Pies In
The Sky

Suzanne Chessler
Special to the Jewish News

S

oupy Sales, who built his
pie-throwing comic career
in Detroit television during
the 1950s, died Oct. 22 after battling
declining health. He was 83.
"The seven years I spent in Detroit
were the greatest of my life',' the
comedian told the Detroit Jewish
News in 2003, when he was invited to
meet with local fans at ComicCon.
Sales, born Milton Supman into
what he termed the only Jewish fam-
ily in a southern town, served in the
Navy during World War II before
establishing an entertainment profile.
Early on, his attention was aimed at
children during lunchtime broadcasts
with large puppets and slapstick.
Later, his focus became standup club
appearances, nationally televised qiii7
shows and humor books.
"If your wife wants to learn to
drive, don't stand in her way',' he
quipped in Stop Me If You Heard It!:
Soupy Sales' Favorite Jokes.
Soupy, who says he always consid-
ered himself Jewish, has commented
on how much he enjoyed the jazz
scene in Detroit and brought many of
those artists to his nighttime television
show, which originated in Michigan
along with the noontime series.
The comedian estimated that he
threw some 19,000 pies — often at
celebrities such as Frank Sinatra. The
pies were made of imitation confec-
tions lavished with shaving cream.
"Fans always remember my
Detroit show',' Soupy said in 2003,
long after basing it in other cities.
"I'm always glad to talk about my
time in Detroit:"
The comedian, often spotted at
Darby's carryout counter in his
Detroit days, is survived by his wife,
Trudy, and two sons, rock musicians
Hunt and Tony. '

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53'

Obituaries on page 76

Obituaries

October 29 • 2009

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