What's My Line? - Maurice Chevalier; Martin Gabel [panel]; Steve Lawrence [panel] (Jan 27, 1963)

MYSTERY GUEST: Maurice Chevalier
PANEL: Dorothy Kilgallen, Steve Lawrence, Arlene Francis, Martin Gabel

[@robertsabella7298]

I wish I could go back in time and meet these fine folks. I especially like Mr Gabel. He seems like a regular type of guy.

[@lauracollins4195]

I appreciate when the mystery guest acknowledges the audience, as Maurice Chevalier did here. :)

[@Eddie_Schantz]

When you get down to it, there is no way Maurice Chevalier can disguise his voice and get away with it.

[@erichanson426]

Arlene and the bathtub segment was priceless.

[@bluecamus5162]

John pulled the plug on that one as soon as Arlene started talking about getting multiple people in a bath tub. It is, after all, a family show. Sort of.

[@mistergrandpasbakery9941]

Being a young fan of The Aristocats, I watched this so I could see the man that sang the opening song. Also being a man with three daughters and four granddaughters, he sang the song Thank Heaven For Little Girls which I sing often.

[@sdkelmaruecan2907]

I love when they have a man who looks very stern and serious and ten you can see him loosening up and having a good smile after one or two questions, especially with Arlene, she has a way to make any shy person feel totally at ease, great emotional intelligence from her.

[@hopicard]

I like Martin Gabel whenever he is on the panel.

[@preppysocks209]

@gcjerryusc This episode is one of a number of examples that demonstrate how vital Arlene was to the success of WML. This episode is above average and loses nothing in entertainment value with Bennett's absence.

[@preppysocks209]

@gcjerryusc Well I did think Steve Allen brought a great deal to the show in the early days

[@davidsanderson5918]

gcjerryusc Wow disagree entirely. I had to tolerate Fred Allen with gritted teeth while he was a panellist. Dreadful.

[@davidsanderson5918]

preppy socks Absolutely agree with your Steve Allen comment.

[@davidsanderson5918]

gcjerryusc Gabel bores me. No creativity, no wit. Sitting there like a bank manager. Little shortass dullard.

[@erichanson426]

A good guide always goes down with the tour. Excellent.

[@lancebaker1374]

At 17:47, when John asked Maurice if he remembered their Dunkirk, NY performance, he should have sung the answer, "Yes, I remember it well".

[@josephdragan7734]

Amazing how often the mystery guests don't seem to hear the panel's questions but John Daly has no problem

[@robertmelson2130]

Starting at 23:46 we can hear Dorothy's laughter multiple times at Arlene's muttered comment, "When I think of the things I've held in my hands...". I would so like to see a camera shot of Dorothy while this is happening.

[@davidsanderson5918]

Robert Melson At her most animated, she'd be rocking back and forth, head going from side to side and stifling her laugh with her hand. She does that often.

[@patriciavaughey6609]

Martin gable is exceptional. Steve Lawrence adds a human touch.

[@austinpink9018]

Charming Maurice Chevalier 💖🌟

[@maynardsmoreland]

Gerry Goffin, the co-writer of Steve Lawrence's hit "Go Away Little Girl," passed away a few days ago. The writer of many hits, often with Carole King.

[@brandonflorida1092]

Marlene makes an indirect reference to Carole King, one of the few times the existence if rock music is mentioned on this show, and certainly one of the very few when it's not mentioned negatively.

[@erichanson426]

Arlene is right about the bread box being the only comparative for this show, that is an item that should have been included in one of their openings.

[@karenedmiston5964]

A good guide always goes down with the tour. A great play on words.

[@wilfredboroskie2229]

TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE IN TELEVISION SHOWS HISTORY. POLITE, INFORMATIVE AND AMUSING AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL.

[@MrJoeybabe25]

John said that Bennett probably deserves his vacation because he works harder than anyone we know. Hmmmmm. I wonder what Dorothy thought about that?

[@Ashoodle]

Joe Postove I thought the same thing!

[@jvcomedy]

Joe Postove Or anybody else on the panel for that matter.

[@randall-king]

Probably nothing, since in that day people didn't look for a reason to get offended and were much more charitable toward others. Making a nice comment about one person doesn't mean that they're intending anything rude about someone else. Why not take it as what it was (a positive comment) instead of turning it into something negative?

[@loissimmons6558]

I also think that it was well known among them that the person making the remark was also a very busy man with multiple projects and hats.

[@TheBlackhawkbrat]

I wonder what happened with Maurice Chevalier's sign in that it had to be done off stage.

[@hizgrase]

I want all of Arlene’s clothes. That dress/skirt has my kind of pockets.

