Milton Supman, better known by his stage name Soupy Sales, was a multifaceted American entertainer, distinguished by his careers as a comedian, actor, radio and television personality, and jazz enthusiast. His claim to fame stemmed from his long-running, beloved children's television program, Lunch with Soupy Sales, which was initially titled 12 O'Clock Comics and later rebranded as The Soupy Sales Show.
This daily, locally produced show was renowned for its improvisational and slapstick comedy, featuring a rapid-fire succession of sketches, gags, and puns. The program's pièce de résistance was Sales' iconic tradition of receiving a pie in the face, a trademark that became an integral part of his on-screen persona. Over the years, Sales honed the art of pie-throwing, experimenting with various techniques, including direct face shots, head-top pies, and even pies thrown from behind, targeting both ears.
Throughout his illustrious career, Sales claimed to have been hit by more than 20,000 pies, an astonishing figure that underscores the show's enduring popularity. One particularly memorable incident occurred when a young fan, unaware of the custom, mistakenly hurled a frozen pie at Sales' neck, causing him to "drop like a pile of bricks."
