MYSTERY GUEST: Irene Dunne PANEL: Dorothy Kilgallen, Jim Backus, Arlene Francis, Bennett Cerf Many thanks to epaddon for providing his copy of this episode! ----------------------- New Facebook group for WML! / 728471287199862
Always glad to be reminded of Jim Backus. Among comedians turned character actor, he places high as James Dean's dad in 'Rebel without a Cause'- for its time, a brave portrayal of a henpecked, emasculated male trying to do the right thing for his kin and striking out. At the moment of Irene Dunne's previous MG spot, 1953, she had faced the fading of her time in films. By 1957 she was into a second career as an emissary of American culture at the UN, laying a trail for Shirley Temple to follow.
I absolutely love Irene Dunne's understated but yet overwhelmingly elegant attire. She was at the time of this broadcast five years retired from making feature films and was actively engaged in the second act of her life, one devoted to good works and good deeds. To have been named by Eisenhower as an alternate delegate to the UN was indeed an honor. Her work on behalf of St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica is carried on to this day via The Irene Dunne Guild, the hospital's official fundraising arm. She also, with her husband of almost forty years, founded the Francis D. and Irene D. Griffin Foundation which I believe is still active.
Betsy Drake aka Mrs Cary Grant and her best friend Amanda Dunne aka Mrs Phillip Dunne use to call her the nun-Dunn cause she alway played being so pure but I guess she wasn't. We All Have skeletons in our closet.
Love Ms. Dunne in all her movies...one of the most fascinating and talented actresses that this nation has been blessed with...."Life With Father" with William Powell is one of her best movies I enjoy the most.
Bennett Cerf was an amazingly well informed man of great insight and intelligence. Combine that with his personal charm and quick sense of humor really make him a champ.
I agree with everything you said about Bennett Cerf. But I would also add that I always felt that he had a very kind and gentle-sounding voice. He & Dorothy were my 2 favorites on this show.
You'd never get that idea from seeing her here, but she was a fabulous movie presence. If you haven't already, see "The Awful Truth." You'll never regret it.
SuperWinterborn She looks fantastic, yes. Sometimes I wonder if the B&W kinescope films are perhaps flattering to aging stars, since you can't possibly make out details like fine wrinkles. So many older stars look fantastic in their WML appearances.
What's My Line? I've been pondering about this myself, and I think it was the lighting. Light from certain angles can be very flattering, both to old and young, and professional photographers have known it for years. (I guess the producers might have had some sort of a deal with their invited celebrities concerning this) But even then, Ms Dunne would have looked younger than many of her age. The reason was simply that she had that kind of face! Arlene is older than Dorothy, and even have more wrinkles, but seems to be younger, and Bennett who's the oldest of them all, doesn't seem to age at all, at least very slowly.
She had porcelain skin...look up her early movies like My Favorite Wife...which BTW IS still pretty freaking hysterical if you ask me & you'll see how she looked at she was about 25 or maybe 30 yrs younger. You'd expect to see more wrinkles. Rosalind Russell was the same way if you can find her episode and she's ANOTHER actress with OVER 30 QUALITY movies. They just had amazing skin to begin with so even tho it's decades later, they still look great. 😁
I've enjoyed seeing and hearing about history, entertainment, and people's lives during the 50's and 60's during my childhood. So different from my adulthood! 🙂
soulierinvestments Oh, if he had, I don't think she would mind. Her age wasn't any secret, and when someone looks that good close to 60, they ought to be proud of it, rather than deny their age. At least, I wouldn't ;)
Irene Dunne is one of the great Actresses of the Golden Age of Hollywood. One of my favorite movies she starred in was "Penny Serenade" with Cary Grant to name just one. "Showboat" is another one of the movies she starred in directed by the great James Whale.
thought it was clever of Ms Dunne to reply in several languages: “Si, No, Ja, Oui, Ja, Si”, inasmuch as she was the U.S. Delegate to the United Nations.
Irene Dunne is one of the very few female stars of the golden age who starred in almost every genre of film: screwball comedies, musicals, weepies, dramas, romance, westerns, thrillers, historical dramas
Hoover Dam (formerly called Boulder Dam) is on the Arizona-Nevada border and nowhere near Boulder, Colorado. However, Hoover Dam is close to Boulder City, Nevada. Boulder City started as a collection of houses where the construction workers on the dam lived during its approximately six years of construction. Those who work at Hoover Dam on an ongoing basis to this day typically live in Boulder City, which nowadays has a population of 15,000 or so. It's just over 800 miles and a drive of nearly 13 hours between Boulder, Colorado and Boulder City, Nevada.
I was stunned when John Daly showed a lack of geographical knowledge at that point in the program. Boulder/Hoover Dam was a major engineering marvel of the 20th century and should have been well known to him. Perhaps he was confused for a moment because it is built on the Colorado River. Even so, it is nowhere near Colorado. Furthermore, it is not too far from Las Vegas where John had gone a few times over the years during his run on WML so far to view nuclear tests not too far from Vegas. The dam and the lake it forms (Lake Mead) are popular tourist attractions for anyone staying in Vegas.
