Such a beautiful lady. 100% class . I remember in the mid seventies, writing a letter to Arlene asking for her picture autograph. She sent it to me and I still have it. A true legend. RIP Arlene
Watching What's My Line makes me remember what TV was like growing up in the 60's - when there was a natural grace and respect for others, and a sort of quiet etiquette and dignity in reality and talk shows. Arlene was the leader of that pack. And boy, do I miss that today.
Of course, every generation finds the oncoming generation lacking in something but I fear there just may be some validity to the serious shortcomings of this generation. Miss Francis did not need tattoos from head to toe or exposing herself like a street walker toa connect with people and bring joy to their lives. Her exuberance and radiant personality were her gifts to humanity. God bless Miss Francis and her family.
There are famous people I wish were not around. I don't wish them dead, just not in the limelight, not famous, not powerful, not constantly in our faces on TV. In exchange, how I wish Arlene could indeed have lasted forever, from generation to generation, not just in reruns, but remaining vigorous and doing different kinds of performances and appearances. But that's unfortunately not how life works. Happily, we do have many of her performances preserved, starting with her being terrorized by Bela Lugosi in _Murders in the Rue Morgue_ as the ever popular Woman of the Streets. And how much she and Martin must have been in love and both adored Peter. I think the first time I saw Ms. Francis was when she introduced the Christmas opera that Menotti had written for TV, _Amahl and the Night Visitors_ , maybe in 1956, when I was five. She was so dignified. The opera was so touching. The opera was performed live several times after that, possibly with Ms. Francis doing the intro and then it was taped, again I think, including the intro. Of course, there have been several other TV versions since, and hundreds and hundreds of performances around the world. Anybody who was associated with such a beautiful story had to be a good person, thought. As a little kid, I immediately became a fan, and as soon as my parents let me, I started watching her on WML, after which I immediately had to go to bed so I could get up and get to school on Monday. And yes, she was a great interviewer because she focused on the guest and not herself.
FYI do you know who was a part of the CBS production staff for that Christmas musical …. Fred Rogers of before he was Mr Rogers . He was an intern and quickly moved his was your on the production staff during that time . Soon after he went back to Pittsburg to be part of a turn fledging public tv station and started the Childress hour…. Where Daniel tiger was born ….
I recently watched some What's My Line videos and I was struck immediately by how lovely a woman Arlene Francis was. What a wonderful smile, great sense of humor, and intelligence. Her husband and son were lucky guys.
When I was growing up in the 1960s not only did I know Arlene Francis from WML but my mother listened to her daily radio show on WOR in New York. She was a very elegant, intelligent and kind lady!
I'm remembering this funny story as best I can, as told by Fannie Flagg. Fannie and a lady friend were on a road trip in Europe and thought they were in Armenia. "Just remember, if we get in any trouble, say we're friends of Arlene Francis, who's Armenian," Fannie said, which was true. But they found out they were in Iran. "Oh no! What will we do now!?"
I always liked Arlene Francis. She was my favorite panelist in all the years that she was on "What's My Line?". Who could forget all those good, happy, fun times between Arlene and host John Charles Daly.
@@PaulTesta Match Game was better back then when Gene Rayburn hosted the show. Alec Baldwin was a terrible host, and was always putting down the contestants. However, it was a ridiculous show. As for Family Feud, I never liked that show. The only good game show that started in the 1970s and has been brought back is the $100,000 Pyramid, which I believe was originally the $10,000 Pyramid if memory serves me well.
She was the best panelist on ‘What’s My Line’ because she had an amazing sense to know the proper balance between the competition of the game and bringing fun and humor on the show. Everyone else was either took the game to seriously (Dorothy Kilgallen) or not serious enough (Soupy Sales). Don’t get me wrong. I loved Soupy and Dorothy. My favorite quip from Arlene came after it was revealed that the guest was a lighthouse keeper. Arlene: Are you married ? Guest: No Arlene: Well you should really go out and find someone to do the light house keeping for you.
