Irene Dunne on What's My Line?

[2legit64]

Wow! She was absolutely stunning at 55!

[lucycatism]

I don't think most folks know that she was a fabulous singer. Check her out in the 1930s version of Showboat. A beautiful and talented woman. 

[LBraunhaus]

LOVED LOVED LOVED HER IN " MY FAVORITE WIFE"!!!!!!

[DAVEJJR]

Fabulous!!!!!

[VintageTelevision863]

"Dorothy who is it?"

[Lee05211]

She is beautiful and youthful looking for 55. No plastic surgery/botox in those days.

[KarenKmJloB]

55??????? WTF???????

[FranklyMyDearTV]

She's sweet! I love her! And yes... I ADORE that hat. I want one!!!

[ShawDAMAN]

If she had guarded her speaking voice a bit more studiously they might never have gotten it ;P she relaxed the disguise a bit toward the end. Great actress my favorite film of hers is 'life with father' with william powell.

[davidesk]

The hat, the mink, the pearls. I love it!



[applenia88]

I'm never tired to watch it again, and again, and again....she's just so witty and smart!

[nomandclature]

pirate at 5:57

[1949man]

Ok, who were the 4 that voted for 'dislike'..?????

[cyborlite]

@1949man They were dyslexic; they thought the thumbs up was down and the thumbs down was up. :p

[SOLE2SOUL]

@1949man Because of the placement of the thumbs down button, right below the pause button, sometimes it's easy to hit thumbs down when you really mean to pause the clip. I've done it several times myself, but not on this clip! YouTube should really think about redesigning that portion of the page layout.

[Buga1965]

Holy Smokes - this woman was amazing. Quick-witted, gorgeous, classy, spicy yet graceful, elegant, and charming as all get out - she was the whole package. Irene Dunne - she could melt you down with just one facial expression or gesture - just incredible. Seen other clips of Ms. Dunne - it's just sort of mindblowing how cool that woman was.

[Cosmic86x]

like others wrote before, i can't believe that she was 55 years old in this clip as well. she was born in 1898. what a classy and talented actress!

[1949man]

3:39---"Are you in New York"...Priceless

[onthewall888]

She's one of my all-time favorites. She was so great in Anna and the King of Siam and I Remember Mama.

[tallpaul521]

She is just so great here. Saw "The Awful Truth" today on TCM -- she and Cary Grant together are magic!

[SueBeaWho]

@tallpaul521 Oh cool ty. I wonder if it is on Netflix. I will check.

[meg0saurusrex]

Why is arlene a pirate? eye patch at 5:58?

[0680lola]

Miss Dunne is workin' that hat!!!! Get it girl!!!! SN: Loves her in Penny Serenade!

[je1rowe]

ADORES HER!!!!!!

[glawsny]

Irene Dunne's daughter said her mother was born in December 1898 not 1904 as stated in movie magazines.

[monielove14]

I just luv her!! she is so funny

[deepseadirt]

the audience gave this one away by applauding too soon. The panel were huddling in conference and Dorothy only rattled Irene's name and did not submit it. The audience muffed this one up by clapping and the host knew he had to end it.

[doc1917]

@deepseadirt so how much money did irene dunne lose because of it. the show was more about entertainment then a game show.

[waynebrasler]

She was a very non-neurotic actress, enjoyed a wonderful marriage, was a devout Catholic (as were so many in the Hollywood of her time), was a great dramatic actress and a great comic actress and a great singer, and as you can see at 55 she was still gorgeous. This was the real her and note how warm and witty she is.

[emergdispatch]

I had the privilege many years ago to see Irene Dunne in person at an AFI event-She was interviewed on stage after a retrospective showing of her 1939 classic ,"Love Affair", was run.One of the highlights of the interview was when she said "Cary Grant" when she meant to say "Charles Boyer" and she then looked at the interviewer (Hollis Alpert) and "begged" him not to tell Boyer of her momentary confusion.......intimating the French lover would not take it well

[bboucharde]

Irene Dunne: Total class on screen and in her personal life. Hollywood has nothing like her now. We live in the "shadow times," beneath these earlier giants.

[soulierinvestments]

I cannot think of many Hollywood actresses, either in her generation or this one, who served both as a Knight of Malta and a Knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre -- but Irene Dunne was a knight in both orders.

[swanstep]

Dunne is just a knockout on every level. So witty, poised, beautiful etc.. There aren't too many women who could play against Cary Grant and have you think, 'Boy, he's lucky to get/have her", but that's what Dunne did. I agree with other commenters that it was truly foolish of the Academy not to give her an Honorary award.

