What's My Line? - Senator Estes Kefauver (Mar 18, 1951)

This is the first example we have of Bennett Cerf's earliest shows as a regular panelist. His debut as a regular may have been in the prior week, but that show is lost. Bennett had also appeared once in 1950, but as a guest panelist, not a regular. Possibly that appearance was his "tryout" to replace Louis Untermeyer, who fell victim to the blacklist and was fired.
MYSTERY GUEST: Senator Estes Kefauver
PANEL: Dorothy Kilgallen, Bennett Cerf, Arlene Francis, Hal Block
Many thanks to epaddon for providing his copy of this episode!
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[@logan2240]

Estes Kefauver. That's my great grandfather. That is just awesome to see.

[@juanettebutts9782]

Jesse Kefauver -- How cool is that! What a treat for you! 👍

[@cocomaan]

A great politician! He took on the Democratic EH Crump machine in Tennessee, you have good roots.

[@519djw6]

Then, I guess you know that your great-grandfather was being seriously considered as a nominee for the Presidency of the United States, because of the interest that had been stirred up by his Senatorial investigations into organized crime. (He was even mentioned by the character "Hyman Roth" in "The Godfather, Part II.")

[@pinkymixology4965]

Your family must be big into censorship then. Burn any copies of Wonder Woman lately?

[@zirconmetalgods254]

Bernie is trying to continue this fight. And look, the DNC is trying to screw him over. History is amazing isn't it? Lol.

[@elenarezuchova5649]

I am so glad they got rid of the opening routine where they examined the people's appearance and guessed the line.

[@melianna999]

It also took time so they rushed with last guest. It was good change,

[@jamesrobiscoe1174]

Estes Kefauver was a political man who worked for the country's benefit and got little recognition by the political machinery,. Glad to have learned more about him

[@pinkymixology4965]

He almost single handedly created the repressive and horribly racist CCA censorship body. He will always be remembered for that!

[@mikemidulster]

@@pinkymixology4965 I hadn't heard of this code until now, so I looked it up on Wiki. Most of it was ridiculous but I couldn't see anything which could be described as racist, but I'd be happy to hear an explanation.

[@melianna999]

"Machinery" didn't like even President Kennedy.

[@percyweasley9301]

This is time capsule ❤❤

[@postatility9703]

Never a more charming or erudite host than the wonderful John Charles Daly.

[@matador521]

Well my word. This channel gets better and better. Today I have seen and heard Admiral Halsey and Senator Kefauver - talk about living history! Thank you.

[@Lukecash2]

Its a great show... it gives you a great cross section of an America of laborers entertainers to historical people

[@Deejaay83urj38]

Thats right! It's incredible the wealth of information and insight here

[@postatility9703]

One of the joys of WML is how the mystery guests could relax and actually enjoy themselves

[@bubblinbrownsugar616]

What's My Crime.......that's the name of the show Horace and Jasper were watching in 101 Dalmatians when the Dalmatians were trying to escape. That's how I loosely knew about this show.

[@beadyeyedbrat]

I'm glad they had contestants exit across the stage in later episodes. It always bothered me to watch them walk behind John.

[@savethetpc6406]

At about 4:17, during the segment with the man who makes dog collars, Dorothy says: "Well, I'll stick my neck way out..." I'm surprised that this didn't get a big laugh from the audience! In fact it appears not to have inspired any audience reaction at all, but it certainly got a chuckle from me ! :D

[@KetogenicKim]

I thought the same thing 👍😉☺️

[@Deejaay83urj38]

Good spot!

[@tejaswoman]

It got sort of covered over by the thing the audience was previously laughing at, but I wondered whether John was being punny when he said they were going to "have to dig" for the line of the guy who made dog collars.

[@boognish999]

Despite the misdirected vitriol for Hal Block, he was a very good player.

[@barbaraalauro]

I've come to the point when I'm not in for the Mystery guest as much as I'm in for the dear panelists, Dorothy, Arlene and John, they really had the talent to grip audiences, so much so I could watch it for hours to end some 60 years after it was aired.

[@COBARHORSE1]

I've always been impressed by Dorothy's intelligence on this show. When others are goofing around, she was trying to get the answer. And often did, usually entirely on her own. I would have loved to have known her

[@InfernoMutant]

Dorothy and Arlene to me make the show. Simply astounding

[@melianna999]

@@COBARHORSE1 Seems she was a very intelligent and bright reporter - investigator. To nosy for team who fabricated her sudden death.

[@tamquamalteridem]

when i was younger, my mom and i used to watch these shows and deliberately cover our eyes when the guest‘s occupation was revealed so that we could guess it with the panel members ourselves

[@normasandow]

It’s amazing how so many smoked during the shows on the air

[@stlmopoet]

If any of you want a laugh, click on the closed caption option. The word recognition software KZbin uses gets some of it right, but mostly puts random words together. My favorite, it translates "What's My Line?" as "clock my hiney."

