What's My Line? - Hildegarde; Laraine Day [panel] (May 8, 1955) 

Wow! Amazing job by Dorothy with the hot dog vendor!

For years I wondered what made Hildegarde Sell such a sensation. She didn't seem to have much of a voice or be particularly gorgeous. Then late in her career and life I saw her in Chicago and I understand. She was delightful, charismatic, amusing and had a truly whimsical repertoire and boy could she immediately connect with audience, a large audience in a large venue of people of all ages. Then I understood.

Bad on John not to flip some extra cards for the first guest. He usually does when they get caught that early. Hildegarde was the inspiration for how Miss Piggy from the Muppets dressed, especially the gloves

Dorothy was so good at this game!

Hildegarde lived to the ripe old age of 99 and great to find out about a performer less known to me

Bennett and Fred together, firing off puns. No playing footsie with the panel? Love it!

The first challenger's boss, who he highly extols, was a descendant of Harry M. Stevens, who founded his eponymous concessions company in 1887. He is credited with inventing the design of a baseball scorecard which he sold along with the various food and drink one gets at a ball game. He also invented the advertising phrase, "You can't tell the players without a scorecard." That's actually quite remarkable since he used that phrase long before teams began to put numbers on the backs of the uniforms. He also claimed to have invented the hot dog on a cold day in 1901 at a baseball game at the Polo Grounds when ice cream sales were slow so he decided to sell hot German sausages that were known at the time as "dachshund sausages" (to this day members of that breed are dressed up as hot dogs). At first that day they were being sold the traditional way: wrapped in wax paper. But when they ran out of wax paper, Stevens instructed an assistant to go out and buy buns. A cartoonist captured the scene but couldn't spell dachshund, so in his caption he wrote "hot dogs". The Stevens family eventually purchased and preserved the original cartoon. Like many foods, there are other competing claims as to the inventor of the hot dog. The one I've most often heard was that it was invented at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. Still others claim it was known and popular in the U.S. in the 1800's. Harry M. Stevens, Inc. was a family-owned business until 1994. It supplied the concessions at many major sports venues in NYC (I remember them at Madison Square Garden when going to Ranger games) and I know some people who worked in the stands for them as older teens/young adults at various locations to earn extra money.in the late fifties and early sixties.

Dorothy is so smart!!!

Gotta love a foot doctor named Hand. Also there was a family of emporium owners named Hand in that region and some of the Hands of that general area are distant relatives of Edvard Grieg. Not that she was related to any of those, but Bennett usually mentions such connections because he knows so much about localities.

If Sherlock Holmes had been on the panel for the last guest, he would certainly have observed that, "The game is afoot".

Sometimes you'd think Dorothy was down right psychic!

Miss Hildegarde acknowledges the audience , a sign of classy performer >

Yes, John Daly repeatedly explaining the very simple scoring system was tedious and apparently some viewers complained about that. He consequently has more time to speak to the challengers and to let them answer - a welcome change.

just a bit of info on laraine day, she was married to the manager (leo durocher) of the baseball new york giants, 1955 would have been durocher's last year with a new york team. durocher managed both the brooklyn dodgers and giants from 1939 to 1955. little did all of these new yorkers know, both teams would leave for california in 2 years.

At Mill Run Inn in Skokie outside Chicago, with Fran Warren and a whole lineup of stars, all of whom got a big response from a sold-out crowd. I am guessing early 1980s. Being a journalist and in show business too I could easily go backstage there but on that night, which I believe was a Sunday, I sense these people from the past were going have a lot of people line dup to meet them, get photos with them and get autographs. I saw Peggy Lee there too with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra and she was beyond remarkable. I'd never seen such a carefully thought out, prepared and performed concert. The musicians told the rehearsals were exhausting as Peg gave attention to even the smallest imperfection. Many of the musicians had been playing for whenever she was in town for more than three decades, and they adored her and they adored her being a demanding perfectionist. And they adored her for being a genuine individual who regarded the musicians she knew as family and friends.

Dr. Catherine Hand, the chiropodist (or to use more current U.S. terminology, the podiatrist), once appeared on I've Got A Secret with three others whose names were unusual with respect to their professions: Mr. Strum, a guitar teacher, Dr. Yell, a dentist (whose full name was Donat Yell, prounounced "dough-not yell"), and there was a Mr. St. Peter, who was the gatekeeper at an Air Force base. I could remember the first three, but not the fourth one and I had to look that up. Since that episode of IGAS aired in 1963, about 8 years after this episode of WML, I'm amazed I could remember 3 of the 4 IGAS guests on that appearance. With some, they gave the name and asked the profession, and with others, they gave the profession and had the panel guess the name. At least that's what I recall. (I watched IGAS as an older child and then a teenager because it was on a weeknight fairly early in primetime, whereas WML was past my bedtime at 10:30 p.m., so I didn't get to see many episodes of the original WML.)

