Ted Lewis was a great performer back in the day...so many people wanted to , and played with him , in his band .

My parents had phonograph records of Ted Lewis, and one of my first memories of playing them was when I was 4, around 1938. To this day, I remember all of the words and tunes for "Me and My Shadow" and several more of his specialty songs. I had forgotten why his name was familiar, because he was not a popular singer later on, but as soon as they mentioned "Me and My Shadow," my mind went right back to the rest of them--("When My Baby Smiles at Me--etc.") It's so much fun to have that happen.

The bird whistles were impressive. !

And thanks for posting these. Can't overstate how much pleasure they have given me!

What's My Line has to be the best game show ever on television. Having Margaret's husband as the first guest was classic and a very good start. Then this show got better from there. Including John Daly's obfuscating "explanations" which are hilarious.

Ted Lewis's famous catchphrase was "Is everybody happy?" My grandfather was nuts about him. He would talk rather than sing "Me and My Shadow," and about halfway through the number he'd move toward the wings, and a black man would follow him back out and mimic his every move, being his shadow.

I have a DVD set of the "Abbott and Costello" movies that were made in 1940. The Lewis and his band were in one of those movies. Ted did the routine "Me and My Shadow" with a black actor. The black actor played the shadow. They were very good at it. Ted Lewis was an excellent singer and band leader. He had the catchphrase "Is everybody happy?" That's the way that he started his act.

Margaret and Clifton were married on April 21, 1956, less than 8 weeks before this show.

I agree with Jack Leonard, something to do with babies certainly seems like a Yes if you are advising expectant parents.

"The babies aren't there yet." Another reason to love her.

Margaret Truman and Clifton Daniel were married until his death in 2000 at the age of 87. I got the feeling that Margaret had no clue who Ted Lewis was. She just sat there looking a bit bewildered. I guess it's to be expected, as she was only 32 at the time. It would be like a 32 year old in 2022 not knowing who someone like Donna Summer was, who was hugely popular at one time.

Didn't know of Lewis, Leonard, or Daniel until watching WML. The show is a great historical record of 20th Century American culture.

I had never seen Jack E Leonard before watching his appearances on What's My Line. I had no idea that Don Rickles had a spiritual guru in the insult comedy field.

Did it seem to you that Margaret Truman did not know who Ted Lewis was even after they took off their masks... would be understandable if she didn't...she was of a younger generation..Love this show... thanks for posting!

I love the way Ted Lewis says "You mean something like this?"

I have a rare photo of Ted Lewis wearing a ski cap.

It seems like they do the "Expectant Parent" line every 9 months or so.

I do also think Mr. Leonard was right about that "Baby-business"... "They had not yet arrived", yes, but it's still "Baby-business".

When you ask "law or medicine?) And Daly starts yammering on about law, you can be sure its medicine!

Funny to think we are still arguing about a call John Daly made on the fly 58 years ago. But I think Jack and Bennet were right about "baby business."

How could John Daly have said that the expectant parents instructor wasn’t in the baby business??

Back in the days when the word "pregnant" was considered vulgar, hence "expectant". And fathers really had nothing to do with the childbirth process at all.

Re: The Clifton Daniel segment. I thought it was tradition to have at least one go 'round the panel before guessing.

Good grief!!!!! How many hints and ideas does Daly have to give,,,you would have got them if he didn't give Cerf, certifiable answer I've seen a lot of these and enjoy them immensely, thank you

Does anyone understand the laughter evoked by the Basin Street comment? Was that venue reserved for amateur entertainers?

What's this about calling Jack E Leonard "Charlie Needleman"? was that a character he played somewhere? The web seems not to know.

Proof that Ted Lewis=Bird

REALLY Some times John should just keep his mouth shut.

In the previous episode the week before Margaret Truman Daniel was the gust and they said she and her husband were going to be on the show. So Clifton Daniel's appearance was preempted as the panel ie Bennett already knew

I love watching these. I had never heard of Ted Lewis or that annoying Needlenose guy.

