[62] CBS regularly recycled What's My Line? Cerf also played a myriad of games with Daly's full name, John Charles Patrick Croghan Daly, reciting it correctly only a handful of times over the course of the series.[26]. Always fun to watch. Their marriage yielded three children: John Warren Daly, John Earl Jameson Daly, and Nina Elisabeth Daly. Cerf's introductions of Daly were generally straightforward in his earliest years on the show, but as time went by Cerf expanded these introductions, often telling long jokes which he tied to Daly in some way.[32]. It also included a segment in which Vint Cerf's son Bennett (named after the panelist) appeared as a guest. [8] In such instances, cast and crew worked on two episodes consecutively during the same Sunday night: the "taped" one, followed immediately by the "live" one. Most notably, the mystery guests ran the gamut of show business' most legendary icons, including Jack Benny, John Wayne, Gary Cooper, Elizabeth Taylor, Ava Gardner, Joan Crawford, James Cagney, Julie Andrews, Jack Lemmon, Jackie Gleason, Steve McQueen, Alfred Hitchcock, Doris Day, James Garner, Ronald Reagan, Jane Russell, Rosalind Russell, Fred Astaire, George Raft, Edward G. Robinson, Gene Autry, Lena Horne, Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, Andy Griffith, Harry Belafonte, Ginger Rogers, Roy Rogers, Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, Sean Connery, James Stewart, Henry Fonda, Salvador Dal, Aretha Franklin, and many more. This was probably his most famous role. What's My Line? (TV Series 1973-1974) - IMDb Episode guide 23 IMDbPro All topics What's My Line? A panelist chosen by Daly would begin the game. Cerf." This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Recorded in New York City, New York at the Grand Central Studios/CBS Studio 41 from February to March 1950, the Maxine Elliott's Theatre/CBS Studio 51 from April to December 1950, the Mansfield Theater/CBS Studio 59 from January 1951 to June 1960, CBS Studio 52 from June 1960 to July 1966, and . Subscribe!function(m,a,i,l,s,t,e,r){m[s]=m[s]||(function(){t=a.createElement(i);r=a.getElementsByTagName(i)[0];t.async=1;t.src=l;r.parentNode.insertBefore(t,r);return !0}())}(window,document,'script','https://www.openculture.com/wp-content/plugins/mailster/assets/js/button.min.js','MailsterSubscribe'); 2006-2023 Open Culture, LLC. Were hoping to rely on our loyal readers rather than erratic ads. It was during the run of the syndicated version that Woody Allen parodied What's My Line? is the long-running panel game show where the celebrity panelists try to figure out unusual occupations of everyday people. Youd just sit there and be yourself and do the best you could.. [4][22] In its early years, business suits and street dresses were worn by the host and panelists, but by 1953, the men normally wore black suits with bow tie (a few guests in fact wore black tie) while female panelists donned formal gown and often gloves. Hosts of the syndicated version, Wally Bruner and Larry Blyden, were alive at the time but did not participate. Panelists had the option of passing to the next panelistor even disqualifying themselves entirely if they somehow knew the contestant's occupation or identity, in the case of a mystery challenger, before the round. This is an unofficial release of public domain episodes, and it is unclear if an official release will occur.[65]. By what name was What's My Line? It's the long-running panel show that asks the question."Is it bigger than a breadbox?" Contents 1 Game Format 1.1 Main Game 1.2 Mystery Guest 2 Personnel 3 Panelists 4 Broadcast History 5 Trivia - Hayley Mills; PANEL: Steve Allen, Joanna Barnes (Nov 28, 1965)", "List of Celebrity Guests from Stage version", "Fox TV Stations to Air Classic Game Shows From Buzzr TV's Massive Library - Hollywood Reporter", "What's My Line? Publisher Bennett Cerf replaced Untermeyer as a regular panelist in 1951, and comedian Steve Allen replaced Block in 1953. Bennett Cerf appeared as a guest on an irregular basis until he died during production of the fourth season in 1971. Also, the animated intro was done away with in favor of the show's announcer (usually Gould) offering a brief preview of one of the contestants' games. They could also request a conference, in which they had a short time for open discussion of ideas about occupations or lines of questioning. Following Daly's resignation, only one more episode of "Critique" was produced and broadcast, an April 1969 episode featuring The Doors as the musical guests. