What's My Line? - Polly Bergen; Martin Gabel [panel] (Jan 28, 1962)

[@Noone58319]

Does anyone else notice this? In the first round of questions, Arlene and Bennett will incorporate the guest’s name into the phrasing of the question, like “do you wear a certain type of costume in your work, Mrs. Smith”? I feel that is so very respectful. I love their etiquette.

[@lindageels193]

I. am. addicted to this game show. I. just love it

[@sylviekrause1571]

So am I!!! Greetings from Germany! The Gernan equivalent wasn’t as fun as What’s my line.

[@ChrisHansonCanada]

That's. Nice. To. Hear. Good. Bye.

[@dianepowers9643]

I always try to guess what's the line before it's revealed

[@whoami1939]

@@sylviekrause1571 same for the u k show

[@leesher1845]

I liked Polly Bergen on To Tell the Truth. She was such a stitch. They were all so poised back then.

[@preppysocks209]

19:20 "That's big, anyway" -- a great off the cuff quip by Arlene

[@jacquelinebell6201]

I could imagine Martin as Poirot! He has the right look before he even starts!

[@anonymoushard1025]

I'm in love with Polly Bergen. She was a Black Belt in Judo.

[@charlan410]

Head over heels in love??

[@mlc3stooge1]

Polly was gorgeous.

[@princeharming8963]

She was about 32 here (didn't do the exact math).. and Stunning!

[@lancedukel3436]

And so charmingly talented!

[@1079walter]

John Daly always gave away so many clues I often wondered why more occupations weren't discovered in less than two minutes! Still, this show was one of my favorites.

[@tomservo56954]

Kitty Carlisle had stepped away from TO TELL THE TRUTH in the wake of the death of her husband Moss Hart.

[@Bigwave2003]

Bennett keeps hoping Jayne Mansfield or Marilyn Monroe will show up as the mystery guest.

[@davidrbecken]

Me too! There was a Marilyn look/act-alike on there once, which is better than nothing.

[@gailsirois7175]

Jayne Mansfield has..don't believe Marilyn EVER did

[@Deejaay83urj38]

Me too

[@Deejaay83urj38]

@@davidrbecken you just showed us the thing John was talking about. After look!

[@Etnalleb]

@@gailsirois7175 MM thought she was to big a star to be on the show , she never showed.

[@davidanthonystone5165]

Polly Bergen A very versatile singer and actress. go watch the Original "Cape Fear brilliant

[@Walterwhiterocks]

Yes, she was. I liked Jessica Lange better in the remake, but Polly wasn't bad.

[@shirleyrombough8173]

This turns out to have been a really entertaining episode.

[@Sam73157910]

I thought Polly Bergen did fine in this role. She had an excellent singing voice. I always thought of her as the wife of Gregory Peck in "Cape Fear." It is tough to play a great singer from the past. She did a fine job. No she didn't sound like Helen Morgan. But she was a fine actress who did a good job on Helen's songs. Otherwise they would have needed a dubber like the film.

[@loissimmons6558]

10:12 Dorothy is ready to ask a question of the first challenger and John even recognizes her, but Bennett steps all over it with one of his stupidest jokes. We never find out what Dorothy was going to ask.

[@gregmoorhead7203]

Lois Simmons ~ You’re so right. While being interviewed, Bennett was always so quick to run Dorothy down for bad habits that he himself was more guilty of. He was all about himself...very narcissistic. Just my opinion. FYI...These interviews can be heard on KZbin.

[@stevestites9762]

Bennett was a rude elitist snob

[@Walterwhiterocks]

@@stevestites9762 You nailed it, Steve. And I would add, repulsive.

[@crabbyoldman8209]

@@stevestites9762 YES!!! I've been saying this for years. I"ve seen every episode so far, and I can tell you without hesitation that Cerf is repulsive like a drunken frat boy.

[@crabbyoldman8209]

@@Walterwhiterocks YES!!!!!!!

[@RikardPeterson]

Fun that they during the first contestant twice established his relation to the treasure department, but then immediately dropped that line of questioning. Or does the US treasury department have a wider area of responsibility than I imagine?

[@jwolfe01234]

They were fixated on the role of the Secret Service in protecting the president and other members of the first family. Before 9/11, the Secret Service was in the Treasury Department. After 9/11, the Secret Service was moved to the newly created Department of Homeland Security. The Secret Service was in the Treasury Department because it was created to deal with counterfeiting, which it still does. That was the guest's identified "line". Presidential protection came later.

