You certainly have a talented, beautiful, charming and engaging mother. I imagine it was such a thrill to see her in this show, and, especially look back to this wonderful memory.
"Hawaii" by James Michener was the most enjoyable book I've ever read - I started reading it at age 11 and when I read the last sentence on the last page, I was 13! 😄
I absolutely love this show! Walter Brennan was a true gentleman and fine actor. It seems that everyone, more specifically the mystery guests, who have appeared on this show looked very delighted and happy to be part of the program! You can’t help but to smile with them as they await the panel to guess who they are/what their profession is. Love it!
I first learned of Dr. Tom Dooley when I read a book published by then television news anchor/reporter Marjorie Margolies in 1976. The book, THEY CAME TO STAY, told the story of how she became a then unheard-of single female parent of two girls, Lee Heh and Holly, which she traveled to both Korea and Vietnam, respectively, to find and adopt. Dooley's work with the Vietnamese in 1954-55 resulted in the development of several orphanages and agencies in Vietnam which Margolies traveled to in 1973, including one famous agency newly opened that year in that country, Holt International... Although Dr. Dooley was briefly mentioned in Margolies' book, seeing him here on this WML episode branches a series of events not necessarily related, but still worth mentioning. And to understand the importance and beneficience of this philanthropic physician (who sadly left this world too soon) reminds us all of how we can help each other, especially in these uncertain days. Thank you, @What's My Line (Gary), for your collection, collation and posting of the entire 17-year series; but for thoughtfully reminding us with some of these episodes what it means to be human. Thank you and God Bless...
I was nine when this aired and I probably saw it and had heard of Dr. Dooley. This is the first time I can remember seeing him and I am shedding tears of gratitude and sorrow.
I looked up Dr. Tom Dooley and he died a little over a year after this broadcast- in Jan. 1961- from the melanoma that was mentioned. He was only 34. Very sad!
This " gentleman" was a racist homophobe. There are a lot finer men. Many of these western stars from back then were of that character. Probably sexist and enemies of gun control too.
Walter Brennan was the winner of three best supporting Oscars in 1936, 1938 and 1940 and he deserved the awards. He got another nomination. Always a pleasure to watch.
So many comments about Brennan doing a phony Asian accent. The man had one of the most distinctive speaking voices in the history of Hollywood. People still imitate him today.
FriendofRamblinJack and ***** and ***** From Wikipedia: "Dooley's legacy continues through the work of the Dooley Foundation-Intermed International, which has carried on the work of Dr. Dooley for the past 50 years. Its headquarters are based in New York City and headed by Dr. Verne Chaney, President and Founder. " And here's a link to the Foundation's website: www.dooleyintermed.org/
Michener is one of my favorite authors. From the forewords in many of his novels, I always thought he'd be a swell dinner host. His appearance here only reinforces that idea.
I wonder who among the modern actors will be like Brennan in this century -- becoming more popular with age, becoming better with age, working almost up to the end. His two mystery guest appearances were both pretty memorable. In the first appearance, where his vocal disguise made hims sound like a 90 year old woman with a sore throat, he mentioned that he toyed with a Japanese disguise, which I guess he uses here.
He was a tually in three. I just watched all of them. First time Adolphe Menjou guessed him 1957, 2nd this episode He skunked them., 3rd 1966 Steve Allen guessed him.
I wish Brennan had spoken more, because I wanted to hear his real accent. He put on the western accent for his movies as he’d actually grown up in Massachusetts.
She may have been but I also believe she would very often "cheat". She would just blurt out a seeming off the cuff comment when it wasnt her turn or right after a "no". She would then listen for the reaction of the audience.
I promise not to make a habit of this...but the fact that Walter Brennan was trying to put on some kind of Oriental accent is not in the least racist. No one would have objected if he had tried a pseudo-German, French or Russian accent. I live in Japan, speak the language, and must say that his attempt to sound Japanese (if that's what it was) was much easier for an Anglophone to understand than "the real thing."
@Janetta Martin I did some research, as you suggested Steve do. I can find no evidence. I can find that he was a strong Conservative and devout Anti-Communist, but that does not make him a racist.
