What's My Line? - The McGuire Sisters; Abe Burrows [panel] (Jul 16, 1961)

MYSTERY GUEST: The McGuire Sisters
PANEL: Arlene Francis, Abe Burrows, Dorothy Kilgallen, Bennett Cerf

[@dominiquecolgan9103]

That lovely Miss Odell, is in fact my mother and she did adopt my sister and myself in the early 60s. She is still to this day incredibly beautiful and as smart as a whip. I couldn't be prouder to be her daughter.

[@LarsRyeJeppesen]

Dominique Colgan Wow that's nice. . She does look very nice and sweet.

[@mj6962]

Dominique Colgan wow that’s kewl

[@galileocan]

She seems like a lovey person

[@knottreel]

This is why I like the comment section so much. You add great richness to our enjoyment of this video by commenting about your mother.

[@princeharming8963]

Super cool... Stunning woman.

[@sandydog291]

"What does it mean what I just asked you?". I love Arlene's humor.

[@anneroy4560]

"delightful star of stage and television" ... they could add cinema & radio too ... Arlene did everything ...

[@donnawoodford6641]

Not sure about that. She would be the first to tell you, and everyone else.

[@gbrumburgh]

RIP Phyllis McGuire died on December 29, 2020. She was the last surviving member of the three sisters. Dorothy died in 2012 and Christine in 2018.

[@nunosoares2329]

The McGuire Sisters. So talented and elegant :-)

[@juliansinger]

Miss Odell trailblazed in various legal-profession ways in Florida in the 50s and 60s, and in the early 70s became associated with the EPA, which is a slog of a profession for lawyers. (Worthwhile, of course.) She served as Ombudsman for awhile. As with newspapers, this is a position that lets people complain to it, specifically about violations of rules that can't be resolved under normal procedures. She was eventually (probably) a low-level under-Secretary in Carter's Department of the Interior. I don't know what she did after that, but she's now living in Harpers Ferry West Virginia (along with her sister and some friends). She never, as far as I can tell, married, but she adopted a couple of kids in the late 60s/at some point.

[@thetiler]

A terrific show and one of many that are highly enjoyable! One of the better enjoyments for me when I watch youtube!

[@savethetpc6406]

The first contestant on this episode (prosecuting attorney from Florida) is wearing a necklace much like Arlene's diamond heart. It's a bit hard to see, because the heart is underneath the sheer fabric at the top of her dress, but if you look closely, it definitely looks similar to Arlene's heart pendant. She is the second contestant I have seen on WML who was wearing that type of necklace on the show. I already forgot who the first one was, but I know I commented on it on that episode's comments page, and I think it was within a year or less prior to this episode, though I wouldn't swear to it.

[@jackkomisar458]

Bennett's superb geographical knowledge failed him when he questioned the first challenger. After he remarked that she was prettier than the girls in the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami, and Dorothy established (at 4:50) that the challenger worked in Miami, Bennett (at 10:08) asked if she worked in the state capital, (Tallahassee) which is 480 miles away from Miami.

[@VahanNisanian]

Recorded on April 30, 1961.

[@leesher1845]

Pretty dress on that first contestant.

[@juanettebutts9782]

Jiminy Christmas with the picture cutting in and out! For a few minutes I thought my cellphone had messed up. Glad it hasn't. Or has it? Am I the only person seeing these blips? Perhaps my granola bar has fermented. 😉 Even with the glitches I am enamored with What's My Line? and watch at least one program each day. Thank you very much for posting these MARVELOUS videos!!

[@bbailey7818]

Thanks for this comment, I thought it was my TV! Seems we are definitely in the era of early video tape at this point

[@LarsRyeJeppesen]

Not many welcome home comments to Arlene.. /update: I now understand this show was recorded before she went to Europe

[@BeIIeDoc24]

hahaha Arlene tooootally checking out Atty. Odell! I know it sometimes looked awkward being able to see Arlene follow the contestant as they leave, but ya gotta give it to her for admiring the whole thang haha

[@savethetpc6406]

It looks like she was admiring her dress. I wonder if she noticed that Miss Odell was wearing a necklace similar to her own too. (See my comment about the necklace, above.)

[@sagarsaxena6318]

She did it very often.

[@donnawoodford6641]

Arlene seemed to look when esp when she saw the guest had power, or a high position of status. I always felt Arlene could be a bit envious, and insecure in her appearance around women other than Dorothy who did not upstage her.

[@briane173]

@@donnawoodford6641 I can see that. No doubt Arlene was pining for an earlier time in her life; the irony is that she didn't have to. I thought she was quite gorgeous _in addition to_ being convivial and "impish." _Loved_ her personality.

[@donnawoodford6641]

@@briane173 I love her morally conscious son even more, the CA lawyer who advocates for humanitarian justice. ⚖️

[@tjbnyc76]

The very lovely Miss O’Dell favors the very lovely Olivia de Havilland.

[@brachio1000]

Miss Odell looks like Donna Reed.

[@williamdunphy352]

Hal Simms does the Allstate ad. Ralph Paul introduces Arlene & the panel.

[@robertmelson2130]

My 22-year-old daughter just last Sunday (July, 2015) expressed an interest in female harmony singing groups (not sure of the right term), so I was able to jot down a list of acts for her to look for on KZbin, thanks to What's My Line? and all these shows: The McGuire Sisters, The Andrews Sisters, the Demarco Sisters, the Ross Sisters, and the Chordettes. Did the Lennon Sisters ever appear? If they didn't, they should have.

