What's My Line? BBC - Eamonn Andrews, host - Rare complete episode! (Oct 5, 1957)

Рет қаралды 70,997

Күн бұрын

A very rare complete episode of the BBC version of "What's My Line?", hosted by Eamonn Andrews-- virtually the entire 1950s BBC series is lost. Thanks to the help of several viewers in the comments, I think we can safely peg this show as having aired on Oct. 5, 1957. Many thanks to darijoe, dizzyology and Save theTPC for helping figure this out!
MYSTERY GUEST: Denis Compton (Cricket player)
PANEL: David Nixon, Isobel Barnett, Barbara Kelly, Gilbert Harding
Many thanks to Matthew Coniam, a friend who very kindly sent this to me all the way from the UK. Matthew, not incidentally, is the author of a brand new book on the Marx Brothers which I can't recommend highly enough: "The Annotated Marx Brothers: A Filmgoer's Guide to In-jokes, Obscure References, and Sly Details". This is easily the best book on the Marxes to have been published in at least the last 40 years, so if you're a fan of the Marx Bros-- even if you have a shelf full of books on the team already-- you can't afford not to check this one out!
More info on the book here: www.mcfarlandbooks.com/book-2....
Some relevant Wikipedia entries on the BBC WML and its participants, for us ignorant non-British-types:
BBC WML:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What%27s...
Eamonn Andrews:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eamonn_A...
Denis Compton:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denis_Co...
David Nixon:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Ni...)
Isobel Barnett:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isobel_B...
Barbara Kelly:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_...
Gilbert Harding:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilbert_...
---------------------------
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Пікірлер: 237

@patdunsmore5174 8 жыл бұрын

Thankyou sooooo much for this, it took me back to a time when I was 14 years old and watched it with my Dad [he died when I was 16 years old and I am now 73 years old ]but this was one of our favourite programmes and unmissable on a sunday night, Oh Happy days!!!!!!!!!!

@TheConorsmithusa 4 жыл бұрын

Interesting story! Thanks for sharing :)

@sima3973 3 жыл бұрын

hope you're well!

@dizzyology7514 9 жыл бұрын

Very interesting indeed, and though some people didn't find the British version entertaining, I certainly did. The panelists used a different kind of logic than the American panel, and they were impressively good. The pace of the show was much brisker than the U.S. version -- Eamonn stayed on target and didn't engage in John's tortured verbal qualifications on answers. I love John's digressions, but Eamonn's keep-it-moving style is pleasant in a different way -- very similar to the way he handled the American show on the one occasion when he served as host.

@Deejaay83urj38 2 жыл бұрын

Agree . But I was very happy to hear john's command of the language

@user-dd5jx9qe5e 11 ай бұрын

The British Version was always witty and compulsive viewing. It is tragic that the entire 1950's series are lost - all of Gilbert Harding, that marvellous man lost as well to us. Thank heavens for this one !!!

@TheGadgetPanda 9 жыл бұрын

Ha! What an absolute treat. I've been dying to see one of these.

@VahanNisanian 9 жыл бұрын

I like how they have the score readout on a cube, with an extra long sheet of paper. I also like how they display each of the occupations on screen.

@dovbarleib3256 6 жыл бұрын

WML in the US with John C. Daly as game show host also displayed the occupations on the tv and audience screens for them to see. So that was not unique.

@RikardPeterson 6 жыл бұрын

Dov, the difference is that here we got an image of them "in their natural habitat", and not just some text.

@paulmason329 3 ай бұрын

The scoring cube was probably an invention of panellist David Nixon who on other shows mentioned his talent for making scoring devices

@McAster99 5 жыл бұрын

Fascinating to see the differences between the pond for this type of show, both in questioning and early tips. Thank you for uploading it.

@VahanNisanian 9 жыл бұрын

There are many television shows that if I could, I would be able to resurrect them from the erase-o-matic. And after seeing this episode, the 1950's BBC "What's My Line?" is now officially one of them.

@Deejaay83urj38 2 жыл бұрын

Absolutely

@dariawells7438 9 жыл бұрын

The audience is so helpful with the applause when they get closer!

@enriquesanchez2001 9 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Gary! Wonderful fun! I enjoyed it completely. It was interesting to see an American on the panelist.

@Mandeley100 9 жыл бұрын

Goodness me, that brought back some memories. What a pleasure to see the panel again, especially Gilbert Harding. He was a huge star of British tv in the 1950's and could be extremely testy and irascible on occasion (even with the contestants) but was held in great affection by the British public right up to his sadly premature death in 1960. Thank you so much for posting this reminder of my early youth.

@WhatsMyLine 9 жыл бұрын

Based on this one program, I have a feeling I'm going to be spending a good deal of time in the future learning more about Mr. Harding. He won me over completely with the enema question, and then later asking if a product went "pssssss". He strikes me as a fascinating character.

@Bigbadwhitecracker 9 жыл бұрын

I was going to say the British version of Henry Morgan, but Bennett might be a better choice

@Mandeley100 9 жыл бұрын

What's My Line? He was one of a kind. The BBC once asked Harding to interview Mae West in a basement studio in Greek Street in London . During a break, her agent asked him if, as Mae was a pretty sexy lady, he could sound a little "sexier" in his questioning. Harding stared at him balefully for a moment. Finally, he responded. "If" he said heavily, "I could convey sexual allure merely by the tone of my voice I wouldn't be reduced to wasting my valuable time earning a pittance by interviewing a faded female in a dingy cellar." I understand Mae was less than pleased.

