I watched an episode of this famous show on a DVD it shared with many other classic examples of 50's television, one of which was the game show "21", famous for the quiz show scandals. On "21" everything is dead serious, with the contestants sweating out esoteric questions in isolation booths for $50,000 prizes. Host Jack Barry has no time for humor- this is serious business! "You Bet Your Life" was the exact opposite.It's hard to categorize this show. It's a game show but it's hardly "21". They spend perhaps five of the show's 30 minutes with Groucho asking silly questions, ("What was the profession of that great painter Rembrandt?") and handing out minuscule prizes, ($50 bills). The rest of it is the great comic's banter with his guests, which include show business people, (Sammy Kahn was in this one), and "regular" people, (a couple of beautiful young ladies who worked for NBC- the National Biscuit Company). Sammy even gets to sing a couple of his tunes. The show could easily be called "A Date With Groucho" because that's what it really is.

In honor of Groucho Marx who died nearly 30 years ago at the age of 86, I watched some of his old "You Bet Your Life" TV programs on VHS. The ones I saw had a tall stewardess from Holland who the host shamelessly flirted with, a South American man who's seeing a couple of women while his girlfriend waits to marry him, the mother of Tony Curtis, and a large woman who has big frizzy hair that's thick enough for a sheep! I also watched an early pilot film from 1949 that filmed the radio version in real time before being edited for later transcription on air. This one begins with Groucho-off screen-talking to announcer George Fenneman about his children and finding out he's from China. Among the contestants are a 300-pound tackle from the Green Bay Packers with his equally 6-foot wife and a young and pretty female carhop who gets Groucho's "headlights flashing"! Loved his hugs and kisses on her at the end! More amusing than hilarious, it's always fascinating to watch Groucho in action as he tries to get the best mileage out of his ad-libs (or whatever written lines he sees out of audience's view) to entertaining results. "You Bet Your Life" is fascinating viewing for any Groucho fans wanting to see him post-Marx Brothers.

This was the first show I saw on the new invention called television. I was eight or nine years old. My family followed the tomato harvest and found jobs at a Brooks Ketchup factory in Shirley, Indiana. That would have been the summer and fall of 1951 or 1952. While driving to find work we stopped at a country store to ask directions. It was getting dark. The owner who waited on us lived in back. His wife was watching "You Bet Your Life" on TV. I had heard of the new invention but had never seen one. I was already a fan of the show because my dad and I listened to it on radio on a regular basis. The owner saw me eying the TV through the open door. "Go back and watch it," he invited me. And so I did for just a few minutes. It encouraged us to save our pennies and get our own set in 1953.Groucho was a comic genius who was a master of one liners and clever repartee. The most famous joke about the woman with the big family who told Groucho she loved her husband and Groucho replying, "I love my cigar too but I take it out of my mouth once in a while," never aired in Arkansas (KARK, NBC, Channel 4, in Little Rock) because of censorship. But Groucho's retort made the rounds and everyone knew about it.I was too young to know the Marx Brothers, though later I was able to enjoy their classic movies. So when Groucho had a brother on his show I would see him for the first time. I vividly remember one program when Harpo was guest and he almost outdid Groucho. Chico too nearly stole the show from Groucho the night he was on. I remember Groucho would have his daughter on from time to time. She was about my age. I don't know what ever happened to her. As I recall she was not shy and had talent.The "secret word" was a popular gimmick for the program. At first a young lady in abbreviated attire would come out when someone said the word, which the audience knew but the contestants did not. It took me a while to get used to the duck coming down which replaced the girl, even though as I remember she still appeared now and then.George Fenneman was not only an elegant announcer but did well as straight man for Groucho. He was a quiet, unassuming person, very likable, who sometimes would have a clever comeback line when Groucho tried to embarrass him. He also announced for the popular "Dragnet" series and had a part in the horror classic "The Thing from Another World."As Groucho stated, "No one goes away broke." There was a consolation price for the guests who lost if they answered a trick question, usually, "Who is buried in Grant's tomb?" although some did miss it. Groucho would keep asking silly questions until they got their money. Truly, no one ever went away broke.

I was born in the middle 50's, and had the chance to be exposed to the You Bet Your Life Television show, what a wonderful show! Many of the stars just starting out or not discovered yet, were the subject of the impeccable host Groucho Marx one line ad-libs, not to mention other people from all walks in life.George Fenneman,the announcer and straight man for Groucho's antics really was a great off load character for Groucho.I wish they would bring this program back in re-runs. Originally it was on channel 11, KPLR TV in St.Louis at 10:00 p.m. MOn-Fri..Really I am a 60's on up fan of television, and some of the crap they have on now, couldn't hold a candle to the early days of television.Walter R.Deyherle St.Louis, Missouri