Posted on 01/10/2005 2:42:45 PM PST by Mister Sophisticate
Comedian Soupy Sales, who once said a pie in the eye was worth two in the sky, saw his proclivity for pie-tossing pay off with a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.
“I appreciate this from the bottom of my heart and I appreciate you all coming here in the rain,” Sales, who was seated in a wheelchair, said Friday.
The rain forced the ceremony to be held inside the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, with Hollywood's honorary mayor, Johnny Grant, setting up the 79-year-old comic's classic schtick.
“Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. had pies thrown in their face by Soupy Sales and I want to belong to that club,” Grant said. He then got down within Sales' reach and took a pie in the face.
The star was the walk's 2,274th. Celebrities attending included actor Peter Marshall and actress Nancy Allen.
Sales, whose given name is Milton Supman, was born in North Carolina. He got his start as a radio scriptwriter and standup comic, going on to host immensely popular local children's shows in Cincinnati, Detroit, New York and Los Angeles. He also has made guest appearances on numerous TV shows, occasionally appeared in films and twice had hit records, with the novelty songs “The Mouse” and “Spy With a Pie.”
Besides throwing cream pies, Sales also takes them in the face. He once estimated he had been hit 25,000 times
Former Huntington [WVA] resident Soupy Sales received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and reacted Friday in trademark comedic fashion -- he threw a pie in the face of Hollywood Mayor Johnny Grant.
Ana Martinez-Holler, vice president of media relations with the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, said laughter dominated the ceremony from beginning to end. She said Sales and several attendees, including fellow former Huntington resident Peter Marshall -- longtime host of "The Hollywood Squares" -- refused to let persistent rain dampen their spirits.
"It was pouring rain, so the order of the ceremony was reversed," she said. "We did the (star) unveiling first and shot photos."
Martinez-Holler reported that Sales said, "I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart," during the ceremony.
Born in Franklinton, N.C., Sales spent most of his boyhood and adolescent years in Huntington. He hosted several regional and national television shows and appeared on broadcasts with the likes of Bob Hope, Judy Garland, Carol Burnett, Dean Martin and Ed Sullivan.
A current resident of New York City, Sales perhaps became best known for his pie-throwing shenanigans. Among the recipients of his pies -- 1,900 at last count -- were Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and Tony Curtis.
"I want to belong to that elite club," Grant said during the ceremony.
Sales hurled a pie at Grant and said his 1,901st pie would be his last, according to Martinez-Holler.
We loves ya, Soupy! (And White Fang and Blacktooth, too!)
Now there's a name I haven't heard in a long time.
I hope White Fang was there.
He's still alive?
Wow
Yeah, but what about White Fang, Black Tooth, and Pookie? As usualy, they get left out.
Best wishes to Soupy Sales a funny, funny man who made part of my childhood more bearable. I wish him all the best and I'd be honored to take a pie in the face from him.
He added, all you little boys and girls, take the cash from mommy and daddy's wallet and send it to me.
Reh-oh-rehhhh.
I guess it was about 1960 when I was watching "Lunch with Soupy Sales" one Saturday and I had the elegant good fortune of hearing Soupy say " You know my girlfriend may not be able to bake a pie but she sure can make my banana cream" Ya gotta love the guy
I liked the show where he opened his door and there was a nude woman behind it.
You just don't see tv like that anymore.
Pooky will have his revenge.
So will Black Tooth.
Believe me.
(Muttly listen to Bafalafaka all the time, and watches episodes of Philo Kvetch too)
As a kid I loved to watch Soupy. Can he still be seen on TV anywhere?
It's about time!
Soupy Sales is an American Original.
Funniest stuff I ever saw when I was 12.
Still funny.
Words of Wisdom: "Effervescent if your fiddlestix."
Killer.
I guess the standard for giving out stars on the walk of fame is going way down. Who's going to get one next, Carrot Top?
I don't think so, but you can check out Billy Ingrams site www.tvparty.com to see some clips.
