lol, what? He's exactly like most other comedian panelists....most of them had non-scripted wit...they all had their own delivery style, but most of them were clearly non-scripted and had wit. Bishop was par for the majority, not an exception to the majority.
@@waldolydecker8118 I did not say that any of the panel comedians were scripted in their WML participation. I was saying that Bishop was one of the few who were witty, even unscripted. If you think that Groucho, Buddy Hackett, Ernie Kovacs, Victor Borge, Mort Sahl etc were funny, rather than boorish and juvenile when appearing on the WNL panel, then I think we must agree to disagree.
@@Baskerville22- Did not have in mind any of the individuals you listed, as I would generally tend to agree with you on those. I would site Steve Allen and Fred Allen in particular as being far superior in unscripted wit to Joey Bishop in their appearances on the show and would put Robert Q Lewis and even occasionally Martin Gabel (a non-comedian) up there in making excellent unscripted witty remarks. I've always liked Bishop, but he's not on the wit level of either Allen - as nobody on that show was either.
@@waldolydecker8118 I agree that Steve Allen could be very amusing, though he was on several occasions 'primed' to ask questions that would elicit great hilarity from the studio audience. One instance was the episode featuring the lady who repaired zippers. I believe John Daly had that 'priming' stopped. I didn't regard Steve Allen as a comedian, though he was clearly a very intelligent chap with myriad talents. He was a semi-regular panelist for quite a while. I hadn't seen WML till the internet came along, as I live in Australia.
This has got to be my favourite Mystery Guest appearance from Joey Bishop, who is one of my favourite fourth panelists. I just love his witty humour and deadpan delivery... he's even smiling a lot more than usual in this episode!
Has it not been an great opportunity for Bennet Cerf to introduce John Daly with a Limmerick? Something like This: There once was a News Commentator, He puzzled us sooner or later On this What's My Line, He's doing just fine, This great Panel Moderator. Limmericks are a mutch better fun than puns, i think, and Arlenes mentioning this book, was an Inspiration (for me) My first Limmerick in a foreign Language. I feel a bit proud ;-)
+Sabine Beyer There once was a poet named Beyer Whose humor couldn't get any dryer. In accord with our wish, She'd post auf Englisch So we could all be her admirer.
This has been said many times, but Arlene's warmth truly is one of a kind. Beginning from her posture, mannerisms, enunciation, her vocal inflections, every single thing is on point. I wager that to have all these put together was rare even back then.
Lorna Badeo You're lucky that your public library still holds onto older books. I just started reading Arlene's memoir, but I had to buy a used copy of it online, because there is only one copy of the book in the entire New York Public Library system, and that's only available for in-library use. I also bought (for the same reason) and just finished reading Bennett Cerf's posthumously published memoir, titled "At Random," which I also recommend, although it focuses mainly on his publishing career and only includes a couple of pages on "What's My Line?" plus a few passing references to it in other parts of the book.
This is one of the very few times I've seen an African American constant the was not a celebrity or sports figure. Mr. Ficklin was Head Butler in the White House until the later end of the Reagan's first term. His brother also worked at the White House too.
Debra Battle Wow, that's a long career! Your comment got me interested in finding out more about John Ficklin. A quick internet search brought me to this recent article/photo essay about his White House service: www.washingtonian.com/blogs/capitalcomment/1600-pennsylvania-avenue/meet-the-white-house-butlers-boss.php.
Actually many of his family worked there. Obituary, including an eggnog recipe, at www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1984/12/18/john-ficklin-was-maitre-d-at-white-house/b50389f5-ad96-40df-9cf1-f34c2b1cdd99/?.3deacbef3e27
They had two or three African Americans in the early years, including a man who ran the elevator at the Statue of Liberty and a woman who ran a training camp for boxers. But I think at some point during the early years of the Civil Rights movement someone made a decision that they would have African-Americans with jobs that commanded respect. So we began to see Air Force officers, and diplomats, judges, and other jobs that would command respect, no matter who held the position. I believe it was a firm decision that they would have African-Americans who others could look up to and admire, and not in some job that people might laugh at, like selling worms or some other unusual job.
While Dorothy is thinking out loud, Arlene can be heard saying "coach" at 15:36. I doubt she meant it in the athletic sense, and I don't remember hearing the term in the sense of "life coach" until the 1980s, though this would overlap well with Miss Livingston's work. (Let me know if I'm wrong on when this usage began.) Most likely Arlene was using it in the sense of "dramatic coach"--one who helps actors prepare for roles. She would have sensed that Miss Livingston had something of the stage in her manner.
When I saw the first contestant, John Ficklin, I thought he must have been Eugene Allen's boss (Allen was the inspiration for Lee Daniel's _The Butler_). Thanks to SaveThe TPC's link, I see that he was.
Washingtonian.com NEWS Meet the White House Butler’s Boss (Photos) The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library recently agreed to house a host of photographs, letters, and other memorabilia commemorating the career of John Ficklin, the longest-serving head of the White House domestic staff. WRITTEN BY WASHINGTONIAN STAFF | PUBLISHED ON JUNE 26, 2014 John Ficklin met his first President in 1939, shortly after his brother Charles got the 20-year-old John a job as a part-time pantry boy at the White House-an elevator opened and there was Franklin Roosevelt. The son of a former slave from Rappahannock County, John Ficklin would go on to serve eight more Presidents and rise to be maître d’, as the top White House butler is officially known-often the first person the President or First Lady sees in the morning and the last person he or she sees at night. Ficklin’s personal effects from the time, says Duke Blackwood, director of the Reagan library, “offer a rare insight into the social and cultural history of a national institution.” Ficklin retired in 1983 and died the next year. Here’s a remembrance by Alan DeValerio, one of his former servers.
