My third day in and yes, it's official; I'm addicted. I even fell asleep to these playing last night on my tablet. I love to hear the banter, the clever usage of the language which outside a university English department is almost lost, not to mention the visual treat of watching how exquisitely everyone dressed, panelists and contestants alike. Thanks again for this wonderful glimpse back into another time in our culture.
@ Cynthia Lyman - Amen to that. I am hooked too. What a concept, what a show, what a panel, moderator, and contestants. A total class show. Wish they made they like that today.
Do you, ever, find yourself asking, "What did he say," after one of John Daly's convoluted explanations of an answer? I do, all the time and I hope I'm not alone. I, also, find myself laughing myself silly after one of those.
I grew up watching WML, along with I've Got a Secret, To Tell the Truth, GE College Bowl, Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, and so many others. Of course, that was over 50 years ago, so these seem brand-new to me again, and I'm watching them now with fresh eyes. A lot of fun and wonderful memories. (We were watching one of the original episodes of TTTT during its original broadcast, and three men all claimed to be Malcolm Forbes. While they were still up on the stage, my grandmother announced that it was the guy in the middle. But then, she worked in the subscription department of Forbes Magazine, and he regularly passed through and talked with the employees.)
I had the good fortune of growing up with _WML._ For a game show to survive 17 years with no appreciable change in format, host, or panelists, says a lot about the concept and also the players. John Daly _insisted_ on maintaining decorum and class while keeping it light and fun, and he and the panelists measured up. If there's anything we've lost in the ensuing 60-70 years it's been the grace, class, and decorum of this program and its participants.
The more I see these wonderful episodes, the more fascinating I find them, everyone is so gracious. The panel are thoughtful, beautifully attired, delightfully spoken, cultured, witty and fun. All ably marshalled by John Charles Daly, enough said, simply brilliant.
There was an episode where Bennett Cerf introduced John saying he was "poly syllabic." He proves that every time he gives one of those convoluted explanations to an answer. And, I, invariably, find myself asking, "What did he say?"
Sad to note that The first guest jockey Thomas “Tommy” Lee died on Aug. 3, 2016. He stopped riding in 1977 after a serious accident, but had run up an impressive record. In Maryland he went on to become the top rider in the state in 1964 with some 169 victories.
I wouldn't have ever considered Dorothy Kilgallen a "looker," but she and her hairdressers and cosmeticians made the most of what they had to work with.
Mr. Lee went on to be a jockey for about 20 years, accumulating over 1500 wins, and won the Maryland jockey championship in 1964. Retired in 1977 due to injury, became the Clerk of Scales for Maryland. (Which is basically making sure the weights for horse and jockey are reasonable and also fair.) I lose track of him at that point, but he doesn't seem to be dead.
Just looking at his size when he came on, I guessed Jockey, and then thought -- nah, too obvious. Maybe one of those page boys in uniform, like the one that cries "Call for Philip Morr-eiiiiiss!"
@Lars Rye Jeppesen - I adore Martin. He was talented, funny, a good player, a gentleman, warm, generous, and had a fabulous speaking voice. He was a good fit here.
@@philippapay4352 He was a helluva stage actor and director in his day too. He didn't do too many motion pictures so I never had a chance to view his talent.
@@debbigray1752 You could certainly tell where all the panelists were NOT from, because none of them had a clue about the dams or the fish ladders. I have the good fortune of living near the Columbia Gorge and so I get to feast on the scenery almost everyday. I'm also a geology nerd and I'm afraid these panelists had never seen mountains unless they'd been to the Cascades or the Sierra Nevada. All they knew about "mountains" where they were from were the Adirondacks and the Whites.
I heart Martin : ) His twirl in the introductions was simply adorable. And Dorothy! My, she looked so confident and sassy when she walked out there with her chin right up. I'm getting to like her more and more, although very sadly I think some of the fun aspects of her personality are shining through perhaps due to her growing reliance on alcohol. At any rate the sack dress is indeed an odd look but I suppose it did provide a bit of relief from those oft-mentioned corsets and girdles. If good ol' Bennett had to wear mostly wiggle dresses and all the accompanying pieces of "apparatus" I'd bet he would gladly slip into a formal chemise! And what a picture THAT would be...
