greek....

[@ghshinn]

I agree.

[@robertromero8692]

I saw an Allen and Rossi movie once. It was one of the unfunniest "comedies" I've ever seen.

[@davidburke2697]

brutal excuse for comedians.....awful

[@Traderjoe]

I had to look up bellybone. It does mean beautiful and good. It has a French origin. Belle and bon, belle meaning pretty or beautiful and bon, as in bon appetite with bon as good.

[@QuadMochaMatti]

Couldn't somebody please have gotten them a second chair? Was that exceeding the budget?

[@RonGerstein]

Yes, it exceeded the budget

[@carollee444]

Cerf coulldn’t stand to be stumped! Perfekt he was not!

[@MrJoeybabe25]

I wonder if there much of real sponge industry anymore. So many are synthetic.

[@savethetpc6406]

Coincidentally, I was just discussing this with my family the other day.

[@MrJoeybabe25]

SaveThe TPC Oh, we talk about sponges a lot here in Israel. A very common topic of conversation. I was just saying to one of the local rabbis "see any nice sponges lately"?

[@savethetpc6406]

www.gulfcoastsponge.com/

[@MrJoeybabe25]

SaveThe TPC I just hope their completely dead!

[@savethetpc6406]

Joe Postove LOL!

[@LarsRyeJeppesen]

15:44 ooops :)

[@MrJoeybabe25]

I know people who are quite proud of their sponges. I think Dorothy should have gotten a yes on the "are they decorative" question.

[@donnacook8994]

This is a much different time, and people today do things today that were not done at the taping of this show.

[@VahanNisanian]

LOL! 20:45

[@kristabrewer9363]

:( :( I see he hasn't changed at ALL! she had 40 points and he flips over the stupid cards as he does 99% of the time. A few episodes back, a young teen only had 15 points, and he leaves it at that :( :( And, at the end, he does a quick one that he KNOWS there is no possible WAY they're gonna get to 50 points! (I don't even bother watching those ones)

[@RonGerstein]

ALL THE REGULAR CONTESTANTS RECEIVE THE $50, NO MATTER HOW MANY CARDS ARE FLIPPED.

[@soulierinvestments]

I'm the panel on the second contestant. Why was he taking so much time with her on the question of confection. My dictionary seems to imply that a confection by definition is not frozen. And Dorothy caught that distinction instantly.

[@savethetpc6406]

soulierinvestments What dictionary are you consulting? *Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary* defines confection as "a sweet food" (www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confection) and even the more detailed and alternate definitions do not mention anything about temperature one way or another. Perhaps John had the same dictionary you do, but I personally think ice cream *is* a confection.