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Those bulletins have been preserved on historical record album retrospectives and radio and television documentaries. Answer: Humphrey Bogart. The ultimate or penultimate round of an episode involved blindfolding the panel for a celebrity guest appearance (originally called "mystery challengers" by Daly) whom the panel had to identify by name, rather than occupation. Answer: Yul Brynner. - Season 5, Episode 4: EPISODE #174", "Audio of Hawkins interview with Cerf from Youtube", "What's My Line? After Bennett Cerf's death in 1971, stations continued to air shows where he was a panelist resulting in confusion among some fans, who were seeing "new" episodes with Cerf long after hearing about his death. [31], The program began with Daly and panel entering from off-stage as they were introduced. A friend of the lawyer recalled that Belli remarked after Kilgallen's death: "They've killed . At that time, the immediate concern of Mark Goodson and Bill Todman was that John Daly, anchor of the ABC network's nightly newscasts, would be allowed to visit Moscow to cover, in that capacity, a breaking news story. Cerf usually prefaced his introduction with a pun or joke that over time became a pun or joke at Daly's expense. While covering the Roosevelt White House, Daly became known to the national CBS audience as the network announcer for many of the President's speeches. If you find the convivial atmosphere of this seminal Goodson-Todman game show absorbing, there are757 episodes available for viewing onWhats My Line?sYouTube channel. At various times, a regular panelist might take a vacation or be absent from an episode due to outside commitments. In producing the special, the only existing master 16 millimeter prints of the original series kinescope films were removed from storage and brought to a Manhattan editing facility that Goodson-Todman Productions rented. (1968) officially released in Canada in English? Daly's first foray into television was as a panelist on the game show Celebrity Time. The producers considered the revival a merger of What's My Line? [15] The contestant's line was then revealed to the studio and home audiences, and Daly would tell the panel whether the contestant was salaried or self-employed, and from 1960 on, whether they dealt in a product or a service. He was F. Lee Bailey. After Kilgallen's death in 1965, she was similarly not replaced with a permanent panelist, and for the show's final two years, the panel consisted of Cerf, Francis and two guests. What's My Line? By what name was What's My Line? Panelist Arlene Francis stuck it out all 24 years. The production debuted in New York at the Barrow Street Theatre on March 24, 2008, for an announced run of six shows. "What's My Line?" In July 1959, this was state-of-the-art technology. Cerf and Daly enjoyed a friendly feud from across the stage for the remainder of the history of the program. And for very good reason. This pilot started with three panelists playing the Mystery Guest round; the guest would then be the fourth panelist for the remainder of the episode. [citation needed] After his father died of a tropical fever, Daly's mother moved the family to Boston, Massachusetts. Episode summary", "Summary show with contestant who made breadboxes", "The Games People Played in a Simpler Time", "What's My Line? He was the first national correspondent to deliver the news of the attack on Pearl Harbor on Sunday, December 7, 1941,[4] and he was also the first to relay the wire service report of the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt on April 12, 1945, interrupting the program Wilderness Road to deliver the news. What's My Line? It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Others are at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., where procedures to access them are more complicated. Panelists and guests who appeared on the original TV versions and on the stage version include Shelley Berman, Lee Meriwether, radio commentator Michael Jackson, Jayne Meadows, Nanette Fabray, Joanna Barnes, Julie Newmar, Margaret O'Brien, and Marty Ingels. Mrs. Roosevelts Oct 18, 1953 appearance is a delight, especially her pantomimed disgust at the 17:29 mark, above, when blindfolded panelistArlene Francisasks if shes associated with politics, and Daly jumps in to reply yes on her behalf. The producers, Fates said, were unable to challenge Daly for fear of losing him as the show's moderator. [47] The