@WhatsMyLine 9 жыл бұрын

Mandeley100 That is pure joy to read, even though I love Mae West. :) I have GOT to learn more about this guy. His autobiography has been highly recommended.

@Mandeley100 9 жыл бұрын

What's My Line? One more Gilbert Harding story. He was once a guest at a wedding and a rather pompous guest remarked to him that the bride and groom made a perfect couple. "You should know" replied Harding. "You've slept with both of them!"A VERY provocative comment for Britain in the 1950's, but that was Gilbert Harding.

@mcfrdmn 8 жыл бұрын

Excellent episode of Whats' My Line produced by the BBC.

@robertmelson2130 9 жыл бұрын

This has been available for a while, but I've been saving it to watch as a special treat. This was very engaging and entertaining! Thank you, Gary! And special thanks for the convenient Wikipedia links. Having the contestants do the bit of mime beforehand that I'd heard about is almost as much an imposition as the "walk of shame", and most of them were probably very self-conscious and unskilled doing it (understandably!). It, thus, easily brings to mind the obvious idea for a potential contestant's occupation: mime! They had to have done it at some point....probably more than once. I also never really thought about how much the miming serves as the subsequent basis for questioning. There definitely must be a production assistant tasked with coaching the contestants on their pantomime. Think of what you could develop (even better than gambits)! Especially with a panelist like Hal Block in mind!

@TheJonaco 9 жыл бұрын

I actually recognized one of the panelists. David Nixon was a popular British magician who had his own BBC show. Some of his bits are here on KZfaq.

@williamscott2703 Жыл бұрын

Many,thanks,for,putting,this,on Brings,back,so,many,happy,, memories This,was,top,viewing,for,the,bbc I,think,it was,on,Sunday,evenjngs

@LOA1955 9 жыл бұрын

At Approx. 17:50: "Were you giving someone an enema?" I don't think even Hal Block would have come up with that question!

@WhatsMyLine 9 жыл бұрын

I was waiting to see how long it would take someone to make note of this moment. Truly unbelievable-- I fell in love with Gilbert Harding immediately for that moment alone, which you would *never* see on the American version, never. What's even more amazing is that he thought of this in connection with the contestant's MIME. He actually thought she was miming giving a patient an enema. Hilarious-- completely killed me. :)

@LOA1955 9 жыл бұрын

What's My Line? There was something else I noticed. There didn't seem to be any audience reaction at all when the contestant's line was revealed. However, whenever a panelist asked a question that was even close to what their line was, the audience went wild with applause. And I don't think a panelist in the U.S. version has ever inquired as to the contestant's race or color as happened with the cricket player. And it didn't elicit any reaction (good or bad) from the moderator, or the audience. When I was playing Hal Block in last FB game, I tried to ask some of the obtuse questions that Hal might have asked (just trying to be funny). But I wouldn't have asked that kind of a question, which I think, even back in the fifties, would have been really non PC.

@MartinWillett 5 жыл бұрын

Very interesting. The differences between this and the US version are highly interesting. No money prizes. No advertising. The mime element changes the game somewhat. No man running on to take the panellists cigarettes away off camera. No taboo on asking about race.

@16Lizards 9 жыл бұрын

What a treat - loved it! I can see why so many Americans didn't appreciate the "dry" humor and seemingly devoid personalities of the panel, but once you understand the Brits, you appreciate it so much more. Kelly's "eh" gave it away she was not British. I especially enjoyed watching Gilbert Harding - as someone eloquently noted, the Cerf of the Brit panel. Eamonn Andrews is no JC Daly but that doesn't mean he wasn't a great host. I must admit, I knew none of the names before watching this episode and had to look up each one where I found sadly enough most had departed at a very young age. I also liked the mime hints whether or not they assisted the panel. Chippy? What's that?! Oh yes, that rolling countdown "wheel" - much better than the flipping of the cards. I wonder if Benny Hill ever appeared as a MG. I would reckon so. An awful shame these are all lost save for this special one. Another great posting by WGW!

@WhatsMyLine 9 жыл бұрын

16Lizards There could be more out there. There's at least one other surviving episode from the 1950s because there's an 8 minute clip from one that was posted on KZfaq by someone else a long time ago: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/qLtxaqersqvHeKc.html If the programs were recorded on kinescope for overseas use, there could be films anywhere. The problem is, there's no great cult demand for a massive search for more WML episodes, unlike a show such as Doctor Who. But I'd love to see more. Gilbert Harding alone won me over completely. I also agree with you that while Eamonn had a very different style than John Daly, he was really quite good as host. He kept the show moving along at a nicely brisk pace. He impressed me a LOT more as host of the BBC show than he did when he subbed for John on the American show once.

@16Lizards 9 жыл бұрын

What's My Line? Well maybe sometime down the road, the right person will see this and more episodes will come to the surface. Btw, I watched the clip you linked above and I am liking the British version more and more. There was even a classic Cerfism in Gilbert Harding's saying that the panel was being led down the garden path. I also noticed that the panel rotates in the opposite direction as it does on the US version, something I didn't catch the first time around. Didn't the British panel once appear on the US version as contestants?