[@SuperWinterborn]

stlmopoet "The closed caption option"? My 'version' of YT is in Danish, not your comments, but the rest, and below each comment you can click on "translate", which sometimes makes the whole text in the comment almost surrealistic, when translated into Danish :) Is it that one you mean? ("clock my hiney"... Oh my! ;)

[@stlmopoet]

We have the option you're talking about as well. What I'm referencing is at the bottom right of the video window itself. Just left of the little cog icon, you should see a little rounded rectangle that says CC on it. If you click it, you can turn on captioning for the video. Depending on the video, there are sometimes options for various languages.

[@SuperWinterborn]

stlmopoet Oh *that* one! Yes, I've tried it on very old vintage movies, where the audio was poor or fell out, but had to give it up, because it didn't make sense at all! :)

[@sandrageorge3488]

😄😄

[@lait3967]

So crazy that you could probably walk up to most Americans, ask them if they know who Estes Kefauver was, and they couldn’t get you an answer, yet back in the day, they could guess just from the info that he was a “Senator involved in an investigation of some kind”.

[@TheBigMclargehuge]

I think asking a man to open his coat and show you the label is tasteless and intrusive unless you're a clothier. I much prefer later episodes where they didn't poke and prod their guests like winged scavengers.

[@marthagill8336]

I agree completely. It makes everyone look bad.

[@lllowkee6533]

Looking at their clothing was absolutely vulgar..

[@allenjones3130]

At least the Senator didn't try to disguise his voice!

[@jerrylee8261]

You would think these panelists would have had more taste and would have been more cultured than to do those things. I'm sure they wouldn't have treated guests in their homes in this manner. Funny that the people in charge of WML(Daly, the panelists included)couldn't or refused to see that as ill mannered.

[@melianna999]

It was terrible.

[@bubbastill2040]

Estes wrote a book (I read it) that was, for the early 60s,somewhat critical of the then military-industrial complex.Sometime shortly around the time of the publication of the book,he has a heart attack and dies.I've wondered about that for years.Dead men/authors tell no tales,they do no press,and if they're US senators,start no investigative committees........../RIP Estes Kefauver

[@sdgakatbk]

Interesting to see the changes in What's My Line over the years through looking at this early episode. They go rid of the guests meeting the panel in the beginning and having the panel ask them questions and getting a free guess as to what they do for a living. The show also got rid of the teaser showing one of the next week's guests at the end of the show.

[@FlockOfHawks]

Gary ( the Channel's Guy behind the screens ) posted a brilliant Special about the Walk Of Shame and Arlene's role in its riddance at kzbin.info/www/bejne/apqTqX5qo9mImbM a few years ago

[@commandoxy]

I'm happy to know that the producers dropped the 'feel-up the guest' component. It's a bit clunky.

[@emmarose4234]

I love it when Senator Kefauver says “No, ma’am”. So cute, especially with his Tennessee drawl. ❤️

[@savethetpc6406]

At about 18:55, John Daly admonishes Bennett: "Stop pulling the wings off flies, Mr. Cerf," referring to the way he was teasing out his questions one-by-one to Senator Kefauver but hadn't yet taken a chance on naming him, even though he'd clearly suspected his identity for several questions. This is just the type of thing that, in his well-known audio interview, Bennett chastised Dorothy for doing. It seems to prove the point that the things we tend to find the most fault with in others are the same faults we have ourselves! ;)

[@TheKazadoodle]

Another House Detective? They had one only a few episodes ago.

[@ToddSF]

The first extant episode with the regular panelists as we know them! That said, Dorothy Kilgallen introduced Bennett Cerf as "our guest panelist", so I don't think he was quite yet a regular panelist.

[@frederalbacon]

Visited the Mob Museum in Vegas, there is a major focus on the Kefauver hearings and how he was responsible for bringing organized crime to the public eye. Coolest part about it is that as you are sitting in the courtroom watching the film about the hearings, you're sitting in the courtroom he actually held one of the hearings in.

[@karendeaton1030]

John's smoke blowing right into Kefauver's face. They didn't think about doing that back in the day, I think.

[@krystonjones]

I’m putting the finishing touches to my time machine. Then (I would say, given this set of circumstances) I’m paying him a visit with a baseball bat.

[@postatility9703]

@@krystonjones 😆

[@laurahoward5426]

Yes, it looks shocking, and imagine how smelly places like NYC was😱

[@Soleman92]

According to Bennett's book At Random, this is his first show as a regular panelist.

[@nancymilawski1048]

But Dorothy introduced him as a guest???