primary reason for the cancellation, along with that of the other panel shows CBS aired in prime time, was that the programs' low overall viewershipthe key metric of success during Michael Dann's time with the networkcould no longer justify their presence even as the shows continued to turn a profit with their low production costs. [citation needed] Later in the series, Daly would throw all the cards over with increasing frequency and arbitrariness (frequently to give a particularly interesting or worthy panelist the maximum available prize money), evidence the prize was secondary to game play. Companion Facebook group for the YouTube "What's My Line?" channel, where you can find every available surviving episode of the long running CBS version. Beginning with episode #517 through episode #829 (June 12, 1960 September 4, 1966), the show used CBS Studio 52 (254 W. 54th St., NY; the future Studio 54). What's My Line? Mystery guests have included Ed Begley Jr., Stephen Bishop, Mr. Blackwell, LeVar Burton, Brett Butler, Jos Canseco, Drew Carey, Andy Dick, Michael and Kitty Dukakis, Hector Elizondo, Nanette Fabray, Peter Falk, Caitlyn Jenner, Larry King, Kathy Kinney, Bruno Kirby, Tara Lipinski, Lisa Loeb, Shelley Long, Leonard Maltin, Rose Marie, Wink Martindale, Sally Struthers, Rip Taylor, Judy Tenuta, Alan Thicke, Dick Van Patten, Lindsay Wagner, Wil Wheaton, Noah Wyle, and Sean Young.[61]. had yet to air in certain markets; by the fall of 1975, the last of these episodes had aired across the United States. A bright, contemporary music package was composed by Charles Fox. What's My Line? "What's My Line?" Also, the show played more like "I've Got a Secret" as the contestants would often demonstrate their skill or would have a sample of the product they either sold or made. The game followed a line of formality and adherence to rules. lighting director (1 episode, 1968) Stan Alper. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. He also had several television and movie guest appearances from the late 1940s to the mid-1960s, including an uncredited role in Bye Bye Birdie (as the reporter announcing the title character's induction into the Army) and as the narrator, in a mock documentary style, on the premiere episode of the rural comedy series Green Acres. In 2008, another revival of the show with David Hasselhoff was planned in cooperation with FremantleMedia, which had taken over ownership of all Goodson-Todman and Mark Goodson Productions programming, that never got off the ground. Too bad it is not shown on a regular basis anymore. In 2000, a pilot was shot with host Harry Anderson for CBS, but was later turned down in favor of the reality show Survivor. The syndicated series ran for 1,320 episodes over seven seasons. There, company employees Gil Fates, Bob Bach, Pamela Usdan and Bill Egan[59] worked round-the-clock for three days to compile the 90-minute special under deadline pressure from ABC network official Bob Shanks. In addition, the panelists were simply referred to by name and only their first names were displayed in front of them. [citation needed] Daly was a war correspondent in 1943 in Italy during Gen. George S. Patton's infamous "slapping incidents." 11 old time radio show recordings (total playtime 4 hours, 21 min) available in the following formats: 1 MP3 CD or 5 Audio CDs Choose your CD format or order disks individually: Add to Cart Add to wishlist ', Dies at 77", "Story Behind Music; John Daly to Be the Narrator in New Series of Television Concerts", https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,871848,00.html, "John Charles Daly to Direct the Voice of America; Daly will direct Voice of America", "His Line Is U.S. News; John Charles Daly Jr", "John Daly Takes Oath As Voice of America Chief", "Daly Quits the Voice of America; Assails 'Executive Undercutting'; Charges Efforts to Reassign Senior Personnel While He Was Away on Tour", "George Foster Peabody Awards Board Members", "John Daly Weds Virginia Warren In a Methodist Church on Coast", "What's My Line? For the first few seasons, contestants would sign in by writing their name on a chalkboard, and meet the panel up close for a casual inspection, and the panel was allowed one initial wild guess. TV Series 1950-1967 30 m IMDb RATING 8.5 /10 1.7K YOUR RATING Rate POPULARITY 5,000 710 Family Game-Show Four panelists must determine guests' occupations - and, in the case of famous guests, while blindfolded, their identity - by asking only "yes" or "no" questions. See production, box