Jonathan Cerf and Peter Gabel on What's My Line?

[duncombepat]

@hepzebashu  To answer your question,this episode was aired March 12,1967!

[stickstr8up1]

At about 7:00, you can hear Peter faintly over the applause respond to his mother's compliment about Peter and Jonathan being two wonderful boys by saying, "You're a wonderful parent." What an incredible gift for a mother to have. Too bad Peter turned out to be such a crooked extreme leftist.

[hepzebahsu]

Any idea of the date of this episode?

[orbit14915]

to think that this was broadcast on sundays at 10:30p et live. I was too young to watch it and I wouldn't have been interested but did enjoy "sunday nights in black and white" until my cable co. dropped the channel. sad to see how commercial TV has become nothing but a cesspool of junk and endless commercials both pai and promos for upcoming shows PURE CRAP

[Janybody17]

Arlene Francis is gorgeous.

[McKay4429061]

If you listen closely, at around :46, you can hear Martin Gabel whisper to Pamela Tiffen to "introduce Bennett"

[pildskadden]

I see no pretentiousness here. Just sophistication and wit. True New Yorker wit. And self-irony. And Bennett is one of the best here!!

[ColumbiaPerna]

You can see here how Peter Gabel has started to descend into weirdness when compared to the way he looked and acted a few years earlier when he was a mystery guest.

[calihartley2010]

@ColumbiaPerna I agree. In the 1964 clip he was more sophisticated and innocent looking. Here is is getting too wierd probably because of the hippy attitudes he is adopting. Too bad that it is because of these people that the whole world especially the western world has gone down the tubes. These people ruined what was good and made the good look like crap. They even have the nerve to say that the bad things happening now are better that those good old days.

[loggats]

omg Peter Gabel kinda looks like Mark Ronson

[tomitstube]

why do they never have more than one chair for multiple guests?

pamela tiffon was a playmate.

[shoredude2]

@tomitstube There was only chair to force the guests to fit into the shot.

[LPS2601]

@tomitstube Y Pamela Tiffon did appear in Playboy but was never a Playmate.

[Muirmaiden]

It's impossible not to love Arlene Francis! Not only does her son Peter kiss her but so does Bennett's son Jonathan!

[xXxXBleedPurpleXxXx]

lol u watch high stakes poker too, right on!

[bkohatl]

I think this show as much as any shows that everyone on this show looked on Peter and Jonathan as their kids and offered them encouragement and love. I think that this they did this with anyone kid. These are just good people.

[librarybob1958]

No less than Billy Wilder once called Pamela Tiffen one of the best natural comediennes he ever worked with, and he worked with some of the best. Given a high compliment of that nature, where is she today? And who was the husband she's referring to?

[SoCalGal52]

@librarybob1958 I said the same thing. Who is her husband? Pamela Tiffen kinda turned out to be a big nothing, as far as her career is concerned. Where the heck is she now? It kind of looks like Arlene's son is starting to grow his hair a little longer at this point, compared to his earlier appearance on the show. I just read about him. He's a total leftist hippie moron. Too bad they sent him to Harvard.

[jhr459]

@SoCalGal52 leftist? probably. hippie? how quaint. moron? he's a Harvard educated attorney and I'm betting he could kick your intellectual ass up one side and down the other. i'm just sayin........yeah, what a shame he had to settle for Harvard.

[SoCalGal52]

@jhr459 How sarcastic u are, dude. Oh well. I'm sure he could kick my ass intellectually, I could give a crap. I also could care less that he is a Harvard educated attorney or whatever the hell he became. He is still a leftist, hippie moron in my book. Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, sure, all great schools, all with leftist professors filling young Americans heads full of mush w/ left wing propaganda and lies.You can think and feel what you want, I think it's a waste of money and time.

[calihartley2010]

@SoCalGal52 I agree too. I do not care what sort of education they have had and their degrees, It is their leftist views and iindoctrination of young minds with leftist ideas that are ruining this great nation.

[elisacricket]

@calihartley2010 are "graet nation " was built on equalty. for evertone

[darkwood777]

@SoCalGal52 A big nothing??? I have to disagree. Tiffen's career was relatively brief, but she had many good roles and fine performances in the time she was working. She made her mark and moved on to an early retirement to enjoy life in Europe.

[calihartley2010]

Jonathan Cerf sounds like he is in a metal band. Maybe the influence of the hippies got to them being in a liberal college like Harvard.

[abbamoney]

Mr. and Mrs. Gabel can't recognize their own son, lolz

[omgbygollywow]

How come John Daly didn't shake Jonathan Cerf's hand?

