Fred Allen's first appearance as a panelist on "What's My Line? (Part 1 of 3)"

[judah71]

I don't understand the joke about "What ever happened to Wendy Barry". Can anyone help?



[MrCappy4]

@judah71 Wendy Barrie had been a Hollywood and early TV star--in fact had the first TV "talk show" starting in 1948. By this 1953 show she was no longer on regular TV--and undoubtedly while backstage her name had come up--and Arlene' having her own radio chat show and wide acquaintanceship' must have known what Barrie was doing and where she was. A wonderful good natured Allen joke on Arlene's 'obscure' show business knowledge---and wide friendships....

[judah71]

@MrCappy4

Thanks for that, Cappy! I knew some clever fellow out there would be smart enough (and kind enough!) to let me know.

Greetings of the silly season (if you indulge in such things)!

[dogshy61]

I thought they had higher standards in the 1950s !  This is rather disillusioning.

[cmania26]

This is the first black contestant I have seen on What's My Line?

[cmania26]

This is the first time I have ever seen a black contestant who wasn't a mystery guest.

[5star555555555]

gotta love bennett's white jacket

[jimaroo100]

All the Affirmative Action in the world will never get you 101 combat missions in Korea. - that is done on ability only. But I would have never guessed he was a fighter pilot ...... because he looks too big.

[19tc85]

Fred,"Mr. James, this is your first appearance on this show isn't it?"

Daniel,"Yes"

Fred, "And this is my first appearance on this show. And we can save an awful lot of time if you just tell me what you do."

Lmao, Fred was the absolute greatest panel ever on WML.

[NellsStuff]

THANKS for posting this one!

[YellowDogTV]

Thank you for posting this entire episode!  Classic!

[13loomisst]

Wendy Barrie was perhaps the first guest panelist on WML, episode #4. Thanks very much for posting.

[reyzaguirr]

thank you for explaining the joke

[bitterchew]

so what did ever happen to Wendy Barrie?

[soulierinvestments]

GENERAL DAINEL JAMES

Deputy assistant secretary of defense (public affairs) 1970 principal deputy assistant secretary of defense (public affairs) 1973.

vice commander Military Airlift Command, Scott Air Force Base, 1974.

four-star general assigned commander in chief, NORAD/ADCOM, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., 1975.

[torchkit]

Affirmative action promotions. I like how Dorothy wanted, but was embarrassed, to ask if he was a groundskeeper.

[davidezell]

@torchkit I think it's interesting to assume that the only way this man could be a pilot was through affirmative action. Not only is that historically inaccurate (the phrase comes from a 1961 Kennedy-era order) but it neglects the facts that African-Americans had been flying since World War II. Maybe some of the reason he was a pilot was related to people able to see beyond prejudice. But maybe, just maybe, it's because he was a gifted pilot.

[SoaringTrumpet]

@torchkit Ah the good old days, during which the only possible way a black guy could be a respected guest on tv airwaves was in such an impeccable form as this: military hero. I'm not faulting "What's My Line" for this sign of the times, but thanking progress for how far we've come as a human race in respecting people of any skin color in whatever endeavor they prove themselves. Am I the only one who felt this man's obvious discomfort in being such a spectacle for a white audience??

[jsteeber]

@SoaringTrumpet You picked up on the discomfort. Brown-skinned men had done all kinds of things in the military - going back the to American Civil War. But in mainstream society, the perception of people with such features was that they were to remain in purely servile (and not highly-educated) roles. Most people have no idea how completely segregated the North was, too. This man served with honor, retired a general, and even had the nerve to appear on TV not stepping or fetching for anyone.

[soulierinvestments]

GENERAL DANIEL JAMES

1964 Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., director of operations training, then deputy commander operations 4453d Combat Crew Training Wing.

Ubon Royal Thai AFB, 1966, deputy commander operations, 8th TFW, 1967 wing vice commander.

Flew 78 combat missions into North Vietnam. One resulted in the highest total kill of any mission during the Vietnam War.

Vice commander 33d TFW, Eglin AFB, Fla., 1967. Wheelus AFB, Libya,  1969, Commander 7272d Fighter Training Wing.

[soulierinvestments]

GENERAL DANIEL JAMES

1949, flight leader, Fighter-Bomber Squadron, Clark Field Philippines.

101 Korea combat missions in F-51 / F-80 aircraft.

jet fighter pilot / operations officer. 58th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron 1953 commander 437th FIS. 1955 commander 60th FIS.

1960 RAF Station, Bentwaters, UK, ass't director operations then director, 81st Tactical Fighter Wing; commander, 92d Tactical Fighter Squadron; then deputy commander operations 81st Wing.

[soulierinvestments]

GENERAL DANIEL JAMES JR. 1920 - 1978.

Special assistant to the chief of staff, U.S. Air Force.

1937-1942,Tuskegee Institute, bachelor of science degree in physical education (Arlene!) and completed civilian pilot training under the government-sponsored Civilian Pilot Training Program.

At Tuskegee: civilian instructor pilot in the Army Air Corps Aviation Cadet Program. Commissioned second lieutenant, 1943. Assigned to various units for 6 years.

[Lava1964]

I'm stumped.  Who is/was Wendy Barrie?

[soulierinvestments]

an actress -- big in TV in those days.

[soulierinvestments]

Maybe one of the funniest sets of introductions ever. The laugh at the expense of Wendy Barrie seems to have outlived her by some 30 years, whatever it meant.