According to my mom (who was in high school at the time), leg makeup first became popular during WW2. Women couldn't get silk or nylon for hose, so they'd wear leg makeup (complete with a drawn in "seam" up the back).
I think the reason Mr. Daly let out a little horrified amused expression with the question was “would it be worn above the knee” was because of the reputation of girls/women who wore leg makeup that far up. When my grandmother was telling me about ladies wearing lake make up and drawing a seam up the back of their leg she said you could tell how racy a girl was by how far up that line went. Nice girls weren’t going to show anything above the calf so that’s where it stopped. Fast girls, like jitterbug dancers, would draw all the way up the back of their thigh. She said they were always whispers about girls like that possibly showing a glimpse of their panties.
@ZoeSquared21 One example can be found if you look for the WML episode with a football player (plus Miss America). Arlene guessed the football player and is quite shocked. She was a gem and a class act!
Steve Allen was a daunting intellect. It really shows in this clip even though he did not guess correctly. I should try to find some of his shows and relive them. He was the first person to broadcast a very young Frank Zappa among others.
Arlene was so pretty with her dark hair. Why did she dye it? :( Not that she wasn't gorgeous as a blonde but she looked exceptional in her natural hair color!
Arlene's natural hair color was much darker than in this episode. This is when she began to lighten her hair. Watch her very first episode, the difference is shocking!
At that time short shorts and Bermudas had just become popular as casual sportswear, and women didn't want to wear stockings with them but wanted their legs to look good (and as tan as their arms and faces).
Nope, I keep checking regularly but they're still showing Password & Family Fued during the 3 a.m. hour (though they did show a few vintage "I've Got a Secret" eps around the holidays for some reason). Just posting some fave clips I saved on DVD-R.
@ZoeSquared21 Yes, it was extremely rare but it did happen at least a couple of times. ISTR Arlene and Bennett both making correct free guesses on separate occasions.
Could some structural engineer or rocket scientist please explain to me the Gordian knot otherwise known as John Daly's hair? What exactly is going on up there.......swept forward.....but no it goes back, but then again it is tucked under and over.........giving me a headache...............obviously there is a empty patch up there somewhere...........but where exactly? Amazing grease infused structure.
