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I wikied her to see about what you said, and it seems you are right, there is some, let me say “controversy” about her death and the Kennedy assassination. Those who are interested can check out your link or wiki. (I’d urge any of those folks to also check out Ben Bradlee’s dead sister-in-law, I think it was his s-i-l, another suspicious Kennedy related death)

But it seems that mostly she was a show biz reporter and the only way I know her is as a participant in these early game shows.

I’m guessing you are a little older than me (I’m 54, Lord bless me) and I’m just barely old enough to remember “what’s my line” “to tell the truth” and some of the other shows from early TV. I don’t think I really remember “I’ve got a secret” from prime time, but I certainly did see it sometimes, I’m guessing in some late night pre-cable re-runs.

One thing I do know - I’m not *really* a baby boomer because I DO NOT remember Howdy Doody!

What was up with that show? People even a very few years older than me have it as part of their real cultural memory base I and my cohorts know nothing about it, other than what we’ve gleaned from our near elders! I’ve never figured out the exact dividing line, but Im pretty sure there is one.

I guess this show was a huge hit, but never went into reruns. To me this is a strange and almost unique situation.

Oh, actually there’s another one I can think of “Peter Gunn” everyone knows and loves the theme song to that show, but I don’t know ANYONE who’s seen the actual show!

The mysteries left to us from early TV!

***Howdy Doody!****
I remember watching it and I did not think it was all that great. It was aimed at kids much younger than me at that time. I was 10. Just puppets and a clown, the host and the “Peanut Gallery” of kids. The show was very forgettable to me.

The ones I remember best are...
THE LONE RANGER
SKY KING
SUGARFOOT
TALES OF THE TEXAS RANGERS
YANCY DERRINGER
TALES OF JIM BOWIE
and way too many Warner Brother Westerns to mention.

And lots of comedies. I LOVE LUCY, GERNDIL, and many others. We did not care for LEAVE IT TO BEAVER. For some reason it did not appeal to us. We learned at an early age which shows tried to manipulate our feelings.

As for PETER GUNN, I remember it well. Back in 1967, their was a movie released, GUNN which was a movie version of the TV show. I have a recording of the music from the TV show PETER GUNN by Henry Mancini.
I also remember MR LUCKY about the same time.

One thing I do know - I’m not *really* a baby boomer because I DO NOT remember Howdy Doody! What was up with that show? People even a very few years older than me have it as part of their real cultural memory base I and my cohorts know nothing about it, other than what we’ve gleaned from our near elders! I’ve never figured out the exact dividing line, but Im pretty sure there is one.

I think it's nostalgia more than anything else. I got to see Buffalo Bob at my university in the early 70s. He could not tour with Howdy Doody (something about property rights). It had all the ingredients of a great kids show with the Peanut Gallery and all. I swear I can't remember what they did during the show, just some of the characters. I was born in 1951, and it was a great time to grow up. The first fad I remember was Davy Crockett on Disney. Everybody wanted a coonskin cap. Heck, there were only 5 episodes. Then came the hula hoop and Duncan yo-yos. I remember the gyroscopes that would spin and travel on a string. All the great commercials. With a box top and 50 cents you could get a diving frogman or submarine from Kelloggs in Battle Creek, MI. Every local tv station had its own kids show. In Tampa it was Major Jack, and in Orlando it was Uncle Walt. I had all my friends over for my 5th birthday, and when Uncle Walt came to my name on the birthday list, he admonished me to stop biting my fingernails. I thought I was going to die!