[@RalphOnofrio]

I would have loved to be at a table at Toots Shor's,with John Daly and Bennett Cerf..I can only imagine the conversations.

[@MrJoeybabe25]

My dad was a locksmith. I don't think they ever had one on. I wish I had thought of writing them, but I was only 10 when the show went off. I think they would have trouble with his occupation.

[@SuperWinterborn]

SuperWinterborn I think that would be a wonderful idea too, what fun couldn't his kind of occupation have made! ;)

[@MrJoeybabe25]

If I had thought of it (I was 10 when the show went off the air) I would have written a letter. My brother and I have always lamented the lack of the very valuable occupation of locksmith on television. When someone wants to get into a locked house or apartment they often use a hairpin (which drove my Dad nuts. You cannot open a lock with a hairpin unless the pins in the lock are so worn that anything you stick in it would open it (sorry for the insy-poo talk). And usually TV characters would call the police or ANYBODY but a locksmith to open a car door or house. Geeeeez!

[@SuperWinterborn]

Joe Postove Insy-poo talk?!? I think I've understood the meaning, but what an expression! ;D I've been working in a Locksmith workshop myself, copying keys only, but I know that with the hairpin. I'ts almost impossible, and everytime I watched something like that in a movie, (usually American) I was always wondering what type of locks you had "over there". I've also worked in a Saddlemaker workshop, but not making saddles, only repaired them and other things of leather, and been a Cabinet-maker as well. ;)

[@MrJoeybabe25]

My Dad always claimed to be a Yale man. He got most of his locks from the Yale lock company. I worked in my Dad's shop several summers and if I had used the word "insy-poo" at least one of the guys in there would have put my head in a vise (luckily the vise was too small for my head)!.

[@SuperWinterborn]

Joe Postove Yale was the big name around for years... To get ones head in a vice is one thing, but more realistic is it, if it was your fingers! I suppose you already knew Barry Mann's hit, but did you listen to it? It makes me smile, even I, who usually have Mozart, Chopin and Schubert in my earphones! ;)

[@famousamous6703]

George sawyer is my grandpa

[@peternagy-im4be]

I own a talking dog

[@LANCSKID]

Tom Sawyer is my life inspiration.

[@accomplice55]

Diane Sawyer is a good newscaster.

[@famousamous6703]

@ I agree

[@dalehall2067]

Beautiful talented lady

[@jasonayres]

(23:10) For trivial pursuit, the "Miss Sutherland" John was referring to so graciously, was the Australian opera singer, (Dame) Joan Sutherland, who was (it appears) to be in the same upcoming production as Polly Bergen. As an Australian, recalling how famous the then Miss Sutherland was, I would've liked to have heard more from John about the production, but Bennett interrupted the flow of conversation, and now we'll never know what John was going to finish off with.

[@joshuasmith6439]

John's reaction at 10:27 is almost as funny as Bennett's joke.

[@LarsRyeJeppesen]

Absolutely

[@LANCSKID]

I’ve played many a game of ping pong with a fine filly!

[@Jolar70]

I think coming back from Arizona, Arlene was a little out of practice. The first guest, the secret service chief was great, but no one was really listening to John when he twice told them that his proximity to the First Family was not primary to his job. They were all so Kennedy-happy that they couldn't stop asking about the White House and I don't even know why Dorothy pulled Caroline Kennedy into it?! Great fun though.

[@matthewschmidtifbbpro8242]

Jolar70 thank you, he's my 3rd uncle

[@lilybean835]

Dorothy was obsessed with Caroline Kennedy. She always wanted to surround herself with people close to the Kennedys and loved being able to name drop and relay she knew weird personal details. I love Dorothy but her insistence on trying to emphasize her socialite side gets irritating.

[@LANCSKID]

“Do you deal with narcotics?” … who doesn’t, eh … who doesn’t.

[@ChrisHansonCanada]

*_CHIEF OF COUNTERFEITING INVESTIGATIONS_* *_SELLS PING PONG BALLS_*

[@leannsherman6723]

Polly Bergen was quite charming. She kept holding her neck though for some reason.

[@disvids8754]

Della Reese - don't think she was ever on, but would have been interesting to see her back then. So, this is the third appearance of Polly Bergen. No where near Lucille Ball, but up there ...

[@kristabrewer9363]

I would love to have seen Della Reese back then

[@alansorensen5903]

Della fit all the bills: comedy, drama, stage, film, tv, clubs, recordings, concerts. And a "real" sweetheart of an angel.