[@FlockOfHawks]

The description also says guest , and Gary's is the final word : bc is well known to stretch facts to fit his own reality

[@soulierinvestments]

Hal Block's reciting of Taking the Fifth Amendment is particularly daring wittiness given that G-T had sacked Louis Untermeyer for his beliefs which posed a threat against the nation. In modern terms, "Are you now or have you ever been extremely ribald?"

[@WhatsMyLine]

I never made the connection to Untermeyer-- good catch. :)

[@altonpitts5303]

Hal was always witty, but he was extraordinary on the ball during this episode.

[@tejaswoman]

I audibly gasped when I heard that. Not even just bold, a bit rude/obnoxious/tasteless, really - even for Hal.

[@tejaswoman]

P.S. Posed a "threat" is how I would word it. Outraged by the cruel situation of folks like the Hollywood Ten, and I felt that way before I knew one of them was a relative.

[@FlockOfHawks]

_supposedly_ posed a threat . . .

[@davidrbecken]

Twenty dollars was considered 'very well' as a prize. Those were the days.

[@MrJoeybabe25]

Estes Kefauver was a fairly liberal southern Democrat (Tennessee) and would go on to be Adlai Stevenson's running mate in the 1956 presidential election.

[@laurahoward5426]

My last cat was named Estes Kefauver...a long haired black sweetheart...🥰

[@lurking0death]

For years and years this show aired with a poor sound system that did not allow panel and/or guest to hear each other. Strange.

[@rapunzelz5520]

lurking0death one of my pet peeves!!! You would have thought that the producers would have lit a fire under the sound crew to remedy the constant need for the speaker to repeat themselves. Extremely annoying.

[@laurahoward5426]

@@rapunzelz5520 1951 technology....it worked and here you are

[@dutchtea8354]

Second Men’s Night (all male guests). The first was lost episode on 2 Aug 50.

[@fonografo6008]

Cuando se emitió este programa, yo tenia una semana de vida.

[@tejaswoman]

Wow 😯 Ni yo, ni mi hermano existíamos; mis papás ¡ni se habían conocido! Mi suegro futuro faltaba 5 meses al nacer.

[@soulierinvestments]

Interesting that from the TV camera angle the poof sprayer is sanitizing Bennett. Like Dorothy and Arlene in 1950, Bennett plays well right from his start.

[@44032]

It apparently doesn't have the added virtue of darkening his hair, which is more silvery here than it was in later years.

[@Arthur_McGowan]

The lighting on TV was certainly unflattering. All of these people were highly photogenic under other circumstances.

[@MrJoeybabe25]

In case you young'un's didn't get it Senator Estes Kefauver headed a U.S. Senate committee investigating organized crime. The committee, officially known as the Senate Special Committee to Investigate Crime in Interstate Commerce, was popularly known as the Kefauver Committee or the Kefauver hearings.

[@MrJoeybabe25]

There was actually no more organized crime in 1950 than other various times. But Estes Kefauver was a camera and microphone whore (sorry all you Kefauver fans) who would have gone after communists if McCarthy hadn't gotten to them first. He was famous for being unrelenting in promoting Estes Kefauver above all else.

[@waynehowell6160]

the Kefauver hearings were televised almost as endlessly as the McCarthy hearings a few years later. Many witnesses would answer questions with "I refuse to answer on the grounds the answer may incriminate me." Anybody else see the irony of Hal Block saying this when introduced at the beginning of the show? I mean with the Senator as MG.

[@k9feline2]

At around 19:20, Hal makes a crack about Kefauver's hands. This is referring to the best remembered aspect of these hearings: Costello's hands. When mobster Frank Costello was being questioned before the televised hearings, he refused to have the tv cameras photograph his face, so the tv cameramen focused on his hands. As Costello was being questioned, tv audiences saw those hands tremble, rub each other, clutch each other, tap the desk, clutch a glass of water, crinkle sheets of paper and tear them apart. It became obvious to the audience that Costello was lying. Those hands became the most talked about, written about, and best remembered part of the hearings for all who saw it. Unfortunately, memory is apparently all we have to go by, as the televised footage of the hearing has seemingly been as lost as most of WML's early episodes. At least I could find no archive tv footage of those hands during a quick web search. There is newsreel footage, but those show Costello's face, which isn't as compelling.

[@WhatsMyLine]

k9feline2 Very interesting! I didn't know any of this. Thanks for sharing the information.

[@savethetpc6406]

k9feline2 Yes, quite fascinating! I never knew anything about this either. It's hard to imagine that people of that time could have been so shortsighted as to not have archived this bit of televised history. Perhaps the films are in the holdings of some university or national archive or something?