It's a forgivable gaff. I think if he had more than one second to think about it, he'd had gotten it right. Boulder, Colorado, Boulder City, Boulder Dam -- it would confuse anyone.
In her 1953 WML appearance Miss Dunne adopted a comic persona, right down to the kooky hat and gloves. But four years later, she is discussing a serious matter--the UN. She was appointed by President Eisenhower as an alternate delegate to the 1957-58 General Assembly. He could not have picked a better, more well-respected spokesperson. She is so divinely chic here. The understated elegance of her attire is timeless. I like the way she morphs into different accents in order to try to fool the panel. She conjures up images of Marta Hanson from "I Remember Mama".
It's wonderful to hear her talk about the great work of the United Nations, especially their work related to refugees. While this tape is over 60 years old, the issues she mentions are still as relevant as ever. Irene Dunne was one of the greatest stars of old Hollywood, but she was also a forward-thinking philanthropist.
A lovely lady, I think she looks as well if not better than in the 1953 episode, her hair maybe makes her look older in this one - her dress in this one is fabulous and much better than in the earlier show.
Jim Backus was one of a small group of people who appeared as WML guest panelist in the 1950s, the 1960s, and the 1970s. TV was a strange medium, particularly in the 1960s. Backus had three seasons of success in "Gilligan's Island," which makes sense only from a post-modernistic existential point of view interpretation. Then he was cast as "J C Dithers" in the live action version of "Blondie," arguably the most popular comic strip of that period -- and it lasted at most a season. Go figure popular taste.
I think John got Mr. Bucher's place of residence, Boulder, Colorado, mistakenly near Hoover Dam due to the fact that the original name of Hoover Dam ( in Southern Nevada on the Colorado River,) was Boulder Dam.
As others have pointed out, John was mistaken in believing that the Hoover Dam was in Boulder, Colorado. He also made another gaffe. After Irene Dunne, at 21:42 he said "Let's see what we can do with a final panelist", obviously meaning a final contestant. This is not a knock at John: he was remarkable (except on biology and sometimes geography). I can't imagine that the show would have succeeded without him.
Boy, the panel and the host were out to lunch in the first half of this episode. It began with John Daly thinking that Hoover Dam was somewhere near Boulder Co, and ended with some of the worst questioning ever seen on the show with the girdle tester. They were also clueless with the guy who ran the yodeling school. Good thing they had an easy mark with Irene Dunne to get their momentum back.
Had Miss Dunne just said "no" to Arlene's question "Are you part of the entertainment world" instead of saying "not at present", I'm sure the panel wouldn't have guessed her identity as quickly, if at all.
When this show aired Jim Backus was the star of one of the last "big time" live radio shows. The ABC Radio Network had, in spring of 1957 changed it's name to "The American Broadcasting Network" (ABN). They were trying a "Live And Lively" format with stars like Merv Griffin, Jim Reeves, Jim Backus, and others doing daily shows using live audiences and full orchestras. It was one last gasp for old time radio, but sadly was a major flop ending early in 1958. ABN "The Merv Griffin Show" (1957)
Here you go at 8:40 she finally gets back to the arts, when it was established that he had something to do with the arts, Backus asks if he uses his hands, he says no... I was surprised Arlene didn't ask whether he used his voice...
Jim Backus appeared a number of times in 1956-7 WML. I would have used him on the panel as often as possible. Great guy. Backus not only voiced Quincey Magoo, he voice a genie in one of the most completely politically incorrect cartoons for the ages -- "A Lad in his Lamp." [Warner animation unit 1947] There was enough ghastly material in it to offend a dozen pressure groups. His voice crossed Harvard and Persia and said such appalling observations as "Oh that's a harem all right. I know a harem when I see one." Noel Coward it ain't.
soulierinvestments I also liked Backus on the panel a whole lot. As I learned only this year from the new Mr Magoo theatrical shorts DVDs, he ad libbed a great deal of the Magoo dialogue. He fit right in on WML.
Well, as far as I know the United States still has a right bestowed upon our citizens, The Freedom of Expression, so unless we are soon to lose Those Rights, We shall be able to enjoy these FREEDOMS on platforms, such as RU-vid , no matter what your political and beliefs may be. So Jim Backus cannot be CANCELLED, because he is dead. My point, therefore, is that and your POLITICALLY CORRECT views you have, can go STRAIGHT TO HELL!
No one on the panel could be reasonably called intelligent, at least by today's standards, they are very uninformed. They don't know one animal from another or a planet from a moon, or a basic grammar terms or geography. I wonder what was taught back then, because I knew all these things and more by 4th grade.
I think it was _Mad Magazine,_ or maybe _National Lampoon,_ that did a takeoff on the movie _Planet of the Apes._ When they came to the monolith, they said it was the box the U.N. building came in. I don't know why, but I still think it's funny.
