A Blast from the Past. To all those born between 1930 and 1979.

[Coney]

What sad news. I loved Soupy Sales and the pies being thrown in the face. So sad, the loss of Ray Heatheron and Gale Storm, now Soupy.

[nancy thereader]

I loved Soupy Sales & I remember whern he got in a little trouble after he told the kids to check their Dad's pockets for those green pictures of Lincoln and send them to him.
He always seemed like a sad person underneath his humor. I don't know too much about his family life or anything.

[Fun City Man]

Sadly,we just lost Mr.Carl Ballantine..the comic/character actor and comedy magician.

Mr.Ballantine..best remembered for playing "US Seaman Lester Gurber"on "McHale's Navy"

passed away this past tuesday.


Born Meyer Kessler in Chicago.,Ill. he began his career as a seriosu magician..but?

He found out that he better suited to spoofing magicians than performing serious

illusions.


He made his debut in Las Vegas performing his comedy magic act and this

lead to more gigs.

Mr.Ballantine also appeared in numerious films and tv shows and he also


played the role of"Marcus Lycus"in the 1972 Broadway stage revival of"A Funny Thing

Happened On The Way To The Forum!"with Phil Silvers,Larry Blyden,Mort Marshall and

Reginald Owens.


He also did the voice of the con man on "The Garfield & Friends"TV Cartoons on

CBS TV Saturday mornings back in the 1980's.


But?

Mr.Ballantine will always be remembered for his role of the connving sailor

"Lester Gurber"on The ABC/Universal TV Sit come"McHale's Navy" and the two

films"McHale's Navy"(The 1964 version) and"McHale's Navy Joins The Air Force"

(1965).


Mr.Ballantine's passing is sad..but..as long as we still have his movies and his

tv work..he will continued to entertain fans young and old for years to come.

Fun City Man.

[Fun City Man]

Dear Nancy The Reader,

You can learn more about Soupy from his memiors:"Soupy Sez! My Life & Zany

Times!"..The book is still available in hardcover and paperback.

[Fun City Man]

Dear Clark Street Kid,

The name of the lion puppet that appeared on"12 O'Clock Comics!"/"Lunch With Soupy

Sales"/"The Soupy Sales Shows" and"The New Soupy Sales Show"..is spelt Pookie.

Not "Pookey".

Also on the ABC TV Network version of the show were three more puppet characters

"Marilyn Monwolf"( a parody of Marilyn Monroe),"Herman The Flea" and"Willie The Worm".


Those puppet characters were dropped from The WNEW TV Ch.5 NYC edition of

"The Soupy Sales Show"..on that version of the show?

Soupy and his second comedy asistant/head puppeteer:Frank Nastasi had

two new puppets:"Reba & Hobart"..the little old couple that lived in Soupy's pot

belly stove in his house.


On all of the shows..there was "Hippie The Hippo"puppet.

"Peaches"(Soupy's girlfriend)appeared on The WNEW TV Ch.5 NYC version of

"The Soupy Sales Show"and on "The New Soupy Sales Show".


("Peaches"was played by Soupy in drag in pre-filmed and later on pre-taped

segments..At the door she was played first by Frank Nastasi and later by Clyde Adler).

(Mr.Adler was Soupy's first puppeteer and comedy asistant on"12 O'Clock Comics!"/

"Lunch With Soupy Sales"/The ABC TV Network version of"The Soupy Sales Show" and on

"The New Soupy Sales Show").


Fun City Man.