[@WhatsMyLine]

Today's KZbin Rerun for 4/29/15: Watch along and join the discussion! ----------------------------- Join our Facebook group for WML-- great discussions, photos, etc, and great people! facebook.com/groups/728471287199862/ To stay up to date with postings, please consider supporting the WML channel by subscribing. The WML channel already contains the complete CBS series, with new videos still being added on the weekends. kzbin.info/door/hPE75Fvvl1HmdAsO7Nzb8w

[@atant2]

Kefauver was from the same county in Tennessee as my mom.

[@soulierinvestments]

The opening music kills me. With a fan fare like that, you expect someone on the level of Jonas Salk or the guy who invented plastic wrap. Instead, why it's the guy who keeps our pits from getting moist. How many celebrity chemists were there in 1951? I go blank trying to thick of a modern celebrity cosmetic chemist.

[@bt10ant]

Have to love the on-air smoking.

[@keithhyttinen8275]

My God, yes. Back when Americans were free. Without conservative do gooders interfering with everything.

[@melianna999]

@@keithhyttinen8275 Greenies...huray.

[@laurahoward5426]

The last guest looked like Harry Truman, and so cute trying to follow the rules, " I shouldn't give any hints"

[@joncheskin]

The detective seemed a bit clueless.

[@jennymode]

Hahaha, great, Bennett would be proud!

[@COBARHORSE1]

I think he was hard of hearing.

[@amberola1b]

I don't know when Hal Block first appeared on this show, but it's evident that even on this early episode they don't care much for him

[@peternagy-im4be]

He was on to boost the show and viewing figures

[@VahanNisanian]

tv.com says that the panel on the week before (3/11/51) was Kilgallen, Untermeyer, Francis, and Block. But like you said, it is lost, so we'll never know for sure.

[@WhatsMyLine]

Yes, and just to repeat what I said on Facebook, there's no indication in this show that it's Bennett's first return to the panel since his one time appearance in 1950. This is not strong evidence by *any* means, but it is evidence of *some* sort that this wasn't his first show as a regular, which it would have been if the info at tv.com was correct on this one.

[@savethetpc6406]

What's My Line? Dorothy introduces Bennett as a "guest panelist" at 0:46.

[@WhatsMyLine]

SaveThe TPC Good catch-- I missed that every time. According to my log, Bennett wasn't on the next week's show, so I'm still not sure what the true chronology is. Even if he was on the prior week he could still have been considered a guest panelist at this point. Someone over at tv.com, as I understand it, had access to the production notes or something, and if I had access to that I'd try to verify it. But still, good catch!

[@savethetpc6406]

What's My Line? Thanks. I didn't catch it at all the second time around and was as surprised as anyone else to read my own comment, above! I barely even remembered this episode, so it's great that we're doing this rewatch to refresh my and all of our memories. :) Your video description, above, still says: "This is the first example we have of Bennett Cerf's earliest shows as a regular panelist." Perhaps that should be changed?

[@WhatsMyLine]

SaveThe TPC I did slightly tweak the wording in other ways, but it's still a 100% true statement that this is the first example we HAVE of Bennett as a regular panelist. I just didn't change that part.

[@macfletch]

Miss Francis is not wearing her trademark heart-shaped pendant!

[@soulierinvestments]

"What's My Line?" featured three men who eventually became president of the United States. It also featured three men who were unsuccessful vice presidential candidates -- Earl Warren (who did become Daly's father-in-law), Henry Cabot Lodge and Kefauver (both who did not become Daly's father-in-laws).. Gil Fates in his WML book predicted-hoped in the chapter on political guests that Minnesota Governor Anderson, a guest in syndicated WML, would be a future president. Not close. Not even a vice president.

[@teriannebeauchamp254]

Who were the three that became President? I know one has to be Ronald Reagan

[@preppysocks209]

@@teriannebeauchamp254 Reagan was both a MG and a guest panelist

[@preppysocks209]

Tom Eagleton was also a regular guest.

[@giuseppinahilsinger6477]

@@teriannebeauchamp254 I only found 2.... Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter

[@laurahoward5426]

And Ronald Reagan was a panelist

[@mistergrandpasbakery9941]

It's not a matter of COULD Mr. Block wear a dog caller but SHOULD he wear one. The answer: ABSOLUTELY!!

[@peternagy-im4be]

Please don't be silly.

[@ronmcgill7402]

Dog collar guy looks like a Dick Tracy villain.

[@ricksmith6069]

Hell Black was before my time so I never saw him until these reruns but I can't believe they let him go he's perfect for the show

[@laurahoward5426]

But, eventually had him thrown off for his vulgarity

[@FlockOfHawks]

Hal Block was _openly_ interested in the Joys of Male-Female interaction , contrary to his creepy successor who is a guest panelust here ( intentional typo )

[@melianna999]

He was vulgar. I don't like him. He wrote good comedy text only.

