What's My Line? - Mystery Guest Gerald Ford

[observer9670]

At this time, John Daly was living in Washington and working for the American Enterprise Institute. He refused to go back on television, except for a WML 25th anniversary special in 1975.

[capcentre]

EXCUSE ME! Seat #1 Gene Rayburn, Seat #2 Brenda Toenail, Seat #3 Joanna Barnes, Seat #4 Bennett Cerf. Why isn't this boy, girl, boy girl or girl, boy, girl, boy???

[AdamNedeff]

@capcentre Brenda Toenail?

[butchboy13]

@capcentre I THINK thats Brenda Vaccaro but I couldn't get a good enough look at her to be sure

[thedayxyz]

America made a Major mistake in the election of 1976, had it not been for the controversial pardon, he would have been president.

[wntoply6]

@thedayxyz yes, as a democrat, i have to agree with you.

but, back then, the republican party was not the radical nut ball party it is today. it was a party of integrity, honesty & fiscal conservative values. it was also a party of equality, as defined back then, as were the democrats.

all that changed when "holier than thou", "self righteous" highly "judgmental" "christians" (with quotation marks & a small c) hijacked them. it hasn't been the same since, to the detriment of this nation!

[butchboy13]

@wntoply6 AMEN!

[torgman]

Wow, a Republican complementing a Democrat. Was that the last time that ever happened?

[chrisring123]

Funny how LONG it took them once they learned it was a Republican! If it was a Democrat, I imagine they would have figured it out in a snap!

[xtos1961]

he didn't trip

[MARCBSTN]

Gerald was very handsome

[elc1960]

The dark haired woman on the panel is Brenda Vaccaro. That year she did a nude scene in "Midnight Cowboy" with Jon Voight. I think she's the only cast member of "Line" to do a nude scene (unless someone out there has nude footage of Arlene Francis or Kitty Carlisle that I've never seen).

[JeopardyandWheelFan]

I love that line:

Wally: Panel, are the blindfolds in place?

Gene: Yes, siree!

[astralagosto]

I miss John Daly too.  I wish he had hosted this color version of What's My Line.

[tgerclaw]

Where's Arlene?

[greekgeek618]

omg i did a president report on him in fifth grade

[sheltv100]

No revelations of Watergate at that time eh?

[SquatThrust]

Was Gerald Ford ambidextrous? He signs in right-handed, but I know for sure he was a southpaw. There are many film clips of him as President signing things left-handed and he appears on the many websites that list left-handed Presidents alongside Truman, Bush 41, Clinton and Obama.

[TimThomason]

@SquatThrust His signature also appears quite different than what is elsewhere on the net. I'm guessing that the producers of WML made everyone sign right-handed for the camera position (it'd be awkward for a lefty), and Ford probably spent a good deal of time backstage practicing his right-handed signature.

[SquatThrust]

@TimThomason Actually I did some research and found out that Gerald Ford wrote left-handed when sitting and right-handed when standing up. Here is a direct quote: "For as long as I can remember, I have been left handed sitting down and right handed standing up, and as strange as it may sound, I throw a football with my right hand and write with my left."

[soulierinvestments]

@TimThomason Actually in night time WML some celebrities entered via the stage eft curtain and signed in left handed -- Judy Garland comes to mind..

[dcbandnerd]

Ford always seemed like a decent man. I always wanted to meet him. Looks like that won't happen in this life. :-(

[MrWilliamtom]

One of the few color episodes with Bennett Cerf. Gene Rayburn was a very liberal Democrat.

[nutballgazette]

How did anyone know who he was, When he was named VP by Nixon less than 5% of the people knew who he was.

[AdamNedeff]

@nutballgazette I just noticed this post and it brings to mind a story. I have a book by the producer of "What's My Line?" and he says that, at the time, they made Ford the Mystery Guest because his elected position was so high that he merited being treated as a star...But at the same time, the producer says that they could have easily brought him out and had him play as a regular contestant without blindfolding the panel and the game probably would have turned out the same.

[observer9670]

@nutballgazette Bennett would have probably recognized him, he kept up on politics.

[sitric914]

Bennett Cerf looks like he really misses John Daly. They apparently were really good friends.

[sinjoor11]

They should have asked him at the end "Do you think you will ever become president of the United States"?

[soulierinvestments]

This is a 1969 broadcast.

[TVonthePorch]

Bennett looks and sounds frail. Aged a great deal in a few short years.

[maddymud]

but he was connected to sports!

[pem1974]

Boy, you ARE a "sporto" aren't you??

[ingibingi2000]

side bar of his career not what he is known for

[maddymud]

more than a "side bar." The fact that he played football at one of the most famous football schools, at the highest level -- certainly something mentioned way up on his bio, resume. Constant jokes about his football career ...

[Gnillob802]

Ford, Carter and Reagan were all guests on What's My Line prior to running for President.

[phelpsphan2454]

@Gnillob802 Ford never ran for President

[AdamNedeff]

@phelpsphan2454 Technically, yes he did, in 1976. He lost.

[Gnillob802]

@AdamNedeff Technically? Wrong word. He flat out did. He wasn't running for Senator.

[Gnillob802]

@phelpsphan2454 Of course Ford ran for President in one of the most famous races ever. Ford was the incumbent and Ronald Reagan challenged him for the Republican nomination and lost to Ford. Ford then ran against and lost to Jimmy Carter in the general election. Reagan would defeat Jimmy Carter four years later. That's not too long ago, you should have known this.

[stickstr8up]

Where's Arlene?

[Saferal11]

I did not mean Daly, my bad all.

[Saferal11]

As a recent fan of this show, I am surprised how Bennett as well as Daly looks like in color. For some reason they look different in black and white.

[joebradio]

Gene's reference to Nixon is truly ironic considering what would happen some six years later.

[brithgob]

I notice the host hedged his bets by mentioning all three network news shows.

[dookykins]

You can thank the Clintons for that.

[thefools]

bennett in color. first for me.

[dookykins]

The current democrats are NOT helpful at all.

What a change.