What's My Line? - Tribute to Fred Allen; Cyd Charisse; Steve Allen [panel] (Mar 18, 1956) 

I'm so glad someone saved these What's My Line shows. There's so many of them. I haven't got through all of them yet. It's a big chunk of history seeing clothes people wore, hairstyles, how polite people were and all those celebrities back then.

Bennett Cerf later said this particular episode of WML was the hardest they ever had to do. ‘Luckily we didn’t have to be handed scripts. We knew how to express our sorrow in our own way’.

John Charles Daly was a very classy man. He was a true gentleman, and a man of intellect.

John Daly is the most impressive gentlemen I have ever witnessed. He is so kind and gentle and welcoming to this woman from Tokyo who is so shy. I imagine John came across many people in his job as a correspondent. He never comes across as stuffy and arrogant with his exacting and extensive vocabulary. He is so relaxed and authentic.

A couple months ago, I never heard of “What’s My Line” or Fred Allen! Watching this and the tributes at the end, I am sad as if Mr Allen just passed away! Rest In Peace!

One of the reasons I love this show. John Daly along with Arlene, Steve, Dorothy & Bennett give a brief but heartfelt farewell to Fred which is all the more touching for their eloquence.

Generally, people of that period had a lot of class & manners. Graceful & polite! Refreshing by today's standards!

61 years later Toshiko Akiyoshi is in her 88th year and still alive and kicking. In a long and varied career she's recorded scores of albums of both small group and big band music.

The Fred Allen Jack Benny feud was one of the most friendly, good natured feuds in show business. They were actually very good friends and had lots of respect for each other. R.I.P. all of them.

John's tribute to Fred Allen was deeply moving, just as his tribute to Dorothy Kilgallen would be nine years later.

Man, the reality of shows like this where the people were generally friends is so surreal compared to today.

A very classy way to open the show with John Daly explaining why they decided to go ahead with the regular program based on Portland Hoffa's wishes, conveying what she thought that her husband would have wanted. I can imagine it also diffused potential viewing audience complaints that they should have done some sort of special tribute to Fred Allen instead. And it set the tone for the show better than starting with the upbeat theme music. They also did the right thing by having the panel already seated and dispensing with the individual introductions which usually also served as a platform for jokes and promos. (Ironically the previous week, the opening intros were very perfunctory.) And the precedent-making decision to dispense with the tuxedos and ball gowns at a time of loss was also a good one. Similarly, the panelists remarks at the close of the show were touching. While the show did go on as usual and the players did manage to get into it with laughter at times, there seemed to be less sniping at John in response to his long orations to explain a ruling or when they disagreed with a ruling. The other thing that was different, subtle as it may be, was that they didn't put up the names of the panelists or John Daly. It seems to me a sympathetic way of acknowledging that one of their WML family was missing: gone forever.

Good job by the panel in a tough situation. Fred Allen died the day before very suddenly, so they were all in a state of shock.

Fred Allen ALWAYS made me laugh on this show. His deadpan delivery and witty quips never failed to amuse.

Cyd was always quiet, self-effacing, and focused. A very hard worker. Everyone liked work with her because was so supremely talented, very cooperative, not a prima donna and would do whatever needed to be done to give her best.

RIP Fred Allen. I don't really know you or what you've done but on this show you made me laugh so I thank you.

I humbly but enthusiastically suggest that you include "Toshiko Akiyoshi" in the proper title and description section of this video clip, so that it will more easily come up in video searches of her name. I think her fans would enjoy coming across this glimpse of her from early in her career. She's an extraordinary talent who was named an NEA Jazz Master by the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts in 2007. Akiyoshi was "discovered" by no less than jazz piano master Oscar Peterson, who heard her playing in a club on the Ginza in Tokyo while he was on tour there in 1952, and who convinced record producer Norman Granz to produce her first album. Despite a 60+ year career, she's far from a household name, but I daresay she should be. That aside, thanks for posting these wonderful episodes!

I don't know what planet I live on in 2021. I am 44 and wasn't a glimmer in my parent's eyes when these shows were on, but I have watched 50% of them from this channel and watch one every night as a sort of "mental pallet cleanser" and makes me wish for a time when I was never alive.

As would be the case when Dorothy Kilgallen passed away less than a decade after, Messrs. Daly, Allen and Cerf wore a suit-and-tie instead of a tux. In etiquette terms, a tux wouldn't have been appropriate for an episode like this.

What a tasteful way to deal with such a loss. Fred was my favorite panelist. So quick and witty.