[@preppysocks209]

In 1956, Southern members of Congress issued the Southern Manifesto against the Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education that held school segregation unconstitutional. The signatories were from the 11 states that had seceded during the Civil War. Of the 22 senators from those states, only three refused to sign. These three all had national political ambitions, but it is hard not to believe that there was sincerity in their opposition to segregation. The other two senators were Kefauver's fellow Tennessean, Albert Gore Sr, the father of Bill Clinton's vice president, failed 2000 presidential candidate, and Nobel Peace Prize winner, and future President Lyndon Johnson. Perhaps because of their ability to provide cover, whereas some Southern states' entire House delegations signed the Manifesto, and in others a majority of the House delegations signed, Tennessee and Texas were the only Southern states in which a majority of the House delegation did not state public opposition to Brown v. Board of Education,

[@jimlieland5951]

I assume you’re kidding when you say that Lyndon Johnson was a Nobel peace prize winner?

[@preppysocks209]

@@jimlieland5951 I did not say LBJ won the Nobel Peace Prize, but that the son of one of the other two Southern senators who declined to sign the Manifesto, Albert Gore, did so.

[@terrylee4435]

Paid by the tobacco companies to smoke on TV because of his influence and the cigarettes killed him. Bastards.

[@Lukecash2]

I've always been amused by this early walk down the isle. Are they trying to be Sherlock Holmes.

[@laurahoward5426]

Check out the episode with Colonel Sanders....as a regular guest...I almost screamed, he was sooooo recognizable....but not to the panelists...Bennet Cerf was especially pompous to him

[@jvcomedy]

Arlene isn't wearing her heart pendant during this show.

[@savethetpc6406]

Jeff Vaughn I noticed that too.

[@JohnMiller-uc6oc]

Obviously it was given to her yet!

[@jvcomedy]

John Miller Nope. Check out the 12/31/50 episode. She's wearing it there.

[@JohnMiller-uc6oc]

Jeff Vaughn Well, it could've been any no. of things. With all of life's problems, I don't think we ought to be worried about too much. She had it on after that anyway. If it's the same one.

[@jvcomedy]

John Miller Oh, I wasn't concerned about it. She rarely doesn't wear it so I was just making an observation. Nothing more.

[@davidsanderson5918]

Anyone coming on with a bow tie I immediately think 'Ventriloquist'. One of these days I'll get it right! :)

[@dizzyology7514]

Awkward moment during the introductions when Arlene asked Hal what he did. Hal was a former gagwriter who had no other job at this time. Bennett, in his oral history memoirs, claimed that because Hal needed the income from WML (whereas the rest of the panel had other jobs), Hal felt pressured to push his wit forward as a way of insuring that he kept his position on the panel. Sadly, it backfired on him. In this instance, Hal parried Arlene's question by citing the Fifth Amendment -- which was ironic given the MG for this broadcast.

[@magnificentfailure2390]

+dizzyology My instant take was that Hal knew exactly what he was doing when he cited the Fifth.

[@magnificentfailure2390]

+dizzyology Mind, I'm not implying Hal knew the mystery guest. I think he was taking a dig at the Kefauver Committee as it was in the public eye at the time.

[@dizzyology7514]

+Pat Gawne Very likely. "Taking the fifth" was on its way to becoming standard English at the time, for the reason you mention.

[@jmccracken1963]

Remember also that Sen. Joseph McCarthy referred to those witnesses who invoked said Constitutional right not to incriminate oneself when summoned to testify before the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations as "Fifth Amendment Communists." And well they should have, after the passage of the Smith Act in the later 1940s, which did, indeed, make it a Federal crime to be a member of the Communist Party.

[@lindaroper2654]

Don't know why these women wear cloths that show so much. 🤦 Really shocked for back then.

[@MrJoeybabe25]

Hal Block was not unlikeable here. But I can see early on the panel taking shape and he was not well suited for it.

[@savethetpc6406]

*Handshake Watch:* John and Hal both did a little sort of "half-stand" (20:09) to shake Sen. Kefauver's hand. The rest (including Bennett) remained seated.

[@VynceMontgomery]

+SaveThe TPC well, ladies wouldn't be expected to stand; Cerf may have been very relaxed and casual or just caught at the wrong moment.

[@jmccracken1963]

And, as previously noted, he was appearing on the show for only the second time and for the first time in about 5 months, too (assuming that he wasn't on the show as a panelist the week before this one).

[@stevekru6518]

Hal had been antagonistic toward the senator, making me think Hal did not stand on purpose. Bennett may have remained seated so as to not to draw attention to Hal’s rudeness.

[@scotwirth6228]

@@jmccracken1963, the previous week was Deems Taylor and Hal Block.

[@BadMoviesRock]

Yowza, I don't know if it's the lighting or the makeup this episode, but everyone looks like they're made out of clay.

