President Eishenhower's Pilot--What's My Line

Here, Colonel William Draper, the pilot for then-President Dwight Eisenhower, is a guest. Notice the description of Col. Draper. This was before the designation Air Force One was in common public usage.

Episode aired on 22 May 1955.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• What's
• My
• Line
• Eisenhower
• Air
• Force
• One

[soulierinvestments]

"To my left" "at my left" both better than "on my left." Count on Fred Allen to make this sort of discussion both interesting and amusing. Good writer, too. In a few weeks, GSN will show an episode featuring on the panel both Fred Allen and his script editor from radio show days, novelist Herman Wouk.

[soulierinvestments]

This was one of the first times Arlene Francis came first. Can't remember the last time that intelligent people engaged in a grammar discussion.  One of the first times I can remember that Daly appeared on camera before his formal introduction. President Eisenhower named his plane Columbine because he and Mamie had connections to Colorado (Columbine is state flower.) Great fun sequence. Thanx for posting this.

[JeffersonDinedAlone]

@shovityou Very simple. She didn't need to know that he was a presidential pilot. She only needed to know that he was in the military, which she did. Any career military man of his approximate age, it being apparent that he was an older man, would be far too old to hold the rank of Lieutenant; that is to say, he would have a much higher rank. If she was not ignorant of rank, as she was, she would have able to discern this. Understand now?

[shovityou]

@JeffersonDinedAlone She had no knowledge of Presidential pilot at the time she said Lieutenant, how can you say she is ignorant of rank?

[invisibleman275]

Lol @ a plane with the prop on top.

[JeffersonDinedAlone]

Francis illustrated her total ignorance of rank, however. No Lieutenant would ever have the experience to be considered for a Presidential pilot. They are invariably full colonels.

[bertverwoerd]

A time when a helicopter was still called 'a plane with the propeller on top' :D

[BubblesSeven]

My father was ground crew chief on Columbine I and Columbine II . My mother worked in the White House and was secretary to Col. Draper when he was the Air Force Aide. Although I was very young, I recall that both my parents were saddened by Col. Draper's untimely death.

[snoboi90]

Bennett Cerf Is a very smart man he always seems to be guessing the right profession

[PirateQueenMaureen]

@allegrazie LOL, yes, a common phrase is eschew obfuscation (can't spell it!) which roughly defined means "avoid using big words where a small one will do" LOL

[jpmhitachi]

i live near that location and go to school there.

[greggy47]

Hey, I'm from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio too!