Ernie Kovacs & Edie Adams Guest on "What's My Line"

[From "Kovacs Corner" on YouTube.com] - For many years, one of the mainstays of the CBS Sunday night schedule was the game show "What's My Line" hosted by ABC Vice -President in charge of news, special events and public affairs, religious programs, and sports John Daly (or "John Charles Daly" as he was introduced every week by panalist Bennett Cerf). This week Ernie Kovacs, with wife Edie Adams, made the transition from one of the blindfolded guest panelists to a "sign in please" guest. Edie had recently won for the audition to play the role of "Daisy Mae" in Broadway play "Li'l Abner", which was based on the syndicated comic strip drawn by Al Capp. That performance ultimately won for her that year's Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. The Broadway production, directed and choreographed by Michael Kidd and orchestrated by Philip J. Lang, opened on November 15, 1956 at the St. James Theatre where it ran for 693 performances. The original Broadway cast also starred Peter Palmer in the title role, and included Howard St. John as "General Bullmoose", Stubby Kaye as "Marryin' Sam", Tina Louise as "Appassionata von Climax", Julie Newmar as "Stupefyin' Jones", Charlotte Rae as "Mammy", Carmen Alvarez as "Moonbeam McSwine", Ted Thurston as "Senator Jack S. Phogbound", and Tony Mordente as "Lonesome Polecat". Tony Randall (co-star of the later TV-series "The Odd Couple") appeared as that week's "What's My Line" guest panelist. Previously that chair was held by a regular panalist, vaudeville, radio, and early television comedian Fred Allen before his sudden death from a heart attack on March 17, 1956. The other regulars included Random House publisher and co-founder Bennett Cerf, actress and radio/television personality Arlene Francis, and newspaper columnist Dorothy Kilgallen. Conspiracy theorists suggest that Kilgallen's sudden and unexpected death in 1965 was predicated around her previously published columns concerning the validity of UFO's and the existence of extraterrestrials, and her soon-to-be-published bombshell revelations concerning the Kennedy Assassination. Mysteriously, all of Kilgallen's reporters notes and information concerning the assassination disappeared upon her death and were never again publicly accounted or seen.

[Updated September 14, 2010] If you wish to see more of Edie impersonating Marilyn, view my video entitled " Ernie Kovacs - Edie Adams as Marilyn Monroe sings "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" ".

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[bigred997]

"Can Ernie do Arthur Miller?" Oscar Levant got thrown off the air with his Los Angeles TV show for saying "now that they were married by a Rabbi, it's kosher for Arthur Miller to eat Marilyn Monroe".

Edie was never the same after Ernie drove his car into a tree in the early 1960's.

[rolko52]

@bigred997 From what I remember of seeing Oscar Levant on Jack Paar, that would certainly be in character.

[IrenaMV]

Wonderful piece of history, Richard.

I also appreciate your detailed information under the film, so I can absorb as many facts as I can.

Happy Labor Day,

Irena

[rolko52]

@IrenaMV TY!

[blacsouljah]

What a picture perfect couple! They were both witty and attractive. I was too young to remember Ernie Kovacs' television show, but I've seen some of his work in video clips. Seems like as a child I can just barely remember Ms. Adams singing commercial jingles of some sort.

[tobetta]

THEY WERE INCREDIBLE!