What's my Line? Helen Traubel

[galileocan]

It's hard to believe that Wally Cox wasted (dominated) half of the time on this episode. I was bored with him after the first 15 seconds

[Richiesutherland]

God, I wish I had a time machine so I could spend one afternoon laughing and joking with Helen Traubel!

[63utuber]

Youtube did it again - somehow putting in a skip at 2:03

[gtlfb]

The story I heard was that Bing was mortified by Trauble's appearance on the Jimmy Durante show. Thank heaven you can enjoy their absolutely delightful number on the CD "Club Durant", featuring Jimmy in extended musical numbers with several great stars. Anyone who enjoys these old clips should get a copy.

[soulierinvestments]

Good sport that Helen. Cox is funny, but he certainly has trouble getting his timing right. As they say in show biz -- keep the front end moving.

[hifijohn]

wally cox is amazing perfect dead pan performance.

[karlakor]

Wally Cox wastes so much time!! Get on with it, for heaven sakes!

[weightfeather1]

Oh my, I'm going to have to do a little Google research! It sounds as though she must have had some sort of noisy dispute with Mr. Bing! (Rudolph Bing, director of the Metropolitan Opera in the 50s and 60s). She wasn't the only one to have a go-around with Mr. Bing.

[weightfeather1]

It's been said that Ms. Traubel had a delightful sense of humor and liked to play practical jokes on and tell jokes with her fellow performers backstage.

[starnarcosis]

Wally Cox I MISS you!

[zaq423]

What a delightful woman! She has a gorgeous smile and a delicious laugh. Although I grew up with Opera being played in my house I am not an Opera officionado like my father was or others that are writing here.. But this video is a treasure and has inspire me listen to several of her recordings. The lady was definitely blessed with a wonderful talent and a fantastic singing. Thank you "NorbertR33" for sharing this video and for expanding my horizons.

[The1812overture]

During the 1950's I had the great pleasure to see Ms Traubel perform in Rodgers and Hammerstein"s Broadway play "Pipe Dream". At the climax of one of the acts, the male cast members lifted her about three feet off of the floor. The audience went wild. It was hilarious!!!

[ameroux]

I like this lady. She has a great laugh.

[samirfouad1]

What's the fuss? All the sopranos mentioned in the comments were great singers but of the past. No much is left when it comes to voice and knowing how

to use it. Each one of them great in their own way. Lucky we had these great voices and the recordings as above.

Not likely that we'll have such a treat again. Enjoy!

[tristanchord85]

The good oldays, when pop culture was literate. Bye the way, no modern opera singer today would want to answer "no" to the "question are you an actor?"

[63utuber]

@tristanchord85 Lily Pons answered "yes".

[vidiegoquam]

@tristanchord85 You may be interested to know that Lily Pons, asked the same question on What's My Line, unhesitatingly answered "yes!" :)

[jimthewriter]

When it came to powerful singing, Traubel and Nilsson were both far ahead of Flagstad. In my opinion, Traubel was the greatest Wagnarian soprano of that era.

[saagua1953]

Amusing ignorance on your part. One reason she "left" the Met, fired, was that in the competition that Bing set up between her and Flagstad, Flagstad came out ahead by a mile. Things had to be transposed DOWN for Traubel since her voice was unable to get "up there." Nilsson later was comparable to Flagstad, but still, imo, not her equal.

[saagua1953]

Nevertheless, Flagstad returned to the Metropolitan Opera, invited by Sir Rudolf Bing who was furiously criticized for this choice: "The greatest soprano of this century must sing in the best opera", he replied. Bing knew that she had never been involved with the Quisling administration of wartime Norway; only her husband had.

Bing, who had responsibility for quality at the Met, obviously thought Flagstad superior to Traubel. In fact he engineered Traubel's firing.

[saagua1953]

Wally's questions were very amusing. No ego, he was a comedian. Traubel was a great Wagnerian soprano, but not quite equal to Flagstad.

