"What's My Line" by Gil Fates

[SuperMatch93]

Just checked this out from UIllinois' library and had it shipped to DePaul. There's an eight page photo section that I've scanned and put in an Imgur album here:

http://imgur.com/a/aIw65#0

One of the most interesting things I found in the book was a quoted "Notes for Panelists" that was given to guest panelists detailing the rules of the game and some example questions:

http://imgur.com/a/wsrG6#0

(As you can tell, the binding has seen better days.)

The whole book is full of great stories, including a panelist who would doze off during the show, Louis Armstrong singing "Hello, Dolly" despite under contract to sing it on Perry Como's show, and Fates' favorite occupation, "Manages Embalmed Whale On Tour".

If you can find a copy, I highly recommend reading it.

[WarioBarker]

I also got a copy from my local library. The book also includes Fates recounting the planning stages of the syndicated run, how he dealt with Bennett Cerf's death (including a transcription of the form letter he sent to viewers who wrote in regarding Cerf being on the show afterward), his star turn as Mystery Guest ("Very big Mystery, very little Guest."), the problems with compiling footage for the 25th-Anniversary Special, and an incident on I've Got A Secret where a professional pickpocket engaged in plugola with his "victim" on live television.

There's probably a lot more, but those are the ones I can remember.

Louis Armstrong singing "Hello, Dolly" despite under contract to sing it on Perry Como's show

IIRC, Fates notes that the people at Como's program were pretty pissed about this, since they paid Satchmo quite a bit to make the song's debut (or at least, television debut) over there only for him to debut it on What's My Line? (albeit by the naive request of a female panelist, and apparently Louis just couldn't decline).

[Adam Nedeff]

The only library book that I ever liked so much that I "lost" it and paid the fine.

What I found most interesting about it is that the show ran for 25 years and yet, Gil's attitude towards it seems to be "Damn! We got canceled just when we got it right!" He's extremely critical--in hindsight--of some problems during the CBS years that he felt never got properly taken care of, but seems to adore the syndicated years and raves about how well everything went.

[JasonA1]

He's extremely critical--in hindsight--of some problems during the CBS years that he felt never got properly taken care of, but seems to adore the syndicated years and raves about how well everything went.

To that end, did he think the CBS version was not as "fun" as it could be, or did Gil think that was just the personality of that version vs. the personality that emerged in the Blyden years?

-Jason

[WarioBarker]

He's extremely critical--in hindsight--of some problems during the CBS years that he felt never got properly taken care of

Wasn't part of Fates' issue with the CBS era (especially as the 1960s rolled on) that John Daly adamantly stood in the way of making the show a bit more silly with demonstrations and the like?

but seems to adore the syndicated years and raves about how well everything went.

While Gil may have adored the Bruner/Blyden era, I think he didn't like how the format had to be "cut to the bone" to keep using two players and a Mystery Guest per show.

The only library book that I ever liked so much that I "lost" it and paid the fine.

Huh. Maybe I'll do that sometime.

[The Pyramids]

The copy I read in 2006 also came from another library branch and was pretty shot. It appears now that pages of pictures were torn out.

[SuperMatch93]

He's extremely critical--in hindsight--of some problems during the CBS years that he felt never got properly taken care of

Wasn't part of Fates' issue with the CBS era (especially as the 1960s rolled on) that John Daly adamantly stood in the way of making the show a bit more silly with demonstrations and the like?

I think it was partially Daly's reluctance and partially the fact that the panel and style of the show was so high-class that it would have been difficult to make changes.

This was also part of the reason the Who's Who game was created for the syndicated version; it wouldn't have been as easy for the syndicated panel to fill time with high-society chit-chat than it was for the CBS panel.

[Adam Nedeff]

To that end, did he think the CBS version was not as "fun" as it could be, or did Gil think that was just the personality of that version vs. the personality that emerged in the Blyden years?

-Jason

The term he used was "hardening of the creative arteries," a marvelous way of putting it. In other words, what the CBS version was was perfectly fine for so many years, but eventually, you're just doing the same show over and over and over again, and why does the audience have to tune in week in and week out when every episode looks exactly the same? He said there was a very narrow range of parameters set for what was acceptable content for the show, and any attempt to do anything remotely outside of that range was met with "We've always done it this way." He also said the show handcuffed itself with some policies that, in hindsight, were totally pointless. The one he really facepalmed at, looking back, was that the CBS version had a rule that they would only use full-time occupations, or "occupations that provided more than 50 percent of the contestant's income," which Fates thought was dumb because a person's moonlighting gig is usually far more interesting than their nine-to-five job.

While Gil may have adored the Bruner/Blyden era, I think he didn't like how the format had to be "cut to the bone" to keep using two players and a Mystery Guest per show.

I agree fifty percent with this. My perception was he was very reluctant to get rid of the lengthy intros that the panelists did for each other and the pleasant chatter about what they had done during the past week, where they traveled to, who they met, etc. Fates felt there was some allure to hearing high society talk about how they spent their week.

On the other hand, I think he happily made the change of adding a small hint at the start of the game. (CBS version: "This contestant deals in a product." Syndicated version: "This contestant deals in a product which is worn.") Fates' own account was that the first minute or so of every game played roughly the same, so they gave enough of a hint to get to the fun part and open up some space for the post-game demonstrations.

[geno57]

The photo pages are delightful, and the sample questions are interesting ones ... most of which we've all heard hundreds of times.  I need that book!

[calliaume]

He's extremely critical--in hindsight--of some problems during the CBS years that he felt never got properly taken care of

Wasn't part of Fates' issue with the CBS era (especially as the 1960s rolled on) that John Daly adamantly stood in the way of making the show a bit more silly with demonstrations and the like?

I think it was partially Daly's reluctance and partially the fact that the panel and style of the show was so high-class that it would have been difficult to make changes.

I think there was a general frustration with Daly toward the show's end, and possibly vice versa..  I read a proposal sent to my then-employer from the late Paul Alter for a memoir that alluded to the same thing (Alter lists his five least favorite people from his television years as John Daly, Frank Sinatra, Richard Dawson, Steve Lawrence/Eydie Gorme, and Bob Barker).

In fairness to Daly, he might have been bored with the show by that time (and a little frustrated that it was his only source of income).  Daly had been one of Murrow's boys during World War II, then ran ABC News in the 1950s (which was a lot less prestigious at the time than it would be now).  But he left ABC at the tail end of 1960, and to my knowledge didn't have another independent journalism position again (Voice of America doesn't count).  He was only 53 when What's My Line? was cancelled.  In all, I suppose I could understand the attitude issues.

[alfonzos]

Agreed. This is a great book.

[Tim L]

I agree-I borrowed it multiple times from my local library and by the last time I borrowed it it was pretty well beat up.