[@JoeL-zb1yd]

At 15:06 somebody said: "Maurice" and gave the answer.

[@saran3214]

You have sharp ears!

[@juliezimmi9850]

Maurice is a sweetheart♥

[@worldpeace32]

I think you are the sweetheart

[@pascalbretaire4163]

en france que c est triste il est oubliée , sa mémoire salie .

[@LarsRyeJeppesen]

Great to discover that Steve Lawrence is still alive and kicking (age 83 as of writing)... had to check out his life, and listen to the "Go away little girl" tune that Arlene mentioned in the opening..

[@loissimmons6558]

+Lars Rye Jeppesen It was the first song to reach number one on the charts by two different artists (the second being 13 year old Donny Osmond in 1971). It was originally recorded by Bobby Vee, and The Happenings also had a top 20 hit with it. It was written by the well-known songwriting team of Gerry Goffin and Carole King. But it is a song I have not heard in ages on the Oldies stations that play songs from those decades. It was somewhat eerie synchronicity that the MG, Maurice Chevalier, was also known for a song that Arlene mentioned that mentioned "little girls" in the song title and lyrics.

[@LarsRyeJeppesen]

@@loissimmons6558 Thank you Lois, very informative

[@bluecamus5162]

I had a little girlfriend in the 6th grade that had Donny Osmond's version on a 45. Little girls were the only ones who bought it.

[@piustwelfth]

Unfortunately he announced several years ago he has alzheimers.

[@larrygrebler5054]

As of yesterday 3/9/24, he is no longer with us.

[@waldolydecker8118]

24:30 After shaking hands with the contestant who drills holes in bowling balls, Steve Lawrence turns to Arlene Francis and shows her his three bowling fingers, saying something to the effect, "He shook hands just like he's bowling." lol

[@romeman01]

After 15:05 I clearly hear someone call out "Maurice!" It's a sign of the (well-known) bad acoustics in the studio that the panel apparently did not hear this at all.

[@Camop-iz9kt]

Sounds like a stagehand, telling where to go.

[@greglehmann7234]

Greatest EVER French actor!

[@Anti-WokeCanadian]

24:44 John pronouncing Barbados correctly. Most everyone always says it wrong. Dorothy looked like a frail old lady.

[@hizgrase]

Arlene and the bathtub man❤️❤️❤️. I just love her so much!!!

[@greglehmann7234]

Won the 10th Oscar for Gigi (#12 on my 100 Greatest Movies list) for Lifetime Achievement!

[@jvcomedy]

I had no idea Steve Lawrence was so short until I saw him standing next to Dorothy tonight. I looked it up and he's only 5 feet 6 inches tall.

[@Imthecuteone]

Arlene is 5'5 1/2" and with heels a little taller. Martin is also short at 5'6". Dorothy I believe is at shortest 5'4" and most, I think she is 5'5"-5'5 1/2". Her and Arlene around the same height. I think with heels, both Arlene and Dorothy are about 5'7" ish. I guess you woud have to imagine how much shorter she would be without the heels

[@saran3214]

He's adorable and handsome, all 5'6" of him.

[@TyrSkyFatherOfTheGods]

Arlene's naughtiness really gave Dorothy the giggles. John had to stop it after, "Is it soft?" (as Arlene cups her hands).

[@QuadMochaMatti]

She could have been thinking of a chubby puppy, a kitten, or one of Salvador Dali's anteaters.

[@Walterwhiterocks]

@@QuadMochaMatti You really think so ?

[@Etnik13]

I know I write a lot about Dorothy, but as someone who spends quite a bit of time on 'reading' people, once again I cannot go without saying that she developed a certain heartbreaking quality over time. And here she's so thin that she looks like one of those lollipop heads. Makes me wonder if she had a support system, it is of crucial importance, especially when one is in such a vulnerable spot, something Dorothy exudes as of late.

[@loissimmons6558]

What I noticed is that for the last month or two, she had shortened her introductory remarks of the next panelist considerably. Whether she took it upon herself or the production staff influenced her, this eliminated the embarrassing stumbles that had been happening with increasing regularity during her opening introductions.

[@dinahbrown902]

A very sad person

[@bluecamus5162]

Yet she seems to play the game as well as she ever has.

[@neilmidkiff]

Chevalier seemed to be trying to disguise his voice only on the words he said with an open mouth. Some of his answers, though, were preceded by a "hmmmm" which was very resonant and very characteristic of his singing, and that alone probably gave him away. If you know him only from WML and "Gigi", make a point of seeking out his 1930s movies, especially "Love Me Tonight."