[mrrk]

Rubbish, she was as great

[saagua1953]

Rubbish to you. Here is what a present day Wagnerian soprano has to say:

Birgit Nilsson

An unparalleled artist and a lovely, down-to-earth woman.

By Jane Eaglen

Posted Monday, Jan. 16, 2006, at 11:08 AM ET

The greatest Wagnerian sopranoBirgit Nilsson, who died on Dec. 25, 2005, was considered by many to be the greatest Wagnerian soprano in history. Only Kirsten Flagstad, whom Nilsson herself revered, can be mentioned in the same sentence

[mrrk]

Well if you trust such a bad , out of tune soprano as Jane Eaglen, then I know your taste in singers can't be good.

[saagua1953]

Sweetie, the fact that she blew out her voice doesn't mean that her judgment of OTHER singers is not correct. Use your brain, if you have one.

[mrrk]

I 'aint "sweet". I also use my ears as well as my brain, obviously you don't, or they need wshing out.

Traubel was one of the greats, and nothing you say can take away from that.

[jimmysudar]

charming episode as always, but i could have done without wally cox. why is humor so often ego?

[waynebrasler]

Traubel left the Met and went on to a fabulously success career in clubs, television and films. She was a St. Louis woman and when she came to the Chase Club at the Chase Park Plaza hotel she drew EVERYONE from teenagers (who loved her on the Jimmy Durante Show) to her old opera fans. Her night club act was VERY hip and VERY much fun, she was glamorous and larger than life but also down to earth. She was very loved in her hometown and around the world.

[SueBeaWho]

Helen is soooo sweet and I LOVE her laugh!

[SueBeaWho]

Wally is sooooo funny lololol!

[mca1218]

Arlene rocks...the end!! LOVE to watch this woman listen to the guests' answers, digest and decipher the info and gradually draw out the correct information from them, leading to the light of realization on the face. She and Ms. Traubel are a delight to watch throughout this clip.

While she wasn't a big film star, check out Ms. Traubel in the MGM film "Deep In My Heart" and listen to her essay two songs: one called "Softly." and one called "Aufwiedersen." Just gorgeous.

[KarinPluss]

It's interesting to see how this panel can name classical performers, conductors etc. See if anyone on televison anywhere today could do the same.

Arlene's hair looks great in this clip.

Hhaha, Wally Cox may speak slownly, but when something comes out it's pretty funny! "Are you in show business or any realted business, such as mining..or swimming?" haha

Thanks for posting!

[soulierinvestments]

Ms. Traubel wears a great outfit. Let Miley Cyrus try and top THAT.

[Imthecuteone]

lmao Steve Allen: "well pick up the tempo a little bit". hahah I don't think I ever seen a mystery guest laugh so hard and trying not to laugh out loud..haha

[Imthecuteone]

hahah Dorothy at 3:25, she was wanting to hear the guests voice, and when john says the answer is yes, she smiles like john gave her a smart ass answer..haha

[soulierinvestments]

From Wikipedia: In 1953, Metropolitan Opera director Rudolf Bing disapproved of Traubel's radio-TV appearances with the likes of Jimmy Durante and ended her contract when she expressed desire to expand her career to nightclubs.

She appeared on Broadway in Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Pipe Dream," playing a bordello madame with the pipes of Isolde. She also appeared opposite Groucho Marx in the Bell Telephone Hour's (abridged) "The Mikado."

She sounds like more fun than Lily Pons.

[soulierinvestments]

I'm glad Helen Traubel ( 1:30 ) had a good time. Me, I would have socked Wally Cox.

His series Mr. Peepers was in c 1953 a big hit, but in his two WML appearances Cox asked questions . . . very . . . slowly . . . and he seemed to have just . . arrived . . . from . . . Mars. He never appeared on WML again -- ever. Apparently they liked him better on Hollywood Squares (1966-1973) when on videotape they could edit out the long pauses.

[mgushulak]

He made a pretty crappy panelist, sure, but on another occasion he put in a really funny appearance as a mystery guest. Go on down to joanfontainefan's channel for the clip.

[Muffy2314]

He certainly did. I laughed so much.