Season 1

1950–1967

Feb 2, 1950 · 30m

Game 1: Miss Pat Finch - ""Hat Check Girl"" (from Sherman Billingsley's Stork Club; from Manhattan, New York) Game 2: Arthur Feinberg - ""Diaper Service Executive"" (he is a salesman for the Cascade Diaper Service; from Brooklyn, New York) Game 3: Dr. Seymour Kolodny - ""Veterinarian"" (S. W. Kolodny, DVM, works primarily with household cats and dogs; his veterinary office is in Greenwich Village, from Forest Hills, New York) Game 4: Phil Rizzuto (as Mystery Guest, and his game was played last) His winnings were donated to the Heart Fund; he stated that he lives in New Jersey. Seventeen and one-half years later, the first 3 regular contestants also make an appearance on the final What's My Line? episode on September 3, 1967. Clips from this first episode are aired. These are the nine early episodes from 1950 to 1952 which are still in existence: EPISODE #1, EPISODE #2, EPISODE #3, EPISODE #5, EPISODE #20, EPISODE #31, EPISODE #40, EPISODE #42, EPISODE #96. Then, from EPISODE #112 unt

E2. Elliot Roosevelt

Feb 16, 1950 · 30m

Game 1: Miss Caroline Weston - ""Lady Wrestler"" (from Queens, Long Island, NY) Game 2: Edward Eisen - ""Income Tax Collector"" (from Brooklyn, NY; In 1950, the due date for filing U.S. individual income tax returns was March 15th. The IRS due date did not change to April 15th until 1955.) Game 3: Elliott Roosevelt (as Mystery Guest) Game 4: Miss Karen Archer - ""Teaches Dancing"" (from New York City, NY; in error, the television audience is not shown Karen's occupation, we simply have to play along with the panel) A backup profession was listed in Gil Fates' notes for a private detective, who was on the following episode.

E3. Artie Shaw

Mar 2, 1950 · 30m

Game 1: Mr. Cormac McGowan - ""House Detective"" (from the Bronx, NY; a house detective is an in-house private detective who is employed by a hotel or retail store; McGowan named the hotel he works for, but there was so much applause and background panel chatter noise that it was hard to discern) Game 2: Mrs. Linda Stone - ""Housewife"" (from the Bronx, NY; it's a wonder the panel got this one, because John said that she was ""self-employed"" when she is actually ""unemployed""!) Game 3: Artie Shaw (as Mystery Guest) Game 4: William Ulman - ""Exterminator"" (from Brooklyn, NY) A backup profession was listed in Gil Fates' notes for a high school principal.

E4. EPISODE #4

Mar 16, 1950 · 30m

Game 1: An Irish consul Game 2: A lighthouse keeper Game 3: Gypsy Rose Lee (as Mystery Guest) Game 4: A tree surgeon A backup profession was listed in Gil Fates' notes for a female physician.

E5. Elsa Maxwell

Apr 12, 1950 · 30m

Game 1: Arthur Eldridge - ""Circus Chimpanzee Trainer"" (for Ringling Brothers Circus, which we only find out about because Louis asks him; from Elgin, IL) Game 2: Miss June Harbour - ""Lawyer"" (from Long Island, NY) Game 3: Elsa Maxwell (as Mystery Guest) Game 4: Walter Seidel - ""Chimney Sweep"" (from Brooklyn, NY) A backup profession was listed in Gil Fates' notes for a song plugger.

One of the contestants is a ""Lady Barber"" named Florence Johnson.

Game 1: Ron Brownell - ""Bank President"" (from Mount Kisco, NY) Game 2: Bob Montana - ""Elephant Keeper"" (at a zoo; from Yonkers, NY) Game 3: William O'Dwyer (as Mystery Guest) Game 4: Kurt Prinz - ""Good Humor Ice Cream Vendor"" (from Long Island, NY)

Game 1: Bartender Game 2: Mosquito Inspector Game 3: Kathleen Winsor (Mystery Guest)Game 4: Butcher Previously Lost Episode

Game 1: Fred Martini - ""Seal Trainer"" (from the Bronx, NY) Game 2: Miss Alice Matthews - ""Cosmetics Buyer"" (from Chicago, IL) Game 3: Gloria Swanson (as Mystery Guest) (age 53) Game 4: Edwin S. Lurie - ""Tea Taster"" (from New York City, NY; he wore an American Legion lapel pin on his coat)