Because not only is everyone on it dead but the culture that spawned it, a gracious, glamorous, God-fearing last mid-century time of prosperity, patriotism and American pride, is also DEAD. I'm glad I was around to witness the tail end of the American dream.
Magnus Hirschfeld, a famous German sexologist, before Masters & Johnson, persecuted by Hitler. His important library and papers were destroyed by the Nazis.
Does anyone know of a good history of ABC News, that particularly focus' on the early days up to the 60's? I've read in wider broadcasting books just how dirt poor they were, but I would like more detail.
I've been trying to find a book like that too without success. The book "The House that Roone built" does a great job detailing ABC News during the 70s and 80s but I have never found anything about the early days of ABC News when John Daly was the anchor. Please let me know if you find anything. Thanks!!!
Jeffrey Crippen Barbara Matusow's "The Evening Stars" written in the early 80s is the best overview of TV network news history up to that point and has a section on ABC during that period. Not too extensive on the Daly period but it does give helpful context.
epaddon thanks very much!! In addition to enjoying What's My Line, I have always been a bit of news historian. Have read everything I can find on the subject. David Brinkley's memoir is one of my favorite books.
Jeffrey Crippen I rechecked my copy today and there's about five or six pages covering the Daly era, and how basically Daly was the one-man face of ABC News the whole period and how he frequently had to ad lib due to production break downs in putting on the broadcast. Robert Kintner, an ABC exec who was forced out of the network and went to NBC wanted to take Daly over with him to NBC in 1956 but Daly's ABC contract would not let him go. If Daly had been able to bolt to NBC, then Chet Huntley and David Brinkley may not have gotten the anchor jobs that year that made them famous.
epaddon I remember reading a story years ago in some book about broadcasting, that when John Daly was the anchor of the evening news on ABC he would do four 15 minute newscasts to accommodate the needs of affiliates. Apparently, there was one of those newscasts that no station was picking up. However they would feed it down the line anyway. One night, on this cast that no station was supposed to be carrying, one station did indeed pick it up. During this one the papers flew off the podium, the lectern fell over and John just treated it as good fun, laughing and thinking no one was watching. But they were watching, in Pittsburgh, I think. I haven't seen that story since I was a teenager. Anyone else ever hear of it?
Miss Palmer - exceptionaly beautiful lady. And charming one too. Why did they laugh so much about music being part of her work? Is it because of whistles maybe? I don't get it.
It could be because there was recently a strip tease teacher on the show, who would have used music. That's my thought. They would have remembered her.
Scott Klement Intuition. That night Bennett seemed to be in tip top shape for a game all the way. He also guessed "yodeling" quite fast, even without any particular clue.
tomtriffid I doubt the panel was "coached in advance", of the simple logical reason, that then the program wouldn't have lasted for the 17 years it did, with John Daly as the monitor. People are not that stupid, and an intelligent man like Daly, wouldn't have kept on either. He obviously enjoyed the game, and I really don't think he would use his integrity as a wellknown and popular host, leading a program which was based on cheating. That the panel by other occasions read the newspapers beforehand, for maybe spotting out the nights "Mystery Guest", is another story, which of course is true. But that's all. *Dixi!*
SuperWinterborn Weren't they at the 45 dollar mark when Bennett suggested (out of turn, without permission for conference, I'll add) that this guy might be a yodeler?
www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=1815&PIpi=97604 I'm drawing a blank here trying to remember who else in Hollywood besides Irene Dunne was a full-scale Knight of Malta and a Knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre. Jack Haley, maybe . . . . United Nations delegation seats among Hollywood stars are also almost as rare. Danny Kaye. Audrey Hepburn. Miss Dunne.
Ive always been surprised at Cerf’s ability to guess but how in heck did he guess ‘yodeling’? Out of nowhere? Was he given the answers sometimes, just to keep up his image of the ‘smart guy on the panel’?
It occurred more than once and it raised my suspicion sometimes, just when the guessing approaches the end, out of nowhere, he gives the right answer with an impressive level of exactitude... but the 'yodeling' part was puzzling I agree.
Maybe Bennett clued into the German name, the German accent and when combining that with the fact that the guest was involved with music, put it all together and guessed that he was a yodeller.
Can someone help me? What did Bennett say when Arlene sort of hushed him when he was about to ask Miss Palmer something? It sounded like a normal question from Arlene jumped in imploying he might have written or drawn something? Does anyone know what happened with Bennett and that little gaff and time out?
Reluctant Dragon If it wasn't someone on the panel, loosing the mask, it seemed to be from the audience. The laughter came, when the text showed his line, and seemed to come from the first row, close to Daly's microphone. Perhaps from an amateur yodeler? ;)
Dsoes a nyone feel like rating BAckus on his acting performance playing "Thurston Howell III" in that silly "Gilligan's Island" TV series back in the 60's?
![What's My Line? - Irene Dunne; Jim Backus [panel] (Oct 20, 1957)](/img/logo.svg){kind=logo}
