"What's My Line?" (1950) TV series 1950-1967

Directors:

Paul Alter
Frank Satenstein

Seasons:

4 | unknown

Release Date:

2 February 1950 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Game-Show

Plot:

Contestants with unusual occupations were interviewed by the panelists. Only questions that could be answered with a "yes" or "no" were allowed...

Plot Keywords:

Panel | Mask | Contraction In Title | Question Mark In Title | Quiz Show

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 3 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

John Daly	...	Moderator / ... (816 episodes, 1950-1967)
Arlene Francis	...	Herself / ... (762 episodes, 1950-1967)
Bennett Cerf	...	Himself / ... (684 episodes, 1950-1967)
Dorothy Kilgallen	...	Herself / ... (665 episodes, 1950-1965)

Also Known As:

Occupation Unknown (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

30 min (876 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White (1950-1966) | Color (1966-1967)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

CBS Broadcast Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)

Trivia:

Louis Untermeyer resigned from the show after he was listed in a notorious booklet called ‘Red Channels’ during the McCarthy Era. He was a longtime friend of playwright Arthur Miller, who wrote in his memoir ‘Timebends’ that Untermeyer was so depressed about leaving the series that he confined himself to his Brooklyn home for more than a year. His wife handled all incoming phone calls. Miller, who called himself "a very infrequent television watcher," never noticed any newspaper or magazine reports of Untermeyer's exit from the series. When Miller's phone call was answered by Untermeyer's wife, she gave an evasive answer to the playwright's question about why his friend would not come to the phone. Miller knew nothing about the situation for more than a year. The respected playwright also claimed that many years after the incident, a producer of the series, unnamed by Miller, apologized to Untermeyer and assured him that he had tried to keep him on the show, but numerous viewers (some picketing outside the CBS building, others threatening to boycott Stopette deodorant) demanded otherwise. Untermeyer was replaced by Bennett Cerf, who had appeared previously as a substitute panelist.

Quotes:

Steve Allen: Is it bigger than a bread box?

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Batman: Batman Is Riled (#1.6)" (1966)

Soundtrack:

Sounds

"And now, let's meet our What's My Line? panel!"

I don't think there are words in the English vocabulary that can fully capture the deep love I have for this game show and the admiration I feel for its panel. A highly sophisticated and glamorous show, "What's My Line?" keeps you on the edge of your seat for an hour and a half as you watch the celebrity panel try to guess the occupation of a guest or the identity of the mystery guest. Truly, this show fully encompasses what the fifties and sixties were all about. First on the panel, you have tart-tongued syndicated columnist Dorothy Kilgallen. Quick and smart, Dorothy always took the game seriously but never failed to through in a joke or two each telecast. Then there was Random House's very own Bennett Cerf, a remarkable publisher whose calm, cool demeanor and relaxed sense of humor perfectly complimented the show. My favorite regular panelist, however, was the beautiful actress of stage and screen, Miss Arlene Francis. Glamorous, warm, erudite, and fantastically witty, she was such an asset to the show. There was always a fourth panelist -- usually someone along the lines of Steve Allen, Fred Allen, Tony Randall, Martin Gabel (Arlene's husband), etc.

And then, there was the man who was head of it all: journalist John Charles Daly. One of the most fabulously linguistic and learned men I have ever seen in action, he was the perfect host as he brought laughter and sophistication to every episode. I prefer "What's My Line?" in its first incarnation, when John Daly was host and Dorothy Kilgallen still alive. It's a marvelous show, and I cannot thank Game Show Network enough for showing it in reruns, even if they do only air at 4:30 in the morning. Many thanks to the wonderful panel and host -- I've always felt they were like old friends in my home.