[@preppysocks209]

@gcjerryusc Then maybe you will enjoy Monkey Business, where the Marx Brothers steal Chevalier's passport and sing along with Chevalier's "You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me" as they sneak past US Customs.

[@laddiemeadows6180]

Steve Lawrence is the only still living.

[@rapunzelz5520]

Laddie Meadows i sometimes feel sad when i realize that these people are all, with rare exception, now deceased. Maybe they are playing WML in the heavenly realms.

[@QuadMochaMatti]

@@rapunzelz5520 Based on how the new decade beginning with 2020 is shaping up so far, I think it's rather fortunate and even enviable for so many of them to no longer be among the living. Included among the non-celebrity group of those that have since departed for better places prior to this year, would be both of my late parents.

[@markblass4490]

@@QuadMochaMatti Be that as it may, the new decade begins with 2021. 2020 is the last year of the decade which began with 1991.

[@washoe4827]

@@markblass4490 or not

[@gbrumburgh]

Sadly, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2019.

[@Crusader1815]

I didn't think Chevalier could possibly hide who he was... I was right. :)

[@MrJoeybabe25]

"When I think of the things I've held in my hands"...well, Miss Francis could be a little naughty sometimes!

[@Etnik13]

"Well I'm gonna rule out the bathtub 'cause that's uncomfortable with a group"

[@BeIIeDoc24]

she's an absolute minx! love that she has such a great sexy humor about her.

[@BeIIeDoc24]

Corleone i love that john got so nervous he shut the game down haha.

[@MrJoeybabe25]

Corleone Speak for yourself! :>)

[@MrJoeybabe25]

Gabriel Zamfirescu Learning English, huh? Keep it up, I think you will do fine!

[@robertpfeffer8541]

Too bad Groucho was not on the panel :)

[@soulierinvestments]

"Children at Their Games" was the Irwin Shaw play. Huge flopola. Did nobody's reputations any good. Gil Fates discussed this Maurice Chevalier mystery guest spot at length in his book on WML. He misidentified the year as 1965 instead of January 1963. This is about the only time that we get to see how 1963 TV technology superimposed the labels on the TV screen. Chevalier must have gotten plenty confused about what he was doing.

[@lohphat]

Or his English proficiency wasn't sufficient. He may have simply misunderstood.

[@soulierinvestments]

Good point.

[@jmccracken1963]

+soulierinvestments I'll say that "Children From Their Games" was a flop!!! It opened at the Morosco Theatre on Thursday, 11 April 1963 and closed 2 days later, on Saturday, 13 April 1963, after only 4 performances (plus 2 preview performances before that). Martin Gabel played Melvin Peabody. Also in the cast were Peggy Cass, Gene Hackman, John McMartin, Ralph Purdum, Brenda Vaccaro, and Bernie West. (David Doyle understudied the men's roles, and Mara Lynn understudied the women's roles.) The play was staged by Sam Wanamaker (who had also directed a big "flop" production - dramatically, not musically - of "La forza del destino" at Covent Garden a year earlier (Leontyne Price withdrew from the production during rehearsals because of the indecent political liberties which Wanamaker inserted into Verdi's opera)), with sets designed by Oliver Smith and costumes designed by Ann Roth. Truly, a waste of a lot of talent....."Children From Their Games" was, by the way, the last Irwin Shaw play to be produced on Broadway, for a total of 9 plays produced on Broadway between 1936 and 1963. "An Evening With Maurice Chevalier" did, indeed, open at the Ziegfeld Theatre the following evening, on Monday, 28 January 1963, and ran for about a month, closing on Saturday, 23 February 1963.

[@piustwelfth]

He would have never survived the "me too" movement. His illustrious career would have been immediately cancelled.

[@MrJoeybabe25]

John Daly was sometimes to smart for his own good. When Steve asks if he would use this product, John says "I certainly hope so" and goes on from there to allude to it. This panel especially Dorothy and Arlene have played the game for too long to let anything get by them.

[@kentetalman9008]

How can anyone get lost, when entering from offstage?

[@wookinooki9023]

mr jacobs is cute as a button.

[@olenfersoi8887]

For as long as this show was on-air, and for every single guest, Mr. Daly checked, by looking down, that he was "on his mark"...as if there would be a big issue if he was a few inches off one way or the other. Either the camaermen or the director should have told him that it was fine if he set his position in relation to, for example, the sign-in board. And, he would grab the quest by the hand and drag them closer to himself. Again, the camera people should have informed him that their camera could zoom in & out and move left & right, so that his position, and that of the guest, need not be exact to the inch!

[@chief114]

I found a vinyl and it says he's in it but it bent so it dont work its called Personality parade Where can i hear it??