[@shirleyrombough8173]

I would love to have seen Martin play the detective Hercule Poirot. And I am happy to observe that both Arlene and Dorothy have slimmed down nicely.

[@debbigray1752]

He would be soooo good in the part!

[@LANCSKID]

Instead he opted to be his ventriloquist wife’s dummy.

[@jamesmaddox1343]

It looks like when Polly went to say goodnight to the panel that Bennett was trying to go in for a kiss on the cheek for a hot second! :)

[@alexforest1]

That man is so inappropriate. Well after all I give him credit for launching Random House and seeing the genius in Dr. Seuss books.

[@williamlynnroden]

@@alexforest1 . I agree with you about Random House; but I would point out that it is good he listened to his wife Phyllis, it was she who recognised the brilliance of Dr. Seuss. Phyllis was a smart cookie herself. He certainly married well!

[@alexforest1]

@@williamlynnroden You are correct. Thank you 👍🏽

[@neilmidkiff]

I was at first confused by John's reference to an ampersand (&) resembling a pound sign. I think he may have meant a very old-fashioned ligature with the letters "lb" joined on one block of metal type, sometimes in cursive script. The more usual pound sign in pre-computer days was #, and if John was mixing that up with & he needed to have his vision checked!

[@alanfollett6242]

# was the symbol for pound as a unit of weight, but I imagine John was referring to £, the symbol for pound as a British currency unit. It does look a bit like an ampersand, if you squint.

[@neilmidkiff]

+Alan Follett That's more convincing than my earlier suggestion. Thanks!

[@snugglyshadow2049]

The ampersand's letter origin is actually the cursive letters "etc." "Believe it or not."

[@jwolfe01234]

@@alanfollett6242 Before computers were ubiquitous, the ampersand was often rendered as 🙲, which is more similar to the sign for pound sterling, which at the time was rendered with either one (£) or two bars (₤) even by the Bank of England. I would imagine they would've looked even more similar when handwritten.

[@johnkelly3639]

At the end of the show Dorothy congratulates Arlene for breaking all records. Does anyone know what records she is referring to?

[@preppysocks209]

almost certainly a reference to her just completed stage performance in Arizona

[@LANCSKID]

Oh, I thought she was referring to Perry Como discs …

[@sandybeach123]

Polly's bouffant is beautiful.

[@allenwayne2033]

I often found Polly Bergen to be a bit irritating on TTTT, but there's no denying that she was stunning to look at!

[@MrJoeybabe25]

What were John and Bennett referring to when at the start of the show they were talking about punctuation. A "vergool"????? I thought between and/or was just called a "slash".

[@alskndlaskndal]

"virgule" (I think that's how it's spelled) a printer's term for the slash

[@SuperWinterborn]

Joe Postove and Reluctant Dragon Thank you very much, both for the question and answer! I'm still trying to learn proper English, and this one gave me some trouble, because I couldn't figure out what the word was. Perhaps it's origin comes from the Latin word "verge", which means "wand, stick, border", and so on..(?) (Yes, it is spelled "virgule" ;)

[@MrJoeybabe25]

SuperWinterborn I hope you ain't taking your English lessons just here. I'd hate to see you corrupted ;)

[@SuperWinterborn]

Joe Postove Says the guy, who writes "ain't", "gheeez", "insy-poo" and "Yiiiikes"! ;D Don't you worry. It took some time, but now I think I've learned how to pick my teachers. :) By the way; How do you pronounce "Yikes"?

[@MrJoeybabe25]

SuperWinterborn Yycks is about the best I can do without vowel signs

[@MrDavfit]

Wow years later ...on Desperate Housewives.

[@princeharming8963]

I know it'll sound like an off the wall question, but a second or two after Martin guesses Polly Bergen.. does he snap his finger and then mouth the word 'damn'?

[@sdkelmaruecan2907]

Wow they completely missed the ping pong ball... instead of taking the room angle they should just have started with the indoors/outdoors question...

[@gsadventures678]

Polly's eyes made her hot!

[@dcasper8514]

She's just beautiful..

[@dougw.4788]

yikes i was john c dalys age when this ep aired.i am getting old!

[@sandrageorge3488]

John was the youngest one on the show. Born in 1914. Arlene 1907, Martin 1912, Dorothy 1913, Bennett 1898.

[@laureldenhartog7903]

She was beautiful.