I don't think they are given out. I think the celebrity sends an application and then pays.
Prop comics aren't eligible for any honors...their coupons for soup are regularly rejected at supermarkets.
I thought there were standards. There must be. If not, I'll send in and get one.
I didn't know he was still alive! Glad he got his star!
Some committee votes on the celebs applicantion so there are some standards but the stars are not given out as "honors". The celeb foots the whole bill I believe.
Standards?
This is Hollywood we're talking about.
Laow laow, laow laow laow, laow.
I knew he was still around, but did not know that he was confined to a wheelchair. About 5 - 7 years ago, he played a villian on the series "Black Scorpion" (it was a syndicated program produced in Canada, I believe).
Who peed in your Froot Loops...
http://www.bigbruno.com/celebrities/soupysales.html
I Googled for it.
Not in my mind ;-) Woo hoo!!!
You rang?
For those of you who would like a break from the world of politics, or enjoy trivia, or get have a question about that old Hollywoodland star, go to
http://www.imdb.com/
Type a name or movie title in the window in the upper left window and go from there. I can spend hours linking a star to a movie and pulling another star from that lineup and going to his bio, etc., etc.
I don't think so, but you can check out Billy Ingrams site www.tvparty.com to see some clips.
Also, Soupy's appearance on the Sept. 12, 1965 Ed Sullivan show is available on DVD, as part of the Ed Sullivan Presents the Beatles two-DVD set.
Soupy does a funny "reminiscence" with Ed and performs "The Mouse." (These DVDs are well worth getting for other reasons -- they contain four complete Sullivan shows, with commercials, featuring the Beatles and a number of other great, lesser-known performers).
I am so happy to read this. I loved him as a child!
http://www.imdb.com/
Type a name or movie title in the window in the upper left window and go from there. I can spend hours linking a star to a movie and pulling another star from that lineup and going to his bio, etc., etc.
IMDB.com is an outstanding site. If you can't find the TV or Movie personality that you're looking for here, they don't exist.
OH MY GOD! SOUPY SALES!!!!!!
I took my girlfriend on a date to the ball game and I kissed her between the strikes ...
And Black Tooth and Pooky ... and the Count 1, 2, 3 ...4 ...
"Words of Wisdom: "Effervescent if your fiddlestix."
Let's not forget: 'Be true to your teeth and they won't be false to you'.
I met him at Pacific Ocean Park, the old POP in Santa Monica when I was about 12. I also got a red and white checked elastic tie.
And Pookie's car, a Rolls Canardly. Rolls down one hill, cannardly make it up the next.
Smile with your bottom teeth!
I watched him as a kid in 1st and 2nd grade, mid 1950's. Live in Detroit. He ran 3 shows a day for a while there, the AM thing, the lunch thing and the afternoon. He may have even done a few 11PM stunts that I of course never stayed up for.
What I don't think you saw on snydicated TV was the opening spots like they did there. Just opened the camera (B&W) on the sidewalk across the street for several minutes. Eventually you'd see Soupy boppin' along and maybe stop and grab someone and they'd both wave at the camera. The sound for this was piano trio jazz. Probably where my love for jazz was first sprouted.
Maybe someone else from Mo town can remember some of this, which I doubt was filmed, be a bit before vid recorders?
One of my favorite Soupy's was: Pookie came out wearing fishing gear and said to Soupy, 'Hey Soup I'm going fishing', Soupy said "Do you have worms?" To that Pookie said "Yeah but I'm going any way". Gotta love it.
I thought he was dead.
Classic stuff.
O re o re o re ping.
Ah, the nude woman - practical joke played on Soupy by the tv crew, as Soupy tells it. Anybody know if it's posted anywhere on the net ? I know it used to be, because I downloaded it. Lost it when I bought a new computer. It was the uncensored version.
POOKIE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One of my fondest memories was doing the "Soupy Shuffle" with my brothers!
"My wife can't make an apple pie but she sure can make a banana cream."
Thanks Mr. Tooth...saw comments 28 & 29?
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