[@williamludlow3788]

I wonder if they have a clap machine.

[@juanr9446]

19:17 wot?

[@ClarenceHW]

Loved the way Arlene said goodnight to her husband Martin... very dry, were they in the midst of a divorce?

[@dizzyology7514]

Oh goodness no! They were among the most devoted couples in show business, remaining married until his death in 1986, shortly after their 40th anniversary. However, when they were on the show together, they frequently said "Good night" with a sly glance or private joke, alluding to the fact that they would be seeing each other afterward.

[@robbob1234]

@gcjerryusc But we're all family!

[@dinahbrown902]

Till death do they part

[@jacquelinebell6201]

They were often that way. They were happily married til his death.

[@ClarenceHW]

@@jacquelinebell6201 Ahhh... thank you.

[@vains5601]

D

[@lancebaker1374]

As always, John asks the female contestant "Is it Miss or Mrs?" He never asks a male contestant if he is married.

[@lauracollins4195]

Lance Baker - He just asks so they know how to address her during the game... courteous manners of the time. :)

[@janetmarletto6667]

In the USA, a man is Mr. ( Mister) whether married or a bachelor); however, a lady's title changes based on marital status. John Daley wanted to address the ladies properly.

[@Baskerville22]

I never liked Chevalier. His grinning, smarmy, saccharine manner and his questionable behaviour during the WW2 German occupation of France. His "Thank Heaven for Little Girls" was the 'clincher'. Steve Lawrence's "Portrait of My Love" is one of the greatest love songs of the 1960s. The original Matt Monro version was fine, but Lawrence made something really special out of it.

[@michaelhuck]

Maybe you´re mistakes about Chevaliers behaviour during WW 2. As far as I know he was a soldier in WW 1 and got a Corix de Guerre fighting for France. During WW 2 he was too old to be drafted again, but he made a deal with the Germans to go to a POW camp in Germany where he had been himself a POW for 15 months to perform for French prisoners and he asked in return to get 10 French POWs freed. Lubitsch had offered him at the beginning of WW 2 to come to Hollywood to star again in his pictures, so Chevalier could have had an easy life in Hollywood but he declined and told Lubitsch he can´t leave France in such difficult times. Because of his performance for French prisoners (!) Pierre Dac who hed fled France and run away from the Germans accused Chevalier of being a collaborateur. I think the only one who behaved questionable was Pierre Dac.

[@pascalbretaire4163]

maurice chevalier n a jamais été un collabo .

[@Baskerville22]

@@michaelhuck To say that Pierre Dac "fled France and ran away from the Germans" is a bit odd. He spent the war working in London for the BBC, broadcasting to occupied France. If that makes Dac an unreliable coward, then maybe General De Gaulle and many thousands of his fellow Frenchmen the same.

[@michaelhuck]

@@Baskerville22 Chevalier did fight for his country was wounded and spent over a year in German POW camp in WW 1. He could have gone during WW 2 to Hollywood and live a wonderful life. He decided to stay in France, saying you do not leave your country when things go bad, he protected his friends and he freed 10 POWs . Dac did go to England and attacked Chevalier saying he did go to Berlin to sing for the Nazis, he even made a song "Ca fait des mauvais francais" . Some of the Resistance fighters condemned Chevalier to death because of Dacs wrong reporting. Chevalier never claimed to be a hero he even said that he was often afraid, but fighting in the front line, being almost killed in WW 1 and in the second world war brining French POWs home to their families means more to me than going to England and attacking the ones who stayed behind and then even spreading false rumors. De Gaulle is a very different case, he left France because he could not fight there anymore but he continued the fight elsewhere, so did Pierre Clostermann. I have a deep respect for both de Gaulle and Clostermann (and I am German by the way) but I share the feelings of Yvonne Vallee and Nita Raya concerning Dac. If you admire Dac, I guess you have your reasons, so what. We both haven´t been there. I have been a soldier but I never had to go to an actual war, so I have no idea what I would have done. If today would be a war I openly admit I don´t see the point to die for the ideas of some political maniacs and probably would leave Europe as soon as possible!

[@Baskerville22]

@@michaelhuck Petain was THE French hero of WW1.........and we all know his WW2 record, so your reference to Chevalier's WW1 record is hardly relevant to this topic. Yes, he was wounded and taken POW in WW1, but was released through the intervention of fellow-singer Mistinguett and her admirer, King Alfonso XIII of Spain, with the German government. I think you should return to my original comment where I make reference to his " his questionable behaviour " - hardly an outright accusation or condemnation. His WW2 period has been "questioned" by countless people in the past 80 years.

[@roberttelarket4934]

Chevalier was a collaborator!