What's My Line?: "Banned in Boston"

[HoneypieTheLover]

Is it me, or does Robert Morse look like Darrell Hammond?

[primeight]

ear rape at 2:17

[TheCanadianPublic]

What was it with Steve Allen? He just kept hitting those double-entendres like it was nothing! LOL!

[MattTheSaiyan]

These clips are 3 times as funny because they are so old.

[MsBunnyLake]

Groucho Marx was hysterical! Love him!

[calalilygirl]

Marx was pathetic. He always seemed to need to be center of attention even on talk shows where always were being interviewed. And he really wasn't funny.

[JRussoBuffaloNY]

@calalilygirl I defend what I stated as-well, it is only your opinion & preference. now you may continue to argue with yourself.

[calalilygirl]

This Marx guy's humor was really lame. It was stupid.

[JRussoBuffaloNY]

@calalilygirl well darling you're a nobody compared to Marx, 'tis only your opinion & preference about his stautus in society & that's as far as it goes. if you don't like it you don't have to watch it. ; - ) enjoy baby

[calalilygirl]

@JRussoBuffaloNY I stand by what I said. 

[reno1uest]

10:08 Arlene's laugh at Bennett's line of 'Protecting the wee ones'.

[soulierinvestments]

( 3:27) ( 7:04 ) 2 examples of WML's gambit. Occasionally, and only once an episode and game, the producers suggested to S Allen or Hal Block an off-track line of questions answerable yes to huge laughs. We can identify gambits when Daly calls upon SA or HB first, they ask "is this a product? [or service?]" first to an immediate yes. Fates gambitted only comedians whose egos inclined them to laughs. Fates did not include Daly in gambits, for Daly always answered questions literally.

[romeman01]

@soulierinvestments Your comments are always welcome! I am curious on one point. When you say, "Fates did not include Daly in gambits," what do you mean? I don't understand. Daly could not have been the protagonist of a gambit like Allen or Block, because he had to know everything about the guest. And if he called upon Allen or Block first, then he did know their pumps were primed. So in what way do you mean that he was not included?

[soulierinvestments]

@romeman01 I wasn't clear. I suspect Fates instructed Daly as a matter of course what order the panelists would start questioning. Fates wrote in his book that Fates did not discuss ahead of time with Daly the gambit Fates gave to Allen or Block or comic guests panelists. Gambits succeeded, because Daly unfailingly interpreted questions literally.  Fates wrote that he never discussed gambits with Daly; he was not sure if Daly knew what he was doing. Daly probably did -- and played along?

[romeman01]

@soulierinvestments OK, that makes sense. John Daly was an extremely, I would say exceptionally, competent TV host. I can't imagine that he didn't eventually put two-and-two together when Steven Allen kept going along these very risqué lines. Now in these gambits, to what extent did Fates say he unveiled the occupations to the gambit protagonists (Allen & Block)? And did Fates feed Allen & Block quite a number of questions that they should ask or just give them one or two to get them rolling?

[soulierinvestments]

@romeman01 Fates insisted in his book that he never told Block or Allen or the other comic guest panelists the occupations.  He just suggested the outline of questions and told them they would get laughs. Hard to tell how detailed the gambits were. Steve Allen was pretty bright, so I doubt he needed a lot of scripting.

[soulierinvestments]

( 2:40 ) ( 5:24 ) ( 9:03 ) -- Gil Fates wrote that the producers of WML were among the biggest fans of Dorothy Kilgallen, who always played seriously and to win. So when she did funny things, Fates said it was a big bonus. Fates insists that he never gave Dorothy, Arlene, or Bennett the WML gambit.