Dorothy is a gem! love her sm

Hildegard is a very wonderful lady

A Foot Doctor named Hand... :)

I named my 2 dogs, Hilegard 1, and 2

It is interesting how one well-placed question can sink a contestant. When Fred Allen asked the last contestant if she touched people above the waist and she said no, then the only realistic options were a Chiropodist or a shoe salesman.

.25 cents for a hotdog. I think last time I went to a ball game it was over $7.00

Hildegarde was LOVELY

the 1st contestant's last name Cohen there was a bar type place where i used to live called Cohen's made great hot dogs (& also candy apples during Halloween) but that's a common name so likely no relation

Hildegarde lived to 99 y.o. Died in 2005.

Laraine is so beautiful!

The last challenger had a job to die for!

How in the heck did Dorothy get the Hot dog guy ? ? ? ? Did she see him there. Even if Day was on the panel . I wish Daly asked her; '' HOW JA DO IT ?''

Laraine Day refused to shake hands with the working man; never seen that before and will never forget it. Not nice. RIP

What's up with Miss Day not shaking peoples' hands?

Larraine Day was married to Leo Durocher, manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers.

HE STOPPED ASKING THAT IN 1963 CAUSE THEY ALL KNOW HOW WE SCORE THIS SHOW

Oh that’s too bad that the hotdog man didn’t win the full amount. With that kind of job, he probably could have used the money. “We’re not going to open up any Megillahs here.” 😂 I wonder if John Charles Daly knew what a Megillah is.

She had to think about been alive. Doctor knew what she did!

Fred Allen's first questions to the second contestant sounds like a gambit as well -- though typically the producers did only one gambit on occasion per episode.

Dr. Hand was from Palmyra, Pa.....just down the road from me.

Bennett says he loves Dorothy 12:35. He is making a joke, but that’s OK, because we often see that he disliked her because of her reporting, T least they were on good terms here.

Milwaukee's Hildegarde.

Laraine Day did a marvelous job!🏵🌹

The first challenger did not need to go to Ebbets Field on the day of this episode, Mother's Day. The Dodgers were in Philadelphia beating the Phillies, 9-8. Meanwhile, Laraine Day's husband's Giants split a doubleheader against the Pirates at the Polo Grounds. A remark is made by Bennett about hitting better than the Giants catchers. At the end of action that day (in which Giants catchers went a respectable 2 for 7) their averages were: Wes Westrum (.114) and Ray Katt (.143) both anemic marks. Third string catcher Mickey Grasso only batted twice up to that point without a hit. May 8 would prove to be his last appearance in a major league game. He was released three days later as the Giants were trimming their roster from 28 players to 25 to meet what was then known as the May 15 cut down date. Switching attention to Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia, the Dodgers built up a 9-2 lead with four runs in the top of the 7th when Duke Snider hit a grand slam home run. They needed every one of them as the Phillies countered with four of their own in the bottom of that inning and two more in the 8th. But the Phillies were unable to capitalize on a leadoff single in the 9th and the Dodgers were glad to get out of town with a sweep of the Phillies and their second double digit winning streak of the season still intact. At the end of the day's action, the Dodgers had a phenomenal 21-2 record, putting them 9 games ahead of the second place Braves, the only other team in the league with a winning record (12-11). The Giants were in third at 11-11. In contrast, the last place team in the American League (Baltimore) was 10 games behind first place Cleveland. Around this time, Branch Rickey of the Pirates was moaning that continued dominance by the Dodgers would be an economic disaster for the rest of the league because it would soon be obvious that no other team had a chance to win the pennant. The Dodgers were 6-0 this week, beating the Braves on Monday in 12 innings at home (the second game of a rare Sunday-Monday series), then taking two from the Cardinals at Ebbets Field on Wednesday and Thursday before leaving for Philadelphia. On Monday, Carl Erskine and 6'8" Gene Conley (also an NBA basketball player) matched zeroes through 11 innings. In the top of the 12th, Erskine survived walking the first two batters. After Del Crandall's bunt moved runners to second and third, Erskine got out of the jam by getting Conley to ground out to Pee Wee Reese at shortstop, no doubt with the infield playing in, and Billy Bruton to fly out to Sandy Amoros in left field. Yes Conley batted for himself. It was common in those days. In the bottom half of the inning, Jackie Robinson coaxed a one out walk and then trotted home on Carl Furillo's 8th home run of the year in the Dodgers first 18 games: a very fast pace for a player who normally hit about 20 home runs for the season. After a day off, Cardinals pitchers walked Furillo three of the four times he batted, but the Dodgers scored early and often to win 12-4, with Roy Campanella driving in 4 runs and Reese and Snider bringing home three apiece. Things were literally wild in the first inning the next day. Future Hall of Fame Manager Tommy Lasorda was given a rare start and he was lucky to get away with allowing only one run as he walked two batters and uncorked three wild pitches. He also suffered a bad gash on his leg covering home on his third wild pitch as Wally Moon scored. He retired the last two batters in the inning but couldn't continue thereafter. One of Lasorda's claims to fame is that the only reason the Dodgers sent him to the minors was that the rules required them to keep a bonus baby on the roster that year, a player by the name of Koufax, As evidenced by this game which wasn't that unusual, Lasorda;s wildness was comparable to Sandy's at this time, but Lasorda never had a fastball and curve anywhere close to what Sandy threw. The game was tied 3-3 in the bottom of the eighth when Snider led off with a walk, went all the way to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a sacrifice fly. People remember the speed of Mantle and Mays, but they forget that Snider was right up there with them in his prime. On Friday, the Dodgers won their second 12 inning game of the week. After 4 innings the score was tied 4-4. After 11 innings, it was the same score. Rookie Jack Meyer who would lead the NL in saves that year held the Dodgers at bay for 6 innings while 4 Dodger pitchers matched him blank for blank. The Dodgers finally prevailed on Campanella's two run double. On Saturday, Erskine went the distance to raise his record to 5-0 with a 6-3 victory. The game was marred in the 7th inning when losing pitcher Robin Roberts, who had already been removed from the game for pitching ineffectively, started yelling at HP Umpire Artie Gore about his pitch calling. He was ejected from the dugout and two other reserve players were also ejected. In response, the fans started throwing empty beer cans on the field and the game was delayed for 10 minutes. Umpiring crew chief Jocko Conlan had to threaten forfeiting the game to the Dodgers for things to quiet down.