[@mefirstplease3676]

Robert Melson I'm late but no.

[@SheilaB]

Day after I was born :)

[@princeharming8963]

April of '61.. 7 months before I was born!

[@berkuhhh]

What's My Line? Thank you SO MUCH FOR THESE UPLOADS!!!!! Would you happen to have the ep with Buddy Hackett on the panel, where Martin tells Arlene about the product costing less than $3000? Thanks :)

[@jmccracken1963]

It might be just me, but I think that Joan Odell (the first contestant) bears a bit of a facial resemblance (and quite a resemblance in her smile) to actress Jeanne Crain. Her voice is, of course, quite different from that of Mrs. Brooks.....

[@TheGadgetPanda]

The show seemed to slip into a bit of a rut during this period, but this episode is a real return to form. I hope we see more of Abe Burrows in future uploads. He actually seemed to think about his questions, rather than just simply rely on the generic time-marking questions of a lot of guests.

[@soulierinvestments]

Burrows appeared three or four times on WML in 1961 -- he was in New York tied to "How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying."

[@jmccracken1963]

As Vahan Nisanian noted in an earlier comment, this program was pre-recorded on 30 April 1961 - just three weeks before Abe Burrows appeared live as a guest panelist (21 May 1961).

[@preppysocks209]

Rut is right. Apart from Sophia Loren and Henry Fonda and a few others, the caliber of MGs in 1961 was the weakest of any year. Many B listers then, now totally forgotten. Not an aspersion on the McGuire Sisters specifically, but overall.

[@shuboy05]

Huh, John calls Bennett by the wrong name again during the MG round (Ms. Francis instead of Mr. Cerf!).

[@jasonayres]

False teeth for cows. What a wonderful invention. Must have been tiring work for the farmers to have to mash up their food before then. 😉And improved their smiles, no doubt.

[@suestanley7506]

Does the host read our comments?

[@williamlynnroden]

Abe wasn't that good as a panelist, but he was a lot of fun. The other panelist and the audience seemed to have liked him. I wonder what he would think about the longevity of HOW TO SUCCEED . . .

[@bbailey7818]

"You gotta know what a cow is!"

[@suestanley7506]

John, STOP answering!

[@tomlemery8490]

First time there was no applause after a reveal of "a line."

[@icturner23]

It’s so annoying how Daly overrides many contestants, especially ones like the first one here, being an intelligent professional. Dorothy was simply wrong that not being Florida residents was why they probably wouldn’t use her services. Leaving aside the whole issue that the recipient of the prosecutor’s services (the defendant) does not *use* them, anyone can commit a crime anywhere and they get prosecuted there, not wherever they live.

[@donnawoodford6641]

Nonresidents of Florida needing legal assistance may more likely be in contact with lower tribunal judges and attorneys.

[@kasperjoonatan6014]

Well, the people of Florida used her services, not the people of NY, so Dorothy was right. (Of course it could help also newyorkers if she caught a criminal so that the criminal couldn't come to NY and do some more crimes, but that's another thing.)

[@bluecamus5162]

Abe Burrows got a no answer but then was allowed to change his question and then got a yes! C'mon John, stop it. Besides, anything that has to do with a farm animal has something to do food. That was a long, dumb exchange between Abe and John. And how on Earth did Bennet pull the answer out of his hat?

[@bbailey7818]

It might have helped Bennett that there was a maker of false teeth for cows on an earlier episode, c. 1959 or so. It's the kind of thing that sticks on your mind.

[@garyzerr9821]

Abe Burrows I think is extraordinarily irritating as a panelist, tho very talented otherwise

[@Warspite1701]

every show he sounds like an idiot

[@druidbros]

What happened to Dorothy's hair?

[@Steff2929again]

Hair fashion changed a lot during the 60's. Short hair in the beginning, ridiculously large hair later on. D was a very fashionable gal. She had to keep up.

[@druidbros]

Steff2929again Still it looks terrible.

[@rcs168]

The McGuire Sisters' hair style on this show is similar to that on the cover of their Subways Are For Sleeping album, if not the same.

[@maryjones4770]

Yeah it looks like a wet dog

[@dalekelly7639]

She had to do it herself.

[@knottreel]

So what tipped them off for the McGuire sisters. There are so many female vocalists, so it seems like a shot in the dark.

[@hollyking2580]

I believe they appeared as the Mystery Guest 5 times! So maybe they came to be expected.

[@randall-king]

A lot of times the panel is aware of who is in town for an appearance, so they had an edge on getting it right because of that.

[@suestanley7506]

John you are so CONFUSING. STOP ANWERING THE QUESTIONS

[@kentetalman9008]

Abe Burrows' knowledge of animals is appalling.

[@kristabrewer9363]

WOOOW!.... and here I thought the producers talked to John because the other day when I watched, both contestants only had 5 dollars and he DIDN'T flip over the cards. Here he had 35 points and he flips them over :(. All I can say to that is WOOOOW

[@ChrisHansonCanada]

I think you're talking it a bit too seriously. It wasn't about the points. It was about producing an entertaining show.

[@Eddie_Schantz]

Abe Burrows is just like Groucho Marx. He has NO buisness being on a game show.

[@OnTheOnlyShipButHalfWannaSink]

61 was a good year for Dorothy’s hair