WHAT'S MY LINE?

ORIGINAL AIR DATE: 2/23/58 (Live)
NETWORK: CBS
RUNNING TIME: 30 Minutes

The Cast
John Daly (moderator)
Dorothy Kilgallen (panelist)
Tony Randall (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 as they try to 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. Each panelist gets to ask just one question at a time, rotating clockwise, in an attempt to discover the mystery person's identity. The questioning continues until either 10 "no" answers have accumulated or the person's identity has been correctly guessed. The mystery guest will often disguise his or her voice to try to throw the panel off.

Episode Summary

Once the panelists were all blindfolded, Judy walked out onto the stage to thunderous applause and whistles. She signed her name on the chalkboard and then took her seat beside the show's moderator, John Daly. The questioning begins with guest panelist Tony Randall. He states, "I heard a whistle. You must be a girl." Judy answers, "It has been said," using a Chinese accent. The accent is so thick that Tony Randall and Dorothy Kilgallen have trouble deciphering exactly what she said. Arlene Francis asks, "Are you a girl in the theatre?" Judy stays with the Chinese accent and answers, "Sometimes." Bennett Cerf points out that there is a party being held later that evening for Alan Jay Lerner & Frederick Loewe (who wrote My Fair Lady) then asks, "Are you participating in this party in any way?" Judy switches to a very good Hungarian accent and responds, "I am not participating in any way, no." Dorothy Kilgallen asks "Would we know you more for your work in the movies than on the stage?" Judy answers, "It could be," with virtually no accent at all. Kilgallen quickly shoots back, "Well, is it?" John Daly clarifies the answer by saying that the mystery guest is equally known in both. Tony Randall says, "I think I recognize your voice." (They had co-starred together in an episode of the Goodyear Television Playhouse called The Huntress back in 1954.) He asks, "Did I once have the pleasure of playing opposite you?" Judy goes back to the Hungarian accent and playfully asks, "Was it a pleasure?" Randall smiles and says "A real one, yes." He disqualifies himself from the contest so that Judy can continue a little longer. Arlene Francis says "I'm sure Tony knows who it is, but are bells ringing for you all the time...Judy Holliday?" As the audience applauds, the panelists remove their blindfolds. Judy shakes her head in disbelief and comments on how tough it is to fool the panel. Discouraged, she says she'll never be an impersonator. Arlene says "There's no way to disguise that marvelous voice, Judy. You may as well give up." Bennett Cerf says, "For a second there I thought you were Maria Schell (Austrian actress and sister of Maximilian Schell)." Judy is surprised and says, "Did you? I was trying to be Zsa Zsa Gabor." John Daly compliments her on the Chinese accent that she started with and Judy gives him another sample of it. Arlene asks if Bells Are Ringing has celebrated its one year anniversary. Judy says, "Yes, we celebrated our first anniversary, we had our 500th performance and we will be around for at least another year." Arlene inexplicably requests Judy to "say something like Susie Answerphone for us." Judy laughs and says "You don't say it right...Susanswerphone." Arlene prods her again to say something from the show. Judy is puzzled and doesn't know what to say. Finally she just says, "Susanswerphone," in a lilting voice, like she's taking an incoming call. Everyone laughs and Arlene explains to the viewers that in the show Judy's character is the queen of the answering service. Tony Randall tries to impersonate Judy's line "Send me my mail there" from the play. Judy explains to John Daly that she is very nervous because she is going to be appearing on the CBS TV show Person To Person with Edward R. Murrow the following week. She mentions that the curtain time for Bells Are Ringing on that particular night is being changed to 8:00 p.m. to accommodate her appearance. She thanks John Daly and then leaves the moderator's desk. She walks across the stage, shakes hands with all four panelists and departs. Her appearance lasted 4 and a half minutes.

Show Credits

Producers Mark Goodson and Bill Todman

Executive Producer Gil Fates

Director Franklin Heller

Production Coordinator Bob Bach

Program Manager Frances Trocaine

Technical Director Vernon Gamble

Lighting Director Hal Anderson