Sir Ralph Richardson was once performing in a play that wasn't very good. In the middle of a speech he turned to the audience and asked, "Is there a doctor in the house?" A man stood up and said, "Yes, I'm a doctor". And Ralph Richardson said, "Doctor, isn't this the worst play that you've ever seen?" Then he resumed his speech. He was known as a great actor and as quite a character.

Such a masterful actor was Sir Ralph!

I’m sorry that Sir Ralph left so quickly. It would have been. Great to hear his real voice and respond to the questions of the panel.

Bennett, Peter and Arlene bowing to the first mystery guest. Real class.

I love when they have WML panelists from. Other countries

What really impresses me about the first guest is that she's the rare case of a contestant who doesn't have to constantly look to John for validation before her answers-- not the slightest hesitation, really, even on the kinds of questions that might otherwise have prompted one of his patented long winded.explanations! Her line as a panelist on the Korean WML sure prepared her well to be a contestant here.

Al Somers answers that both men and women can benefit from his services. It causes some confusion later on when Phyllis Newman asks him based on the premise that she can come to him for his service. Somers did not admit women to his school for umpires until 1977, and that only over concern that he would be hit with a lawsuit if he didn't. (This was 5 years after Bernice Gera won her court case but lasted only one game as a minor league umpire before quitting.) He was opposed to it because he felt that women would not make it to the major leagues as umpires. It's over 40 years later and none have made it. Of the two female students in 1977, one was Pam Postema. She graduated 17th in a class of 130 in Somers' school. She made it as far as the Pacific Coast League (same league that Al Somers reached). In 1988, she also umpired in major league spring training games and the Hall of Fame Game when that mid-season exhibition game was still being played at Cooperstown on the Monday after Hall of Fame induction weekend. Baseball Commissioner Bart Giamatti appeared to be a champion of her cause. She had gotten good reviews in being promoted all the way to the PCL. But then Giamatti died during his term in office in 1989. Her advancement died with him. At the end of the 1989 season, her minor league contract was canceled. She filed a sex discrimination lawsuit and it was settled out of court. Apparently the settlement was sealed.

I think once they guessed that he was an umpire Bennett knew who he was, as he said he was one of the best and head of the umpires, etc... As for Bennett's assertion that umpire's are the worst treated and most under paid people in baseball; well, my late Uncle who was a scout for 52 years without a pension or a share of World's Series money, plus eating restaurant food for seven or months a year and staying in lousy hotels would take issue with that. But it was his entire life. And he loved it.

Rather fittingly, seeing as Peter Cook's "clip-on" bow-tie comes loose from his collar towards the end of this show, I wanted to point out to people particularly in the US watching this that Cook is doing extremely well adapting himself to the confines of this show (great though it is, it's not Cook's natural stomping ground as it was for say, Ustinov or Steve Allen for instance). He was so uber-talented comedically, a genius in fact, yet as many have noted he didn't over-achieve, it has to be said. Alcoholism, disenchantment and laziness blunted his achievements somewhat from the mid-Seventies onwards but he still did enough nevertheless to remain regarded as the chief pioneer of alternative comedy in the UK by his colleagues, contemporaries and successors. From Python to Gervais, Peter Cook is the root of it all. Just so you know he's only half-cocked (if not quarter-cocked) here. You're not getting the whole Cook (or should I say, the whole cock?).

Videotaped on February 17, 1963, immediately prior to that night's live episode. Dorothy was in her relapse phase, and Arlene hadn't had her car accident yet. Phyllis' hair looks shorter than it did on the 4/14/63 episode.

I think John also had respect for her abilities as a tv personality and knew she did not need help, really.

Arlene...you're not supposed to bow like that!

I always like this Jazz theme of the show.

When I was living in Marina Del Rey California, my next door neighbor was Dudley Moore. Dudley and Peter Cook were a class comedy act from England, and I got to meet many of Dudley's friends over the years. Cook was the real comic genius of the act and Dudley was the straight man most of the time. Many of you will remember Peter Cook as the hysterically lisping Clergyman in the Princess Bride.

Peter Cook is so handsome

Arlene "Mr Cerf knows what team you're an umpire for"! 😅😅😅😅 Those gals!

Cheers for staying for a chat Ralph

Such respect & friendship.

Sweet that Arlene stood up for the Korean woman.❤

What's My Line? At the bottom of this page is the following comment from you: "What really impresses me about the first guest is that she's the rare case of a contestant who doesn't have to constantly look to John for validation before her answers-- not the slightest hesitation, really, even on the kinds of questions that might otherwise have prompted one of his patented long winded.explanations! Her line as a panelist on the Korean WML sure prepared her well to be a contestant here." I wanted to +1 it to agree with you, but for some reason there's no way to either reply to or +1 that particular comment, so I'm doing it here. :)

Even though Arlene Francis made that clumsy statement about government-run television, she somewhat redeemed herself by standing up and bowing to that Korean woman who was so intelligent and accomplished.

