1. EPISODE #1  

First aired: 2/2/1950

EPISODE EXISTS IN THE FREMANTLE COLLECTION AND IS AIRED ON GSN. Game 1: Miss Pat Finch - "Hat Check Girl" (salaried; from Sherman Billingsley's Stork Club; from Manhattan, New York)

Game 2: Arthur Feinberg - "Diaper Service Executive" (salaried; he is a salesman for the Cascade Diaper Service; from Brooklyn, New York)

Game 3: Dr. Seymour Kolodny - "Veterinarian" (self-employed; 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.

EPISODES TO WATCH: These are the nine early episodes from 1950 to 1952 which are still in existence and will be aired on GSN: EPISODE #1, EPISODE #2, EPISODE #3, EPISODE #5, EPISODE #20, EPISODE #31, EPISODE #40, EPISODE #42, EPISODE #96. Then, from EPISODE #112 until the end of the series, EPISODE #876, only 16 more episodes are lost to history.

All 876 individual "What's My Line?" episode synopses (and the guides for the 25 preempted weeks) have been written by Suzanne Astorino.

2. EPISODE #2  

First aired: 2/16/1950

EPISODE EXISTS IN THE FREMANTLE COLLECTION AND IS AIRED ON GSN. Game 1: Miss Caroline Weston - "Lady Wrestler" (salaried; from Queens, Long Island, NY)

Game 2: Edward Eisen - "Income Tax Collector" (salaried; from Brooklyn, NY; In 1950, the due date for filing U.S. individual income tax returns was March 15th. Congress did not change the IRS due date to April 15th until 1955.)

Game 3: Elliott Roosevelt (as Mystery Guest)

Game 4: Miss Karen Archer - "Teaches Dancing" (salaried; 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 finally appeared on the following episode. - Suzanne (2004)

3. EPISODE #3  

First aired: 3/2/1950

EPISODE EXISTS IN THE FREMANTLE COLLECTION AND IS AIRED ON GSN. Game 1: Mr. Cormac McGowan - "House Detective" (salaried; from the Bronx, NY; a house detective is an in-house private detective who is employed by a hotel or retail store; McGowan's comment that he works at the Hotel Commodore, mixed in with John's comment of Commodore Hotel, was barely audible over the applause and background panel chatter; for the record, the Hotel Commodore was located on 42nd Street between Lexington Avenue & Park Avenue in New York City)

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" (salaried; from Brooklyn, NY)

A backup profession was listed in Gil Fates' notes for a high school principal, who eventually appeared on the "lost" EPISODE #7 of May 10, 1950. - Suzanne (2004)

4. EPISODE #4  

First aired: 3/16/1950

LOST TO HISTORY - NO EXISTING KINESCOPE Game 1: "Irish Consul" (a male) Game 2: "Lighthouse Keeper" (a male) Game 3: Gypsy Rose Lee (as Mystery Guest) Game 4: "Tree Surgeon" (a male) A backup profession was listed in Gil Fates' notes for a female physician. - Suzanne (2004) I have supplied the contestant data from Gil Fates' handwritten show logs which do not include the names of the regular contestants. - Suzanne (2004)

5. EPISODE #5  

First aired: 4/12/1950

EPISODE EXISTS IN THE FREMANTLE COLLECTION AND IS AIRED ON GSN. FIRST EPISODE SPONSORED BY STOPETTE DEODORANT, MANUFACTURED BY JULES MONTENIER, INC.

Game 1: Arthur Eldridge - "Circus Chimpanzee Trainer" (salaried; he works for Ringling Brothers Circus, which we only find out about because Louis asks him; from Elgin, IL)

Game 2: Miss June Harbour - "Lawyer" (salaried; she works for a small firm; from Long Island, NY)

Game 3: Elsa Maxwell (as Mystery Guest)

Game 4: Walter Seidel - "Chimney Sweep" (salaried; from Brooklyn, NY)

A backup profession was listed in Gil Fates' notes for a song plugger. - Suzanne (2004)

6. EPISODE #6  

First aired: 4/26/1950

LOST TO HISTORY - NO EXISTING KINESCOPE Game 1: "Circus Sword Swallower" (a female) Game 2: "Weatherman" (a male) Game 3: Abe Burrows (as Mystery Guest) Game 4: "Deep Sea Diver" (a male) I have supplied the contestant data from Gil Fates' handwritten show logs which do not include the names of the regular contestants. - Suzanne (2008)