Exactly. Mystery Guests have done fake British, French, Russian and German. Many episodes ago people commented they loved Debbie Reynolds doing a Hungarian accent sounding like a Gabor sister. French actor Louis Jourdan did an American accent many What's My Line seasons ago.
Tom Dooley is a true American hero, there can be no question. Still, one of the surprising things about this broadcast, which aired on November 22, 1959, is that the broadcast took place more than three and a half years after Dr. Dooley was forced to resign his Naval commission (on March 26, 1956) for engaging in homosexual activities during the course of his military service. Fortunately for everyone involved, Dr. Dooley was able to continue with his humanitarian efforts despite this setback, which did not become public knowledge for some time.
@@Tahoenjr "After his death, John F. Kennedy cited his example when he launched the Peace Corps. He was also awarded a Congressional Gold Medal after his death. He was buried in Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis."
I was going through the files in my cluttered brain knowing that there was a link between James Michener and Austin, Texas. Of course I had to go to IMDB. This late great author passed away in Austin, 16 October 1997. My mother’s 83rd birthday. He was definitely one of my mother’s favorite authors. RIP ❤️
At 17:08, Bennett says that if Arlene gets one more thing tonight, she'll be in Washington at 10:00 tomorrow. He was referring to the Congressional hearings into the quiz show scandal, which were going on at the time of this episode. Note that the scandal involved shows with big money prizes, where some contestants were given answers in advance and some were told to deliberately give incorrect answers.
If you haven't read it, I highly recommend James Michener's book of short stories "Tales of the South Pacific", which won a Pulitzer Prize. That got him going as an author and those short stories provided the source material for Rodgers & Hammerstein's Broadway musical play "South Pacific," which also won a Pulitzer Prize. The short stories take place in various islands of the South Pacific during World War II and are very well written and fascinating to read.
Centennial is also one of his best books, maybe even the best book ever written. I have a rare first edition, but read from a cheap paperback edition because I don't wanna ruin the rare one (it is in perfect shape too!) It covers the town of Centennial, Colorado (a real place!) from literally the beginning of Earth's formation to modern times.
Hawaii, The book he had completed here is also a sweeping history of the islands, that was made into two separate movies for different time periods, neither of which really does the book justice. The Source is another of my favorite Michener books that does the same thing with Israel through objects found in an archaeological dig.
Michener was once quoted as saying that the secret to having a best selling book is to have it made into a musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein (next week's MGs)
I loved Brennan the first time I saw him when I am was 4 or 5 (1965-6) on a Real McCoys rerun. Right then I wish he was my own grandpa. Many years later I saw him in Rio Bravo. I still loved him for a grandpa. ❤
Loved seeing Walter Brennan on Whats My Line. A great character actor. I remember hearing about Tom Dooley too when I was a kid back in the 1950's. Love watching the Real McCoys on tv too.
Arlene. Brilliant. You go girl. Dooley's “no” on a military connection is ironic, given that the Navy made him retire three years earlier. I hear some say he should be a candidate for sainthood. His various enemies still accuse him and MEDICO of fronting the CIA. Nevertheless, he did a lot of good work in places that needed it.
I'm trying to figure out why Tom Dooley used his left hand to hold up his right hand when he signed in and he also did it when he shook hands while leaving. Obviously some sort of weakness in that right side.
Jeff Vaughn Apparently he's had surgery on a melanoma (from which he died about 14 months later) on his chest that has left his right arm weak--it's the reason he has come back to the U.S. at this time. If you look at the link I posted above (part 2 of a 4 part video), you can see in parts 3 and 4 an episode of "This is Your Life" shot in November, 1959, in which the weakness in his right arm is also very evident.
Robert Melson -- I note that melanoma is as malignant and aggressive a from of cancer as exists. I suspect that Dr. Dooley's surgery on this chest may have been aggressive itself in an effort to contain the melanoma. They may have removed significant muscle tissue in the chest and in his upper right arm, along with lymph nodes, which would definitely give him trouble moving his arm as we see here. He had further surgeries because his melanoma recurred. As you pointed out, he died about 14 months after this episode of WML aired at age 34. Very sad.