Jenny Brown Martin Gabel wasn't tall dark and handsome, but I think he must have been a very good husband. Arlene was always happy looking and they joked together.
Jenny Brown - Why do people keep bringing up alcohol with Dorothy? If she did overindulge her panel skills would be really hampered. She is obviously astute in the performance of her duties here.
@@shirleyrombough8173 …because she was found dead in her bathtub, and her official cause of death was listed as “acute ethanol and barbiturate intoxication, circumstances undetermined” - from medical examiner's statement.
I'm sure the audiences of 1958 were shocked at first that anyone would say that on TV! This was only five years after I Love Lucy was forbidden to use the word pregnant.
@@murrayaronson3753 he is. He turned 92 on July 31st. He still looks great. You should see a film from 1975 he did called Deadly Hero. You can find it on RU-vid.
@@dzanier Yes, he is. And he's just made a new movie, at age 92, unfortunately, a none too distinguished picture, but still. However, his and Monroe's performances in Bus Stop were just tremendous. He has had a wide-ranging career. Unfortunately, the marriage to Lange lasted only six years, but he has been married to his second wife for nearly 60. Bravo to both of them.
K. G. - I know- I've done that myself. It's so soothing to watch these before going to bed. One needs these calming and fun videos in these pathologically stressful times.
Cute Arlene & Martin moments alert: Cute moment #1: Martin's twirl upon entrance. (1:20) Cute moment #2: The wordless communication between husband and wife: Martin merely needs to nod and Arlene knows it has something to do with horse racing. Because of that, the first challenger's occupation is quickly guessed. (5:29) Cute moment #3: Arlene saying that the first challenger could probably run faster than her horse, Cuthbert. (6:13) Cute moment #4: Arlene quipping that the second challenger teaches fish how to swim. (14:37)
Arlene Francis had the most beautiful shoulders. Even on Match Game appearances in the mid-70s, she wore dresses that displayed them well. Can't say much for the bubble dress, though!
@@kenretherford1197 Hey Ken! Yes, Arlene is beautiful. (I'm no slouch myself :)) and Martin Gabel's attraction is his great energy, humour, dimples and that wonderful voice! So he can park his slippers under my bed anytime...
I heard a local radio announcer mention that Don Murray turned 93, just a few days ago. And just today, I heard it said that it was sixty years (to the day) Marilyn Monroe passed on in 1962. Mr. Murray must be among the very last of Marilyn's co-stars ("Bus Stop") still with us. A very fine actor - good for him!
Something I hadn't noted, or at least remembered, from previous viewings: this episode is a bit off-kilter. I don't mean the goofiness of much of the banter, which is notable and enjoyable. What I mean is technical: the kinescope camera was not properly aimed at the studio video monitor. The film frame shows the lower edge of the video image, and it's not level! There's a tapering black bar at the bottom of the film frame, which is the dark part of the face of the picture tube of the monitor that's not being "lit" by the electron gun. The kind of CRT used in this process had a round, flat face (shaped like an Erlenmeyer flask in chemistry, turned on its side) and the image was scanned onto a rectangle entirely within the circle (usually), with no frame as would be present in a home TV set. I say usually because sometimes these kinescope images have dark corners, indicating that the video image was a big enough rectangle that the corners didn't fit within the round face of the CRT. But since viewers at the time were watching on sets with rounded glass CRT screens too, they didn't see those dark corners. Today we watch on computer monitors or flat screen TV sets with full rectangle images and can see these artifacts of mid-century technology. I wonder if today's youth wonders why printed TV listings still sometimes use those channel-number symbols with a white numeral in a black rectangle with rounded left and right edges? Those were designed when TV screens were shaped like that.
Been binging for two weeks. What gracious nice people. Fall asleep with them every night. Although I like them all, Bennet Cerf is my favorite. In love with Arlene.