[calihartley2010]

@omgbygollywow he did. the desk is in the way.

[wnesbitt1]

What kind of accent has Bennett Cerf? I really like it.

[soulierinvestments]

@wnesbitt1 upper class upper east side Manhattan accent. The W-R feature is particularly distinctive.

[weatherboi]

@IEnjoyHippies I believe this was an episode from 12 March 1967.

[SIMPFANN]

Pamela Tiffin is so cute!

[Kate8790]

I also love the way she reacts after she takes off her mask and says, "Oh no!"

[Kate8790]

Arlene Francis is the best and I find myself paying too much attention to things she says, lol. For instance I like the way she says, "How well do I know you?" That doesn't make me weird does it? Lol.

[msmunkietime]

@Kate8790 Since I have the same sort of fondess for AF, I would have to say that you are perfectly sane! She's sosexy and adorable at the same time. I love how Martin keeps looking at her. I'm sure he expected the same, wonderful reaction we all do.

Poor Bennett. He really did look sad about his inability to play. I'm sure he would have got a kick out of that challenge.

[henrygrove100]

Arlene asks them what are they on and the she says they are two wonderful boys...mixed messages??

[torchkit]

@henrygrove100 Arlene asked "WHY are you on."

[Kate8790]

I find it hilarious each time Arlene's son was on she had no idea who it was but she is usually the one to be able to indentify anyone else! LOL!

[Mascro1977]

@Kate8790

because thosde two times the show made sure she couldnt peak

[henrygrove100]

I wonder if you could hear the two boys pound in the night?

[henrygrove100]

Tall dark and handsome Martin Gabel

[nurula007]

man i wish the camera stuck on martin when he takes off his blindfold and puts on his glasses to discover that his son is sitting in as a contestant

[rmul91]

@nurula007 me too :(

[xxcharmed1xx]

both boys are very handsome!

[jph0917]

I wonder if they ever found out who sent the letter to Bennett?

[talkinbroadway]

Arlene Francis and Pamela Tiffin were both on Broadway in the revival of DINNER AT EIGHT. I saw it with my folks.

[serundipity]

Seeing these wonderful shows with their high standard of civility and their total lack of sleeze makes one aware of how much our civilization has deteriorated in just fifty years.

[edwardjames50]

@serundipity ~ I agree wholeheartedly! There was a tradition of John Daly calling the panelists "Mister" and "Miss," which would be unheard of today.

[gabsylv]

@serundipity This was, even at the time, really far above the normal standards of civility. It's not like WML panelists were typical Americans in the 50s and 60s. They were exotic even for audiences of their generation. And I think similar formailty and civility can still be found in a variety of institutional and academic contexts. Just sayin'...

[harrietcow]

@gabsylv Yes, you're right. The WML panelists don't represent mainstream America in the 50s and 60s- they represent the posh, elegant world that was the Upper East Side of New York City in the 50s and 60s- a whole other world entirely when compared to the rest of the USA. That's one reason I love this show so much- it's like a peek into that world- its manners, speech, class, wit, with an occasional dash of snobbery or pretentiousness thrown in.

[harrietcow]

@gabsylv You are correct. WML panelists were not representative of the average American in the 50s and 60s- they were representative of the inhabitants of the exclusive world of the Upper East Side of New York in the 50s and 60s. One reason I love this show is to get a peek at that world- its manners, dress, wit, sophistication, and, on occasion, snobbery and pretentiousness (I'm looking at you, Bennett!)

[gabsylv]

@harrietcow Yes, I find Daly's treatment of certain "uncouth" panelists (=Hal Block) offensive, too...

[calihartley2010]

@serundipity and thanks to liberal hippies like peter and jonathan that our society has degraded.

[elisacricket]

@calihartley2010 you must be joking i hope !!!

[soulierinvestments]

Arlene Francis and Pamela Tiffin both appeared in Billy Wilder's One Two Three in 1961.

[khtx]

somebody know which year it was? Dorothy dead already?

[UofLCardFan08]

Dorothoy died in 1965, and this might've been in 1966 or '67.

[TomBarristerX]

This was aired March 12, 1967. This was the second time Peter Gabel appeared on the show and the second time he stumped the panel, including his mother (Arlene).

[evolgub]

lol @ arlene not knowing peter.

peter was a real hottie, i think.

[stickstr8up]

Peter was so cute before he went all "hippie."

[44032]

Anyone who sends an anonymous letter doesn't have the best of intentions.