ToddSF 94109 me too.......well not counting the nearly weekly murders, school/movie/mall shootings, babies being left unattended, road rage deaths etc etc.........
+orgonko the wildly untamed -- I'm counting the daily racism and sexism and heterosexism that was carried on with no opposition. America was a wonderful place in the 1950s and 60s if you were white enough and male enough and heterosexual enough, among other things.
All I ever knew of Tom Dooley was from the Kingston Trio song ( I don't know if they were singing about this one-on-one seems likely). It's really fascinating to see him here and read about his interesting life
Who would have ever thought they could put James Micheners book SOUTH PACIFIC to music but THEY sure did! Fantastic book, enchanting movie..! SOME ENCHANTING EVENING!
Now... That dooley character is quite interesting. And it seems like my gaydar works 🤣 the moment he came in, I knew. And after googling him I guess I was correct. Anyway, all that Vietnam controversy and his life would make a fine movie today. I'm surprised there has been no movie yet
It's rather telling about those who assume racism of Brennan that not one of them mentioned Dorothy's final comments in a Japanese accent. And Brennan was devout in his religion and remained faithful to both his wife and his religion until he died. I'm curious if those who have made derogatory and snarky comments can say the same?
What's My Line? In 1956, Dooley's book Deliver Us from Evil was released and became a best-seller, establishing him as an icon of American humanitarian activities abroad. According to journalist Randy Shilts, Dooley was on a promotional tour for this book when he was investigated for participating in homosexual activities and forced to resign from the Navy in March 1956.
Purple Capricorn Not one book related to WML was published by Random House except Bennett's posthumous memoir "At Random". None of Bennett's own books (those joke and riddle things), neither of Arlene's books, nor Gil Fates's WML book, nor the bio of Dorothy by Lee Israel. Not a one. It's strange.
@@WhatsMyLine Bennett mentions in the introductions that it's uncommon for a publisher and his author to be on the same side -- I assume he's talking about the financial negotiations about royalties and such, how to split the book's earnings between the two. Even for his own books it might be awkward to publish them himself, as the publisher's side of the revenue would have to be shared with his partner Donald Klopfer and whoever else had an ownership share in Random House at the time. I have a vague recollection, too, though I can't pin it down to cite it, that I've read that Bennett felt that the other publishers he used, e.g. Simon & Schuster who brought out "Try and Stop Me" in 1945, were more suited in their advertising style to books of humor than Random House's publicity department was. S&S got started with crossword puzzle books in the 1920s and by the 1950s were the US publisher of P. G. Wodehouse's literary light fiction, so their range was wide. Bennett may have felt that his joke books were more suited to their list than to be jostling Eugene O'Neill, John O'Hara, Moss Hart, and Michener at RH.
After Dr. Dooley's death, "the public learned that he had been recruited as an intelligence operative by the Central Intelligence Agency, and numerous descriptions of atrocities by the Viet Minh in his book Deliver Us From Evil had been fabricated. "Dooley has been called "a key agent in the first disinformation campaign of the Vietnam War," garnering support for the US government's growing involvement there. Dooley, one critic said, is an example of "celebrity sainthood" and the "intersection of show business and mysticism occupied the space where Tom Dooley was perhaps most at home" ... From Wikipedia
Sommer57 I hope you're being facetious. I found these put-on accents excruciatingly embarrassing to listen to, all the more-so because the people using them were both quite amiable, and I know they didn't mean any harm. But I bet they would have been sensitive enough not to do something like that in front of someone who really came from Japan or China.
Oh, yes, the 1950s, what a paradise for all involved-- just ask any non-white person who lived through it. This being RU-vid, it's only a matter of time before the word "racist" is going to show up in the comments at some point. But let's just please agree to leave these kinds of topics for other forums. Like, e.g., anywhere else.
What's My Line? It was a better time for everyone; more work, a robust economy and a strong America with fewer restrictive laws, taxes and political correctness.
Always enjoyed Mr. Brennan. Also proof of different spelling of his last name. Spell 1st name Brennen last names Brennan . My grandson's 1st name is spelled Brennen! 🐦 😃
![What's My Line? - Walter Brennan; James Michener [panel] (Nov 22, 1959)](/img/logo.svg){kind=logo}
