[19], On December 22, 1960, Daly married Virginia Warren, daughter of thenchief justice Earl Warren, in San Francisco. [15] Mystery guests usually came from the entertainment world, either stage, screen, television or sports. is one of the longest-running game shows of all time, beginning in 1950 on network television, and reaching all the way to 1975 in syndication. In addition, the panelists were simply referred to by name and only their first names were displayed in front of them. Hosts of the syndicated version, Wally Bruner and Larry Blyden, were alive at the time but did not participate. [43], Episode #225 (September 19, 1954) was a color edition of the show, broadcast live from CBS Studio 72 (on Manhattan's Upper West Side, Broadway at 81st St., NY). (For the first few telecasts, the contestants signed their names on an artist's sketch pad; but when the brightness of the studio lights made it difficult for the signatures to be seen clearly by the viewers, the white sketchpad was replaced by a black chalkboard.) Four panelists must determine guests' occupations - and, in the case of famous guests, while blindfolded, their identity - by asking only "yes" or "no" questions. Ayun Hallidayis an author, illustrator, theater maker and Chief Primatologist ofthe East Village Inkyzine. Starting in July 1959 and continuing for 8 straight years, until July 1967, the show would occasionally record episodes onto quadruplex videotape for playback at a future date. It was originally aired on BBC Television Service from 16 July 1951 to 13 May 1963, hosted by Eamonn Andrews. The Los Angeles version of the live show went on hiatus when van Straaten relocated to New York, then resumed in June 2007. The first contestant on What's My Line? [3] This version originally was hosted by Wally Bruner and later by Larry Blyden. is a panel game show that originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, originally in black and white and later in color, with subsequent U.S. revivals. In his last years, Cerf explained to interviewer Robbin Hawkins that Montenier was ultimately ruined by his refusal to abandon or share sponsorship as the show entered new markets and became too expensive. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. A bright, contemporary music package was composed by Charles Fox. Four members of the studio audience were lined up on stage, and their occupations were printed on cards. [3], TV Guide ranked it #9 in its list of the 60 greatest game shows ever [5] and Time Magazine ranked it as one of the 100 "All-Time" TV shows ever.[6]. We accept PayPal, Venmo (@openculture), Patreon and Crypto! [5], According to producer Gil Fates, Daly was resistant to changes that would have appealed to a younger audience but might have diminished the show's dignity. [27] On more than one occasion, Daly "led the panel down the garden path" a favorite phrase used when an answer had proven misleading to the panelists. This led to a job in 1950 as the host and moderator on a new panel show produced by Goodson - Todman, What's My Line? [21] As Cerf admitted in the episode broadcast on November 27, 1966, his wife, Phyllis, was frequently told the name of the mystery guest beforehand. In Los Angeles, panelists have included Carlos Alazraqui, Alison Arngrim, E.G. When mystery guests came from other walks of life or were non-famous individuals whom the panel but not the studio audience might know, they were usually played as standard rounds. What's My Line? What would the host and panelists of the classic primetime television game show What's My Line? [48], The 876th and final CBS telecast of What's My Line? A friend of the lawyer recalled that Belli remarked after Kilgallen's death: "They've killed . at 25. (In the first episode, the mystery guest was New York Yankees shortstop Phil Rizzuto. A Community Chest Special, completely separate from the regular production of episodes, was broadcast live on all the major networks (CBS, ABC, NBC, and DuMont) on the afternoon of Sunday, September 27, 1953. [22], Daly died of cardiac arrest at his home in Chevy Chase, Maryland, on February 24, 1991, four days after his 77th birthday. The first three seasons (19681971) originated from Studio 50, the home of the final year of the original series, but with a new, modern-design set. their "line of work". [17] He spent most of the 1980s as a frequent forum moderator for the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank. Fretts, Bruce (June 17, 2013). The color composition of the What's My Line? As a reporter for the CBS radio network, Daly was the voice of two historic announcements. [40], Beginning with the first Wednesday episode (#005; April 12, 1950, and continuing until around 1951), the show was broadcast from the now demolished CBS Studio 51 (Maxine Elliott's Theatre, aka Maxine Elliott Theatre, 109W. 39th St., NY). "Play it again Sam." What movie actor, starring in his first romantic role, is associated with this line? panelist introduced the next in line at the start of the show. Episode #048 from April 29, 1951, exists at the University of Wisconsin Center For Film and Theater Research. Although using first names at other points, Daly usually addressed using surnames when passing the questioning to a particular panelist. ", This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 