office & company info. at 25. As with Secret, contestants frequently demonstrated their skill or product after the game. What's My Line? In this movie he played Mongkut, King of Siam. Clifton Fadiman,[10][11] Eamonn Andrews, and Random House co-founding publisher and panelist Bennett Cerf[12] substituted on the four occasions when Daly was unavailable. Revivals in the United States were proposed several times, but all of them failed to go past the planning stages. This prompted producer Gil Fates, who recalled the situation in his book, What's My Line? [19][20] The marriage resulted in two sons, John Neal Daly and John Charles Daly III, and a daughter, Helene Grant "Bunsy" Daly. [citation needed] Non-celebrities include the lifelong Los Angeles-area resident who challenged the panel with her line, afterward reminiscing how 43 years earlier she had traveled to New York, where Arlene Francis identified her as a meter maid. The regular panelists were paid scandalous amounts of moneyas per publisherBennett Cerf, whose reputation as a nimble-witted gentleman-about-town was reinforced by his tenure onWhats My Line?, according toColumbia Universitys Oral History Research Office. panelist introduced the next in line at the start of the show. When the panelists couldn't make a show famous celebrities would take their place. Allow us to kick things off on a Surreal Note with Mystery Guest Salvador Dali, after whichyou can browse chronological playlists as you see fit: Salvador Dal Gets Surreal with 1950s America: Watch His Appearances on Whats My Line? Panelists were required to probe by asking only yes-no questions. Mystery guest rounds were no longer scored and simply ended with a correct guess or when time ran out. Steve Allen first posed this on January 18, 1953, and it was then refined over subsequent episodes. The show did manage to keep some elements of the original series intact, as the cartoon introduction used during the final two seasons on CBS was reused with new music added. won three Emmy Awards for "Best Quiz or Audience Participation Show" in 1952, 1953, and 1958 and the Golden Globe Awards for Best TV Show in 1962. Although the Harpo Marx segment was preserved via kinescope, and so were most live telecasts of What's My Line?, all of Daly's 15-minute live newscasts for the ABC network were lost due to wiping. Its not Van Clyburn, is it? Francis ventures a couple of minutes later. This is the version for the United Kingdom. What's My Line (1965) (Johnny Olson Hilarious Mystery Guest Segment) - YouTube 0:00 / 25:44 What's My Line (1965) (Johnny Olson Hilarious Mystery Guest Segment) MatchGameProductions 65.6K. In 2016, episode #018, aired live on October 1, 1950, was discovered by a film archivist. When mystery guests came from other walks of life or were non-famous individuals whom the panel but not the studio audience might know, they were usually played as standard rounds. [14] Finch appeared again on the fifth anniversary show (with the "line" of "chorus girl" appearing in the musical Fanny) and on the final broadcast in 1967 as a guest.[14]. As a reporter for the CBS radio network, Daly was the voice of two historic announcements. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. is hailed as the longest running PRIME TIME quiz show in TV history. ", This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 05:51. The game consisted of four panelists trying to guess the occupation of a guest contestant. [40], Episode #397 (January 12, 1958) was a special Hollywood episode broadcast from CBS Television City (7800 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA). Fretts, Bruce (June 17, 2013). However, there was one weekly celebrity "mystery guest" for which the panelists were blindfolded. was Pat Finch, a hat check girl at the Stork Club. featuring a game show called What's My Perversion? In order to commemorate the show's 50th Anniversary at the time, this version was released by Endless Games in 2001. On those occasions, to provide the audience an opportunity to see the guest play the game, the panelists and host would typically allow questioning to pass around at least once before coming up with the correct guess. The cover of the book features the photos of panelists Arlene Francis, Bennett Cerf, Dorothy Kilgallen and host John Daly. and its 1950s spinoff, I've Got a Secret, which resulted in noticeable changes from the original. Directed by Paul Munroe (1950) Franklin Heller (1950-1967) Frank Satenstein Paul Alter(1957-1961) Ira