Soupy Sales dead at 83

[Dar70]

He was huge here in the Detroit area. Nice part of my childhood. After he left for bigger things he still would make appearances on local tv here never forgetting where it all started. Funny guy. RIP

http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-soupy-sales23-2009oct23,0,699167.story

 

[23skidoo]

I remember seeing the fellow in a few movies, too. He was one of those legends who people knew even if they never saw his show.

One of my favorite bits with him was an infamous on-the-air practical joke that was played on him. He was talking to the viewers when he heard a scream coming from backstage. While still on camera he went to the back of the set to see what happened, opened a door, and just off camera was a topless stripper shaking her thing. Since this was not only a) live TV but b) a kid's show, Sales had to try and recover while still on the air (the dancer of course wasn't seen on TV though someone had a second non-broadcasting camera set up to record her). It was a great bit of TV even if the viewers had no idea what just happened. Apparently it was a gag pulled for his birthday.

You can see the joke play out on YouTube. There's a clip that shows what the viewers saw, followed by the uncensored in-house version. Since that version has nudity and is NSFW I'm probably not allowed to post a direct link, so just do a YouTube search for "soupy sales- lunch with soupy sales, 1959".

Great stuff! RIP Soupy...

Alex

 

[Ward Fowler]

I actually met him once. He was a heck of a nice guy. RIP.

 

[Dar70]

Interesting to note. October of 1959 was when his show started here in Detroit. It was the show that sparked his success. (He had mild success before 1959.) Sad he had to die on the 40th anniversary month of his show.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Aw, this is sad.

Soupy Sales was invariably hilarious; a natural talent and a TV pioneer.

RIP, Soupy.

One of my favorite bits with him was an infamous on-the-air practical joke that was played on him. He was talking to the viewers when he heard a scream coming from backstage. While still on camera he went to the back of the set to see what happened, opened a door, and just off camera was a topless stripper shaking her thing.

I have this on a DVD somewhere. Very funny. I don't think he could ever not be funny.

 

[Kira's Mom]

Aw, man. *throws cream pies in other posters' faces in tribute*

 

[Dar70]

Aw, this is sad.

Soupy Sales was invariably hilarious; a natural talent and a TV pioneer.

RIP, Soupy.

One of my favorite bits with him was an infamous on-the-air practical joke that was played on him. He was talking to the viewers when he heard a scream coming from backstage. While still on camera he went to the back of the set to see what happened, opened a door, and just off camera was a topless stripper shaking her thing.

I have this on a DVD somewhere. Very funny. I don't think he could ever not be funny.

I just looked at the Youtube video of it. Absolutely hilarious. Especially given the context of the show he was doing at the time. Its great to see the version people didnt. Soupys reaction to it was just great.

They are having some nice tributes tonight on the local detroit news stations. Soupy used to just visit Detroit on a whim and would visit local channel 7 news frequently to talk with Erik Smith.(one of our longtime news celbs)

I have one story about Soupy when I was younger. Almost 20 years ago actually. I wasnt there but he visited the retailer I worked for one afternoon and was looking to buy some chicken. A friend of mine noticed it was him and asked are you Soupy Sales? He said "yes, "who are you?" My friend didnt even respond, he ran the length of the department and yelled "Soupy Sales is here, Soupy Sales is here. My friend was a huge geek and proved it that day. I couldnt believe he did that. I chastised him when he told me the story. I forgot what Soupy did when my friend acted like a maniac but Im sure he wasnt too pleased. He did sign my friends hat.


EDIT. Some dipwad must have alerted youtube that there was a little nudity in that Soupy Sales skit that Alex talked about. Its been up since May of this year. Soupy dies and some prude has to tell Youtube about it. Funny because someone posted in there today and asked why it wasnt pulled. Dang I wanted my brother to see that skit. It was very funny and not really that offensive. I guess it had to be pulled but geez after 5 frickin months?? Why the heck does boobs offend so many people???

 

[auntiehill]

Aww....

No one could take a pie like Soupy.

He really was a pioneer of television comedy.

 

[Gil T.Azell]

.... The Supmans were the only Jews in town. Sales' father ran a dry goods store that sold sheets to the Ku Klux Klan.

Is this irony or what, I wonder if the klan knew or cared??

Any how R.I.P. Mr. Sales.
Thanks for the laughs.