This is sure part of history development; imagine yesterday weighting money in accordance to the first correct counted package when as today's automated money counting machines.
Joey Bishop did some great imitations. Oh nice did he ask that his earnings be sent to the cystic fibrosis Association. I’m surprised that all the celebrities didn’t have their winnings go to charity.
5:03 LMAO at Arlene being reprimanded by Daly for shamelessly flirting with Jack Lemmon while seated on the panel. (I don't blame her, I would have flirted with Jack too. He was adorable.)
I can't be positive, but Miss Livingston may be a former opera singer. (Certainly, her voice is rich enough for it.) If she's the same Jorie Livingston showing up in 40s Billboards, then she had an operatic parody act for awhile, before changing professions. (Oh, I just caught up with John, who said so.) She died in 1974, and is the mother of dancer Leila Livingston.
I don't think Arlene was cheating though, more like she was whispering sweet nothings into Lemmon's ear. Seems like she (and perhaps also Dorothy) had a bit of a crush on him.
At 18:05, a rare and beautiful smile from Joey Bishop! Maybe he's breaking his stone-faced character because the panelists are blindfolded, but I'm glad that he forgot for a second that the camera was on him.
I have always felt a bit sorry for Joey Bishop, because the physical act of smiling sets off endorphins and can make a person feel much better. I wonder if he is as sad inside as he always appears?
What a shame! The woman who advises business leaders admitted that she did not perform the service for women. My wife was very good in business, but kept running into glass ceilings. Fortunately, if this woman were to answer this question now, the answer would have been yes.
dgoldg To me, it just sounded like they both kept repeating "Miss," but that wouldn't really make sense. According to an article on the genesis of the title, "Ms." from the New York Times Magazine (www.nytimes.com/2009/10/25/magazine/25FOB-onlanguage-t.html?_r=0), the idea of "Ms." was introduced as early as the turn of the 20th century, resurfaced in the late 40s, the 50s & early 60s, but never really caught on as an accepted alternative to "Miss" or "Mrs." until the 1970s. Here's a quote from the article: "Fraily and Schnell’s 'Practical Business Writing' of 1952, for instance, recommended it as a title 'that saves debating between Miss and Mrs.' Two years later, Brown and Doris’s 'Business Executive’s Handbook' briefly noted that 'a few business concerns now use "Ms."’ Outside of secretarial circles, however, Ms. remained largely unknown." So maybe the second contestant was stating a preference for "Ms." after all. If so, however, John was apparently not accepting it.
Perhaps I am mistaken, but to me it seems that around late '59 and afterwards Dorothy seems a bit thinner. That said, I have noticed for sure that in some episodes she comes across as rather melancholic and sad. I can't quite sense the vigor she had in shows prior to the time frame mentioned.
Corleone so true. you definitely notice that her light dimmed a bit, a reflection of the personal turmoil perhaps. either way, kinda breaks my heart watching her sometimes.
Lorna Badeo It is sad. Despite the issue she had with John, and sometimes making some rather rude remarks, her wit and logic are commendable. From as far as I can remember, she has guessed the most lines out of the entire panel. Also, it is bittersweet because we've literally seen them age, and with 2 episodes a day it is going quite fast.
i concur. i think i left a comment on another WML page and episode where someone made reference to a rift with the panel. I said that having watched the episodes and read interviews, I don't believe that the rift is as dramatic as some folks have made it out to be. They were family. Period. They loved and respected each other immensely. This, of course, doesn't discount the disappointment ( i feel that with those you love this is the more logical emotion), John felt with the Mike Wallace debacle. I just don't believe that he "never forgave" Dorothy. On the contrary, if one watched subsequent episodes, they are fine. Again, not to discount the fact that further along Dorothy's career the panelists probably thought she sold her journalistic integrity down the river with her column becoming more gossipy than newsy. Even Bennett referenced the fact that Dorothy never was catty, or anything but lovely in person, but it came out in the columns. Arlene's bio notes that she had the utmost respect for Dorothy and her smarts. All in all any tension was most likely due to the fact that the other panelists had to put up a thin wall bc of the nature of Dorothy's column. I kinda took the direction of her column going with the direction of her self- confidence towards the end of her life. She had a particularly rough last 5 years it sounds. Poor thing. Essay over :P
Lorna Badeo First I'd like to say that I really appreciate such long and informative comments. I also agree with what you say. Despite it all, there is most certainly a kindness that emanates from her, and one cannot blame her for doing her best to bring the news first and maintain her column relevant, regardless of the direction she chose to do so. In the episode after this, again, there is this vulnerability about her that is quite prominent. And her death, based on what I've read, is pretty fishy. A little bit of a cover up I'd say, but then again we'll probably never know.
shannon7733 I actually think it may have been set up by Daly and Lemmon. Just the way it plays out seems like the typical, Jack Lemmon,"Oops, I've gone too far!" shtick. Brilliant, actually.
According to Wikipedia, April 17, 1955. There were too many cases of a Free Guess being accurate, which meant that an entire session was useless. Someone finally realized it was better to get rid of it.
I love this series, but sometimes the way the panel and moderator slobber over each other with praise gets to be a bit much. Actors take themselves and what they do way too seriously.
It's unsettling to realize that this was the November that Kennedy was elected. My heart breaks to see how far we have fallen. Sorry to get political but it is our history.