Soupy Sales dead at 83
Sorry to hear the news that comedian Soupy Sales died last night, at age 83. I got to know him as a kid, while visiting my grandparents in New York City, and watching him heave pies into the faces of guests was a big treat. (His show wasn't carried by any of the stations in Hartford, and in those days, there were only three or four stations available on our TV.)
Sales (nee Milton Supman) had a subversive, slapstick humor that will outlive him. I'd bet that Woody Allen and other great comedians cut their teeth watching Sales, who once was suspended for encouraging kids to take money from their parents and send it to him. He could even incorporate jazz into his skits, like this one with Pookie and White Fang.
He wrote a few books including "Stop Me if You've Heard It" and "Soupy Sez," with lines like this: "I was, in short, the toast of New York. I don't know if it was rye or whole wheat, but it was fun."
Photo of Sales with Hanne Bork after his 1967 Broadway debut in "Come Live With Me"
Comments
RIP Soupy Sales!! Loved your humor!!
Posted by: donnamarie truell | October 23, 2009 12:17 PM
Soupy used to wear crazy joke eyeglasses that scared me half to death.
Posted by: Alison | October 23, 2009 3:13 PM
i absolutely loved Soupy Sales' personality, some of the best facial expressions ever
Posted by: Samantha K | October 25, 2009 4:28 PM
Once in the '70s, the Iowa public TV station hired Soupy Sales for a day; I can't remember why. I was a young reporter sent to write about his visit. We ended up at adjoining urnals, and he shot out one-liners the whole time. I remember thinking that this guy must always be on.
Patrick K. Lackey
Posted by: Patrick K. Lackey | October 27, 2009 10:42 AM