THE HAT SQUAD: SOUPY SALES, PIE-O-NEER

When I was a kid, I saw only one episode of Soupy Sales' kid show... and it scared the bleep out of me.

The only thing I remember from it was that there was a Franklin stove in the middle of the room. When you opened the top door, there was a face in there; when you opened the bottom one, where you'd sweep out the ashes, there was the guy's feet.

We had a Franklin stove in our living room when I was growing up. I knew how hot those things could be. So if anybody could survive in Soupy's, he had to be a devil.

I didn't want to see it again.

I came into my appreciation for Classic Soup once I was an adult and could check out the various compilations of his routines and songs. And I did two off-off-Broadway shows with his sidekick Frank Nastasi. We had a lot of fun backstage as we all tried to recite Shakespeare in the voice of White Fang.

I also remember Soupy was on an episode of 'Wings' and his character suffered a very Toobish demise: he was a cruise ship social director who specialized in playing "Simon Says". But when he suffered a heart attack, nobody would go get him any help when he begged for it because he didn't say "Simon Says".....

My Toobworld novel - the perpetual work-in-progress has little tips of the hat throughout for hundreds of shows. And there's one for Soupy Sales as well - actually two! - in the final chapter. (I suppose the zebra puppet in the window at the Cooper house could be a tribute as well.....)

A Soupy Celebration


Pookie does Motown


Come Pie With Me


Rest in pies, Soupy........

BCnU!