It is so fitting that Arlene ended her closing remarks with, "Good night, Fred". I always regretted that no one said that after Dorothy Kilgallen died, so I am glad to hear someone say it as a farewell to the great Fred Allen.

I don't know if anyone will read this because this was posted 9 years ago. Fred Allan died before I was born, and yet I still want to cry.

Dignified, respectful and moving. Please bring back those times again.

Cyd Charisse was an extremely attractive woman! What a smile! Such beautiful Eyes! :)

Mrs. Lederer is the famous "Ann Landers," the twin sister of "Dear Abby."

What has happened to the human race? Why can't it be like the good old days where people conducted themselves in a loving compassionate manner? Can't we all just get along and treat others how we want to be treated....with love and respect? Just imagine how wonderful life would be. Spread the love and be the change you wish to see in the world. Blessings for posting and watching this video :-)

Whatever happened to the female elegance of yesteryear? Men have fallen in this category as well but not as much as the female has.

Lovely tribute by John for Fred. I almost cried. So sad.

Fred Allen once said of Jack Benny: "I heard that his hometown of Waukegan, IL was planting a tree in his (Benny's) honor. But I don't see how they can do that when the "sap" is in Hollywood!". I always got a kick out of that line!

sad and heart-felt comments for fred allen at the end. you can tell the man was deeply admired, he seemed on air anyway to be a very gracious human being of very high intellect. hard to believe he's been dead almost 60 years. and that's what makes these wml shows so great, they preserve so much of this era, granted it was a lot of pomp and had little to do with what was (for instance) going on in 1967, but it does provide a great snapshot into the past. and thanks for all your work in posting these, you've done an excellent job.

3:00 During a career lasting from 1947 to 1975, Jacques Plante was considered to be one of the most important innovators in hockey. He played for the Montreal Canadiens from 1953 to 1963; during his tenure, the team won the Stanley Cup six times, including five consecutive wins. In 2017 Plante was named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players" of all time. He also is the reason why goalies now wear masks. He was the 1st one.

All of the contestants on this episode were well-known or to become well-known in their niche. Jacques Plante had a hockey career lasting nearly 40 years and was an innovator who redefined the position of goalie. He was also an advocate of safety and was the first goalie to regularly wear a hockey mask. Ann Landers is, of course, well-known. Toshiko Akiyoshi has released many albums of both jazz and big band music and has won or been nominated for many awards.

We all miss not only Fred, we miss Arline, Dorothy, Steve, Bennett, and Daly.. Love and light to all of you, Hope you are all watching us watching WML with love and awe! And I really thought Fred was Steve's father, and here Steve cleared my doubts!

Advice columnist Ann Landers (aka Eppie Lederer) was a guest on this episode. Her columns were syndicated nationwide for decades. Her sister also had an advice column, "Dear Abby."

I'm grateful these exist on RU-vid. This program demonstrates how people may comminicate with one another, with grace, intelligence, wit and decorum.

Unlike some of the mindless game shows we have today, this is a talk show wrapped in a comedy show wrapped in a game show. It’s the most entertaining show in every aspect of television I’ve ever seen. I absolutely LOVE this show!

As of today (Aug 19, 2023), Ms. Akyoshi is alive and well. This particular show was epic: not only for the fact that every guest was or became very prominent in their fields, but because the classy and heartfelt tributes to Fred Allen were so moving and real.

I heard that Cyd Charisse was not pleased when Dorothy Killigan wrote in her column that Cyd Charisse does not do her own singing in the movies. Dorothy wrote, "Who is the mystery singer who sings for Cyd Charisse in the Bandwagon?" Of course the mystery singer was years later identified as India Adams.

this was the first tribute show in what's my line history

The Japanese pianist was SO shy and nervous, but so endearing. I'm prejudiced; my late wife was Asian and although she had an effervescent personality she was VERY reserved around people she didn't know until she got to know them. That quality has always attracted me and earned my respect.

Without meaning to be at that time, this turned out to be an all-star contestant show. Jacques Plante had a career spanning four decades and blazed several new paths for hockey goalies. Of course, Ann Landers is well-known, as is Cyd Charisse. Toshiko Akiyoshi has been composing, performing, and conducting jazz for over 60 years and has won many awards for her work.

The pianist conferences with John were delightful

i can see the pain on their faces

16:45 Toshiko Akiyoshi became one of the best pianists of all time- what a show. Fred Allen would've been proud of this show. And Cyd Charisse too whose husband lived all the way until 2012.

That's sad to know Fred Allen died too during the show's run. Watching reruns of the show on Buzzr, he's my second favorite panelist after Dorothy Kilgallen. He has a great mug, reminds me of an adult version of the Mad magazine character (I mean that in a nice way), and he had the best wit.

fred allen was great!.... R.I.P. Fred.

