The Grim Reaper takes yet another pop culture icon. Comedian and children's TV pioneer Soupy Sales died Thursday at the age of 83. Sales, who had been in declining health for several years, passed away at the hospice in the Bronx that he entered last week
Best known for his children's TV programs (which originally aired on WXYZ in Detroit and later moved on to other markets), Soupy helped raise the "pie in the face" gag to an art form. His shows were a rarity in that they appealed to both kids and adults, similar to
Pee Wee's Playhouse some 25 years later. Something I learned this morning is
The Soupy Sales Show became such a phenomenon that several big names made cameo appearances on the program. Frank Sinatra, Tony Curtis, Sammy Davis Jr., and Mickey Rooney are some of the celebs who appeared just for the chance to have their mug smeared with custard.
Even after his self-titled show ended, Soupy remained a TV fixture. For many who grew up during the 70s and beyond, you probably remember Soupy from the numerous appearances he made on game shows such as
To Tell the Truth, Body Language, and various incarnations of
The Pyramid.
For more on the death of Soupy Sales, please check out the story below:
Comedian Soupy Sales Dead At 83Below is a clip from
The Soupy Sales Show featuring Frank, Sammy, and Trini Lopez:
4 comments:
Comments via Facebook:
Janet said: :-(
David said: In lieu of flowers, go to your parents' wallet and pull out the green pictures of paper with presidents on them.
Rich said: Or just toss a pie into the face of the person next to you. You could also dance "The Mouse" in his honor. :)
Bob Gorney said:
Dang! I was just talking about him a couple of weeks ago. I was happy to have met him at a Detroit Comic convention.
OH that makes me sad :(
Soupy Sales practically invented the immortal pie in the face gag -- they don't make em like that anymore...
Mistress of the D: Just the week before, I was talking with someone about Soupy Sales. We were both discussing how he was in declining health. :-(
Samantha K: Wow... what a blast from the recent past! I was wondering what had happened to you! Yes, Soupy was a slapstick icon.
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