[@jvcomedy]

I notice that a lot. Also it seems the lighting makes everyone's teeth look bad. Particularly the guests.

[@PhilBagels]

BadMoviesRock That's something I noticed right away in the panel intros. It looks like the left side of Arlene's face is about 30 years older than the right side.

[@BBCHZ]

Yes! I noticed that too! I can't figure it out either

[@neilmidkiff]

Some of the effect is the studio lighting. I'd guess that some of the odd look comes from an analog video "sharpness" effect that results in a light outline on the right edge of a dark area and a dark outline on the right edge of a light area. Some VCRs used to overdo this process.

[@VahanNisanian]

Oh, and speaking of Louis Untermeyer, here is a common misconception I would like to share, and I thank our very own Gary for bringing this up on Facebook. The common misconception is that the "mr. u will not be missed" poem that was written by E.E. Cummings was written in response to Untermeyer being blacklisted. In 2002, the New York Times even went to far as to claim that it was written in response to Untermeyer's passing in 1978. But actually, it was written and published way before that in 1944. Cummings died in 1962.

[@FlockOfHawks]

YT's algorithms becoming somewhat scary with their spookily accurate auto index AI

[@postatility9703]

The opening shows Jules Montenier actually doing some spying for the Soviets.This was not discovered until many years later.

[@jorgealmeyda5222]

Hal sort of gave away the mystery guest with his opening statement!

[@ilanarhian]

I'm curious about the guy who was to be featured on the next week's show now. ;) I guess we will never know. Just wondering, how were these episodes preserved?

[@ToddSF]

All of the extant episodes of WML were preserved by the kinescope process, where a black-and-white movie camera was aimed at a black-and-white television monitor somewhere in the studio during the live broadcast. Unfortunately, Goodson-Todman Productions destroyed most of the kinescopes made from the show's beginning in 1950 through mid-1952, so only a relative few kinescopes from WML's earliest years still exist. The story goes that the light-sensitive emulsion on the film was a silver compound, and they processed the kinescopes to recover the silver in them. At some point in July 1952 (I'm guessing from the playlists), they realized they should preserve them. I note that when it comes to the British version of What's My Line?, the BBC routinely destroyed all the kinescopes after a certain amount of time (or something like that), and that there's only one full episode available of the British version of WML, hosted by Eamonn Andrews. I guess we're lucky to have more than 700 episodes of the U.S. version available.

[@ritagreen5224]

Everyone looks so much older in the early episodes. Especially Beautiful Arlene.

[@wolliepoe]

Rita Green well i think she is not beautil inside. She thaut she could say everything.. .

[@shirtless6934]

Once again Bennett "guesses" the mystery guest. As we finally found out on November 27 1966 his wife Phyllis was given the information in advance.

[@pammilner7161]

I heard early shows did that but did stop.

[@pammilner7161]

I wonder why they told phyllis.

[@jeffreycrippen]

Enjoyed this episode very much. One of the few early ones that I have watched that I found Hal Block to be funny. Have to say tho, Arlene looked terrible, makeup must not have been very well done that night. Thanks as always for posting these.

[@stevekru6518]

On her worst day Arlene is by far the most attractive panelist. She started out beautiful and gets prettier with age.

[@laurahoward5426]

The cameras needed people to wear a yellowish makeup for the camera spectrum to lighten their faces...in silent films, they all wore bright yellow makeup....( see Robert Downey jr.'s Chaplin)

[@neilmidkiff]

If you have a quick finger on the pause button, at 15:37 you can freeze-frame a brief fragment of a Stopette commercial showing two different sizes of the spray bottle in a printed cardboard (?) store countertop display box. The advertising material on the inside of the fold-up lid shows an illustration of a woman using the spray on one underarm, corroborating that this was a new sort of applicator. Other than "Stopette spray" the lettering is too small to be legible, unfortunately.

[@neilmidkiff]

Replying to my own post a day later: you can get a much better look at the Stopette store display in the next episode in sequence, the "lost" show with Hedda Hopper as MG, which includes the full commercial starting at 18:37.

[@keithmarkman617]

This show is one of the few from 1951 that can be seen. Most from that year were lost.

[@melianna999]

The last guest don't have enough time. Not fair.

[@erenunal]

This is the first episode where I would say Hal Block is beginning to get slightly irritating. With proper counseling and guidance, he could have become much more polished, likeable, and effective as an entertainer on live media. He is described as a fine - in fact, one of the best - writers for radio and television.

[@peternagy-im4be]

Irritating how?

[@tejaswoman]

@@peternagy-im4be can't speak for the other commenter, but I thought it was an incredibly poor taste for him to make a Fifth Amendment joke after Untermeyer (sp?) was hustled off the show due to the blacklist.