@WhatsMyLine 9 жыл бұрын

16Lizards Not as far as I remember, but definitely not in a show that survives today. Barbara Kelly, though, did a sort of "International Panelist Exchange" with Arlene for two weeks in 1953, starting with the 5/31/53 show. Arlene was appearing on the BBC version, while Barbara subbed for Arlene on the American show. Here's hoping some more episodes surface!

@WhatsMyLine 7 жыл бұрын

I have come from the future to say. . . another BBC ep has been located! And it's a very historically important one, too. I will probably be posting it soon. :)

@faintsignal 2 жыл бұрын

I'm glad to have had the opportunity to see the British version of the show. But I have to say this feels quite lifeless to me in comparison to the US version. Perhaps this was one of the earlier episodes, before they found their groove. I recall the US version was also a bit dry in its early days.

@kylebastian9809 Жыл бұрын

Let's see some more British What's My Line in the future.

@Lighting_Desk 3 ай бұрын

A fascinating watch having binged a lot of the American series.

@fairlyvague82 2 жыл бұрын

Good Lord look how dashing Eamonn Andrews was back in the day!! I only remember him as an old guy. He was gorgeous! 😍😍😍

@paulmcmurray3491 9 жыл бұрын

I love the old game shows you find.

@thebohemian. Жыл бұрын

Always good to see Lady Isobel and Gilbert Harding.

@SheilaB 9 жыл бұрын

I liked seeing a picture of the contestant at work. I can't help feeling a little sad watching this and feeling sorry for Isobel Barnett and Gilbert Harding who had tragic ends.BTW Denis Compton was the face of Brylcreme in the UK in the 50s

@savethetpc6406 9 жыл бұрын

Sheila B I agree about the photos of the contestants at work -- a very nice touch!

@grahamnancledra7036 Жыл бұрын

Isobel Barnett was a member of the hang 'em and flog 'em side of politics and she was disgraced having been caught and sentenced for shoplifting. She never lived down her disgrace.

@michaelcaza6766 4 ай бұрын

I keep forgetting Mrs. Braden was from BC, thanks for sharing this.

@theblake5356 4 жыл бұрын

26:38 Amazingly enough, this was never asked of any qualified contestant/mystery guest in any form on the original(American) show.

@jackkomisar458 3 жыл бұрын

David Nixon asks the first question, "Am I right in thinking, Mr. Hall, that you don't launch satellites." This was a reference to the launch of Sputnik 1 by the Soviet Union the previous day.

@Amcsae 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the context. The American version also alluded to current events on occasion. (Like the MLB or NHL playoffs or a convention in town.)

@bbailey7818 Жыл бұрын

@Amcsae Also Sputnik and the Hungarian Revolution once.

@TheGadgetPanda 9 жыл бұрын

Not really much of a cricket fan, but I am sort of vaguely aware of Compton as one the greats of the post war era. Was rather surprised to learn via Wikipedia that he actually used to play football for Arsenal as well! Am all-round sportsman. Very impressive.

@WhatsMyLine 9 жыл бұрын

There was a slight bit of confusion over this in the program, yes. Eamonn made a point about this at the end of the segment.

@GreenDani18 4 жыл бұрын

Very tragic what happened to Lady Isobel Barnett in later years.

@johnday6392 3 жыл бұрын

Yes, she was a beautiful and cultured lady. I loved this show in the 1950's.

@joelake7986 7 жыл бұрын

Very pleased to see this version. I never knew it existed. Seems paler than the American original, but still a joy to behold, especially due to the rarity of these episodes. I found David Nixon to be quite entertaining. I had to play one of his lines over several times to figure out what he said (I knew it couldn't have been what it sounded like!). During the Denis Compton segment, David is talking about the shape of the ball. "Well I'm glad it's a round one. If it'd been a square one, I'd have been FOXED". Never heard that expression before, but I like it. Was it a kind of naughty wordplay, or is that a common expression over there?

@carolinepintar874 7 жыл бұрын

Foxed means puzzled

@paulacornelison243 5 жыл бұрын

Thought foxed meant drunk.

@Deejaay83urj38 2 жыл бұрын

You made me smile. How did I miss that. No not intended. Think. ."he outFOXED me"

@Deejaay83urj38 2 жыл бұрын

@@paulacornelison243 tricked, outsmarted, confounded . .foxed. like being done by a cunning fox

@paulacornelison243 2 жыл бұрын

@@Deejaay83urj38 Georgette Heyer writes about her characters being foxed. She refers to getting drunk. That is where I picked up the drunk definition.

@paulmason329 3 ай бұрын

The scoring device was a cube with a roll like a bathroom roller towel with the numbers printed on. Probably an invention of David Nixon who built scoring devices. By the early 1960s Eamonn Andrews had an early dot matrix scorer, probably another David Nixon work. Nixon also partly developed the Mellotron electroncal music instrument.

@ysgol3 3 жыл бұрын

Gilbert and the enema - hilarious. I wonder whether that 1957 audience knew the word - and whether the genuinely innocent Eamonn knew it as well!