[keca1430]

They say she was the best movie actress to NEVER win an Academy Award; nominated for an Oscar 5 times in the 1930s and '40s, but never won! Retired from acting in 1962; died in 1990 at age 91. Watching her tonight on Father's Day on Turner Classic Movies in 1947's Life With Father with William Powell. She was also in 1948's I Remember Mama, one of her Oscar nominated roles.

[myrnaloysboy]

One person who should have been given a Honorary Oscar - SHAME ON THE ACADEMY>

[sjjcws]

@myrnaloysboy --My theory is: as brilliant and talented as she was, culturally, she was never a part of Hollywood. Hollywood knew it and acted accordingly. This was no ordinary person.

[myrnaloysboy]

@sjjcws Good point, but no excuse! Esp being nominated so many times!

[sjjcws]

@myrnaloysboy ---You appear to be a fan of 'classic movies'. Therefore, you probably recognize that Irene Dunne appeared in many movies that were not highly regarded. That being said, AND TAKING YOUR OBSERVATION TO ANOTHER LEVEL, Leonard Maltin (in his Movie Guide) almost without exception, still praises Irene Dunne. I would add, as an aside, many of her movies were so highly regarded that they were remade to take advantage of the advent of color---hurting her exposure to future generations.

[myrnaloysboy]

@sjjcws I agree. Well with a user name like mine its obvious who my heroine is.....

[sjjcws]

@myrnaloysboy ---Have only seen Myrna in the Thin Man series---and thought she was terrific. Interestingly, Dunne almost became Nora in "The Thin Man Goes Home". Stories differ; but, the one I prefer to believe is that Myrna, for personal reasons, was holding out when offered---until she heard that Irene Dunne might become the new Nora! And, Powell welcomed her back with open arms.

[myrnaloysboy]

@sjjcws Thank you for your wonderful comments. I'm so glad you enjoyed the Thin Man Series. Well on a note of trivia myself, they didn't originally want Miss Loy for the role either. They wanted Laura La Plant.

[moravocis]

Brilliant clip! What a lovely, enchanting woman she was! After watching many of these WHAT'S MY LINE clips I am sadly reminded of the abyss that separates us from that time of natural good manners of "ladies" and "gentlemen" of intelligent and indeed intelligible conversations and wit and our own ghastly age. Looking at this, it seems one must ask "have we really progressed"?

[RMSAquitania]

Thank you so much for uploading this clip. Irene Dunne looks so glamourous and absolutely beautiful. Since she was born in 1898, I cannot believe she is 55 here - such elegance and poise She was a lovely Class Act in so many of her films and is considered the most talented actress never to receive an Academy Award, despite five nominations. She was wonderful in Penny Serendade and the Show Boat (1936) where her lovely singing voice can be heard in this iconic American musical.

[astralagosto]

Irene Dunne...........one of the beautiful ladies of the screen. Lovely to look at and a pleasure to listen to.  What a lovely voice she had......I wish she had made more records. I'll always think of her as a singer instead of an actress. Always elegant, classy, and refined. I love Irene Dunne!!!!

[bashbrannigan]

@Cafeblanx I've heard different reasons he got fired. He apparently did too much double-entendre type humor which didn't go over well with the sponsor. But I'd also heard they simply wanted to replace him with Steve Allen.

[lizzyvance]

Irene Dunn is truly talented. She is one of my favorite actresses. She really is lovely and very versatile.

[weightfeather1]

It's hard to catch, but at the very end, notice that Arlene is wearing an eye patch. Perhaps some sort of peeking injury?!

[weightfeather1]

She's made her voice sound like Judy Holliday, or Edith Bunker! Such a versitile, beautiful and elegant lady. she could sing, dance, play comedy or heartbreaking dramatic roles. I think I'm going to go watch "Penny Serenade".

[SamanthaSG8]

@weightfeather1

That's such a coincidence! Just as I read your comment the opening sequence of Penny Serenade started playing on my television screen! Irene sure was a class act... that's for certain.

[weightfeather1]

How wonderful! I hope you enjoyed it. My favorite scene is where the lady from the adoption agency finds Dunne dancing the Charleston while ironing.

[bashbrannigan]

Hal Block didn't last long after this show. He got fired sometime around this time.

[dezinator]

uh-huh! LOVE This! she is so funny :)

[4Topwood]

The things that lovely lady could do with her voice! She can make me laugh, cry and most of all, just sigh with longing.

[sonjaxfactor]

that is a true class act.

[CrispinFlora]

Love her so in Anna and the king of Siam --- an endearing performance and most memorable to me.

