Bennett Cerf - Oral History - Notable New Yorkers - Part 5 

Douglas MacArthur vs. Harry Truman--the sequel! Wonderful to hear such vital, historical recordings.

I want to thank you for posting this oral history by Bennett Cerf. It is so interesting!! I have enjoyed this five-part ihstory tremendously! Many thanks again!!

This is fantastic. I wish there were more parts to this (and other oral histories from other panelists).

It was an end of an era with the night time game shows. That time in history will never repeat itself.

I have been watching a lot of these WML shows here and have to agree with you,the shows without Dorothy were not the same.WML did lose its heart with her passing

As far as I know WML has never been broadcast in Denmark - and I don't have access to the Game Show Network (or any American channels apart from CNN :-( So I discovered this wonderful programme here on RU-vid :-)

Gweat find! Thanks for posting!

Bennett was terrific on WML but a great publisher who found and groomed great writers

Oh, I wish they would have had that Mystery Guest!!!

@calchick82 Yes, I noticed that too. His comments about Miss Kilgallen throughout the interview are for the most part rather negative. It is quite a contrast with his seeming sense of loss and kind words on the show the week following her death. For an urbane and good-natured man, the stong negativity he shows toward Dorothy in the interviews is mystifying, at least to me.

@calchick82 I think that Bennett was the one who had the problem with Dorothy. If you watch the show following her death everyone else seems pretty broken up about it.

Which episode appearance was the one with Bob Hope that Cerf had mentioned earlier in the interview? Anyone know?

Fascinating! I loved this program, although I never agreed with Bennett Cerf's opinions on politics; He was clearly Left leaning in his beliefs, very anti-Second Amendment. But, to each his own; he was still a wonderful and accomplished man with a good heart. I found it quite odd that he didn't mention the real reason(s) behind Dorothy Kilgallen's death/murder... I mean what is more important and interesting to the American people than the inside story of the assassination of an American President? Dorothy Kilgallen was privy to inside information as-to-the true reasons, and people, behind President J.F.K.'s assassination. - He may say what he wants to about Dorothy Kilgallen, in my opinion she was an amazing woman and an even better reporter! What else did they expect her to do, she was a Journalist; and he seems to believe that their little 'W.M.L.' inner circle should-have been exempt from the rules that the rest of the world was forced to adhere to, but why? What made them so special? So sorry, Bennett, a belated 'Welcome to Reality', Mr. Cerf. It seems to me that a man with such an open mind, like Bennett Cerf, would be more supportive of a strong, independent woman like Dorothy Kilgallen. We all have our faults, I still have an extremely high opinion of him. Rest in Peace, 'W.M.L.' Panelists, you were and are huge part of our wonderful American Culture.

After Dorothy the show went downhill; after years with Kilgallen it was cancelled within a year and a half of her death- so much for Cerf's idea she was the villain. Obviously, he in his "infinite intelligence" Cerf didn't realize that viewers loved the way Kikgallen honed her questioning for the correct result. After Dorothy died the show eventually had SInatra with Mia Farrow on (Dorothy Kilgallen had very tactfully called Sinatra out on his treatment of women); says alot about the show that they disrespected Dorothy's memory by having a guy on who talked badly about her for years. History has a way of correcting things. Almost no one I know remembers Cerf or that Daley was ever a news anchor. They do know about Dorothy Kilgallen and they also know Sinatra was mobbed up and a cruel personality (even his daughter has commented on that). Regarding the panel id'ing celebrities - Cerf says they wanted to hedge giving the correct answer to draw that segment out, but Dorothy played correctly and went for the answer - well, she obviously was the only one doing what the audience and viewers wanted which was playing honestly and not staging an outcome. We haven't heard the end about Dorothy Kilgallen and her bravery, but Cerf......his name is hardly recognized.

And, of course, Barbara Walters was famously impersonated by Gilda Radner (as "Baba Wa-Wa") on "Saturday Night Live" for her speech impediment, similar to Bennett's alleged speaking pattern.. By the way, were you able to watch the original episodes of the American "What's My Line?" in Denmark, or have you become a fan from rebroadcasts on the Game Show Network, or just from here on You Tube?

Bennett, Arlene & John were the glue here and it was the only chance to see stars informally at the time - Classic, Dorothy had her guard up, very formal - Arlene never had a problem with her its interesting

Ooooh I see... I thought it might have something to do with the fact that I'm Danish - Many people from my country can't pronounce the English "R"... (Hewo, weason, weally... and gweat) :D Hehe - I too have noticed that Mr. Cerf sometimes does that - I think it's sweet :-)

Fred Silverturd, I mean Silverman is who cancelled the game shows on CBS.

man macarthur could carry a grudge! i read trumans book and he said he had to fire him--- he was refusing to follow orders and wanted to go into china and start another war. too full of himself ego gets alot of talented ppl

Absolutely FANTASTIC!!!!!! Great job WMLandPassword (or should I say gweat job?) Just kidding! Honestly this was so interesting!

Former presidents never die.... They just.... Fade away....

I am the only one I know of who isn't pro MacArthur or pro Truman.I think both were right on individual issues.

I really liked WML, because it was a very urbane, intelligent show. There was also an apparent chemistry between the panelists and the host. I have to admit that I was totally fooled.by the lack of relationship betweenDorothy Kilgallen and everyone else. It seems in a way that MrCerf was giving the memory of Kilgallen what she gave to real people in her “catty” gossip column in real life. What she did to John Daley in regard to rejecting mystery guest Mike Wallace due to a recent interview with a gangster and supposed fear that he would replace Daley as the head of a news division,was the worst. She used an intimate setting to take advantage of them for a front page story. Itwasthe sin of omission that she never stopped being a reporter, and didn’t warn them in advance that everything was fair game, to her. She set up Daley. I wouldn’t have forgiven her either if she had done the same to me.

It's amazing how the sponsors could interfere with shows...

Bennett didn't talk at all about Dorothy Kilgallen's death?

Gweat? Didn't get that one...

So General MacArthur got to fire Harry Truman!

Throughout these interviews Cerf comes across as a very petty little man.

Snippy dude...

Good for General Douglas McArthur!!!

Bennett Cerf was a nice person, but was left wing; not as left as many out there today...but him and Arlene both didn't like Dorothy's right wing ideas. But the show was never the same after she passed away, it lost it's heart with her. Later both Arlene and Cerf would attack her, which they never would have done had she been alive. Truman was always the odd man out in the FDR White House and he was a small man, just as Cerf said of McArthur.

I don't remember no one liking her.

Gweat was just my lame attempt at being funny. I know Bennet didn't really have a speech impediment, I guess that was the way some of the rich people in his area where he lived spoke. I think I read that on Soulierinvestments comment somewhere. So obviously I failed at being funny. Not that it was funny in the first place.

Absolutely horrible comedian.