Author Topic: A What's My Line ad (Read 2989 times)

DrBear · « **on:** August 22, 2008, 11:30:45 AM »

This ad, from a 1953 issue of Life, uses the What's My Line? panel, host and idea to sell men's wear.

One question - who is the "Miss Kelly" sitting in Dorothy's spot?

Mike Tennant · « **Reply #1 on:** August 22, 2008, 11:52:53 AM »

[quote name=\'DrBear\' post=\'194814\' date=\'Aug 22 2008, 11:30 AM\']
One question - who is the "Miss Kelly" sitting in Dorothy's spot?[/quote]My guess is that it's Barbara Kelly, a regular on the British version of WML? who, according to IMDB, appeared as a guest panelist on the U.S. version for two weeks in May/June 1953.

trainman · « **Reply #2 on:** August 22, 2008, 11:53:03 PM »

Marlboro Shirt Company? Hmm, guess using "I've Got a Secret" in their ad wasn't an option.

Robair · « **Reply #3 on:** August 23, 2008, 07:10:36 AM »

[quote name=\'trainman\' post=\'194911\' date=\'Aug 22 2008, 11:53 PM\']
Marlboro Shirt Company? Hmm, guess using "I've Got a Secret" in their ad wasn't an option.
[/quote]
Remember too they had free rein on the name at that time, as Marlboro wasn't reintroduced as a cigarette brand until 1955. And that they sponsored "To Tell the Truth", not "I've Got a Secret". Cavalier was the IGAS smoke before Winston was introduced later in the decade.

tomobrien · « **Reply #4 on:** August 23, 2008, 08:26:05 AM »

Does it look to anyone else that Barbara Kelly was photomontaged (i.e, prehistorically Photoshopped) in that picture? I don't remember ever seeing her in "first position" on the panel; granted, I could be wrong and it certainly could have been posed that way. But the type on her nameplate also looks more hand-sketched, and there's something about the shadowing and lighting on her that looks different from Arlene. Makes me wonder if Dorothy objected to being in the ad, or was holding out for more money...

geno57 · « **Reply #5 on:** August 23, 2008, 11:30:41 AM »

[quote name=\'tomobrien\' post=\'194933\' date=\'Aug 23 2008, 07:26 AM\']
Does it look to anyone else that Barbara Kelly was photomontaged (i.e, prehistorically Photoshopped) in that picture? [/quote]

I thought the same thing.

DrBear · « **Reply #6 on:** August 23, 2008, 03:12:06 PM »

Or maybe Dorotny's newspaper wouldn't let her be in the ad?

RMF · « **Reply #7 on:** August 23, 2008, 11:20:23 PM »

[quote name=\'DrBear\' post=\'194963\' date=\'Aug 23 2008, 03:12 PM\']
Or maybe Dorotny's newspaper wouldn't let her be in the ad?
[/quote]

For that matter, she also had a long-running radio program (Breakfast with Dorothy and Dick) on WOR. This ad could have conflicted with contractual obligations with one of that program's (many) sponsors.