 His choice for the all-important moderator
of this intellectual sparring was Clifton Fadiman,
(the once-literary editor at New York publishers
Simon and Schuster.) An inveterate reader, he was
known for syndicated book reviews and knowledge
on a range of subjects. He turned out to be a perfect
host - warm, witty and always ready to help the
panel and guests feel comfortable. The other regulars
were Franklin P. Adams, (columnist of the New York
Herald Tribune), who knew as much about New York
City and her social whirl as anyone. Raconteur,
he was. Two other experts were on the panel, and
their expertise formed the basis for many of the
questions. Over the shows early run, the third chair
was taken by John Kiernan, a sports columnist who
could quote Shakespeare, spoke Latin, was as at
home in the museums of the Big Apple as at its prize
fights, and had a great native New York accent to
boot. The final expert who became the fourth cog
in the wheel 
Franklin Pierce Adams, panelistwas Oscar Levant, the Pittsburgh piano
prodigy who came to Broadway early to play along
side George Gershwin, and whose nervous mind moved
as fast as his fingers. Kiernan wrote of Levant, "…a positive genius for making offhand
cutting remarks that couldn't have been sharper
if he'd honed them a week in his mind. Oscar was
always good for a bright response edged with acid."
This
panel was then treated to a guest. Some were famous,
such as Gracie Allen, who
was an airhead only when trading quips with George
Burns, or Orson Welles,
who proved himself as brilliant as anyone on the panel.
Groucho Marx was a guest,
and his appearance certainly made You
Bet Your Life seem like a good bet. Some were
well-known politicians writers or sports figures. Some
were experts in a certain field, and were given tough
or tricky questions in their field that were often hot
potatoes.
 Due to the nature of the show, it couldn't
be done twice for the West Coast, as were most national
shows of the time. Transcription was necessary and was
finally allowed in 1939. This was a groundbreaking decision
at the time. History would prove that, except for time-sensitive
material such as news or sports, a recording is fine.
As early as 1940, sponsor and networks were trying to
tamper with the format, and doing battle with Golenpaul.
Like a stubborn parent, he knew was best in all cases,
and stood his ground always. Oscar Levant went on to
Hollywood in 1943, and so the early great panelist lineup,
like a great baseball team, became history. When the
show ended, Golenpaul went on to publishing the well-known Information, Please almanac. An attempt to bring
the show to TV in 1952 didn't work. It was just too
perfect as it was on radio. Happily, the wit and wisdom
of Information, Please lives on in recorded form
for listeners to enjoy. For more game show fun, see
also the Game Show Collection, Guess Who,
and You Bet Your Life. See also,
the informative program, The Answer Man.
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