Ralph Richardson was brilliant in The Heiress. He played the cold, abusive father far too well.

I wonder if Peter Cook and Ralph Richardson ever worked together in something. It would be a shame if this were their only appearances together. Richardson should have won a best supporting actor Oscar for "Long Day's Journey into Night," but I suspect that he was not even nominated. My personal favorite of his rolls: "God" in "Time Bandits."

Contestant #2, Al Somers (owner of a school of umpires) also appeared in this episode of To Tell the Truth: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/f7GKd7ih2sfWhqs.html

Ralph Richardson gives a masterful performance in The Fallen Idol, as do his co-stars Sonia Dresdel and Michèle Morgan. However, the real scene stealer is a young French actor, Bobby Henrey, in his first film.

One of the great british actors.

PHYLLIS NEWMAN died September 2019 at 86 years old.

The Korean guest signed her name in Chinese characters and not in the Korean language.

So besides Ralph Richardson, what other English celebrities with the "Sir" title were mystery guests and/or panel members on this show? I can think of at least four others: Noel Coward, Peter Ustinov, Michael Caine, and Michael Redgrave.

Al Somers, though he never umpired in the majors (he never went further than the Pacific Coast League), set the standard for training major league umpires with his school which he ran until his retirement in 1977. Veteran National League umpire Harry Wendelstedt then took over the school until his death two years ago. Other umpires of note who appeared on WML in the past included American League umpire Ed Hurley in 1953, whom Dorothy actually nabbed on the wild guess, and around 1961, Terry Tata, who was the youngest umpire in organized baseball was a contestant (he later became a National League ump of long-standing).

Sir Ralph, I mean

*_'WHAT'S MY LINE?' PANELIST IN KOREA_* *_RUNS SCHOOL FOR BASEBALL UMPIRES_* *_BUTLER_*

After the game, Ralph Richardson got up from his chair so quickly it was jolting. It was as if he did not want to be interviewed.

@What's My Line? I hope it isn't too much work to you, and I hope you would be willing to do so, as it interests me since I'm a long-time studier of one of these languages and a "spring chicken" studier of the other two (and their writings), but can you go through all the episodes and put together a compilation of all Japanese, Chinese and Korean guests (including mystery guests)? And yes, I know that the South Korean panelist that showed up first thing signed in Chinese instead of Korean, but I still find it interesting.

@6:33.....Oh but Arlene, the government DOES do it over here!

love phyllis' eye glasses!

John was misleading (again) when he was less than clear about how the service of the butler is delivered. Certainly one would initiate the service by going to see the butler, but from then on and always, the butler would come to whoever used the service. John has done this before, and I think, usually corrects his mistake. But not tonight. When the butler said he was "working over here now" (or Peter asked that question rather) that had to be quite confusing for the panel. I mean one goes to HIM for the service, according to Mr. Daly. Bennett looked rather bemused and displeased, I'd say at the end of the game, and I'll bet John caught some flack after the show. I mean he completely threw a wrench right into the works.

The butler ran off so fast that no one got a chance to use Carol Lombard's famous line, "Do you Butle?"

At 23:20 Peter Cook's question: "Do they say: 'See you next week. See you next Tuesday'?" surprised me. Probably didn't have the same meaning back then (and I guess I have a dirty mind). But his bowtie was also surprised at that statement. So surprised that it fell off :D

Arlene is a real GIRL! When she said the Bennett knew which team the umpire worked for, I thought he would bust a gut. She knew, however, and said so, that an umpire works for a league not a team. But when she suggested he might be a manager too...I wonder!

He played God in Time Bandits film.

8:30 -- boys always make passes at girls who wear glasses, especially if the girl is Phyllis Newman. Lucky Adolph Green.

How could anyone guess so fast that the Korean woman was on what's my line in Korea ' he should've worked with the police.

In the second game with the head of the umpire school, this was another example of where Bennet Cerf could not keep his big mouth shut when other panelists are asking questions. I never understood why the producers let him get away with that. It could ruin the game for the contestant.

I had no idea "niggardly" was a word, and I was a bit shocked when I heard Arlene say it, and had to look up what it meant >.> haha I guess I'm too young

Are they saying that Phyllis could not be an umpire? Were women not allowed to be?

In the orient the show instead of being called what's my line it is called that's my rice

The shows without both Dorothy and Arlene are just not the same. Nothing against Phyllis Newman, but I've never cared for her on the panel. For me, she lacks chemistry and doesn't fit with the regulars. I lose interest in any episode in which she appears.

When Arlene said "niggardly" I thought I would plotz! These days she would spend her time apologizing for using the English language correctly! 😣😣

psssst. Hey Bennett. SHUT UP when it isn’t your turn.

It's so annoying when Daly flips all the cards over before they have actually got it and then has them guess anyway. Why not just let them play properly?

I love this show but Phyllis Newmans voice makes me skip any episode she's in.