Dorothy's tragic and mysterious death has never been solved to my knowledge. Arlene, Bennet, and John never seemed to recover from it (who would). Love the show and it's cast. Class act.
She was my favorite panelist for exactly the reasons you mentioned. I liked Dorothy but she was a little too competitive. Sometimes Arlene and Bennett had figured out who the celebrity mystery guest was, but kept asking questions anyway, maybe to increase the amount of money that would go to the charity the celebrity mystery guest had selected. You could tell they had it figured out by the very specific questions they started asking with knowing smiles on their faces that were guaranteed to get a “yes” answer from the guest (although a “yes” answer didn’t allow a panelist to ask more questions in the mystery round). When it got to Dorothy, she usually did not hesitate to go “straight for the win” and name the guest. Sometimes, though, Dorothy played along and kept asking questions with a knowing smile, too. Arlene was funny and charming, and I loved that she often got to introduce Bennett, for her introductions were warm-“The Count of Mount Kisco.” 🙂 I also loved the heart pendant necklace she always wore. Elizabeth Montgomery wore one on Bewitched, too, although hers was filled in, while Arlene’s was an outline heart shape.
@@kimberlyluper Dorothy’s death was tragic. I don’t know if it’s true, but I heard somewhere that the night of her death she had phoned someone and told them she had new evidence or information on Kennedy’s assassination. Very suspicious. I too felt like they never recovered from her death. The show was slightly not the same afterward-there was a void that could be felt. They felt the loss very deeply. With every female guest panelist that came on afterwards, I would always think of her as sitting in “Dorothy’s seat.”
@@robbiegilbert Yes, that is the story. She was a journalist and she was investigating the assassination of JFK. She apparently had found proof debunking the Warren Commission Report proving much of the truth was covered up. She also had investigated the Sam Shepard case (the basis for the 60's show and later the movie 'The Fugitive'). She was on J. Edgar Hoover's list. Not a list you wanted to be on. I doubt we'll ever really know the truth about JFK's death. Like I doubt we'll ever really the truth about what goes on today in the government. I'm not a conspiracist just don't have much faith in the honesty of those in power anymore.
She was the life of the panel, on What's My LIne? It was a sad day when the show ended. As a kid, it was on my folks TV every Sunday night, and I continued to watch it after I became an adult. I have been watching reruns on RU-vid lately - it brings back memories of days of my youth!
Thank you for this video! Huge fan of WML (watched as a child). Arlene and Dorothy were beautiful, classy and extremely intelligent! Really enjoyed Bennett C too!!!
@@andrealatham1284 I wish I had been alive then so that I could have watched it as a child! But as soon as I discovered WML about 7 years ago, I fell in love with it! And I adore both Arlene and Steve Allen! When I researched Arlene, I could hardly believe that she was eight years older than my grandma!! Made me wish she was MY grandma! Can you imagine what a wonderful and fun grandma she’d be?!
I watch WML regularly, it's like being transported to a time when television personalities took pride in how they presented themselves. Everyone was beautifully dressed and they made the contestants feel comfortable. I did read that Arlene wore her heart shaped pendant frequently and often but she was wearing it when it was snatched from her, she had Alzheimers and I cannot imagine how distressed she must have been.
To quote Mr. Bennett Cerf....”Arlene Francis is one of the most lovely women that’s ever graced the stage. A selfless mother, committed wife and dear friend to many. In my particular case, a fantastic neighbor”.........
Remember Arlene and the panel from "What's My Line" from the days of my youth. A classy, sassy, LADY...refreshing in everyway. RIP Miss Francis. The world needs some Arlene now!!
I wasn't born till '59, but I fell in love with her watching WML on RU-vid, and now I watch everything available. Her sharp wit, personality radiant smile and oh, what a beautiful laugh! 😘🤗😘
What a beautiful presentation! Arlene Francis: such a lovely tribute to this shining, glowing person who is one of my favorite stars from a golden era throughout her career! Such a glamorous, and elegant time! Her memories live on, through those beautiful images bringing them to life for our pleasure: : the song was absolutely perfect too! [thank you so very much] ❣
Loved her. When we were evacuated from the Santa Cruz Mountains because of the CZU fire, staying with friends, I watched many episodes of What's My Line, taking comfort in the company of Nice People.
