Eddie Becker was my dad. Appeared in 30 Broadway shows [15 original cast]. Best dramatic tenor on Bway for 3 decades. Mame Paint Your Wagon, Silk Stocking, Come Blow Your Horn, Bye Bye Birdie, Family Affair. Road Co's Damn Yankees, West Side Story, Guys and Dolls, Camelot, South Pacific among others.
cassiemoira - I agree. Basically, it would have been better for the show and seemed less rude to speak to the Mystery Guest longer and not to rush a final contestant who often seemed to be given "the bum's rush" after travelling far and waiting long to get on the show. It is most of the time dependent on if the MG will, like Phil Silvers, just take over the conversation and begin chatting. You will find that unless John Daly has some way to promote himself or his friends or to puff himself up in the public mind about his achievements, rarely do the Mystery Guests stay and say much. It is most often Arlene, sometimes Dorothy or Martin Gabel or Tony Randall who will bring up the reason the guest is there, whether promoting a book or film or recording. There was not enough pleasant, informative Mystery Guest footage when CBS went to do a 25th Anniversary Special because, to their shock, they discovered that most of the conversations Daly had with the MGs was about himself and his past and his acquaintances. So they had to can what they thought would be the main attraction for people seeing all the greats of the past.
I have been watching this programme over and over again on RU-vid The catch this episode because of the fact of Miss Blythe use to cut my father's hair
At 7:30, John uses a slang expression that was current in 1958. He says that you are "real gone" if you have chin whiskers. The expression was connected with the beatnik movement. Probably the most famous beatnik was the character Maynard G. Krebs on The Dobie Gillis Show. Krebs was played by Bob Denver, who gained eternal TV fame (or is it shame?) as Gilligan.
Years later in days of "The Hollywood Squares," Peter Marshall asked Mel Brooks, sitting in one of the squares, what was the world's oldest sport. Without missing a beat he replied, "Cesar Romero." [laughter] "He still wears wing tips."
Wow I didn't know Phil Silvers was so charming. I see him in a new light. So personable and funny too. What a great combination. Thanks for the upload.
I love it when they get to spend time with the mystery guest particularly if he is found out early. If I were programming CBS I would have had a live talk show (hosted by John Daly) immediately after What's My Line (meaning pushing it back to 10pm with the new John Daly Show at 10:30) with the mystery guest.
Couple of thoughts on this episode... Whenever I hear Cesar Romero's voice, and laugh, I think of my favorite Joker, from the Batman series in the late 60's. With my age I remember when Happy Days was on Tuesday night's. Many don't know that in the last couple of seasons they introduced a young lady named Jenny Piccolo (Joannie's best friend). She was played by Cathy Silvers, Phil Silvers daughter.
+Lois Simmons Oh, I don't know about that. I thought her (exaggerated reprisal) turn in that episode of _Wings,_ as Phoebe, a woman obsessed with Joe (Tim Daly), was utterly hilarious. She had great comedic timing! Chip off the old block, eh? :)
+David K _Whenever I hear Cesar Romero's voice, and laugh, I think of my favorite Joker_ You know, I was thinking a similar thing: His laugh is very infectious. Also, given his history prior to it, the work he was known for at the time, only makes his performance in the _Batman_ series all the more remarkable, really. (And my guess is, he had a _riot_ doing that show!)
John mentions the cold weather at 2:30. The New York Times (2/10/58) described it as the worst cold wave of the year, with gale-force gusts of wind and snow. Overnight lows of 12.5 and 13°F in Manhattan, and five to ten degrees lower in the suburbs, with daytime highs in the low twenties, made Bennett's prospect of warm Florida weather sound even more appealing.
I have noticed that Cerf's introduction of Daly, has changed a bit, since Cerf himself tried the role as monitor. Their "friendly feud" has become more respectful, at least from Cerf's part of the story
Re: Phil Silvers, whom I, always have enjoyed; for any, of this video's younger viewers: Mr. Silvers was father to Cathy Silvers, who portrayed 'Jenny Piccolo', on "Happy Days."
The best mystery celebrity guest ever. Phil Silvers using the questioning session as an opportunity to insult a blinded celebrity panel was just precious.
WML always had an affinity for attractive female barbers. There was the Norwegian one from Boston who had the greatest laugh in the history of 1950s WML. And there was the teenage barber. I wonder if this one had a long career either singing with the mike or in the shop with the clippers.