John makes an akward slip during the tribute to Fred Allen when he says "Steve" instead of "Fred". Luckily he corrects himself . 24:51

Mrs. Lederer had been writing as "Ann Landers" for only five months, taking over from the recently-deceased originator of the column. Using that name up front might have tipped off the newspaper-literate panel, though it did surprise me that no one mentioned "Ann Landers" at the end of her segment.

Jacques Plante--a Canadian icon--was too polite to correct the mispronunciation of his last name. It was pronounced "plawnt".

Boy this mkust have been the toughest thi ng in the world for an ordinary guest and a celebrity guest to be on this very next wml after Fred Allen's passing.

I honestly don't know how they made it through this show. How hard it must have been. But they kept it quite real and honest..for Fred.

It's like being at a funeral of someone you didn't know.

This lady already had a jazz album out in 1953. And went onto become a total Jazz legend with 14 Grammy nominations. And is still going at 89 !! " In January 1956, she became the first Japanese student at Berklee. Soon after, she appeared as a contestant on the 18 March 1956 broadcast of the CBS television panel show What's My Line?.[6] In 1998, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music.[7]"

I thought Cyd Cherisse was pronounced Chereese. Learn something new every day.

Look at Eppie's figure! Wow! Also, the high fashion! She was quite a character, definitely a brilliant individual, and a trailblazer. At the University of Missouri School of Journalism I did a research paper on her columns compared to her twin Popo's column under the name Dear Abby. I found the same letters appeared in both columns more than once and the twins' writing approaches, style and responses could be quite diferent. Eppie revolutionized advice columns, Popo followed her lead, both were spectacularly successful. Both had daughters who became prominent journalists.

When the 2nd guest writes Mrs. Jules you can hear Cerf say Montenier in the background. haha.

"Cyd Char-isss"? Wasn't her name pronounced "Char-eeese:?

Wow, every single guest in this show was famous in their own way.

People had manners and knew their place.

What did they put in the water back then? Those women were so beautiful and stylish! And smart!

Wow, It has been many years ago that I read her's and her twin sister's columns of advice. The twins gave advice to others but it was said they were jeolous of each other and didn't speak to each other. I knew her as soon as I saw her. Their advice was funny, serious, and sometimes harsh. I remember someone once asked what she should do because two neighbors kept showing up at dinner time asking if they could come in so she had to ask them to dinner. Her answer was to the point. She said "Say no, we are having dinner." If they are rude enough to ask then you have the right to be rude back.

Just watch Cyd Charisse's dancer's grace as she shakes the panelist's hands and exits. Exquisite!

I was pleasantly surprised to see Ann Landers (Mrs Jules Lederer) in this clip--she'd taken over the Ann Landers name just the year before this but obviously wasn't known outside of the Chicago area at the time. She was clearly a formidable woman...I grew up reading her no-nonsense advice and still miss her common sense greatly.

Cyd Charisse was a class act.

The young lady from Tokyo is just the epitome of sweetness. It was enchanting meeting her.

Toshiko Akiyoshi is still active as a band leader, and has received 14 Grammy nominations.

I'm always revisiting favorite episodes, so it pains me to admit I can never appreciate or "get" Fred Allen's mode of humor. And I never heard his radio broadcasts - I was barely 2 years old when Fred Allen passed on. Hopefully I'll "see the light" before it's MY turn to permanently sign off.

Basically the 3 non-Mystery Guests would become famous a few years later. Jacques Plante who was already famous In Canada at the time would be well known to hockey fans in the U.S. soon after as his team Montreal Canadiens would reel off 5 straight championships (1956-60) - Toshiko Akiyoshi would be a well known in the Jazz world of music & Ann Landers would be a fixture on American talk shows in the 60s and 70s along with her twin sister Abigail Van Buren (Dear Abby)

Mrs. Jules Lederer had an interesting looking collar on her dress. Mrs. Kilgallen and Miss Frances have worn a similar style dress. Very pretty. Maybe the style will make it's way back.

😥😔 Touching tribute to John Florence Sullivan aka Mr. Fred Allen. RIP sir.

Jaques plante,wow!!!!! One of the greatest goalies in hockey history!!!

Toshiko Akiyoshi still alive as of 28th may 2022.

Mrs. Jules Lederer... a.k.a.... Ann Landers!

John Daly caught himself at the end saying Steve instead of Fred Allen.

I'm sure most people knew Eppie Lederer by her pen name - Ann Landers. Her twin sister was "Dear Abby".