Thanks for the uploads.

[yepheth]

the question: "are you younger than..." then Irene finishes the phrase for him..but i can't catch the word. Thanx in advance.

[Kiwi0321]

Arlene says "than springtime" (like the song) and Irene says no

[marcolopolis55]

Irene Dunne is still absolutely beautiful and charming here in her mid 50s; and as all these comments attest, universally loved.

[marginallymental]

Her understated pathos in "Penny Serenade" with co=star Cary Grant--both deserved Oscars and didn't get them. The sheer LUNACY of Dunne and Grant in "Awful Truth"--do you remember her singing that trill when Jerry breaks into Duval's apt----"Ahhhhhhhh ha ha ha haaaaa!" They both deserved Oscars for these roles and didn't get them. How unfair!

[marginallymental]

Beautiful, funny, self-effacing, incredibly talented, and as fascinating to watch as an aurora borealis--that was Miss Dunne. She, of all Hollywood ladies, was the most lady-like, and I'd have given almost anything to meet her. She was a lady of faith and principle, a gracious giver of her time and money to causes for decades. She married once and never divoirced--adopted a child and lived modestly. And wow--what a looker!! ;-))

[mca1218]

Well said-- and after all those elegant accolades, she gives the funniest answers here with such a deadpan "ah-hah!!"

[marginallymental]

Yup. In fact, "ah-Hah"! She'll always be Lucy Warriner--thirty-something and a whirlwind delight.

[sjjcws]

Mr. Faulkner, thanks for posting!

The fact that she never received an Oscar is the Academy's failure, not hers.

[GEVMM]

She's one of my favourite comediennes of all time.

'Look at the rain!' 'Why is it doing anything besides falling?' (The awful truth)

[soulierinvestments]

Have to hand it to Hal Block: he could be the most undiplomatic person in TV. Look at his 3:08 question  and her 3:14 response.

[CDU916]

I agree, Hal's question regarding age was completely tactless, yet Irene has so much integrity she did not prevaricate at all. How many actresses then or now speak so forthrightly about thier age? Of course they all weren't as naturally beautiful as Irene Dunne!

[soulierinvestments]

Can't think of many actresses -- in fact she is the only one I know -- that was a full-scale knight: a Knight of Malta.

[ipmoic]

Boy she was a delight! Beautiful, smart, witty and talented. For some reason I always think of her and Jeanne Arthur in the same breath. Two great stars, but I would have loved to have dinner with Dunne (Irene that is!) in a former life.

[Superstar2kaii8]

there is another clip of irene dunne on this show i think its about 1957 which would make her almost 60 years old, she looks amazing in it.

[hspolomo18]

hoooly goodness grracious this woman is absolutely beautiful, I can't believe she was actually 55 here. ridiculous...wow.

I love love love The Awful Truth! she's so funny.

[444ttttt]

She was 54, actually.

[hspolomo18]

thanks : )

[ashleyg325]

Wow, she was born in 1898, which makes her 55 here. She could totally pass for 35!

[TOMSLASSIE]

My aunt, 75, said she decided years ago to stay 35, and so it is.

Irene Dunne looks really good.

[chucknyc123]

I love these women 'of a certain age' who wore gloves all the time.  She is a brilliant comedienne. 'The Awful Truth' is absolutely priceless. She always did something funny with her voice, so it's no surprise here. I hope she's never forgotten.

[nyleg7]

I have just discovered her...

My gosh! she's a wonderful actress.

I love her sense of humor :)

[Bobolink03]

She was one of America's best comediennes.. Watch "Theodora Goes Wild," The Awful Truth" and then "My Favorite Wife" . She was also a great serious actress, especially in"I Remember Mama." All the gifts of class, beauty and talent were hers. She never won an Oscar.

[XxMetalManiacXxX]

The Awful Truth!!! :D

[nyleg7]

Really? I just watched "The Awful Truth" and "Love Affair", she was awesome!!! I love her perfect timing in comedy. I think she should have gotten an Honorary Award from Oscar like Deborah Kerr even though she didn't win any.

[freedomtoday11]

I loved the old game shows, Irene was a funny and classy woman.

[Naut1765]

Ha, ha! She didn't seem to like the question about her age! :)

[HAZIDEAD]

You are right. Actors, especially females, to whom looks are so important, can't bear the thought of getting older.....

[emerging2012]

Getting older generally meant falling out of favor for future leading lady movie roles. You do not want to bring up age on a nationally syndicated prime time TV show for sure!

[ecraines]

Arlene had an eye patch over her right eye, I wonder what happened?

