SoundComedians.com

[Phil]

I was a huge Soupy Sales fan in the 60's, in fact I was one of the "gang" that used to go to his shows at WNEW in Manhattan between 64-66.

I first started watching his LA show (with Clyde Adler as the other characters) and of course was caught up in the "hoopla" regarding his move to WNEW in New York. There was an article in the Herald Tribune sunday magazine early on in the run which described fans getting in to the live broadcasts and also press conferences for student journalists. I attended one of these as 'photographer' for my friend who actually wrote for the school paper. Here's a pic of Soupy from that conference, afterwards while he was signing autographs.


That day I found out about getting in to the actual broadcasts and tapings (for the weekend show). You had to show up on time and behave yourself. The process was controlled by Soupy's assistant, Donna Duckwall, a pretty but overworked young woman. She had to put up with all of us fans and select who got in and who stayed outside. As well, there were two ways to see the show: from a booth on the floor above the studio (about 40 kids were usually crammed in there) and, most coveted, from a few rows of folding chairs at the back of the studio floor itself. The show was always outrageous and it always was more fun to be there.

The best part was waiting for Soupy and Frank Nastasi after the show and getting autographs, photos and chatting for a while. Both men were gracious and friendly with the gang and both were as funny off air as on. Here's a shot of the two of them.


I'll write more on my experiences and put them on my website (below) soon.

Phil
http://members.axion.net/~phil/

[FatClown]

Dear Phil,


The tv show that Soupy & Clyde Adler did "12 O'Clock

Comics!"/"Lunch With Soupy Sales"originally aired from

WXYZ TV Ch.7 in Detroit,Mi.from 1953 to 1960..not from

KABC TV Ch.7 in L.A.,Cal.


"Lunch With Soupy Sales" and later "The Soupy Sales

Show"didn't begin airing from KABC TV Ch.7 in Hollywood,

Cal. Until Saturday December 25,1960.


The show continued to air on Saturday afternoons from

KABC TV in Hollywood,Cal.and on The Full ABC TV Network.


Until the damn,stupid network execs cancelled the

show on Saturday March 25,1961.


The show returned as a Friday Night Family program

on ABC on Friday January 26,1962.


The show remained on the air..until it was cancelled

again on Friday April 13,1962.


Clyde went onto do other things..Soupy performed

on many tv shows and in one movie comedy in Hollywood:

"The Two Little Bears!" at 20th Century Fox With Jane Wyatt,

Brenda Lee,Butch Patrick,Nancy Kulp and Eddie Albert.


Until he revived "The Soupy Sales Show"on WNEW TV

Ch.5 in NYC On Monday afternoon September 7,1964.


Soupy and his second comedy asistant and puppeteer

Frank Nastasi would entertain and inspire NYC's viewers

during the program's three year run.


Sadly..The damn,stupid station execs at Ch.5

interferred with the show..Until Soupy Got fed up with

the creative interferrence and he quit the show in

September,1966.


Fat Clown.

P.S. Contrare to public and tv historial myths..

Soupy's WNEW TV Ch.5 NYC show was not cancelled

because of "The Little Green papers"scandell..he was suspended

for saying that joke..but he left the air for only ten days and

he and Frank were later reinstated by the kids..Frank wasn't

even on the show that New Year's Night when the joke was

said.
_________________
FatClown.

[Phil]

And I was one of those fans who protested the suspension outside WNEW. During late '64 to the end of the show I went down there often, sometimes more than once a week.

Thanks for posting the Soupy history, most of which I was aware. Of course it was the KABC network shows which introduced me to Soupy.

BTW he also starred in a Broadway show, "Come Live With Me", which I saw during its unfortunately brief run. I still have the program.
_________________
Phil
My website - Chaplin and more...
http://www.philposner.com

[FatClown]

Dear Phil,


Thanks For your reply..

I've also had that"Playbill"from"Come Live With Me!"

that Starred Soupy and a talented character actor and

dialectician named Sorrell Booke(This was before

Mr.Booke played"Boss J.D.Hogg" on "The Dukes Of

Hazzard"TV Show).



But..That "Playbill"and some other items from my

private collection were destroyed by some stupid

exterminators.


Never..NEVER let anyone destroy your collection

in your home.


Save what you can..even if other people think that

it's junk and they want you to sell it or to throw it away.


Tell them that this is a part of your collection and

that they should leave it alone..and if they don't like

it..even if it's your own mother,father or wife?


Just tell them to mind their own damn business

and leave your stuff alone.


Again,Thanks for Your Reply and

Thanks For Remembering Soupy's work in

"Come Live With Me!",


Fat Clown.
_________________
FatClown.

[Phil]

Don't worry, Fat Clown, it's all safe. Even the few Soupy Sales Show scripts that I have which Frank Nastasi gave me.
_________________
Phil
My website - Chaplin and more...
http://www.philposner.com

[FatClown]

Dear Phil,

Thanks for your reply.


I knew that Frank Nastasi had alot of memorbillia

pertaining to his career..including scripts from Soupy's

NYC based kidult tv comedy show.


It's nice to know that their work is being preserved

by someone who really cares.


Again,


Thanks For your reply and Thanks For Remembering

Soupy and Frank's efforts in NYC Kids TV,

Fat Clown.
_________________
FatClown.

[Phil]

I've fleshed out my reminiscences about Soupy and posted them on my website with a bunch more pictures.

Just click on the link below and scroll to the bottom and click on Other Articles.
_________________
Phil
My website - Chaplin and more...
http://www.philposner.com

[booklover]

I know I'm in the minority, but I never found Soupy Sales funny.
It's strange...I love his type of comedy. To me, the sillier, the better, but I just can't get into him. I'm sure he's a nice guy, I don't dislike him personally, but he never did anything for me. To each his own.