The tribute at shows end was a show of great class and respect.

I still use Ann Lander's meatloaf recipe.

The new generation never heard of Ann Landers and Dear Abby.

So brilliantly handled by all involved. The unbroken, unedited nature of a live broadcast means that the sincerity and energy of everyone's words in tribute is raw and palpable. Simplicity is the key....as Ray Charles so eloquently once said.

CYD CHARISSE was a Texas girl from Amarillo and I believe Lubbock, before as a teen moving to L.A. to take ballet/ dancing lessons. It was not her real name. Tula was her real first name. Sid was her childhood nickname because her younger brother could not say "sis", lol.. Later, they changed the spelling of it to CYD. She married a Charisse. She was a real beauty and I believe the best female dancer ever on the big screen. I watch that dance number on SINGING IN THE RAIN, and then go to look for a cold shower, lol..she was smokin'..

Cyd Charisse was so beautiful and classy and a bit shy , it seemed . Always had a massive crush on her although she was before my time

Along with being a tribute to Fred Allen (a nearly lifelong favorite of mine), that the guests/contestants include jazz composer and pianist/orchestra leader Toshiko Akiyoshi, "Ann Landers" and Jacques Plante, the goalie who introduced the protective mask to the NHL...in various circles, all three of them are as famous now as Cyd Charisse. It would've been wonderful if Fred Allen could've had the chance to question them, and we had more years of Allen's wit and grace.

I was so sad to learn of Fred's passing while watching this old series. I had hoped for him to make me laugh many more times and I can understand the loss even though it happened years before I was born.

It’s sad that most of these people are long gone with very few that were very young adults that are well into their years..

Wow...Cyd Charisse was so elegant!

A sad but beautiful show. I'm sure Fred could feel their love all the way to heaven.

Mrs. Jules Lederer is more commonly known as “Ann Landers” from the newspaper column, “Ask Ann Landers”. Her sister was, “Dear Abby” and her husband was the founder of Budget Rent a Car.

It’s funny that back then they did not recognize the face of Ann Landers

Quite somber, as it should have been!

Remington Rand was one of the first computers in the world!

Cyd was breathtaking!!!

I wonder if Miss Akioshi ever did accept Steve Allen's invitation to guest on his show.

Cyd Is a knockout- and ,wow , what a dancer - I can still remember from watching her many years ago as a guest on " The Silencers " , one of Dino's Matt Helm pictures

I'm sure someone else has already said this but I'll repeat it. "Mrs. Lederer" from Chicago was Ann Landers early in her career. By the 1970s she was instantly recognized everywhere.

I'm sure the other three would have never thought roughly a decade later they would be paying tribute to Dorothy in much this same way.

Sorry about Fred Allan. Besides the beautiful CYD, there was ANN LANDERS & TOSHIKO (I have some of her recordings.) It's nice to see CYD CHARISSE, and nice to see Landers & Akiyoshi at the beginning of their careers. TOSHIKO is now is 92. (2022)

This episode is notable, besides the tribute to Fred, in that all the regular contestants would go on to great renown in their fields. The first contestant, Jacques Plante, was, at the time this show aired, just three years into his major league hockey career, but would go on to a Hall of Fame career, regarded as one of the greatest goalies ever. He revolutionized the position and was also the first goalie to regularly wear a mask. The second contestant, Ms, Lederer, had just taken over the "Ask Ann Landers" advice column the previous year, and would continue it until 2002. And the final contestant, Ms. Akiyoshi, who celebrated her 90th birthday on 12/12/2019, had just arrived in the U.S. two months earlier to study jazz in Boston, and has gone on to win multiple honors and awards in jazz music over the decades.

Nice tribute to the late Fred Allen at the end of the show. This one has Ann Lander's and Tchiko Okioshi Which I have a big band video & Cd She was married to Altoman,Charlie Mariano,later Tenorman Lue Tabakin. I check this show out originally because of my big crush on Cyd Charisse. This show had some guest's that I'm very familiar with so I enjoyed this one especially. At that time Jazz fan Steve Allen was just learning about Tchiko. Nice that Allen invited her on his show too. There is a quick solve on the Hockeyplayer.

The previous year, Cyd Charisse starred in "It's Always Fair Weather" with Gene Kelly. I would like to know what genius decided that it would be a good idea to pair those two in a movie musical in which they did not dance even a single step together. What a tremendously missed opportunity.

A sad episode. But at the same time the start of my fav lineup. When Arlene, Steve, Dorothy and Bennet got together, they did some of the best shows ever in this series.