[@LANCSKID]

Who?

[@granthoops]

Bennett spared no breath bad mouthing Hal Block for his low brow humor and treatment of women. Which I don’t think he was in any wrong to say or feel. I really disliked Hal’s behavior and the insight into how he might have behaved when he was off TV, but boy was Bennett a bit hypocritical with how often he fawned over women’s beautiful good looks and brought the point up for a mystery guest. There’s no doubt however Bennett felt that he approached the topic in a more dignified way. Which I would also agree with, but I think it would have been more respectful to not broach the topic as constantly as he did. Outperforming Hal in class isn’t really a bar to be proud of clearing. I’m not saying he can’t compliment a woman but he did it so frequently that if you were familiar with the show and went on as a guest and Bennett didn’t comment on it you could probably assume he felt you were unattractive. I didn’t breathe in the social customs of the time, but I imagine a lot of women probably didn’t love to be asked whether or not their stunning good looks was in any way connected with their work. More importantly than that I’m surprised John or the producers never told him to stop asking if the mystery guest was a beautiful woman. It just made for the potential of an awkward position where a woman really wasn’t beautiful and risk either hurting their feels with a no or the panel claiming they got misled at the end if they felt the mystery guest wasn’t a beautiful woman type. I just feel there’s a lack of tact in pressing this point as often as he would. More than anything I think it was a terrible question to ask a mystery guest with the potential for a really hurtful ending for the mystery guest if people were debating over her good looks. Even now but probably more so at the time when a woman’s looks probably held even more social value and self value.

[@leannsherman6723]

Ping pong balls in the living room?

[@rodneyharrington5049]

Yeah, some people use it as a game room.

[@juanpino9972]

Dorothy's comments, as always, leave a Lot to be Desired!

[@crabbyoldman8209]

Are you kidding me? What are you watching? Bennett Cerf is a disgrace to the show. Dorothy has never insulted a guest for her weight; flirted with guests and panelists; and interrupted other panelists to spew some frat boy humor. Cerf has done all those things and more. He has insulted multiple guests for their weight. He hits on every woman he can. He interrupts on an ongoing basis - even at the end fo the show when Daly is trying to keep up with the clock and get finished.

[@rodneyharrington5049]

If you don't like her comments, but don't know which comments or why you don't like them, that sounds kinda irrational.

[@leesher1845]

I don’t know what Charles Daly was thinking or talking about when he said that the living room and dining room would lend themselves to ping pong balls; what on earth was he talking about?

[@bluecamus5162]

There's only so many places in an average house you can put a ping-pong table (hence, ping pong balls), and the living/dining room would be would be one. Hey, I just used a virgule. Did you notice that?

[@greglehmann7234]

Early To Tell The Truth panelist with Ralph Bellamy.

[@MrWindermere123]

There's a running joke in this episode that involves pronouncing Martin Gabel's surname as if he were French: GA-BELLE. In fact Gabel is a German word meaning fork, so for example the dung-fork on a farm is called a Mistgabel. It's likely that Mr Gabel's ancestry is German or possibly Swiss and that his name in the past would have been pronounced Garble. His parents or grandparents perhaps were part of the melting pot of immigrants which forged the modern USA.

[@atronish]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Gabel

[@neilmidkiff]

It seems to me that the French-accented pronunciation of Gabel in this episode is related to the mention that Martin was about to appear as Hercule Poirot, Agatha Christie's Belgian detective, in a TV movie.

[@tgargoyle8068]

There is a shady character in Dickens novel named Citizen Gabelle. I think Mr. Daly may have been referencing this. The gabel was the name of a very unpopular tax on salt in France before the revolution. Mr Daly's mispronunciation may also reflect that in several stories Hercule Poirot's name is mangled by people leading Poirot to attempt ( usually unsuccessfully ) to give them the correct way to say his name. He is also referred to as a Frenchman which he invariably insists on correcting to Belgian.

[@shirleyrombough8173]

And we're all much better off that they did.

[@drumbum3.142]

Have Always LOVED Madam Polly's Lovely Pallete of Wonderful Hysterical Expressions

[@allenjones3130]

Rest in peace, Polly.

[@drumbum3.142]

@@allenjones3130 Which was.. Eight Years Ago. - and it's not even the anniversary of her death.(?).😐🤔 Though, yes. It's in September.

[@LANCSKID]

An ampersand looks like a pound sign? The hell it does, Daly.