05:51. On the occasions on which there were two mystery guests, the first would usually appear as the first contestant. In early 1975, with production on break, it became clear to staff that the seventh season of the syndicated What's My Line? While the roster of Mystery Guests over the shows original 17-year broadcast is impressive Cab Calloway,Judy Garland, andEdward R. Murrowto name a few every episode also boasted two or three civilians hoping to stump the sophisticated panel with their profession. [citation needed] After his father died of a tropical fever, Daly's mother moved the family to Boston, Massachusetts. would be the last. What's My Line? When a question was answered no, questioning passed to the next panelist and $5 was added to the prize. A panelist chosen by Daly would begin the game. To support Open Cultures educational mission, please consider. The show is now an authorized production as it is licensed by FremantleMedia, the owners of What's My Line?. Unknown to the public, mystery guests were paid $500 (equal to $5,631 in 2021[36]) as an appearance fee, whether they won or lost the game. [3], After the Sunday-night series cancellation by CBS in 1967, it returned in a syndication package for local television stations that committed to airing it five days a week. Viacom and Goodson-Todman found themselves unable to secure contracts with enough stations to justify continuing to produce the program beyond the episodes that had been videotaped on or prior to December 12, 1974. After the war, he was a lead reporter on CBS Radio's news/entertainment program CBS Is There (later revived for television as the Walter Cronkite-hosted series You Are There), which recreated the great events of history as if CBS correspondents were on the scene. A contestant won the top prize of $50 by giving ten no answers, or if time ran out, with Daly flipping all the cards. This predated the show's eventual move to color by 12 years. Others are at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., where procedures to access them are more complicated. It's all very 50's and classy and smart and good and worth watching. On the initial program of February 2, 1950, the panel comprised former New Jersey governor Harold Hoffman, columnist Dorothy Kilgallen, poet Louis Untermeyer, and psychiatrist Richard Hoffmann. In the 196263 season, the program was in competition with Howard K. Smith's News and Comment program on ABC News. had ended, Goodson-Todman struck a deal with CBS's syndication arm, which in time became the present-day Viacom (now CBS Media Ventures), to syndicate a new weekday videotaped edition, beginning one year after the network version's cancellation. However, the show was developed as a reality show and had no panel or game elements. What's My Line? The game uses celebrity panelists to question contestants in order to determine their occupation, i.e. Cerf and Daly enjoyed a friendly feud from across the stage for the remainder of the history of the program. [52] In 1971, production of What's My Line? The syndicated series ran for 1,320 episodes over seven seasons. The show was hosted by John Charles Daly and the regular panelists were Dorothy Kilgallen, Arlene Francis and Bennett Cerf. [3] He appears on the famous "One Day in Radio" tapes of September 21, 1939, in which WJSV preserved its entire broadcast day for posterity. What's My Line? Line's sister show, I've Got a Secret, and later, the syndicated version of WML engaged in the practice of contestants demonstrating their talents. It's the long-running panel show that asks the question."Is it bigger than a breadbox?" Contents 1 Game Format 1.1 Main Game 1.2 Mystery Guest 2 Personnel 3 Panelists 4 Broadcast History 5 Trivia [18], He married twice, first to Margaret Griswell Neal in January 1937. Non-celebrity guests stood to earn up to $50 (over $500 today) by prolonging the revelation of their professions, as compared to the Mystery Guests who received an appearance fee of ten times that, win or lose. Too bad it is not shown on a regular basis anymore. An audio-only excerpt from the otherwise lost episode #866 (June 18, 1967) can be heard in an LP called The Age of Television. [6] The series spawned a brief radio version in 1952 that was also hosted by Daly. [9] Daly stated that "the last straw"[10] that led to his resignation was the decision of the then-president of ABC, Leonard Goldenson, to bring in Time Inc. to co-produce documentaries that had previously been under Daly's direction for the network. He assumed the position on September 20, 1967,[14] but lasted only until June 6, 1968, when he resigned over a claim that Leonard H. Marks, his superior at the U.S. Information Agency, had been making personnel changes behind Daly's back.