Why didn't Day shake his hand when he introduced himself to the panel?

25 cents for a hot dog! Before long, it will be 25 dollars!

Daly: "I would say this” Well, he hardly wouldn’t, then say it. I think he loved the sound of his voice, in motion.

Ever notice that Dorothy will know the answer, but to get more screen time, she ends up asking 3 or 4 lengthy questions that are irrelevant such as "do children sometimes eat too many of these things?" She's a smart cookie and hones in on people and is very bright. It's just a little irritating how she'd hog for camera time when she was wiser than that.

I wish we could see the commercials too

17:30-17:45 ish, Dorothy and John both say “tomAHto” juice. Is that a New York thing, or a 1950s thing? (I’m not from the US, and I’d thought it was pronounced “tomAYto”)

Ms. Hand the foot doctor

Hildegard Loretta Sell. Unknown to me.

Miss Hand is a foot doctor, funny.

Benn ett Cerf complaining about .25 cents for a Hot Dog. That would be $2.80 in today’s money. Now a Hot Dog costs $6.99 at Dodgers Stadium. I just figured you should all know how LITTLE your money goes nowadays. We make half of what our grandparents made and everything is twice as expensive. BUT we have the same chances.

Wonder why Laraine Day wouldn’t shake the hands of any of the male guests?

Ever think they're fed the answers some of the time

A true Brooklyn accent there.

Looks like a professor - but only a burger maker

The producers HAD to have given a gambit to Lorraine Day -- though typically gambits went to bright comedians whose egos inclined them to laughs rather than solutions.

I know it was the 1950s but why don't they just ask, "is it below the waist?" That's so dumb.

Patrick, Bennett dear, not Francis.

Twenty Five Cents was a rather high price for a Hot Dog in 1955!

Even the contestants look and dress like celebrities. Not like trashy Hollywood now.

Laraine Day clearly had a. inflated sense of self - not shaking hands with the guests. Ridiculous

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-CbK2dqeWkxw.htmlm47s. Is the guy laughing in this episode of "The Honeymooners" the same guy in the audience of this WML episode (1:17, 2:41, 4:39, 4:49, 8:36, 8:45, 19:02 and others)who laughs throughout (and other episodes)?

Laraine Day not shaking hands with the guests as was customary. Perhaps due to her strict adherence to her religious beliefs? She was a devout Mormon who for one drank neither alcohol, coffee or tea.

when did chiropodist change to podiatrist?

Is it just me or is Ms. Day selective with whom she shakes hands? She shook all the contestants' hands from the May 1 episode, but only shook hands with the third non-celebrity contestant for this episode.

Why does Laraine refuse to shake hands with the contestants? Not very polite!

SELLS HOT DOGS AT EBBETS FIELD MAKES DICE FOOT DOCTOR

WHY did John Daly ask a woman’s marital status? He didn’t ask it of the men.

What on Earth was wrong with Laraine Day? She never bothered to even extend a hand to shake out of simple politeness to the guests, yet everyone else did. She didn't even make a gesture? That strikes me as very rude for a panelist.

14:08 Who?

Laraine Day: smart, articulate, classy, and every inch a lady as a panelist. A good substitute for Arlene Francis!!!!!