Geraldine 'Gerri' Whittington (1931-1993), the first contestant to appear, was the personal executive secretary to President Lyndon B. Johnson and was the first African-American secretary in the White House. Whittington was in office until January 20, 1969.
Van Heflin was starring in the Broadway play 'A Case of Libel' at the Longacre Theatre. The courtroom drama opened on October 10, 1963 and ran for 242 performances.
Van Heflin and Arlene Francis had previously worked together in the late 1930s on the radio soap opera 'Betty and Bob', portraying the title's roles.