Phil was immensely talented. He wrote the lyrics to "Bessie with a laughing Face" ultimately changed to "Nancy with a Laughing Face" when sung at Nancy Sinatra's Birthday party. The rest is history
Cesar Romero said "I feel like a new man after a haircut". I suspect he was alluding to the open secret in Hollywood, that he was a "confirmed bachelor". I'd have guessed Phil Silvers 5 seconds after he first spoke
BLYTHE, Mary of Tucson (South of the Rillito) born December 14th (she never would admit to the year) passed away peacefully at her home on July 8, 2016. www.legacy.com/obituaries/tucson/obituary.aspx?pid=181365332
George Hunter appeared this once on Sunday Night WML. Years later according to that Bible of TV -- the IMDB -- he appeared as a contestant on syndicated WML videotaped in November 1969. His occupation I assume was "WML stage manager."
a naturally funny man Silvers suffered from stage fright so severe that there were times he could not go on stage...here...his voice is completely recognizable...a friend of Sinatras.....they were only linked through the nightclubs they played
Only one show tops every show I watch of What's My Line? that makes my day... The Price Is Right... Bob Barker and John Daily are true loving classics Gentlemen that made a show last so long.
Despite everything else he's known for, all I can think about when I see Cesar Romero is that episode he was in on the Lucy-Desi comedy hour....good stuff
22:44 > 23:11 --- highly unusual sequence. For a start, the CBS censors must have bit through the stems of their pipes with the two finger salute [in some quarters]. Notice the director cut away from it quick. I used to show this clip and the 1 Jan 1961 clip with Lucille Ball in my college composition courses to illustrate that jargon could be other than words. This is the first time that stage manager George Hunter appeared on the WML screen.
Sad that probably, regarding the genre of military people running various cons, McHales Navy & F-Troop are now much better remembered than Sgt Bilco because the latter was really a much better show.
Someone with a better eye for detail than mine should look at WML 5 Feb 1961 when Dorothy Kilgallen was the mystery guest and determine if this gown is the same one she wore on that occasion.
About 8 years and this was at least the 3rd female barber they had on the show. Not bad, but odd they would run the same professions several times. Several other professions have been repeated before also.
I honestly believe and truly say that Phil Silvers is the only man ever to look good with a bald head a meaning bald head in the middle and just the sides and back
(7:50) Nobody seemed to get John's joke about some people having a lot of hair. As someone who has had some hair loss in recent years, I think the modern expression is, "I feel that".
for any young, WML fans(I hope there are): Phil Silvers = real Dad, of "Jenny Piccolo", from "Happy Days." Too, I wish Mr. Silvers and the panel could've chatted another five minutes. Starting,at 23:15: wow; so nice. Anyone, remember the movie, "The Boatniks"?
"The Body Beautiful," as I recall, had a distinguished set of credits. Besides producer Kollmar, the men who did "Fiddler on the Roof" were involved it. It flopped with a resounding thud. Dorothy was not the only person who did not pay attention to it. People avoided it in droves.
I just looked it up and it ran for less than 2 months. I also looked up Ed Becker and he appeared in around 10 Broadway plays over a 20 year period including "Mame" for 4 years.
The show had an impressive cast, including Jack Warden, Barbara McNair, Steve Forrest, Brock Peters and future Oscar winner Bill Hickie. It was also a landmark in that the second romantic couple were played by African-American performers (McNair and Lonnie Sattin) without any reference to their race.
Nearly all the time! I can remember offhand the Stopette spray deodorant squeeze bottle, the Remington electric shaver, Sunbeam appliances such as a coffee percolator, and an outline drawing, top view, of a cereal bowl and spoon for Kellogg cereals.
22:45 - "What are you doing there?" (Dorothy has two fingers),,,My my, this was by far he most risque innuendo said by a comedian on WML and got away with it (Note Daly's reaction from laughter to a forced smile once the dirty joke was realized by him)! Nothing like a Phil Silvers "F*ck You" - especially to ABC, which I'm sure he wasn't happy at all to be moved to a Friday night (at 9:30p!? That's a comedy's death watch).
A handful. LAPD Chief William H. Parker was a guest fairly early on in his tenure. There were some politicians who went on to play larger roles in government. The most famous not-famous-yet guest is probably Colonel Sanders: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-bfXBhfM8ga0.html
Another non-celebrity who became famous was Chappie James. He appeared on the show in 1954 or 1955 as an Air Force pilot. In 1975, he achieved near legendary status when he became the first African-American four-star general in US military history.
According to Mary Blythe's obituary, among her many talents was a proficiency at golf. That would have added to her time in the sun, especially during the winter months when you can play golf throughout most of the day in Tucson.
Bennett Cerf after asking the chorus boy a question suggesting he might be a book-maker and getting a "no:" "I'm a publisher and think book-making is a very nice occupation." Did anyone else pick up on this, or did I stop reading the comments too soon?
I would have thought someone as mutlti-talented as Ms. Blythe would show up more in news articles, but apparently not. hmph. (She was on To Tell The Truth, though. 8/12/58.) Doesn't seem to have died. Oh, wait, I lied, she made a record in 1964. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-JpjyPmNB5Mk.html
![What's My Line? - Phil Silvers; Cesar Romero [panel] (Feb 9, 1958)](/img/logo.svg){kind=logo}