@jacquelinebell6201 Жыл бұрын

I enjoyed it. Just found it a bit difficult working out the occupation in those few seconds. Wasn't sure what I was seeing.

@feralbluee 2 жыл бұрын

something was different from our New York City What’s My Line. the audience was quiet in places i wasn’t expecting and acted much more as an entity in itself. i didn’t find the questioning that different, but the panel is more sedate except for the lady who was more outgoing. i love Mr. Andrews. he has a wonderful charm and ease about him. 🌷 to speak to the person who didn’t seem to like John Daly’s wonderfully astute, but involved statements about answers to panelists’ questions, i love them and he does make clear what the point is. he was always a charming, erudite, and a very good host. our WML has a little more life to it - but i like yours, too. :) the only problem with ours are the commercials. the BBC has none at all, does it!? :)

@bobthetvfan 9 жыл бұрын

I have to tell a story about Eamonn Andrews that Gil Fates mentioned in his book. Andrews was also a boxing announcer for the BBC and was a panelist on the American "WML" the night before Ingemar Johansson defended the heavyweight title he had one the year earlier (1959) from Floyd Patterson. On the earlier show Martin Gabel had figured out all by himself that Johansson was heavyweight boxing champion of Europe. On this show, when Johansson, who I think was a "Mr. X," was revealed, Andrews asked him why he was there instead of at home in bed, with his fight coming up the following night. Johansson said that "WML" had brought him luck before and that it just might again. Not to be. Patterson won the next night, the first fighter to regain the heavyweight crown. Fates also mentions a book of reminiscences about the British version by its producer, Dicky Leemans, I wonder if it is available.

@WhatsMyLine 9 жыл бұрын

Bob Patrick I just read the Leemans book, actually! It was pretty good, if a bit short-- unfortunately it was written in 1954, long before the end of the British series, but it was never updated.

@VahanNisanian 9 жыл бұрын

I can't say I'm familiar with this Mystery Guest, and I know a good number of British stars of the 40's, 50's, and 60's.

@Beson-SE 9 жыл бұрын

He was a cricketer. How many does anyone know if you aren't British? :)

@OwlGal 5 жыл бұрын

Big shout out to the BBC for wiping everything that wasn't news related

@ianbentley7276 4 жыл бұрын

exactly, dickheads.

@SS08947 3 жыл бұрын

Noticed that David Nixon lit up a cigarette at one point, he died aged 58 from lung cancer...heavy smoker all his life.

@VahanNisanian 9 жыл бұрын

I had fun with this episode. Eamonn Andrews was a great host. And his accent is soooooooo Irish, too.

@savethetpc6406 9 жыл бұрын

***** Barbara is Canadian, so her speech sounds very much like a Northeastern American accent. Note the comment elsewhere on this page by +Jay Bee, who apparently grew up in the UK and found Barbara Kelly's Canadian accent exotic!

@danwoodhouse9290 9 жыл бұрын

***** how did that scoring cube work? 4 sides - 10 numbers strange contraption

@jeannehall6546 9 жыл бұрын

+Vahan Nisanian : Andrews went on to found RTE in Ireland.

@JayTemple 8 жыл бұрын

+DANIEL WOODHOUSE It looks to me as though there are tiles of some sort that fold over.

@jimtrue1465 6 жыл бұрын

Daniel Woodhouse: The numbers are not attached to the cube, but rather on a belt that was larger than the cube and draped over the cube, the unseen portion hanging down below the table.

@soulierinvestments 9 жыл бұрын

The BBC Version certainly did not mess around with a long introduction as did American WML clear up to 1974. The show is off and running in forty seconds.

@ChristopherSobieniak 9 жыл бұрын

And they don't have to take ad breaks at all (of course that was obvious given the channel that aired this).

@WhatsMyLine 9 жыл бұрын

Christopher Sobieniak And even with no ads and no long introductions, this show is actually *longer* than 30 minutes.

@ChristopherSobieniak 9 жыл бұрын

Jay Bee Yes, blame us and our horrible over-commercialistic ways!

@ChristopherSobieniak 9 жыл бұрын

Jay Bee Good one!

@Spitalhatch 7 жыл бұрын

Having grown up with the BBC, I find the advertising slogans peppered about the place repellent.

@alskndlaskndal 9 жыл бұрын

Nice to see Eamonn Andrews on his home turf! I thought he did quite well in his guest hosting spots on WML CBS. Still, I definitely prefer the original. This feels a little too stiff and formal (although I can't imagine any of the American panelists asking about an enema!), without the same chemistry between the panelists. And what's WML with a little bit of good, old-fashioned audience-fishing? :-)

@WhatsMyLine 9 жыл бұрын

My jaw dropped to the floor when I heard the enema question. Never in a million years on the American version. Never. :)

@Bigbadwhitecracker 9 жыл бұрын

LOL!!! Dorothy would love to ask someone about an enema.

@dreamquesttv 9 жыл бұрын

Michael Maloney Not to mention Hal Block; Daly would've had to cut his own ear off!

@bobk4404 2 жыл бұрын

My parents were avid watchers of the UK version of this show but having seen this episode it seems to lurch along and lacks entirely the sophistication of the American equivalent. Game shows became much better in the UK a little later with the advent of shows like "Take Your Pick" with Michael Miles and "Double Your Money" with Hughie Green. Eamonn Andrews does his best with this but the camera routines seem poor, the panel don't seem "gelled" and the general feel seems uncomfortable. However, an interesting "period piece" and thanks very much for posting.