I, too, fall asleep with them every night and watch them over and over. I learn so much and get a real kick out of their clever dialogue and word play. Also how they pick up clues along the way. The comments also are packed full of great info and sentiment 🙂
A Portland (OR) connection on this episode. In addition to the fish counter (2nd challenger), Miss Lange attended Reed College which is located in that city.
Just wanted to say thank you for posting these. I've become hopelessly addicted. lol Like others here, I enjoy the 'glimpse' back in time. I'm fairly well versed in history and such, but this sort of gives us a 'live' view that the old movies and such can't. This was before my time as well. I'm quite well versed in old movies and such - but I don't reconize *MOST* of the mystery guests featured on this show. So its an education as well. I also love the way they play with the English language. :) And, frankly, in this episode. .I SERIOUSLY have to agree with Bennett about those dresses. *coughs* I thought he was complaining - in earlier episodes - about the changing fashion. . .women wearing pants or some such thing. But when Dorothy and Arlene came out wearing. . .*coughs* I think his complaints are quite legit. lol
Dorothy and Arlene are wearing updated copies of the dresses that Lucy and Ethel wore in I Love Lucy two years earlier. The episode where the girls want Paris gowns and the boys have them made out of potato sacks.
Loved my fellow Oregonian the fish counter, she was having a blast. Thought the Don and Hope section was a little awkward. But it was fun to see John having so much fun.
Ms Francis and Ms. Kilgallen did a models thrull at their introductions at the beginning ! I guess that is what models did a lot at those 1958 fashion shows .
I'm glad they wore them so I have a visual reference. Alene's isn't quite as sack-like as Dorothy's. I think it's a bold fashion choice. Interesting is nothing else.
What was he harping on before? I've been watching these in order and I don't recall Bennett saying anything about potential dresses the girls would be wearing.
Merrida100 Bennett said he didn’t like sack dresses because they concealed the fact that the wearer was a woman. He was hinting that the female figure is hidden in the sack and he was right. He just phrased it delicately.
Building my vocabulary: 'Life gets more parlous every day,' says John at 2:51. Parlous, meaning full of danger or uncertainty; perilous. (I'd seen it used, just never had occasion to need the actual definition.)
For what? Using too much fabric to hide the splendid figures of these women? Arlene's at least displayed her lovely shoulders on camera, but the overdone cape drew attention away from her fine posture when seen full-length. Dorothy's dress would be cute as a maternity outfit for a woman expecting triplets; it doesn't do a thing for her.
Thank you so much for this game show featuring one of my favorites Hope Lange and her husband Don Murray whom I liked in a lot of films and television shows. 😃
Don Murray-Best Supporting Actor Oscar Nomination for BUS STOP in 1957, Hope Lange for Best Supporting Actress Nomination for PEYTON PLACE in 1958 that year.
Hope Lange was terrific in that great so-called women picture;THE BEST OF EVERYTHING. She is even more cute here than she was in that movie. She died rather young darn it.
Second contestant nearly as giggly and as fun as that Norwegian lady barber from Boston. Fun and educational as well. I've seen The Dalles Dam and I would not want to be a fish navigating the steps. I would like to think the fish know!
Interesting that Martin Gabel plugs Irwin Shaw during the mystery guest sequence. In 1963, Gabel starred in "Children at their Games" a play written by Shaw that flopped mightily.
Don Murray was an best supporting oscar nominee for BUS STOP (1956) & Hope Lange was an best supporting actress oscar nominee for PEYTON PLACE (1957)-The 1958 oscars that year. :)
Bennett, founder of Random House, makes a quip about a competitor, Simon &Schuster, calling them Salmon & Shuster. Now, 60+ years later, Random House is acquiring Simon & Schuster, made possible by relaxed anti-trust regulation
A chemise is an undergarment used by women during the late 18th and early 19th century, under their full length dress. I guess it became a dress in the 1950 .
While the garments are different,the word 'chemise' sounds extremely similar to the Indian word "kameez" which was in use since few centuries before the 18th.
Bennett DID say Salmon and Schuster. I just love this program. I couldn't imagine that any celebrity these days would be as witty, debonair and well-spoken as the panel and guests on this program.