Skutch Lloyd Gross (1968-1975 syndicated version) Presented by John Charles Daly Wally Bruner Larry Blyden Starring Arlene Francis Dorothy Kilgallen Louis Untermeyer Hal Block Bennett Cerf Steve Allen Fred Allen Soupy Sales With this in mind, Goodson-Todman offered host Blyden the hosting position on Showoffs, a charades-based game show that the company was developing for ABC's daytime lineup. The majority of the contestants were from the general public. Daly's closing line on the ABC newscasts was "Good night, and a good tomorrow." Johnny Olson continued as announcer until a short time into the 197273 season, when he departed for California to begin his tenures as announcer of the revivals of The Price Is Right (which he continued to do until his passing in 1985) and I've Got a Secret (1972-73). [8] In addition, he provided the voice of a Conelrad radio announcer on the May 18, 1954 broadcast of The Motorola Television Hour on ABC titled Atomic Attack, which showcases a story about a family in a New York City suburb dealing with the aftermath of an H-bomb attack fifty miles away. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. - Sophia Loren; Dick Clark [panel] (Jun 29, 1958)", Robert Trout discusses the CBS newscast of December 7, 1941, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Charles_Daly&oldid=1141268540, 1955: Won, "Best News Reporter or Commentator"ABC, 1956: Nominated, "Best News Commentator or Reporter"ABC, 1956: Nominated, "Best MC or Program Host, Male or Female"CBS, 1957: Nominated, "Best News Commentator"ABC, 1958: Nominated, "Best News Commentator"ABC, 1959: Nominated, "Best News Commentator or Analyst"ABC. Smith later took over Daly's former role as anchor of ABC Evening News. We find the free courses and audio books you need, the language lessons & educational videos you want, and plenty of enlightenment in between. For the 197475 season, the show's set was changed. What's My Line? While I havent YET had on major celebrities, I have had on YouTubers and authors. Some episodes of the CBS radio version of the 1950s are available to visitors to the Paley Center for Media in New York City and Beverly Hills, CA. The first contestant on What's My Line? [32] An April 1967 episode featuring Candice Bergen as the mystery guest was lost in its entirety, as was a June 1967 episode featuring both Betty Grable and F. Lee Bailey. Viacom and Goodson-Todman found themselves unable to secure contracts with enough stations to justify continuing to produce the program beyond the episodes that had been videotaped on or prior to December 12, 1974. Fates explained that Cerf indeed had died, but television was practicing a time-honored tradition of celebrating one's work long after his death. Get the best cultural and educational resources on the web curated for you in a daily email. The show is now an authorized production as it is licensed by FremantleMedia, the owners of What's My Line?. Series Camera and Electrical Department. aired on September 3, 1967; it was highlighted by clips from past telecasts, a visit by the show's first contestants, a challenger from the New York unemployment office, and the final mystery guest, who was John Daly himself. What's My Line? To support Open Cultures educational mission, please consider making a donation. [1][2], More than 700 episodes exist as kinescope recordings (filming a television screen in 16mm), which was the only way moving pictures and sound from spontaneous, unscripted television shows could be preserved on a long-term basis before the digital era. To increase the probability of affirmative answers, panelists would often phrase questions in the negative starting with "Is it something other than" or "Can I rule out", The show popularized the phrase, "Is it bigger than a breadbox?" The panel varied somewhat in the following weeks, but after the first few broadcasts, during the show's earliest period the panel generally consisted of Kilgallen, actress Arlene Francis, Untermeyer and comedy writer Hal Block. Daly was a narrator on The Voice of Firestone starting in 1958.[7]. "What's My Line?" was TV's most famous panel show. The moderator and panel's desks were not brought over, as they had been for the Chicago special.[45]. Mrs. Roosevelt was preceded by a bathtub salesman and a fellow involved in the manufacture of Bloodhound Chewing Tobacco, after which there was just enough time for a woman who wrote television commercials. The programming department at CBS turned down the idea,[59] but ABC bought it.