@smadaf 2 жыл бұрын

The sound in this is interesting. Much less reverb than in the American one. And, whereas the American version seemed to have at least eight microphones (one each for four panelists, host, guest, and announcer, and perhaps one or more for the audience), this one sounds as if only one or two microphones were shared by the whole onscreen crowd. Both these differences helped make the American version livelier.

@grahamnancledra7036 Жыл бұрын

I recall that Gilbert Harding, a little more than bit tipsy, lost his temper, on the discovery, the panel having lost, that the person was a "Sagger Makers Bottom Knocker". I bet the US version NEVER had one of those.

@marycleary7810 3 жыл бұрын

The introduction of panel members which is delightful in the US version is missing g

@scottstacey7447 5 жыл бұрын

Interesting that Maurice Winnick was associated with importing this show to the UK. In the 30's, he was responsible for incorporating the music style of Guy Lombardo to England with Lombardo's permission. He did a remarkable job incorporating Lombardo's saxophone sound so much that, on records, it was hard to distinguish which band it was.

@robertmelson2130 9 жыл бұрын

I had already read that one of the differences between the British version and the American one was the audience applause when the panelist asked a question that was "on the right track". And I had assumed that, like the help provided the panel by the American audience's reactions, it was spontaneous, but I do believe the applause is being cued! It's too "crisp", and there was at least one question where it might have been arguable that the panelist was on the right track that did get applause as opposed to occasional questions that might have qualified but didn't get applauded. There's an Applause light being used. It's as if there's a second moderator then, making decisions and helping guide the panel? Or maybe Eamonn Andrews has a button under his desk? .

@jackkomisar458 3 жыл бұрын

It does sound like there was a light. The American audiences' applause sounded like it came from a group of people who were hugely entertained, while the British applause sounded much less enthusiastic.

@OldiesAl 6 жыл бұрын

Wonderful to see the ever grumpy Gilbert Harding, I have just uploaded 2 comedy records believe it or not, he made them with Hermoine Gingold in 1953. I only hope more of these early UK shows are found.

@ianbentley7276 6 жыл бұрын

would you believe he's 50 years old here! That makes me old enough to be his dad which is a sobering thought indeed!

@ianbentley7276 6 жыл бұрын

52 apparently, still just old enough to be his dad.

@pearlshifer1776 6 жыл бұрын

had to google "diamond core bit"

@nintendonerdsvideos4727 9 жыл бұрын

Do you have any more of this version?

@WhatsMyLine 9 жыл бұрын

***** No, sorry.

@Steve27775 9 жыл бұрын

The stupid, short-sighted BBC wiped the tapes of some of their most culturally important shows and re-used them. Argh!

@enriquesanchez2001 9 жыл бұрын

Very sad, indeed. So much lost to the ages...

@ChristopherSobieniak 9 жыл бұрын

Though at the time this show aired, all they would be doing is kinescopes (or "telerecordings" as they referred to them), but they didn't serve the same purpose American networks had in needing to bicycle prints across the country for stations to run the program at a later date since the BBC was more networked for a nation as small as the UK is.

@savethetpc6406 9 жыл бұрын

***** Oooh -- quite a Cerfian comment there! :o ☺

@swallin19 6 жыл бұрын

Quite simple, they were live presentations, no tapes or films except to make a single recorded sample for the archive. The US ones were filmed for syndication and sales across the States, but the contract for the format forbade ssles by the BBC there no filmed versions were made. The Unions also insisted on no repeats.

@johnabbott9526 4 жыл бұрын

Indeed. There are two BBC DVD box sets - "Adam Adamant Lives" and "Quatermass" - that have episodes missing because of the BBC's remiss attitude to keeping recordings.

@rigsiebear Жыл бұрын

The hotel that the Page worked at wasn't mentioned, but by the uniform shown I am pretty confident that it is Claridge's in London, any thoughts on this?

@jimsmethurst6113 3 жыл бұрын

I got a david nixon magic box one christmas and there was a compartment that read something like magic section, do not open. I never did. Did anyone else open it?

@YouDummy 9 жыл бұрын

Barbara Kelly, not Kelley.

@robertmelson2130 9 жыл бұрын

27:27 David Nixon: "You think I could advertise that stuff?" Knowing absolutely nothing about what Denis Compton advertised in 1957, the fact that David Nixon is bald as an egg must mean that it was some sort of hair dressing or grooming implement. Ah....I now see that he advertised Brylcreem. This was such an enjoyable show to watch. It bears rewatching...and the comments bear rereading, too! I searched KZfaq for other BBC WML episodes, not finding (or expecting to find) anything but the one segment I'd already seen, but I did notice two other uploaders had stolen Gary's video, one as recently as 23 minutes ago!

@paulmason8352 6 жыл бұрын

Barbara Kelly's birthday was on 5th October, and Gilbert Harding said he was 52 y.o, so this WML dates from 5 October 1959.

@WhatsMyLine 6 жыл бұрын

The date is already noted in the title and in the description-- thanks.

