Milton Supman (January 8, 1926 â€" October 22, 2009), known
professionally as Soupy Sales, was an American comedian, actor,
radio/television personality, and jazz aficionado. He was best known
for his local and network children's television show Lunch with Soupy
Sales (1953â€"1966), a series of comedy sketches frequently ending
with Sales receiving a pie in the face, which became his trademark.
From 1968 to 1975 he was a regular panelist on the syndicated revival
of What's My Line? and appeared on several other TV game shows. During
the 1980s, Sales hosted his own show on WNBC-AM in New York
City.Milton Supman was born in Franklinton, North Carolina, to Irving
Supman and Sadie Berman. His father, a Jewish dry goods merchant, had
emigrated from Hungary in 1894. His was the only Jewish family in the
town; Sales joked that local Ku Klux Klan members bought the sheets
used for their robes from his father's store.Sales got his nickname
from his family. His older brothers had been nicknamed "Ham Bone" and
"Chicken Bone." Milton was dubbed "Soup Bone," which was later
shortened to "Soupy". When he became a disc jockey, he began using the
stage name Soupy Hines. After he became established, it was decided
that "Hines" was too close to the Heinz soup company, so he chose
Sales, in part after vaudeville comedian Chic Sale. He graduated from
Huntington High School in Huntington, West Virginia in 1944. He
enlisted in the United States Navy and served on the USS Randall
(APA-224) in the South Pacific during the latter part of World War II.
He sometimes entertained his shipmates by telling jokes and playing
crazy characters over the ship's public address system. One of the
characters he created was "White Fang", a large dog that played
outrageous practical jokes on the seamen. The sounds for "White Fang"
came from a recording of The Hound of the Baskervilles.Sales enrolled
at Marshall College, where he earned a master's degree in journalism.
While at Marshall, he performed in nightclubs as a comedian, singer
and dancer. After graduating, Sales began working as a scriptwriter
and disc jockey at radio station WHTN (now WVHU) in Huntington. He
moved to Cincinnati, Ohio in 1949, where he worked as a morning radio
DJ and performed in nightclubs. Sales began his television career on
WKRC-TV in Cincinnati with Soupy's Soda Shop, TV's first teen dance
program, and Club Nothing!, a late-night comedy/variety program.
professionally as Soupy Sales, was an American comedian, actor,
radio/television personality, and jazz aficionado. He was best known
for his local and network children's television show Lunch with Soupy
Sales (1953â€"1966), a series of comedy sketches frequently ending
with Sales receiving a pie in the face, which became his trademark.
From 1968 to 1975 he was a regular panelist on the syndicated revival
of What's My Line? and appeared on several other TV game shows. During
the 1980s, Sales hosted his own show on WNBC-AM in New York
City.Milton Supman was born in Franklinton, North Carolina, to Irving
Supman and Sadie Berman. His father, a Jewish dry goods merchant, had
emigrated from Hungary in 1894. His was the only Jewish family in the
town; Sales joked that local Ku Klux Klan members bought the sheets
used for their robes from his father's store.Sales got his nickname
from his family. His older brothers had been nicknamed "Ham Bone" and
"Chicken Bone." Milton was dubbed "Soup Bone," which was later
shortened to "Soupy". When he became a disc jockey, he began using the
stage name Soupy Hines. After he became established, it was decided
that "Hines" was too close to the Heinz soup company, so he chose
Sales, in part after vaudeville comedian Chic Sale. He graduated from
Huntington High School in Huntington, West Virginia in 1944. He
enlisted in the United States Navy and served on the USS Randall
(APA-224) in the South Pacific during the latter part of World War II.
He sometimes entertained his shipmates by telling jokes and playing
crazy characters over the ship's public address system. One of the
characters he created was "White Fang", a large dog that played
outrageous practical jokes on the seamen. The sounds for "White Fang"
came from a recording of The Hound of the Baskervilles.Sales enrolled
at Marshall College, where he earned a master's degree in journalism.
While at Marshall, he performed in nightclubs as a comedian, singer
and dancer. After graduating, Sales began working as a scriptwriter
and disc jockey at radio station WHTN (now WVHU) in Huntington. He
moved to Cincinnati, Ohio in 1949, where he worked as a morning radio
DJ and performed in nightclubs. Sales began his television career on
WKRC-TV in Cincinnati with Soupy's Soda Shop, TV's first teen dance
program, and Club Nothing!, a late-night comedy/variety program.
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