[@accomplice55]

Not the # sign but the British money sign.

[@LANCSKID]

@ £ = British Pound … & = Ampersand. Daly is talking nonsense. What does # have to do with this?

[@44032]

No mention of 'Cape Fear'? Here is the previous appearance Polly referred to: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iGPWmnhsg7qMa7s

[@jrm8899]

Polly....funny and sexy woman!

[@dougw.4788]

is it just me or did most of these celebs get married alot. seems like when i read the bios they have been married 3 times or more. would think they valued marriage more back then than now.

[@su8483]

Martin was Arlene's second husband.

[@chaimbar1171]

I think multiple weddings common for most of the celebrities nowadays and then. Maybe it's worth to research the link between the two.

[@sandrageorge3488]

Too much temptation.

[@kentetalman9008]

They did value marriage. That's why they had so many of them.

[@carollee444]

Bennett Cerff is to attracted to women! Kind of a corny guy!!

[@Rogermarch]

One of the programs mentioned he was a judge on the Miss America pageant.

[@LANCSKID]

Those WML names defined in full. Cerf - (i) An overbearing and rather pompous person who makes creepy remarks to females. (ii) A Pisstaker (iii) A Smartarse.

[@nunosoares2329]

Rest In Peace Polly Bergen. Overdue condolences to the family for your loss. 😔💐

[@rodneyharrington5049]

Don't be a ghoul. This vid is about celebrating her life, it has nothing to do with celebrating her death.

[@xxcharmed1xx]

a little embarassing but the first time i saw polly bergen was in the movie Cry Baby :)

[@domenicozagari2443]

The dollar is private money.

[@kristabrewer9363]

I don't know who Jayne Mansfield is. Is she a big woman? If so, that was REALLY rude of Arlene!

[@charlan410]

Saw her as I binge watch What's my line for a few weeks.

[@robbob1234]

Arlene was referring to what one may call her ample bosom.

[@Walterwhiterocks]

Think Dolly Parton, only with less talent.

[@perryjohnson1801]

Krista Brewer, you need to watch Diamonds to Dust. This will tell you all about Jayne Mansfield.

[@snugglyshadow2049]

Do a search for "Jayne Mansfield Mickey Rooney."

[@arvannoy5216]

I read Polly Bergen and JFK were really close.....I mean ...really close.

[@WhatsMyLine]

I've never heard any such thing. I have a feeling you've been confused by the fact that she played a *character* on _The Sopranos_ who claimed to have had an affair with JFK.

[@dcasper8514]

Wouldn't surprise me.

[@LANCSKID]

Fake news …

[@d.jensen5153]

Was that Dutch that John Daly rattled off?

[@nadiazahroon6573]

Sounded German, but I think it was Afrikan

[@loissimmons6558]

Actually it sounded more like the foreign sounding nonsense talk that Sid Caesar was so good at doing.

[@VickyRBenson]

Wow! For him to be that fluent in another language is amazing. I know he’s said he was born in South Africa, where Afrikaans (considered a Dutch dialect) is spoken. He was speaking too fast for me to be sure of it. I took it in school when I grew up there, but was never fluent in it.

[@marnie0512]

It was neither Dutch nor Afrikaans. Most of it sounded like German to me, with possibly a few gibberish words thrown in, as Lois Simmons suggested.

[@MrThesper]

@@loissimmons6558 Yes it definitely was pretend German.

[@DesireeJoachim-j6y]

A poison taster 😂😂 that was funny

[@MrKbroyles]

With all respect may I ask (bald guy here) 😅I totally respect John Charles Daley. Talks like a Lawyer I might trust lol. What’s up with his part? Hair not show?

[@oksills]

I enjoy Bennett’s contribution to the show..... excepting him being a Letch!!!!

[@shirleyrombough8173]

- I think Bennett's lechiness was put on for TV'S sake.

[@crabbyoldman8209]

@@shirleyrombough8173 No it wasn't. You're living in dreamland. He was a puerile little boy. If he ever spoke to my wife the way he speaks to and about the women on the show, I'd make sure it was the last time he ever mouthed off to a woman. He is disgusting. I've seen every episode so far; I know what I'm saying.

[@crabbyoldman8209]

Cerf is disgusting.

[@shirleyrombough8173]

@@crabbyoldman8209 - Honestly you are taking yourself way too seriously. I think each panelist had his or her role to play. Bennett's included harmless flirting and puns. I can't imagine anyone taking umbrage at his silly nonsense.