@ponugups 3 жыл бұрын

@@WhatsMyLine But Oct 5th 1959 is a Monday. ???

@dovbarleib3256 6 жыл бұрын

So the audience clapped every time the panel made a "discovery". Was that planned? I also noticed that the video length was not less than one half hour, but it was far from one hour. So from this I might guess that the BBC was commercial free (which happens to be the case), and they were not a stickler for completing their shows in precise half hour allotments.

@stephensaunders1845 7 жыл бұрын

As a teenager in the 1940s, my mother had something of a crush on Gilbert Harding - she was mortified when she first saw him on television and realised that behind the voice on the radio was a rather corpulent, crapulent individual who looked much older than his years (he was only 53 when he died three years after this episode aired). He was popular with the public but astonishingly rude, publicly and privately, and "are you giving someone an enema?" and "are you a coloured person?" were questions only he got have gotten away with - and then only just, judging by the audience reaction.

@WhatsMyLine 7 жыл бұрын

I knew nothing about Harding until very recently, but I find him absolutely fascinating. We're working on a new book about WML, the American series, really, but there's going to be a chapter in it about the BBC series and most particularly on Harding as its enfant terrible

@matthewlaurence3121 7 жыл бұрын

Sounds like an interesting piece of literature. A comprehensive work on WML. Sort of thing one could pick up from a bedside table at the end of a hard day :)

@WhatsMyLine 7 жыл бұрын

We're still working on it! :) Hoping it will be done within the next few months, but then there will be a fairly long delay till publication, I'm afraid, up to another year.

@matthewlaurence3121 7 жыл бұрын

What's My Line? Take all the time you need, make it a comprehensive work piece. :)

@bbailey7818 Жыл бұрын

Interesting, as John never invited the audience to play along. Eamonn also did it when he hosted the U.S. version. Very glad the American version never adopted the pantomime clue. But the lightning challenger from the audience is good.

@malcolmlewis6014 2 жыл бұрын

Why did he say that he didn't play football , he and his brother Leslie both played for Arsenal and Leslie had two English caps.

@Rupertbear27 5 жыл бұрын

Great, the way Gilbert Harding is smoking a cigarette on TV

@16Lizards 9 жыл бұрын

Gilbert Harding asked the MG if it was football (no) which is what soccer is referred to all over the world. Then Barbara Kelly asked soccer and was given a no also. Andrews did not state the question was already asked which Kelly could be forgiven being from North America. But since it wasn't, I wonder now if that was in error or Gilbert Harding really meant American football which is gaining in popularity globally today, but quite doubtful it was in 1957 in the UK. My guess is that Harding referred to soccer and Andrews just erred in not stating to Kelly the question was already asked. Any thoughts?

@matthewlaurence3121 8 жыл бұрын

That irked me as well. Kelly had been a resident of England of some time by this period, so really ought to have known better. Having said that, as a panalist myself (not on television), it is surprisingly hard to keep track of what fellow panelists have previously said when you are in that position. I assume Eamon, who was normally quite apt, forgot himself or might have been overly eager to end things; he always seemed like that to me. When guest featuring as host on the U.S. version, the panelists made mention of his usual abruptness.

@bbailey7818 Жыл бұрын

Just love Barbara Kelly. She appeared as a guest panelist on the American show a couple of times. No Brit accent. She even refers to "football" as ⚽️ soccer.

@boroiasar12 Жыл бұрын

That's because she was Canadian 😊

@ACNC1 4 жыл бұрын

1:25 Ant & Dec

@VahanNisanian 9 жыл бұрын

I had to look up what a "Chippy" is when I watched this episode. And I thought I knew about all the British slangs!

@savethetpc6406 9 жыл бұрын

From www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/chippy: "chippy1 (ˈtʃɪpɪ ) Definitions noun (plural) -pies (British, informal) a fish-and-chip shop (British & New Zealand) a slang word for carpenter (New Zealand) a potato crisp" Barbara did say "carpenter," so I'm surprised Eammon insisted they had to get the word "chippy." Perhaps he wasn't a "*master* carpenter?" Still, John would have given it to the panel with "woodworker" -- but he also would have probably flipped all the cards, anyway! :)

@LOA1955 9 жыл бұрын

I wonder if the eatery where the chippy worked, served spotted dick? www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/spotted-dick?showCookiePolicy=true

@WhatsMyLine 9 жыл бұрын

LOA1955 Still can't shake the Hal Block persona, I see. ;)

@ToddSF 9 жыл бұрын

***** -- I had to look it up, too. I knew the American slang term "chippy" couldn't apply in this case, since it means either a young woman of loose morals or a prostitute. Also, in California, local police often refer to a California Highway Patrol officer a "chippy" (based on CHP) or the CHP itself as "the chippies". There was a reason George Bernard Shaw said that American and the United Kingdom are two countries divided by a common language.

@robertmelson2130 9 жыл бұрын

I was going to have to look it up, but this thread saved me the trouble. I know the French word, "chipie", which is probably the origin of the American term ToddSF 94109 cites above and, thus, it had me really expecting something "on the edge" when I watch it in a few minutes. Never mind.

