I’m his niece. A few things to set the record straight. He was a bit old because he served in the war (was at Pearl Harbor) before going back to college on the GI bill. As a journalist he was writing a series for Life Magazine about the generosity of everyday Americans. He and a colleague hitchhiked across America writing about the experience of getting by on the kindness of average Americans who put them up, fed them, and gave them odd jobs for pocket change. Marilyn was kind enough to feed them when they arrived in California. I’m sure her studio subsidized it. But really, the television show was all in fun. And P.S. Ive seen the photos of him with Marilyn.

One panel member wondered whether this was something President Eisenhower would slip out to do. Eisenhower didn't, but apparently Kennedy might have....

I wish Gary had the balls to tell the guy, "Now you can pay Marilyn back!"

It's funny because not to long after this, a president was sneaking out to see Marilyn Monroe...

That was so NICE and SWEET of marilyn monroe!

in about 8-9 years the president would be sneaking away from the whitehouse to visit her haha

5:56 "You're Marilyn Monroe?!?" 😂😂😂

With the questions the panel asked, you'd think they were joking around. There were so many accidental innuendos. 🤣 The host and guest led them astray or they would have guessed it. Loved this episode.

I love how that one guy references the infamous nude calendar photos that later became the first issue/cover/centerfold of Playboy. Incidentally, Playboy debuted a month after this aired.

they hand him cash and cigarettes and send him on his way.

This story inspired the 1993 film _Calendar Girl_ (starring *Jason Priestley* from _Beverly Hills, 90210_ and *Jerry O'Connell* from _Stand by Me)_ about some horndog buddies who travel to Hollywood in order to score a date with *Marilyn Monroe.*

"We can't offer you Marilyn Monroe but we can offer you something long and slim and delightful" Wow...

Hardly seems like it was a “date”. He says we told her “we didn’t have any money “.Sounds like it was he, his buddy, and Marilyn grabbing a bite.

With the money he won he could pay her back.

You won- here’s your free carton of “ coffin nails”!!!!

The audience. LOL.

These questions are amazing lmao

Imagine a carton of cigarettes being the game show prize…

Marilyn is still great to the end and beyond

This show Was entertainment, at another level . Today you have to be a tattooed X gang banger fresh out of jail .It's amazing how dumb down we are .

Joan Bennett was beautiful.

Marilyn had dinner with him, and she paid, I'm sure she forgot about it the next day.

Oh man, he won a box of cigarettes on a game show?! No one in the U.S. could possibly think that's strange today!

Instead of the show calling I've Got a Secret, they should call it I've Got a Secret and It's Lung Cancer. I was watching Mad Men and wondered if people in the 50s really smoked that much. I asked a few people old enough to remember those days, they all said yes, people were smoking like chimneys back then. Yikes.

I like these old shows, we never really got them here in UK. The one thing that astounds me nowadays - - - the sponsors. We don't get adverts like that here, not had any smoking adverts for decades, anywhere

Gee never seen this one before ! tnx

Cavalier cigarettes does a good time back in the 1950s and when I go on a date I have to pay and pay and pay what it’s worth every penny

OH boy Cigarettes - I thank you - my lungs and heart thank you and my future oxygen supplier thanks you.

I am sure the members of the panel were told the secret in advance and were requested to ask questions leading to some predictable double-entendres. Don’t forget this was around the quiz show scandal period.

Thanks for the cigarettes. 😂😂

Well it was a dinner but not a date per se.

What a slick guy lol

I doubt that very much.

Happy Birthday Mr . President !

Yeah, it is pretty disgusting how much they pushed smoking on TV, especially on this show. But it didn't turn everybody into smokers. I grew up in the '50's, and nobody in my immediate family smoked. I certainly never smoked, which is why I'm still here. Most people didn't take seriously the commercials and plugs that were on "smellavision,' as many people called it back then. People knew that the sponsors paid those actors to smoke on smellavision to plug their product--they didn't fall for it.

I wonder how many contestants went down with lung cancer - including the host.

lol they gave him cigarettes as a present

She went from there to Darryl F. Zanuck's 'Casting Couch'.

