What's My Line's Line

I was up late last night watching the Game Show Network, What's My Line came on with the regular panelists and I began to think other than being on this game show what the heck did these people do to earn their fame. Well if anything it gave me another reason to surf the net.

Arlene Francis was a moderately successful Broadway actress and NYC radio host. Her favorite song was My Funny Valentine; if you need something to make you sleep you can check out her tribute page.

Bennett Cerf was an interesting character; he started Random House publishing and had a bunch of riddle, jokes and limerick books. There was an interesting web page where he discusses being the publisher for Ayn Rand (a hero of mine).

Dorothy Killgallen was the most fascinating of them all (who would have thunk it, she was definitely the Shrew on the show). A syndicated journalist/columnist, whose reporting, almost as much as anything, was responsible for getting a new trial for Dr. Sam Shepard. In addition, she was a vocal critic of the Warren Commission investigating the assassination of President Kennedy. A few days before her death, from a mix of alcohol and barbiturates (sounds familiar), she had a private interview with Jack Ruby. Supposedly she was on the verge of breaking a major story on the assassination. The autopsy declared the cause of death as undetermined and her notes from the Ruby interview have never been found. Conspiracy nuts have had a field day with this ever since. You should check out the Death of Dorothy Killgallen for more information.