RIP, Soupy Sales

[figmo]

Enough folks are posting obits that I figured I'd instead post some video. Note that this is NSFW unless no one can see your screen.

The background: It was Soupy's birthday in 1959. The crew was playing a practical joke on him for his birthday by putting a stripper behind the door during his live TV show. Luckily for Soupy and his career, the version where you could see what he was seeing never got aired.

Update: YouTube yanked the original video, which included the version folks actually saw on TV. I found this on the Internet Archives.

Comments

[johno.livejournal.com]

Soup Sales, speechless. Amazing.

[ex-frankwu.livejournal.com]

I remember in the 70's he seemed to be on every episode of every game show ever made.

My favorite role for him? When he played Moses in "...And God Spoke." The deal was that this was a movie about guys making a bible movie. They had budget problems and had to get sponsors, so Soupy Sales plays Moses, coming down from the Mountain, carrying a six-pack of Coke. "I have come to you from God, bringing 10 commandments - and a frosty new beverage!"

[osewalrus.livejournal.com]

I remember sometime back seeing an interview with Sales where he described the gag. They then broadcast the stripper shot -- with strategic bars over the naughty bits and the eyes.

[archiver-tim.livejournal.com]

I have never heard of anyone claiming to be that stripper. She would be around 73 by now.

Only if I was home sick from school, would I get a chance to see Lunch with Soupy on WXYZ, Detroit.

Rest in PiesPeace, Milton Supman. Best comfort to family, friends and TV family.

[archiver-tim.livejournal.com]

Found out that was a recreation of the event in Detroit. This time in 1962 or so for the first LA version of the show. Key to that is that The Stripper by David Rose was not popular until 1962, used in the movie Gypsy, athough it was recorded in 1958 and left on the B-side of Rose's Ebb Tide.

[banjoplayinnerd.livejournal.com]

I loved watching Soupy Sales when I was a little 'un. Sadly, one day I switched over to his channel to find some kind of documentary about wheat farming going on. (I think it was wheat, I clearly remember some kind of grain-looking stuff being spit out of a harvester.) Talk about disappointing.

Yep, Soupy Sales, along with Homer & Jethro, Spike Jones and his City Slickers, Allen Sherman, Stan Freberg, Jay Ward, Chuck Jones and Harry Stewart helped make me what I am today. Whatever that is. (Bonus points if you knew Harry Stewart was the guy who portrayed Yogi Yorgesson. Extra bonus points if you know any of the other ethnic characters he performed as.)

[sodyera.livejournal.com]

Soupy was a major part of my childhood. He showed me it was all right to be silly at a time when nobody else in my life permitted me to be. I took revenge and decided to be silly for the rest of my life. Without the pies, though.

[tomlemos.livejournal.com]

damn. YouTube yanked the video.

[keristor.livejournal.com]

There's another one back now (I missed it because they'd yanked it as well).

[cheirshyou.livejournal.com]

that's amazing !