WHAT'S MY LINE?

ORIGINAL AIR DATE: 7/5/53 (Live)
NETWORK: CBS
RUNNING TIME: 30 Minutes

The Cast
John Daly (moderator)
Dorothy Kilgallen (panelist)
Steve Allen (panelist)
Arlene Francis (panelist)
Bennett Cerf (panelist)
Judy Holliday (mystery guest)

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Game Show Overview

The four celebrity panelists are allowed to ask "yes" and "no" type questions of the contestant to try and guess the person's occupation. For every "no" answer given, the contestant wins $5. Ten "no" answers and the game is over. Usually the first two segments of the show are comprised of non-celebrity contestants. The rules change slightly for the third segment. The panelists are blindfolded and a celebrity mystery guest is brought out on stage. Using "yes" and "no" type questions, the panelists must try to discover the mystery person's identity. The mystery guest often disguises his or her voice to throw the panel off.

Episode Summary

After nearly three years of being blacklisted from appearing on the show, Judy makes her long-awaited entrance and signs her name on the blackboard. She sits down with moderator John Daly and the questioning begins with Arlene Francis. Francis asks questions like, "Are you a member of the entertainment world?" and "Have you ever appeared in pictures?" Judy responds in a deep male voice "Yes." Francis unable to figure out if the mystery guest is male or female, asks if the person is a male. Getting a "no" answer, the questioning moves to Bennett Cerf. Cerf asks, "May I presume that when you're in a more amiable frame of mind that you speak with a sweeter tone than you have right now?" Judy responds with a gruff-sounding "Sometimes." Cerf asks, "Have you also played on the New York stage?" and "Did you play a leading role in the play in which you appeared?" Judy inexplicably changes voices and answers "yes" in a high, squeaky voice. Cerf, now having a good idea who it is, asks if the play was produced Max Gordon and was she in a nightclub act before doing the play. Speaking in her real voice, she grudgingly says "Yes." Cerf concludes, "Well I can't stall around any longer, because that beautiful voice you started with could only belong to the lovely Judy Holliday." John Daly inquires to how Bennett knew it was her, and he confesses that he overheard Judy using that male-sounding voice once before while sitting next to her at the Dutch Treat Club. Before she leaves, Bennett Cerf and John Daly put her on the spot and request that she say "Bennett Cerf is too smart" in the Billie Dawn voice. She paused for a few seconds to get the voice exactly right in her head before saying the line aloud. To hear her say the line click here. With the cast and audience still laughing, she leaves the moderator's desk, shakes hands with the panelists and departs. Her appearance lasted 3 and half minutes.

Show Credits

Producers Mark Goodson and Bill Todman

Executive Producer Gil Fates

Production Coordinator Bob Bach

Program Manager Frances Trocaine

Settings by Robert Rowe Paddock

Director Franklin Heller