What's My Line--Groucho Marx Edition (part 1 of 4)

[walleyrt69]

Groucho Was funny,but Rude!

[bloodgrss]

A classic of this show--and of TV--wit--intelligence and true talent's---

[AndrewGilmore1986]

Thanks so much for posting this! Groucho's in top form here. By any chance could you upload his second appearance on the panel from 1964?

[CaptainOvious123]

I have a history exam in two days on the Cold War period. As I'm revising through the Cuban Missiles Crisis and Khrushchev's response, I suddenly remembered this video :P

[NadiaBKat167]

Arlene and Groucho are so flirty with each other, it's adorable!

[Kate8790]

I love Arlene Francis and I about died when part of her dress slipped at :52 If anyone had the sexiest shoulders it's Arlene Francis!

[soulierinvestments]

Sixty years ago this week, CBS moved WML to Sunday nights at 10:30 EST, a time slot it dominated for 17 years.  Happy 60thj anniversary, WML>

[Kate8790]

Groucho got to hug them both...what a lucky guy!

[MegaObserver1]

Bennett Cerf was also Groucho's publisher. Bennett said that they had a hard time keeping Groucho's books in stock, they'd almost literally fly off booksellers' shelves.

[fromthesidelines]

Groucho managed to "destroy" nine years of what had been a quiet, sophisticated panel show with his initial appearance...and Mark Goodson and John Daly were aware of it (they KNEW he was never going to play the game "straight"). Groucho often sent letters to John over the years as well...

[paularoxmysox]

Arlene was 52! wow! she looks so pretty! i love her dress!!!

[xenafan234]

Thanks for posting the whole thing!

[MegaObserver1]

The line about Disenyland is in reference to Nikita Khruschev's then-recent visit to the U.S. He wanted to see Disneyland, but was refused because security would have been impossible and Walt Disney refused to close the park to the public just so Khruschev could have a tour.

[snetryciu]

This as wonderful! Thank you so much for posting :).

[TomBarristerX]

Groucho appeared four times on What's My Line, twice each as panelist and mystery guest. Both appearances as mystery guest are easy to find on Youtube. Harder to find is his other appearance as panelist, on November 15, 1964, as he isn't mentioned in the keywords or description. You can find an excerpt of it here: watch?v=UZqH0glBk2I

[IndioFreak]

@TomBarristerX in case you're interested, Mystery Guests in this episode were Luis Miguel Dominguín (Spain's celebrated bullfighter), Jed Johnson, Jr. (Congressman Elect, youngest since 1797), Anne Bancroft (actress), WML No. 738 (755)

[MisterMasterShafter]

WML? and it's regular cast alone is legendary. This episode with Groucho on as guest panelist = Epic.

[634devil]

This is gold!

[CarlyIsAGangster]

Arlene was 52 here?

Damn she looks soo good not just for her age

but she is really pretty for any age.

[PirateQueenMaureen]

@CarlyIsAGangster I was about to say, GOD! Arlene is GORGEOUS here!

[CarlyIsAGangster]

@PirateQueenMaureen She always is!! 

[ben122692]

@CarlyIsAGangster your not kidding she looks good

[mrkrinkle72]

frank sinatra called dorothy kilgallen the "chinless wonder" rumors say that she was murdered because she knew too much about the jfk assasination

[jimmbo13]

I love how groucho looks at the wrong camera when he introduces

[rockingdylan]

groucho = classic

[ClassicFilmFan]

A whole episode, great :D by the way: I love Arlene's Dress!

[soulierinvestments]

I hear that the producers of Groucho Marx's TV show "You Bet Your Life" filmed the show for an hour and then edited down to the best half hour. The 4 clips from Groucho's September 1959 appearance on live WML indicate that Groucho really was too much of a good thing live and unedited.

[soulierinvestments]

RE: Groucho really goes in for the Kill on Arlene. Notice in all three game sequences: Arlene become obviously exasperated with Groucho's constant walking all over her air time and space.

Producer Gil Fates once wrote that if at least one of the panelists loathed a possible guest panelist, he or she got dropped like a very hot potato. Groucho, almost like Ernie Kovacs, did not appear on WML again . . . for years. I speculate that Arlene or John or both kept Groucho off.

[Ramubay]

Its not just that Groucho is over the top, the rest are very prim and proper panelists, two of which are literary non-performers, and the host a news anchor. ANY comedian comes off as the rascal here (such as Steve Allen, Ernie Kovacs, Jerry Lewis, etc.) by comparison. Fred Allen had a very dry style so it wasn't that distinct a difference. In comparison Hollywood Squares and the 70's version of Match Game were full of comedians and Groucho wouldn't have stood out as much.

[phantom4087]

However, Groucho Marx does stand out as one of the greatest comedians of all time, along with Charlie Chaplin.

[Ramubay]

I didn't mean to say he wasn't a great comedian (as if my comments even matter), just that the contrast in style was greater when he was surrounded by the prim and proper New York social set as opposed to the wacky guests and double entendres that would show up in later decades on Hollywood Squares and Match Game. I really don't think Bennett Cerf, Arlene Francis or Dorothy Kilgallen would ever say "boobies" on TV.

[heine71]

Groucho isn't dressed in a tux, just a normal business suit (or what most game show hosts wore - jacket, pants, and tie suit combo).

[weatdamal]

Thanks again Crepehanger47!

[Jade808]

Awesome! =D

~Jade808~

[mariellecharmaine]

Thanks Crepehanger for putting up this great episode. Look out Ladies, when Groucho is around! He really goes in for the kill with Arlene.

[CarlyIsAGangster]

@mariellecharmaine Who wouldn't go in for the kill with Arlene?

Hahahaha : D