@soulierinvestments 9 жыл бұрын

26:40 -- We don't know all the sorts of questions that happened on CBS WML from 1950-2, but that question never happened on the American version at all. The closest was when Arlene asked Eddie Anderson if he were a brunette. It leads me to wonder -- and Gil Fates never mentioned it in his book -- if the panel got instructions not to ask mystery guests questions about race.

@theblake5356 4 жыл бұрын

soulierinvestments 26:38 to get the whole question.

@jimtrue1465 6 жыл бұрын

I understand that this being british tv, the contestants did not win cash prizes. But what was the thing Eamonn Andrews handed to the winners? Some sort of certificate of congratulations for winning?

@shrillbert 4 жыл бұрын

That it was. Something they could take home and show friends and family for beating the panel.

@brookehanley3659 8 жыл бұрын

The thing this lacked was an Arlene Francis and a Dorothy Kilgallen.

@NotHarpoGroucho 6 жыл бұрын

And a Bennett Cerf

@paperbackwriter799 5 жыл бұрын

And a John Daly.

@rrahman12 5 жыл бұрын

also john daly and bennet cerf. those were amazing. this version is good no doubt.

@Royanexus6 5 жыл бұрын

Most certainly NOT Dorothy Kilgallen.

@Rupertbear27 5 жыл бұрын

Thats the yankee ones though !

@jmw9904 3 жыл бұрын

The woman in the black dress wearing a flower button and a white collar reminds me of the British version of Arlene Francis.

@soulierinvestments 9 жыл бұрын

Personally, I like the BBC British pantomime better than the CBS American Walk of Shame. However, in thinking about miming, I wonder how such American contestants as "nudist colony owner" and the "manager of embalmed whale on tour" would have mimed their work.

@WhatsMyLine 9 жыл бұрын

The mime is a great idea, I agree. It looks like it's never really all that helpful to the panel, but that's part of what makes it interesting.

@Beson-SE 9 жыл бұрын

Not to mention "Diaper seller" or "Manager at a Burlesque Theater"... The British really like charades, even Her Majesty the Queen, I have read. :)

@Bigbadwhitecracker 9 жыл бұрын

LOVE the mime idea - yes, a boat load better than the walk of shame

@Deejaay83urj38 2 жыл бұрын

That cricket dude . . James Bond all the way!

@roxydog2004 Жыл бұрын

The best part was always the mystery guest

@TheJMascis666 5 жыл бұрын

Denis Compton = Arsenal legend

@edwinrivera8449 8 жыл бұрын

It's ... I am trying to find a words to juxtapose The English to Americans of the 50's to the present day. This is the first I have seen of the BBC What's My Line? Not to drag this on. I am amazed on how proper both counties were in manners, educates, grammar, posture. England has not changed yet Americans have. In English men, women and children compare them in an American today when any interview on any media is taken. Which one of these sounds intelligent?

@ToddSF 9 жыл бұрын

One thing I don't care for in the British edition of WML, at least not in this particular episode, is the audience's applause for every "yes" answer any panelist happens to get. I note they changed from the flippable cards to that revolving block with a belt around it showing the 10 numbers. As in the single segment from 1955 available from the BBC version of WML, I note they use "points" numbered 1 through 10 rather than monetary amounts. They're still using white paper with a black crayon or grease panel for signing in, rather than a blackboard and chalk. The U.S. version did that in its very early years -- it was harder to read than chalk on a blackboard. They're still doing that "piece of mime" thing at the outset of each segment, something they never did in the U.S.

@UNOwen1 4 жыл бұрын

'Do we come to you (0:26)?' If this had been the us version, Mr Daly would've NEVER let such a half-arsed 'yes & no' answer go without giving one of his wonderfully long, detailed, semi-cryptic (but always astute) answers. What was meant - implied - was does the guest come to their residence, etc., NOT, do you come to my table in a club/restaurant/bar. That was absolute rubbish of Eamonn to not elaborate, but leave it so ridiculously oblique. One would think it's a service which could be done at home OR in a facility/place of business.

@johnsimms3957 6 жыл бұрын

What kind of chippy was the last guest?

@jasonburns4071 8 жыл бұрын

Ms Barnet was prosecuted for shop-lifting...really sad...ruined her career and I think was instrumental in her death...

@VahanNisanian 9 жыл бұрын

I could have sworn I heard Gilbert Harding say "Mr. Compton" when they were at 5 down.

@jimtrue1465 5 жыл бұрын

He did, but he did not ask if it was Mr. Compton...just said that it couldn't be.

@edmundpower1250 8 ай бұрын

There was no need for the guests mime at tge beginning. It sets the tone and takes away the intrigue for the panel. The American panel was much more enlightening and fun

@toandoan1967 3 жыл бұрын

I like the british Arlene Francis

@brookehanley3659 8 жыл бұрын

Mind doesn't look energetic was rather insulting.

@karenlkvm 7 жыл бұрын

Mime

@LOA1955 9 жыл бұрын

At about 20:19: I love the often quaint British versions of certain American words and phrases. Gilbert guesses that the product that you might press a button and have it go "psssssssss" is a "smell dispeller". Over here we would call it a deodorizer, or air freshener.

@edrooney9580 5 жыл бұрын

We dont call them that..he says that because he cant think exactly to call it, as he is trying to think quickly

@TheCRTProductions 5 жыл бұрын

Seems as though British sense of humor has gotten better over the years and American has gotten worse!