[@jerrylee8261]

I didn't like his asides as other panelists were going their turns. He should have just STHU.

[@melianna999]

He was irritating and boss had noticed this.

[@MrJoeybabe25]

Not knowing Hal Block's personal life, but if he asked the question if he would be likely to wear a dog collar today, we would have to answer "you could".

[@SuperWinterborn]

Joe Postove And he probably *would*... ;)

[@MrJoeybabe25]

SuperWinterborn Where have you been???

[@LarsRyeJeppesen]

MC = master of ceremony... learned something new there

[@juliansinger]

Since I can't find anything on any of the non-mystery guests this episode, I will instead say, I still like Louis Untermeyer more than Hal Block, and I like both of them more than the Hoffmans. (And honestly, I like Louis more than Bennett. His flustery moments are very real-person-esque.)

[@wiedep]

Bad hair day for all.

[@juliansinger]

Whups, apparently I'm wrong. Alan Gerstel was 54 here (and looks a bit older, but I enjoyed his glee at fooling the panel), and died in November of 1964, pre-deceasing his wife Hanna. He had two kids (Lila and Leonard), and some grandchildren.

[@peternagy-im4be]

If he was 54 then i am a Chinaman

[@soulierinvestments]

Hal Block. Oh my yes. Did cheese cutting have the flatulent slang reference in 1951? No real evidence, so this is theory. Block's opening gambit in game one suggests that at some point before Steve Allen's 1951 appearance Hal Block was involved in the creation of the gambit.

[@dizzyology7514]

soulierinvestments Yep. Uncertain how prearranged it was at this point, but the process of working the audience laughter for its own sake (rather than to try to guess the occupation) is clearly evolving here. The gambit was the culmination of that evolution. Incidentally, it's sometimes claimed that Gil Fates said that gambits began with Steve Allen. His actual words were: "Steve Allen, right from the start, created his own gambit without any guidance from us..." My read on this is that Steve didn't need an explicit gambit feed to successfully play for laughs (although he undoubtedly got one sometimes). I don't see that it indicates that the technique was never used before Steve joined the panel. Also worth noting is that GF did not mention Hal Block in connection with gambits, which is an unfortunate omission. As we see here, Hal was certainly part of the development of the gambit technique.

[@soulierinvestments]

thanx for the actual quote.

[@libertyann439]

Of course Dorothy would at least partially guess the detective. Also Kefauver's first name has appeared on many crossword puzzles I've done! It wouldn't look good if he took the money.

[@nancypine9952]

In several episodes it was announced that the Mystery Guest was donating the money to a charity. In most cases they were rich enough that the money didn't matter.

[@emmarose4234]

Fun fact: Estes was his middle name (and his mother’s maiden name). He was Carey Estes Kefauver.

[@lennypearl]

Wow! The men didn't stand up when they shook the senator's hand! Is that the first and maybe only time?

[@dutchtea8354]

15 Oct 1950:was the first time any male panelist stood to shake hands. Bennett Cerf, who was seated 4th, stood for Gloria Swanson, but Louis Untermeyer failed to follow his lead. After that, Cerf moved to the 2nd seat. It would have been improper for him to stand after Hal did not because it would show up Hal and highlight Hal’s rudeness. This would have made him more rude than Hal. Eventually, Hal started standing (just for women at first), and Cerf, ever the gentleman, was immediately on his feet. Once Cerf moved back to the 4th seat, standing became a regular occurrence.

[@pattimaeda6097]

Nope they didn’t get up for an 88yo lady who crocheted pool table pockets either

[@b.deville3236]

They missed a great opportunity by not having Senator Joe McCarthy as the mystery guest.

[@SuperWinterborn]

About wine: Not "put *food into* it" Mr. Daly, but "put *it into* food" ;)

[@MrJoeybabe25]

So glad to see you, young miss!

[@MrJoeybabe25]

And also, Arlene should have picked up immediately that this thing that was used in the dining room but was not eats was drink. Dorothy would have been on top of that.

[@savethetpc6406]

SuperWinterborn Marinade?

[@SuperWinterborn]

SaveThe TPC Yes, you're right, and that came into my mind later. I waited for a reply like yours, and here it is! ;) Ps. One can use wine, but usually there's stronger stuff in marinade :)

[@SuperWinterborn]

SaveThe TPC Ps. There's "Plums in Madeira", but Madeira is 'Heady Wine', which contains more alcohol than ordinary wine, and doesn't count here. Or does it? ;)

[@lindaroper2654]

See all John's cigarette smoke going in the tomato get in peoples lungs

[@tejaswoman]

Always enjoyed Bennett's work on this show, and his joke collections when I was a kid - he's ruined for me now that I know he scammed so many people out of their money with his fake writing school. It's the number-one thing I think of now when he's introduced on an episode: "and on my left, publisher and con man Bennett Cerf." 😔

[@Brentman56]

Fake writing school??? Now I need to do research.