[soulierinvestments]

Arlene Francis was notoriously accident prone. She appeared from 1953-1960 not once not twice, not three times but four times in an eye patch on WML. And once she sunburned her eyes and appeared in the broadcast wearing dark glasses.

Regular eye infections. Shingles infection in the eye. Self inflicted eye injuries. I think this was the time that her son Peter Gabel accidentally poked her in the eye.

[operjxm]

thanks for the info, soul. I knew I had seen her with the patch more than once.

[NonStopRocker]

I love John Dalys reaction when Irene say "Why Mr. Daly...."

[ClassicMovieClub]

"Are you in New york"

"Aha" lol!!!

What a beautiful speaking voice she has!

[26mae1987]

in like real speaking voices go i always thought greer garson had the most beautiful speaking voice as well as being beautiful and talented of course and that part is funny

[ClassicMovieClub]

oh yes Greer Garson's speaking voice is lovely!

[mca1218]

What loveliness and glamor: The hat, the dress, the fur, the little sashay as she left to say "goodnight to the panel," etc. Thank you for this.

[Dayniac4324]

Love Irenne Dunne - thank you  !!

[violinthief]

I recognize this particular troll - he is one of the nastiest posters on IMDB. Pretty much every week he starts up a new account, makes 100s of hateful posts a day, and gets banned after a few days by the IMDB mods. Looks like he has now discovered youtube. Youtube doesn't have mods who actively ban users, but those who post the videos can be responsible and remove his trash. Needless to say, his comments would never see the light of day on my videos.

[9aspengold5]

Thanks for letting us know about this idiot. Shame he has nothing better to do with time than corrupt good sites and ruin it for us.

[InXanadu2]

Interesting that the "picture she made in the last six months" they referred to turned out to be ID's last. She made a few TV appearances after this, and then retired.

[SueBeaWho]

"Why Mr. Daaallly..." Smile :-)

[SueBeaWho]

I know I am the bizillionth person to say this but: I can't believe she is 55 on this clip!!!! Beautiful and classy. Where have the people like that gone?

[Mascro1977]

@SueBeaWho

look at he performance in showboat playiing whats is supposed to be a teenager

[SueBeaWho]

@Mascro1977 COOOL i thought i replyed before. cool

[fkd1963]

She was NOT a racist; she was a Republican. I am sure a Repub in 1950 was not quite the same as a Repub today.

[whispperson]

This was Very Funny. I Love this Actress and What a Great Actress she was.

Thanks for this.

[bjnevin]

Simply beautiful and loaded with class...and she could pass for 40...

[girlnamednorma]

Such a gorgeous and charming woman.

[minniereese]

I went looking for her stuff on YouTube because I recently learned that my new brother-in-law is related to the adopted daughter of Irene Dunne.

I can't believe she's 55 years old in this clip!

[jmrleroy]

I think she was born in 104 which woudl make her 49.

[TheLights045]

Do you mean 1904? Actually, either way, being 104 or 1904, you're incorrect. Miss Dunne was born in 1898, making her age 55 in this airing. She looks GOREOUS in my opinion. She was just lovely, wasn't she? "Ehheeee" haha!

[XxMetalManiacXxX]

54*, because this was in February of 1953, when she was born in December of 1898. She did turn 55 that year, though. Either way, she looks great!

[je3rowe]

Yes I think she look gorgeous and whether it's the black and white or not she doesn't look anywhere NEAR her age! :)

[ags072889]

I loved at the end when she says, "Why Mr. DALY!" That was too cute :)

[velma8714]

My favorite line of the clip:

"Are you in New York at the present moment ummm..." "Aha!"

Ad-libbing at its finest - one of those talents that earned Mrs. Dunne her "very justly earned fame" (so nicely put!)...

[ladynfsoffice]

Ms. Dunne is TRULY donning the lost style of the 'lady look' of the 1950s with her GORGEOUS hat, mink, pearls, etc! What's my line is a forever favorite, and this clip is a great sample of lost Tv entertainment and it's GREAT!! :-)

[velma8714]

Oh dear, I couldn't help laughing all the way through this... just about as good as any scene from The Awful Truth (one of my all-time favourites, especially when I need a bit of cheering up). Oh, she was such a great actress - and such a great person.

[1soprano20]

She's incredible! Love her!

[OhGodisGood]

I LOVE HER!! the first movie i saw her in was roberta!!! i loved her in that role!

[Politeama]

Lovely lady and a terrific actress. What a delight!!! Thank you so very much for this clip!