Pamela Tiffin, an old crush of mind, was no bimbo but sometimes she gave that impression. I assume this was her first time as a panelist and she was a bit nervous.

[jph0917]

I just love the way Arliene reacted by saying "OH NO!" when she found out it was Peter again!

[proken58]

Jonathan's brother Christopher Cerf was one of the founding editors of the National Lampoon.

[Gnillob802]

Editors of the Harvard "Lampoon." I wonder how they got that position? Just wondering.

[Imthecuteone]

lol Arlene doesn't know her own son...poor gal!

[UofLCardFan08]

Peter looks a bunch like Martin.

[Muffy2314]

you're right--more than i thought.

[BethBetteJulie]

So cute how Arlene peeks before she takes off her blindfold :)

[saraismyname]

AWW, Thank you so much for posting this!! ;D too bad Bennet had gotten that letter though!

[Muffy2314]

Bennett seemed really hurt by that. I don't blame him.

[OldTimerGoGetter]

I agree...so much fun was spoiled for Bennett as well as the rest of the people there at the studio that day, as well as many of us lucky enough to be watching WML on YouTube...

[soulierinvestments]

The clip is from a BW kinescope of a color broadcast, which accounts for its fuzzy darkishness. The color cameras had sufficiently sensitive optics that the director could do two shots ( 5:16 ) with the name plates in focus.

[soulierinvestments]

Gabel started wearing his trademark eye glasses early. The sons, aged 21, developed into cute guys at this stage.

This gimmick would have been great if someone had not dampened it by spoiling the surprise element for BC.

Certainly no one working in the New York WML staff office would cue Bennett. I speculate Jon and / or Pete told somebody in deepest confidence in Cambridge MA and told him to keep the secret -- which at Harvard means an open invitation to expose it.

[Great2C]

What I find interesting is how formally Peter Gabel shook his father's hand. At least Jonathan Cerf received a friendly thump on the arm by his father. That wasn't the time when also male relatives shared a hug, was it?

[soulierinvestments]

What I find interesting is that Bennett ( 7:51 ) thumped BOTH of them affectionately, and BOTH of the sons kissed Arlene.

[EDH1712]

I always take note of these things, too. Maybe Martin wasn't apt to publically display affection. I don't ever remember him kissing or hugging Arlene on the show either.

[hkk321]

I agree. You notice Martin in this video does push Arlene's chair in under her at the very end -- nice old-fashioned manners. Maybe he just believed in formality -- except for that one time he made a crack about her spending!

[MrPeterMichael]

In one of the "husbands & wives" shows - the first one, I think - I noticed Martin didn't kiss Arlene, but Dorothy kissed both her husband and Martin. I thought really strange.

[soulierinvestments]

I remember that detail from that broadcast as well. I know that over the years there was plenty of evidence that Dorothy and Martin seemed to be good friends.

[torchkit]

@hkk321 If you look carefully, Martin reaches back and pulls his own chair in. He doesn't touch Arlene's.

[jph0917]

@soulierinvestments: I don't see Bennett thumping Peter, only his son. He shook hands with Peter, but didn't thump him.

[starnarcosis]

@soulierinvestments Peter and Jonathan both went to the same college. IF you watch much of this it's fairly apparent that Arlene's family and Bennett seemed to be pretty good friends.

[delightfulstar]

@starnarcosis The Gabel and the Cerf families were most definitely friends, and were also next door neighbors at their weekend homes in Mount Kisco, NY.

I felt so bad for Bennett - he wanted to be in on it so badly. And I absolutely love when the blindfolds come off, and Arlene finds out it's Peter, and he's completely fooled her - again..."OH, NO!!!"

[Keltster]

Cool to see the beautiful

PAMELA TIFFIN too !

[Muffy2314]

Yes, quite beautiful.

[gottamatch]

Oh, poor Martin Gable.. womens hair styles being so high makes his lovely wife look even taller than she already is! Looking gorgeous as always, Arlene!

So upsetting that Bennett's fun was ruined! But nevertheless, always great to see family members as mystery guests of WML!

What's with that other mystery guest? I'm guessing broadway? Doesn't look familiar as a screen actress?

Thank you for sharing!

[soulierinvestments]

The other guest panelist, Pamela Tiffin worked with Arlene.  When Tiffin worked with Arlene in the 1966 revival "Dinner at Eight" (in the Jean Harlow role), I hope she didn't miss cues ( 0:44 ) or wasn't obviously ( 3:39 ) without a clue.

[gottamatch]

Haha yeah, I'm going with "without a clue" lol