Pie-splattered comedian Soupy Sales dies at 83

AP ^ | October 22, 2009 | David N. Goodman

[John W]

DETROIT – Soupy Sales, the rubber-faced comedian whose anything-for-a-chuckle career was built on 20,000 pies to the face and 5,000 live TV appearances across a half-century of laughs, has died. He was 83.

Sales died at Thursday night at Calvary Hospice in the Bronx, New York, said his former manager and longtime friend, Dave Usher. Sales had many health problems and entered the hospice last week, Usher said.

At the peak of his fame in the 1950s and '60s, Sales was one of the best-known faces in the nation, Usher said.

[Rebelbase]

” His parents, owners of a dry-goods store, sold sheets to the Ku Klux Klan”

WTF? I’m sure the butcher sold them meat, the pharmacy sold them aspirin, The dentist fixed their teeth, The gas station sold them gas, the lumber yard sold them wood, etc, etc, ad naseum.

[tina07]

RIP..I’ve been seeing him on the game show channel, my mother watches old Pyramid shows with Dick Clark and Soupy has been on lately..

[FredZarguna]

Soupy got kicked off of national TV for telling kids to mail him the funny pieces of green paper with the pictures of Presidents in their Dad's wallets.

Some people claim the "you see K" didn't happen. I have friends who swear it did. Back in those days there were still independent stations in large-market towns. Soupy had an afternoon show on Channel 48, Kaiser Broadcasting out of Philly. I loved Soupy but didn't see that particular show, so I won't swear to it, personally.

Soupy was a hoot. In the seventies he was on a syndicated game show where celebrities played for people at home called Can You Top This? IIRC, the immortal Wink Martindale was the moderator. A celebrity panel of three was presented with a topic, and each comedian had to come up with and perform a pertinent joke. Typically, it aired after the local news at night, so the bits were occasionally risqué -- by the standards of ~35 years ago. I always thought Soupy's were the best.

Our world is diminished. RIP.

[GoldStandard]

I just saw this guy yesterday on the $100,000 Pyramid.

[headstamp 2]

“Happy new baby, we knew you had it in you.”

RIP Soupy.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Yes he was, God rest his soul.

[redhead]

"I can still see that open door and the extended furry arm of White Fang or Black Tooth gesturing to Soupy...and those funny sounds that White and Black made...it was sophisticated humor at that time for a kid my age...it was witty and slapstick and soooooo funny, and I will never forget Soupy and the whole gang. Rest in peace, Soupy. (Are there any re-runs of any of his shows?)"

Do you remember seeing the one where he opened the door and there was a naked woman standing there (out of audience view, of course)? His triple take was awesome to behold.

[redhead]

LOL! I should have finished reading the thread! LOL! that’s the one. Oh, my, Soupy! Rest in peace.

[Semperfiwife]

He was quite ahead of his time. No one on Saturday Night Live ever came close to his risque but on prime time humor!!!

[grey_whiskers]

Aw, crud.

Another legend gone.

RIP, Soupy.

[Darnright]

Sad ping

[Charles Henrickson]

One of my absolute favorites. I loved his show when I was a kid. One of the funniest things on TV, especially because, as a kid, a lot of the stuff was spontaneous and “among the adults,” and if you got that, it was extra funny. Thanx for the many laffs, Soupy!

[South40]

Soupy was a regular on our family's tv screen. My dad, who really loved him, gave my little brother the nickname of "Pooky", a name he got from the Soupy Sales Show.

Thanks for the laughs, Soupy!

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Most of what was attributed to him never happened. The green pieces of paper thing was not done by him but he said he wished he had done it. No idea about the “If you see Kay” quote.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

This is one thong I love about FR. A man had died and we can give fond remembrances of him and put a smile on some faces. It's almost impossible to explain him to the younger crowd, they just wouldn't get it as it was different times

[Shqipo]

My first radio personality. Listened as a little kid when he was on WABC NY. RIP

[fieldmarshaldj]

Aww, hadn’t heard from him in awhile. RIP.

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

RIP Soupy. He made a lonely, introverted kid’s life a little brighter back in the day. I love that man!

[Enterprise]

R.I.P.

[fieldmarshaldj]

How come they never did that on my kiddie shows like Sesame Street ? (I’d never have stopped watching)