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!
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