[PatinPDXOR]

You can always tell class (at least those of us of "a certain age" can), and Irene Dunne had class down to her fingertips! Loved how she tried to sound like a gun moll, or maybe Duffy's sister from the old radio series Duffy's Tavern." A fun segment, even Hal Block was restrained here. It wasn't too much longer she retired, after the 1952 film "It Grows on Trees" and as hostess of a TV anthology series. Always one of my favorites, especially in the film "The Awful Truth" with Cary Grant.

[davidesk]

Irene Dunne is one of my favorite actresses from Hollywood's Golden Era. And she looks absolutely fabulous here .... despite that HAT!

[myrnaloysboy]

Gosh she is so classy, she could easily pass as Royalty

[therealdavidparis]

Irene Dunne aged amazingly well - for a 55 year old she looks phenomenal. Me thinks charm and humour was her potion :-)

[antoniorossiz]

You are so right, she was stunning in her 50's. As a man, I often wonder if I'd stay attracted to a lady in my 50's (and she and hers)..and I'll tell ya, if she looked anything like Irene Dunne, you bet I would!

[BianchiLMG]

I read she used to turn in early and get as much sleep as possible hence the term "Beauty Sleep"

[erzbet07]

Delightful...utterly delightful!! Irene looked so lovely and radiant..and talk about a sense of humor. Thanks so much for sharing this rare glimpse of a true Hollywood great. No one can match her!

[26mae1987]

love her voice amazing actress! very funny too! i love her in the auful truth and i remember mama

[TheLights045]

I just realized that she was born in 1898, this was taken in 1953, making her 55 years old... I cannot believe it! She looks SO young! My god! She's always been so beautiful and has such a wonderful personality!

[rubberduckie8922]

I love how she turns to look at John Daly after she said something funny - almost like she wants his approval or something. She's just too charming!

[turdmcturdturd]

this is my great great aunt!

[pjcgatsby]

tremendous elan-- self possessed charming knows who she is commanding. where are those qualities now?

[mca1218]

Well said. The lady oozed elegance- even in a disguised voice. Wish she had done more interview television- not that this was an interview, but y'know what I mean.

[nmbookie]

True assessment, and great question.

For an unforgetable treat, listen to her "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes"

[icecoldjuly]

Beautiful, talented, and funny? I think I'm in love with Irene Dunne.

[ElizabethTalbot]

Absolutely, utterly and completely enchanting.

[polkadotbox2]

"What's done is Dunne!" Irene Dunne has always been one of my favrite movie stars! "Penny Serenade" is the quintessential tear jerker, simply beautiful!

[cherifchel]

Thanks so much for this awesome video. It's rare to see video footage like this of Irene. She really lights up the screen. She was a very special lady.

[soulierinvestments]

Hate the hat. Love the fake accent. A great talent.

[cherifchel]

Hey, I loved her hat!

[Fenhalls]

I agree - that hat is utterly wonderful!

[countrygirltori]

She is my favorite actress. This episode is saved on my DVR. She is hysterical!

"Are you in New York at the present time..."

"Uh huh"

I don't like when they ask their age. But Irene Dunne makes it funny.

Irene Dunne is amazing.

[Fenhalls]

"Are you younger than...Springtime?"

"uh-uh."

"The kid just took a fall."

Brilliant and sparkling repartee. Nothing comes close today.

[violinthief]

Big Irene Dunne fan here. Thanks for posting. What a lovely lady. She's in her 50s here and still radiant as ever.

[TheThinWoman]

oh i love it. she's brilliant

[pBstyleclass]

IRENE DUNNE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[LadyEmmaHamilton]

you took the words right outta my mouth!!!!! :) :) :)

[kolst8406]

What's My Line has a classy reputation, but in the early days, with the presence of Hal Block, it was more racy. His relentlessly wolfish comments whenever an attractive young woman appeared on the show were considered funny back then, but jar the ears now.

[soulierinvestments]

a little jarring even back then.  I hear he once referred to a Dominican nun in full habit as "you doll."

[kolst8406]

LOL - I believe it.

These were the days when the panelists were required to walk in front of the panelists and be examined before questioning. Block was so relentless that Daly would jokingly warn the young women about him before they set out on their stroll. Some of them were visibly uncomfortable. At least Block had the good sense never to actually touch them.

The worst thing was that Block wasn't at all witty like say, Groucho Marx on "What's My Line." He was just crass.

[soulierinvestments]

A transition episode -- last days of Hal Block, first days of Steve Allen. At the end we see that Arlene Francis is wearing an eye patch: for four periods of time in the first ten years, she had eye injuries requiring a patch. Accident prone apparently. Thanx for posting. Very funny.