7. EPISODE #7  

First aired: 5/10/1950

LOST TO HISTORY - NO EXISTING KINESCOPE Game 1: "High School Principal" (a male) Game 2: "Wig Maker" (a female) Game 3: James Farley (as Mystery Guest) Game 4: "Osteopath" (a male) I have supplied the contestant data from Gil Fates' handwritten show logs which do not include the names of the regular contestants. - Suzanne (2008)

8. EPISODE #8  

First aired: 5/24/1950

LOST TO HISTORY - NO EXISTING KINESCOPE

Game 1: "Baseball Umpire" (a male)

Game 2: "Flying Instructress" (a female)

Game 3: Harry James (as Mystery Guest)

Game 4: "Motorcycle Cop" (a male)

Game 5: "Ventriloquist" (a female)

I have supplied the contestant data from Gil Fates' handwritten show logs which do not include the names of the regular contestants. - Suzanne (2008)

9. EPISODE #9  

First aired: 6/7/1950

LOST TO HISTORY - NO EXISTING KINESCOPE

Game 1: "Babysitter" (a female)

Game 2: "Landlord" (a male)

Game 3: Dick Haymes (as Mystery Guest)

Game 4: "Hypnotist" (a male)

A backup profession was listed in Gil Fates' notes for an iceman. - Suzanne (2008)

I have supplied the contestant data from Gil Fates' handwritten show logs which do not include the names of the regular contestants. - Suzanne (2008)

10. EPISODE #10  

First aired: 6/21/1950

LOST TO HISTORY - NO EXISTING KINESCOPE Game 1: "Corset Salesman" (a male) Game 2: Florence Johnson - "Lady Barber" (a female; see notes below) Game 3: Dizzy Dean (as Mystery Guest) Game 4: "Roller Derby Skater" (a female) I have supplied the contestant data from Gil Fates' handwritten show logs which do not include the names of the regular contestants. - Suzanne (2008)

11. EPISODE #11  

First aired: 7/5/1950

LOST TO HISTORY - NO EXISTING KINESCOPE Game 1: "Oyster Opener" (a male) Game 2: "Disc Jockey" (a female) Game 3: Tommy Dorsey (as Mystery Guest) Game 4: "Marriage Counselor" (a male) I have supplied the contestant data from Gil Fates' handwritten show logs which do not include the names of the regular contestants. - Suzanne (2008)

12. EPISODE #12  

First aired: 7/19/1950

LOST TO HISTORY - NO EXISTING KINESCOPE Game 1: "Prison Warden" (a male) Game 2: "Lifeguard" (a female) Game 3: Rocky Graziano (as Mystery Guest) Game 4: "Fight Referee" (a male) Game 5: "Opera Singer" (a male) I have supplied the contestant data from Gil Fates' handwritten show logs which do not include the names of the regular contestants. - Suzanne (2008)

13. EPISODE #13  

First aired: 8/2/1950

THIS EPISODE IS NOT IN THE FREMANTLE COLLECTION AND WILL NOT BE SEEN ON GSN.

EPISODE EXISTS IN A PRIVATE COLLECTION.

Game 1: Ron Brownell - "Bank President" (salaried; from Mount Kisco, NY)

Game 2: Bob Montana - "Elephant Keeper At Zoo" (salaried; from Yonkers, NY)

Game 3: William O'Dwyer (as Mystery Guest)

Game 4: Kurt Prinz - "Good Humor Ice Cream Vendor" (salaried; from Long Island, NY)

14. EPISODE #14  

First aired: 8/16/1950

LOST TO HISTORY - NO EXISTING KINESCOPE Game 1: "Bill Collector" (a female) Game 2: "Junk Dealer" (a male) Game 3: Jackie Robinson (as Mystery Guest) Game 4: "Tuba Player" (a female) I have supplied the contestant data from Gil Fates' handwritten show logs which do not include the names of the regular contestants. - Suzanne (2006)

15. EPISODE #15  

First aired: 8/30/1950

LOST TO HISTORY - NO EXISTING KINESCOPE Game 1: "Horse Trainer" (a female) Game 2: "Glass Blower" (a male) Game 3: Faye Emerson (as Mystery Guest) Game 4: "Sports Writer" (a male) I have supplied the contestant data from Gil Fates' handwritten show logs which do not include the names of the regular contestants. - Suzanne (2008)