[15]. This album, which was released by RCA Records in 1971, featured interviews with TV personalities about the medium's first 25 years. - Floyd Patterson; Vincent Price; Walter Pidgeon [panel] (Dec 16, 1956)", "CTV What's My Line? The younger of two brothers, Daly was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, where his American father worked as a geologist. [citation needed]. The contestant entered by writing his or her name on a small sign-in board. (1950) He was a vice president at ABC during the 1950s. Also, the show played more like "I've Got a Secret" as the contestants would often demonstrate their skill or would have a sample of the product they either sold or made. It also included a segment in which Vint Cerf's son Bennett (named after the panelist) appeared as a guest. What's My Line? However, Blyden never got to host the series as he was killed in an automobile accident while traveling in Morocco just before taping was to begin. Get the best cultural and educational resources on the web curated for you in a daily email. Five-day-a-week syndicated update of the longtime CBS game show, wherein celebrity panelists guess occupations of the contestants. Yul Brynner said this memorable line in "The King and I". WML and my show both use the old parlor game 20 Questions for the core game. is the long-running panel game show where the celebrity panelists try to figure out unusual occupations of everyday people. Daly would then usually ask where the guest lived and, with a woman, if she should be addressed as "Miss" or "Mrs." Early in the show's run, the panel was allowed to inspect contestants, studying their hands, or label on their suit or asking them to make a muscle. is hailed as the longest running PRIME TIME quiz show in TV history. Although the Harpo Marx segment was preserved via kinescope, and so were most live telecasts of What's My Line?, all of Daly's 15-minute live newscasts for the ABC network were lost due to wiping. Released by Dot in 1955, audio recordings of eight "mystery guest" segments from the original Daly era can only be heard. Broadway actor Francis recalled: I got so much pleasure out of Whats My Line? There were no rehearsals. This set debuted when the show premiered, made the move from Broadway to Rockefeller Center in 1971, and was used until the end of the 197374 season. The uncredited announcer introduced the first panelist, sometimes the left-most, sometimes the right-most. "Eyes on the Prize,", Steve Allen's birth name was Stephen Valentine Patrick Allen, while Fred Allen's birth name was John Florence Sullivan, Last edited on 12 February 2023, at 15:36, What's My Line (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), list of longest-running U.S. primetime network television game-shows, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex, "Oh, the Civility! We thank you! Comedian Bobby Van ended up hosting Showoffs. He did hosting duties on Who Said That?, It's News to Me, We Take Your Word, and Open Hearing. The game ended when the panel was stumped or if a panelist placed the occupations with the right contestants. What's My Line (TV Series 1951-1964) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. In 2008, another revival of the show with David Hasselhoff was planned in cooperation with FremantleMedia, which had taken over ownership of all Goodson-Todman and Mark Goodson Productions programming, that never got off the ground. What's My Line? Stars Eamonn Andrews Isobel Barnett Gilbert Harding See production, box office & company info To increase the probability of affirmative answers, panelists would often phrase questions in the negative starting with "Is it something other than" or "Can I rule out", The show popularized the phrase, "Is it bigger than a breadbox?" For the final season, from episode #830 to episode #876 (September 11, 1966 September 3, 1967), in conjunction with the program's permanent move to color, the show used CBS Studio 50 (later renamed the Ed Sullivan Theater, 1697 Broadway at 53rd St., NY). John Charles Patrick Croghan Daly[1][2] (February 20, 1914 February 24, 1991)[3] was an American journalist, host, radio and television personality, ABC News executive, TV anchor, and game show host, best known for his work on the CBS panel game show What's My Line? Also, the animated intro was done away with in favor of the show's announcer (usually Gould) offering a brief preview of one of the contestants' games. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Movies. The show featured a panel of four celebrities who questioned the contestants. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. In addition, the show has featured relatives of the original cast: Jill Kollmar (daughter of Dorothy Kilgallen and Richard Kollmar), Nina Daly (daughter of John Charles Daly), and Vint Cerf (co-inventor of the Internet and distant cousin of Bennett Cerf). Daly would then often fire back his own retort. (1952) and The Mike Wallace Interview (1958), How American Bandstand Changed American Culture: Revisit Scenes from the Iconic Music Show, How Dick Cavett Brought Sophistication to Late Night Talk Shows: Watch 270 Classic Interviews Online. Writing his or her name on a regular basis anymore show in TV history up on,... A vice president at ABC during the 1950s composed by Charles Fox Los Angeles version of the live went! S all very 50 & # x27 ; s My Line? basis anymore reporter for American..., then resumed in June 2007 bright, contemporary music package was composed by Charles Fox classy and smart good... Segments from the original Daly era can only be heard Eamonn Andrews remainder of the history the! At ABC during the 1950s Me, we Take your Word, and their occupations were printed cards. From April 29, 1951, exists at the University of Wisconsin Center Film! 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