[@rmelin13231]

@@Brentman56If you haven't yet, I do recommend looking into it. (I realize this is an old post).

[@Brentman56]

@@rmelin13231 glad you replied! Honestly I forgot to do research about his fake writing school. I won’t this time. I still binge What’s My Line so I’m very curious.

[@lindaroper2654]

I never saw what help them guess what occupation they had by showing hands, labels on clothes. That was one of my lest I don't like on the old wml

[@MrJoeybabe25]

God, how people looked so much older back then (except Arlene). Hal Block is 37 years old here and so was John Daly! YIKES! Where's Jack Benny when you need him?

[@jazzvampire]

Half of it is probably caused by the terrible lighting, though! Or rather, the lighting we see in our surviving copies/kinescopes these days.

[@MrJoeybabe25]

Perhaps, but Hal Block didn't look any 37.

[@waynehowell6160]

I think part of it is the clothes and hairstyles that we associate with old people, too.

[@ChrisHansonCanada]

MAKES DOG COLLARS HOUSE DETECTIVE WINE TASTER

[@jackseward7779]

First and only time (in about 200 shows re-watched) that I have seen anyone smoke. P.S. The fondling, searching, and quizzing if guests paraded in front of the panel was ridiculous. Glad they dispensed with this.

[@lllowkee6533]

Very early 50s which I don’t know much about but the whole panel looked as if their hair is dirty! ?

[@davidsanderson5918]

Arlene looks very strained here, don't you think? Even unwell. I've checked her biography there's no adverse event at this point apparently.

[@givemepizzaorgivemedeath3983]

did hal block make a fart joke? ...when guessing the guest was a "cheese cutter"???

[@smrt1111111111111]

Mr. Daly is smoking 😮😮

[@gracie99999]

they didn’t have gaping 🙄✌️

[@peternagy-im4be]

Smoking themselves into oblivion......

[@woodykelleher9253]

John Daly is smoking. . . right on camera?!

[@BrookeBullmasterStewart]

I LOVE Arleen Frances but one thing: notice how she greets the first guest. That is (I would imagine) her normal speaking voice. Many celebrities of the time were coached quite a bit in elocution and speaking in a very ‘posh’ manner. This Arlene sounds like a very down to earth regular gal! 💕. But don’t get me wrong - I loved her posh voice, loved her wit. Everything about her! Just an interesting observation I thought

[@cristiradu9982]

Arlene Francis is a typical user of the mid-Atlantic or Transatlantic accent, which was taught in Old Hollywood. If you look up interviews with her in her older years (the 70s & 80s) you'll notice the accent is almost gone there since it fell out of fashion in the 60s.

[@maynardsmoreland]

I'll admit I've never been a fan of Sen. Kefauver. He led a Senate committee a few years after this episode that sought to censor/ban comic books. It was claimed they led to juvenile delinquency. As a avid comic book fan, Sen. Kefauver is in my rogues gallery!

[@soulierinvestments]

This back in the day when the Senate was less comic than it is now. badda bing

[@jazzvampire]

soulierinvestments Somewhere, Bennett Cerf is giggling madly.

[@SuperWinterborn]

maynardsmoreland That nice man? Cencor/banish Comic books? Sometimes I think the half of the Senate suffered from acute insanity those days! Oh, my precious...! Besides Philosophy, Comic books has always been my choice No 1 ;)

[@maynardsmoreland]

You can read more about Kefauver and the senate committee at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_Subcommittee_on_Juvenile_Delinquency

[@SuperWinterborn]

maynardsmoreland Thanks! It reminds me about the debate pro/anti certain computergames today, I dont think the comics went so far, though. But as I said about "acute insanity" in the Senate; I don't think it was Kefauver personally, but the whole committee, and the 'zeitgeist' at the time. He was the most profiled yes, but that's because he was the chairman of both this one, and in US Senate Special Comm.to invest. crime in Interstate Commerce. I would like to know what they would have said about "Free Wheelin' Willie" & co, though! ;)

[@2508bona]

"Philadelphia, that's in Pennsylvania, isn't it?" Mr. Daly... I am disappoint.

[@TheKazadoodle]

He was actually making joke because just after he said it - he also said - you can see that I'm right on the button tonight.

[@sewashburn0529]

He could have been from Philadelphia, Tennessee. How many lines of questioning have gone astray by assumptions of the panel?

[@Compromised-yk9mc]

Once upon a time, I lived in Philadelphia Tennessee, just south of Knoxville.

[@italiano3.16]

Darn, he’s just joking....

[@christineaudet1307]

15:50

[@Ocelot2000]

It's rather a short tie, but it's very gay, haha, love it! The way that word changed :)