What's My Line? 1957 - Bennett Cerf & Julie London 

To his credit, Cerf agreed with you about his hosting and was glad to pass the chair back to Daly.

A great singer, Julie off screen was devoted to her family, a voracious reader and a real jazz buff. She was indeed gorgeous and fabulously talented.

Julie London's recording of "Cry Me A Rover" will, I believe, remain the definitive version of that jazz standard. Thank you for sharing this clip, not just for London's guest appearance, but also for a chance to see Bennett Cerf's role reversal from his usual postion on the panel.

Prior to Miss London, industrialist Henry J. Kaiser was a mystery guest on this edition. And indeed, this was Bennett's only run as guest host; the only other subs for Mr. Daly were Clifton Fadiman and Eamonn Andrews. After 1959 when they started videotaping "WML?" episodes to air in advance in certain periods of the year, no more sub-hosts.

Italiabeefy, you are yet one more person who proves my point. I've always maintained that TV networks & home video production companies underestimate the intelligence & taste of the viewing audience, that we do know a class act when we see one! Just because a younger demographic wasn't born when a certain program was first broadcast doesn't mean they wouldn't still appreciate seeing it on TV or DVD!

i love the old what's my line shows on GSN i was not born when it was on ..but i love the panel from then..all so great!

Love Cesar Romero - so handsome and such class! Great video!

Yes I totally agree with you. Beauty with some class. Bennett Cerf was a really good guest host. He was very funny just like Mr. Daly and such a gentleman too.

It's different to see Bennett in the role as moderator. Nice upload.

Bennett makes this clip feel like a home game you'd play at a party. He is SOO much better as a panelist. :)

That dress Julie is wearing is awesome!

No disrespect to Bennett, who was one of my favorite panelists, but his work here shows just how much of an asset John Daly was to this program.

Ernie and your damn guesses while trying to jump the line. One question at a time!!!

Wow, she is just stunnig!!! These type of gorgeous women we dont have novadays...and what a voise!

His original "Dragnet" series, in its time, was ahead of its time (much like "Hill Street Blues" & "NYPD Blue" were later lauded) for portraying the routine work of policemen, showing it wasn't always just shoot 'em up & action-filled.

When I first saw her on "Emergency", I never knew of her prior remarkable history. Now I don't understand how she wound up on such a program in the 70s, except that her husband at the time was Bobby Troup, who had a role on 'Emergency' as well and was the author of one of my favorite tunes, 'Route 66'.

@jgbennie I'm not sure what to make of Ernie Kovacs. When he was a mystery guest, after a couple of questions, he tweaked Mr. Cerf's nose, then later on he blew cigar smoke into Ms. Kilgallen's face, which pretty much gave it away.

He had a wry sense of humor in that series' first run; also was, like Aaron Spelling, Danny Thomas & Desi Arnaz, a prolific Hollywood businessman who created an empire, directing & producing a variety of dramatic programs of diverse subject matter, such as "Adam 12," "Chase" (about police special units), "Noah's Ark" (a '50s veterinary show that realistically portrayed an animal clinic, the first of its kind ) & "Project U.F.O." (which drew on real case files from the Air Force).

Julie London was also married to Bobby Troup who wrote "Route 66," "The Girl Can't Help It". Co-starred with Julie on "Emergency," and was the Jeep driver in "M*A*S*H" driving Hawkeye and Trapper John.

I was waiting for Bennett to say to Julie "You make me want to cry a river".

Jack Webb was no schmuck, a talented man who himself loved jazz, produced & starred in the radio series & film about 1920s' jazz era called called "Pete Kelly's Blues," later a TV series for which Webb remained behind the camera.

Excuse me, that was supposed to have read "Cry Me A River," not "Rover" (although utilizing the misspelled word would perhaps be a nice rendition to sing for a deceased pet), which is the definitive version of that song, as recorded by Miss London.

Ditto!! There"s a WHAT'S MY LINE that features Cesar Romero as the mystery guest---Think it's from 1952---Wish someone would upload that one!!!

3 appearances? As far as I know, only 2 are here.

Is that Ceaser Romero in the panel?

I like Bennett but nobody could say "Sign in please!" like John Daly.

I never saw Bennett host, strange to see him in John's chair.

Actually, in all Miss London's mystery guest appearances on "WML?" (this plus two more, in 1959 and 1961), she stumped the panel.

@lllexoduslll That was one big issue a lot of viewers and fans of the show had with her. She seemed to have an immense type A personality and it got so bad that you can actively hear people groan at times when she gets close to the answer. In other clips where the panel has been stumped and she starts getting there (particularly if she has acted overly serious during the game) you will hear an audible, negative response from the crowd.

Julie London Class Delivered

very true

GSN broadcast this episode on 24 Nov 2008. BC moderated this landmark broadcast with technical adequacy, but it is almost devoid of laughs. The audience laughed at DK when she missed a cue and at EK' Abraham Lincoln Stanley Steamer gags. The panel failed to identify a toothpick designer, Henry Kaiser, and singer Julie London. BC and EK got under each others' skins that night. ( 0:17 3:10 ) BC keeps giving EK looks that would kill at 50 paces. Apparently BC didn't appreciate surreal humor.

@canary-island-dweller... Bennett Cerf died in 1971 aged 73 - 14 years (almost) after this episode.

wow....she is super foxy here.

Daly did "What's My Line" at CBS and news at ABC. He was married to the daughter of a supreme cour justice, and probably had money in the bank.

because she was married/divorced to Dragnet/Emergency producer Jack Webb...he gave her and her new hubby Tobby Troup a longrunning job...aka Nurse Dixie McCall...

Webb wrongly gets the shaft for his second version of "Dragnet" which was anti-drug & heavy on the law & order, but even those shows had their merits & charm, co-starring the always excellent Harry Morgan as his partner. I strongly recommend you take a look at some episodes of the original "Dragnet" & rent "Pete Kelly's blues" for a better look at Webb.

Bennett Cerf was right. John Daly DID pick the wrong week to be away.

Julie London was, is, and probably always will be my idea of the perfect woman.

If he was such a schmuck, he was a pretty nice one, who as creator & producer of "Emergency" gave work to London (at that point his ex-wife) & her later husband Troup, from what I read at a point when London was grateful for the paycheck.

Just stating the obvious, but Julie London was a real knock out.

sure did.

BC and EK got under each others' skins that night. ( 0:17 ) ( 3:10 ) BC keeps giving EK looks that would kill at 50 paces. Apparently BC didn't appreciate surreal humor. One of the joys of the mystery guest spot was misidentified gender questions. Note that BC gets rid of that possibility with a comment at ( 0:51 ).

Why not the men, too?

I now appreciate how important John Charles Daly was to this show. Bennett was clearly way too full of himself to be an effective moderator.

wow, what a fox! I love julie london.

I think I might prefer Mr. Daly...

get your eye sight checked

Dorothy gets on my nerves, like here 2:38 She takes the game way too seriously.

oh....ok sorry sometimes when it comes to ms.london I get defensive.

Well, that was about the worse episode of this show I have seen. That Ernie Kovaks was annoying. All he did was waste time! Bennett Serf sucked as the host, too. Poor Julie London! She deserved better.

Hurry back, John Charles Daly, we need you! I love Bennett but he just sucks as a host.