@edrooney9580 5 жыл бұрын

I would agree..but that's a very broad statement

@ianh1984 3 жыл бұрын

John Daly had complete control of the room without making it look difficult. Mr. Andrews is barely passable, he doesn't have the same gifts that John had. He was truly masterful at what he did and very few hosts even come close.

@VSV659 7 жыл бұрын

I could not help but wince when Harding asked the mystery guest if he was colored! The West Indies team had toured England that summer and they were gone by August. Was it Denis Compton's monosyllabic answers? And I think Compton was dropped for the Oval test that summer, perhaps the reason for the confusion with regard to that question. He did however play at The Oval for the Middlesex vs. Surrey match. Further, Compton played professional football too, a rare dual professional in English sport so was puzzled when he replied in the negative. Overall, the English version pales in comparison to the US version.

@TheJMascis666 5 жыл бұрын

BV I preferred the UK version, I found Bennet Cerf and Arlene Francis unwatchable. Phylis Newman however was a different kettle of fish.

@smadaf 2 жыл бұрын

I'm still amazed by how American some Irish accents sound.

@angelthman1659 5 жыл бұрын

The English more modern than Americans as usual. That score cube is ahead of its time in 1957. Better than the American card pad.

@wishmaster7438 9 жыл бұрын

This show looks like it was recorded on video tape and not on kinescope like the American shows. The picture quality is very good for a TV show in the 1950s. Not exactly entertaining. They all look rather listless and have that typical lugubrious British demeanor.

@anntaylor2039 4 жыл бұрын

The one panelist I could not understand a word he said!

@smadaf 2 жыл бұрын

It's kinescope, not tape. When the older, heavyset panelist comes on, there's a big, black spot on the film. There are other filmy artefacts later.

@sferrell1000 9 жыл бұрын

What is a chippy?

@jeannehall6546 9 жыл бұрын

+Scott Ferrell A chippy (or chippie) can be either a carpenter, or a fish-and-chips place.

@WhatsMyLine 9 жыл бұрын

+Jeanne Hall There's at least one other common slang definition that's quite a bit coarser in meaning. . .

@RayhanAhmed-qr3vz 5 ай бұрын

Why copy something from the Americans 😂

@rotagbhd 2 ай бұрын

Very stuffy compared to the American show. The fun seems to be sorely lacking here. Six minutes in and yet to hear one laugh.

@M-David-Hakoh 3 жыл бұрын

Why doesn't the audience shut up? They keep giving it away

@pljms 6 жыл бұрын

I think the US version was wittier and far more entertaining.

@TheJMascis666 5 жыл бұрын

Paul James Are you sure? Anything containing Bennet Cerf was rarely witty.

@sidecarcn Жыл бұрын

The BBC version of this show really sucks compared to the US one.

@amberola1b 6 жыл бұрын

I liked the show, but unfortunately not being British I didn't recognize any of the celebrity contestants on any of these episodes so it kind of fell flat for me there but otherwise it with pretty entertaining

@TheJMascis666 5 жыл бұрын

amberola1b I feel the same way when I watch the yank version.

@galileocan 5 жыл бұрын

Wow....one panelist asks the mystery guest "Are you a colored person"? Then Eammon comments to the mystery guest later, "When you were explaining what a Chinaman was"? .... O M G

@ianbentley7276 4 жыл бұрын

ffs, things weren;t always the same as now.

@michaelmayoh656 Жыл бұрын

A Chinamen was a type of delivery in bowling a cricket ball

@Beson-SE 9 жыл бұрын

It seemed like a jolly good show for a start but the differences compared to the American show were not in the UK favour. What a slow pace and unfunny the whole show was! The audience applauded when the panel was asking "right" questions. Big help. (the panelists were so stuffy and boring - no charisma what so ever!). At the beginning I thought it was wonderful to hear British English spoken but after a while I couldn't understand a word, bad articulation indeed. Eamonn Andrews was good though.

@ChristopherSobieniak 9 жыл бұрын

You get so use to how we Americans do things, then switch over to the UK and see where it stops!

@WhatsMyLine 9 жыл бұрын

The sound quality has a lot to do with it, I expect. It's slightly muffled, which doesn't help. But yes, Gilbert Harding's British accent is very strong. The rest of them I had no trouble understanding. I'm surprised you disliked it so much, Johan Bengtsson , not that there's anything wrong with that. I can't say I'd want to watch 800 episodes of this like the American version, but I really liked it. It was worth the whole show just to hear Gilbert Harding make that "psssss" sound. ;)

@Beson-SE 9 жыл бұрын

What's My Line? I thought I was going to like it, but I did not. I suppose I am so used watching John and the rest of the panel that everything else feels strange and odd. Perhaps if there were more episodes to watch I might change opinion, but I doubt it. I prefer breadboxes and Bennett's puns. :)

@JayTemple 8 жыл бұрын

+Johan Bengtsson I liked the photos they had of each contestant when they showed the audience the occupation.

@Beson-SE 8 жыл бұрын

+JayTemple I agree. That gave authenticity to the contestants. You really felt they were genuine.

@RayhanAhmed-qr3vz 4 ай бұрын

These people copied the American version of what’s my line which is The elite version and addictive compared to this crap rubbish british Version .