Pincus Leff (May 2, 1907 â€" April 3, 1993), better known as Pinky
Lee, was an American burlesque comic and host of the children's
television program The Pinky Lee Show in the early 1950s.Born in Saint
Paul, Minnesota, Lee got his start in show business in the 1920s as a
tap dancer in the chorus of the Brodrick-Felsen & Co. vaudeville act,
traveling on the Keith Orpheum circuit. Later, he worked as a comic of
the "baggy pants" variety on stage, becoming an expert at the
slapstick, comic dancing and rapid-fire jokes of the burlesque style.
During the 1940s, he was heard on Drene Time and other radio
programs.Easily recognized by his trademark lisp and high-energy
antics, his signature costume was a loud plaid suit with baggy
checkered pants and an undersized hat. During his routines, whenever
anybody irritated him (which happened frequently) he would unleash his
catchphrase: "Oooooh! You make me so mad!"In 1950, he had his own
30-minute primetime variety television series on NBC, The Pinky Lee
Show, featuring vaudevillians and burlesque comics. In 1951â€"52 he
starred with Vivian Blaine in a 15-minute sitcom, Those Two.
Lee, was an American burlesque comic and host of the children's
television program The Pinky Lee Show in the early 1950s.Born in Saint
Paul, Minnesota, Lee got his start in show business in the 1920s as a
tap dancer in the chorus of the Brodrick-Felsen & Co. vaudeville act,
traveling on the Keith Orpheum circuit. Later, he worked as a comic of
the "baggy pants" variety on stage, becoming an expert at the
slapstick, comic dancing and rapid-fire jokes of the burlesque style.
During the 1940s, he was heard on Drene Time and other radio
programs.Easily recognized by his trademark lisp and high-energy
antics, his signature costume was a loud plaid suit with baggy
checkered pants and an undersized hat. During his routines, whenever
anybody irritated him (which happened frequently) he would unleash his
catchphrase: "Oooooh! You make me so mad!"In 1950, he had his own
30-minute primetime variety television series on NBC, The Pinky Lee
Show, featuring vaudevillians and burlesque comics. In 1951â€"52 he
starred with Vivian Blaine in a 15-minute sitcom, Those Two.
Share this
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
Join us for free and get valuable content delivered right through your inbox.