Arlene was funny, bright, and wonderful! It greatly bothered me when I heard that Arlene was robbed (1988) of her beautiful diamond, heart-shaped, pendant (so often visible during her WML years). This happened in 1988 as Miss Francis was getting out of a cab in New York City - some "thug" (I could use other words, but I won't) came flying up and ripped the pendant from her neck. That piece of jewelry was, no doubt, very valuable, but the true value (from Arlene's standpoint) was that her beloved husband (Martin Gabel) had given it to her years before. Mr. Gabel had passed on in 1986, and so, the "sentimental value" (for Arlene) was off the charts. No "suspect" was ever arrested and the pendant was never recovered. All in all, no thief can ever steal happy moments and heart-felt memories. I am quite certain that Miss Francis came to this very same conclusion. Thanks for the lovely tribute!
It was a real shame that 'thug' stole precious keepsake. Many years later I watched every WML? episode on YT and was taken by Arlene's inner beauty that radiated out. I recall only 2 shows that she didn't wear the heart, or perhaps not visible. For my 25th anniversary I got my wife a similar pendant, a bit rounder with 2 extra diamonds, for luck. Occasionally she strings her diamond pendant inside like Arlene did.
Arlene Francis starred in 'The Affairs of Ann Scotland' the first radio female detective. Ann was described as a sort of private eye lash. Arlene was heavily pregnant at the time but in a medium where only your voice was heard this didn't matter. However her friend, actress and Academy Award recipient Clair Trevor assessed Arlene's perfomance as, "You don't sound the least bit pregnant, but you sound as though you might be at any moment."
Thank you for uploading this gem for Arlene. Many folks don't know she was part of the beginning of the Today Show. Arlene created and frequently hosted the Home segment.
Thanks to YT I discovered “What’s my Line” and Arlene. Wow she was wonderful and a World away from so many so-called celebrities of today many of whom make themselves look as they belong in the red light district. RIP gorgeous woman.
Arlene Francis, the buoyant, likable actress who worked in the theatre, in movies and on television and radio, and was a staple of the popular TV game show “What’s My Line?” for a quarter century, died on May 31, 2001 at a hospital in San Francisco. She was 93.
I am watching What's My Line from the beginning and living it. Arlene was just gorgeous, a lovely lady. These tributes bring tears to the eyes. Just a reminder that they're all gone now.
I only know Arlene from watching re runs. She is delightful. I get so upset when I think of her being robbed and her diamond heart pendant being stolen while walking in New York. It’s so horrible.
I look on Arlene's 1978 appearances on the Match Game with sadness. The clincher, that probably took her off the show, was when Brett Somers said that Arlene failed to understand a question. Three years earlier, in 1975, Arlene was off her radio show. She had lost her sparkle.
Ms. Francis was just so lady like. Very charming. My mother could have been taken for her sister. Ms. Francis was five years older, but they looked and dressed so much alike.
This is the very best video I've seen this entire summer (2022). I was lucky to chance upon it today and I am very grateful to you for uploading it, Angelina. Over the past 5 years I have watched "WML" for the Mystery Challenger segment often. I always come away from those videos blown away by Arlene Francis' intelligence, humor and elegance. She really knew everything about style. With the addition of Linda Eder's song, this video is unforgettable. Merci.
Born in the early 60's, I became quite smitten with her and women like her. Intelligent, articulate, gracious, naturally beautiful, feminine, and just a lovely woman. There are so few about today, as most have traded those qualities for (equality), styles very unappealing/unfeminine, and me centered attitudes. The same can be said about men, too. It's heart breaking. Gone are the days when a woman walks out the door to be in public as put together as she was. My how the stylish and graceful woman has all but disappeared. Today its "loose clothing", unkept figures, and ink (everywhere). Perhaps that sounds like antiquity, but I remember a time when people took care of themselves and their homes, commonly treated others benevolently, and family meant something.