Fast forward about 10-15 years after the date of this broadcast. My mom was watching some variety show. At some point they trot out Ted Lewis (who I had never heard of at that time). He could barely move and of course as a singer, he talked as much as he sang even at the height of his career. And he couldn't do much by this time in that department either when he was pushing 80. I admit that I could have put it in a nicer way (I was still in HS at the time), but basically I said something to the effect of "Why did they bring out this guy? He's terrible." No doubt the criticism my parents routinely gave of the music I liked played a part in the bluntness of my remarks. My mom replied that Lewis was very popular in his day, as big or bigger than the rock and roll musicians I liked. And she told me that one day, I would feel nostalgic for my favorites when they were old and their best days were far behind them, and I would love to see them perform one more time for old times sake. Looking back at my life, my mom was usually right about such things, about how my attitudes would change in the future as I grew older. But I have to say that this time, she was totally wrong. God bless any of the old rock and roll stars who have survived this long. So many died young for a myriad of reasons and many others who lived a full life are gone now: Elvis, Buddy Holly, John Lennon, Otis Redding, Jim Morrison, Whitney Houston, Donna Summer, Leslie Gore, Mary Wells, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, and many many more. But I have no interest in seeing those who remain old, wrinkled and tottering. I want to remember them the way they were when they were younger, healthy, looking good and performing well. Talking to them would be a different matter. I would love to talk to Paul McCartney, Dionne Warwick, Joni Mitchell, Frankie Valli, Smokey Robinson, Gordon Lightfoot and others of that era who are physically and mentally able to converse. I'd love to hear about their lives and all the interesting stories they must have to tell. For my youngest days, I loved to hear the stories of older people, what things were like before I was born. But to watch them perform, no. When I do so, it makes me sad, and there's enough sadness in the world without looking for more.

Directed by Frank Satenstein, of The Honeymooners fame

"Missed A Clue" hahaha

NEWSPAPERMAN TEACHER COURSE FOR EXPECTANT PARENTS

Leonard keeps going on and on about how good looking Margaret Truman's husband is? Hmmmmm... another Cerf?

Having Jack Leonard on the panel was a waste of time.

How can they say that the woman who teaches expectant parents is "not in the baby business?"

I was surprised that no one thought of RN for the degree of the second challenger. They acted like Dr. or MD are the only medically related degrees. In fact RN is the degree which Jayne DeClue had when she appeared on WML. In fact, eventually she ended up with many certifications, degrees and letters after her name. She was four days away from her 33rd birthday when she appeared on WML. She married in 1961 and remained married to the same man until her death in December 2001. She had quite a career in her lifetime and continued to work after she and her husband said that they were retiring to Texas near Houston. Although born in Brooklyn, she grew up in Queens, which is where she was living at the time of this broadcast. As a salute to my fellow Queens resident, here's the life story of Jayne DeClue Wiggins. www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=43566151

Margaret Truman looks 20 years older than her age.

Get a little tired of it But I LOVE the show..I saw it from early 60s on..but I was born in 56

I think john gave it away

What was Jack E. Leonard's connection to Ted Lewis? Did they ever perform together?

A really fun episode! As always, thanks for posting. (I thought Jack E. was quite funny and not the least obnoxious this time around - just my opinion.)

I always thought that Jack 'E' Leonard was a riot.

Ted Lewis the dustman 😂

Jack Leonard uses up the same lines and "jokes" over and over, they're recycled and quite irritating. Are you from this planet? Over and over? Ugh.... He actually reminds me of Hal Block in his blustery mannerisms (without the sexism as much). I really like Bennet Cerf and Arlene Francis. They're smart and engaging.

ikleit

I am surprised Frank Fay was never on the show. His far right views were in tune with McCarthy who was prominent at that time. Plus would have been really interesting to hear some of the abrasive answers he sure would have given due to probably nobody on the panel would have liked him. Frank Fay is the one actor that I would really liked to have seen on the show because he certainly would have been a unique mystery guest very different than anyone else they ever had on the show.

22:30 That's what passed for "talent" back in 1956.

I don't get the humor of comedians like Leonard.

What ever possessed them to keep putting Leonard on as a panelist? He's always hamming things up and thinks he's so funny, so full of himself. "You are from this planet?" and "I can't hear you, are you secret service?" Too harsh and brash, especially when all the other panelists maintain composure and are professional. Do people really enjoy him and this type of.....delivery? I find him dreadful.

IMO Leonard is obnoxious and unfunny. I cannot imagine him being tolerated on the Canadian or BBC versions of WML then.

Just thinking these women were just given a right to vote years earlier...sad

Bennett Cerf cheated...he gets FAR too many right

Can't STAND Ted Lewis. His schmaltzy corny talk-songs- ugh. I'd really hate to have been part of the scene when he was popular, and BOY was he then. Ms Truman on the panel is the daughter of past president Truman. When a critic gave her a less than complimentary review, Truman sent word that if he saw that reviewer on the street he'd punch him right in the nose. Imagine a president saying that now.

I feel like Bennett was cheating. I wouldn't be surprised if the producers were giving him clues about the contestants.

Cheating Bennett Smurf strikes again.

ikleit