Eisenhower may not have sneaked out of the White House for it but Kennedy sure did!

I remember reading an article from a "gentleman's magazine" decades ago where the author had gone on a date with her, but it wasn't really a date, it was more of a hook up, but the only thing I remember from the article is that he was a photographer and when they were done they went swimming in a pool, I think it was at a motel because I remember him saying something about being scared of getting caught, they were at the ladder of the deep end when out of the blue she went down of him, she stopped after a few minutes, pushed him out of the way, grabbed onto the ladder, laid on her back, spread her legs and said, "now do me" and he went down on her, doubt any of it was true but it was a good story for a teenage boy.

Joan bennet was stunning

to go all across the country and back on only 10 dollars...wish we could do that nowadays

He is a fucking legend...

Before you go here's your carton of slim and delightful cancer sticks.

Bill Cullen with hair.

This was a funny show. Kind of slow but very funny

$80 and a Carton of Cigarettes - big stakes game their.

If this was from 1953, why is there a reference to the president..if the reference was about Kennedy, he wasn't president until 1960.

Sorry Ike we where a bit early We just didn't know congressman / senator Kennedy would years later

HOW. She literally KNOWS they did something together, nobody has said a DATE. Now she’s just naming all these specific things they do on dates like dancing and shit when all of that is covered in “did you go on a date”

I bet you're right especially given that he went across the US and back for 5 dollars, if we can believe him, that is. I wonder how they could verify such a secret was real? I mean, any guy would want to fake having a date with a babe and having her pay no less.

I am sitting watching watch my line, and it looks almost exactly like I’ve got a secret!

Apparently, every Hollywood actor of this era has a story that they dated Marilyn. Obviously not true but at that time there were many many garnished anecdotes because they never thought they'd be verified.

Imagine a carton of cigarettes as a prize on tv back in the day. That wouldn't fly today.

Just another lady

god when he said 'well I stuck marylin monroe' I bit my lip

Why whisper to the host. Just tell them before the show starts

I think he and his friend are just two more hustlers that took advantage of a woman's kindness.. Can you imagine Marilyn Monroe being kind enough to have lunch/dinner with them and as they're eating they tell her they had no money to pay for what they consumed? I find nothing Charming about this story!

College student? This guy looks like hes closing in on 40.

How in the world did MM get saddled with this schnook? Even for one date?

That guy's in college? He looks like he's got 3 kids and a mortgage haha

lol, dude has dinner with marilyn monroe and they give him 80 bucks and a carton of cigarettes, it's like, "this is as good as it gets buddy, grab a bottle of whiskey and some porn mags, have the time of your life."

It’s so weird to like brag about making her pay for the check, like he had one chance to actually woo her and maybe even be with her and instead he not only had her pay, but like used it as a story lmao

Norma Jean Baker (aka Marilyn Monroe)

I was kissed by Cheryl Holdridge.

and his prize was $80. you could buy a car with that back then! LOL

God that first lady is so daft, she is just obsessed with the fact he’s a college student, so like whatever his secret is HAS to be college related, or something lots of college boys do it’s like when do they ever just have someone who’s secret is something normal that everyone does

A whole carton of cigarettes and some money. Life in the 1950s.

This is supposed to be a show of comedy laughing all the time and they’re wasting your time is running away and I get buzzed all the time it’s a little redundant

That's something memorable...I hope the freeloader got a good job eventually.

Great fun, but seems planned and briefed to panel to get results to pay production costs The opposition WHAT'S MY LINE did not rely on gimmicks--more or intelligence--a true test of wit--far superior to this crash imitation.

she "paid" for it? what's he got syphylis?

And let's be sure and give out those cancer sticks!

College student?

Why would she pay for their dinner if he’s a gentleman he would’ve paid anyway I hope you had a good time and I’m sure she forgot all about it

I never understood why everyone made a big deal out of Marlyn Monroe. What was the real big deal about her? Tell me. Thats what I thought. She's not any different from any other attractive women you meet in life. Honestly look at who she was with. Thats the biggest Joke I've ever known.

Disgusting.

Yah, sure kid. Sure ya did.