esrosedotblog

SALES OVER

One of the funniest guys died today.

Soupy Sales, Slapstick Comedian, Dies at 83

He was side achingly, gasping for breath funny.

On the surface, he played to kids. In reality the show hit at the hip young, and old, adult crowd.

Crammed with standard bits, Sales caromed from one side of the set to another. Answering a knock at the door (we would not see who was there until famous fans began to ask for a shot on the show), working his puppets (White Fang above, only the paw), going through some slapstick bit with an unseen cast of characters (the naked lady was one, on a kids' show) or just standing there goofing.

I saw him for many years because he started in NYC before he was syndicated.

A lot of people got him confused with Pinky Lee who was similar but not at all the same. Sales never played the "fairy" card where Pinky, an ex-burlesque comedian, was fey to a fault. And funny.

He might be more like Paul Reubens and his character, Pee Wee Herman, but also not fey and definitely not in sort of nerd drag.

Soupy wore regular clothes but would don a funny bow tie. Otherwise it was chinos and sweater. Sales was who he was although mugging was definitely part of the picture.

Sales had a second career as a game show participant. Equally hilarious in prime time, he was a regular on What's My Line? and others.He was an expert with pie throwing. Mostly at himself. A big corny joke. A pie.

There is a much more exhaustive and funny review of Soupy Sales here.

Soupy didn't make it to 90, he was 83, but I put him down as a hero anyway.

I laugh as I type this. And he is gone now. Really gone. Goodbye Soup.

Here, take one in the face.

Labels: fun, heroes, life, television