What's My Line? - Soupy Sales; PANEL: Allen Ludden, Lee Remick (May 29, 1966)

[@sergioalbuquerque4134]

People in the audience went crazy when Soupy Sales appeared. I Love Soupy. He was one of the best comedians of all time.

[@mikejschin]

Emmett Ashford was a delightful contestant. One of the most relaxed and humorous of the entire series. As an umpire, he was entertaining to watch.

[@Deejaay83urj38]

Yes he was great

[@zovalentine7305]

Rest in powerful peace Milton "Soupy" Sales🙏 8 January 1926 ~ 22 October 2009⚘

[@karengummer6657]

Arlene Francis and Bennett Cerf were a formidable pair

[@beachchaos1863]

They're the Henry Morgan / Betsy Palmer equivalent of this show❤

[@davidsanderson5918]

This is just the type of WML episode I like. Civilised, compelling and amusing. The panel are varied in ability...some are brilliant, some are not quite. There's humour. The guests are sociable and involved. The segments flow nicely. Daly is doing just enough, not too much. Most importantly there's not one particular egotist dominating proceedings like a Berle or a Kaye or a Marx or a Lewis. You get me? :) Good stuff. Being English I didn't understand one thing about what the baseball umpire was doing or Daly was shouting. Didn't matter.

[@waynechapman9823]

Victor Borge was another one who could be very disruptive. Their antics could be funny, but it does get tiresome after a while.

[@nedludd7622]

Lee Remick was a contestant on the show a couple of times, however here she is at her loveliest. Another notable event is that at 19:00 Daly refers to LSD. Back then I flew that way, but I expect that very few knew what he was talking about. Rather daring.

[@jeffking4176]

I remember watching Soupy Sales tv show as a kid.

[@st.louisdxer9616]

Me too, and he was a member of the WML panel in the 70s.

[@zovalentine7305]

As a Detroiter, I never missed Lunch With Soupy Sales, while I ate my grilled cheese w/cream of tomato soup 😊

[@zovalentine7305]

And Password was my favorite game. Played it with ALL my friends!

[@imeanithonest5704]

@@zovalentine7305 A falafaca...Afalafaca...they whisper it all over Trukey....😁😁😁😁

[@YY4Me133]

During dinner, my father wanted to watch a news program, but I always switched to Soupy Sales, and no one complained. 😊

[@bobhayett2376]

Emmett Ashford put on a SHOW as umpire! He was fun to watch!

[@halkahn5035]

I always miss Dorothy in the episodes after her death. I think she was the best panelist.

[@leesher1845]

Soupy sales was born Milton Supman. :)

[@caomhan84]

Ye gods, Lee Remick was a true stunner.

[@lorraineb.4698]

Agree, exceptional here. Love her hair.

[@VahanNisanian]

This was a great episode. Lee Remick (who looks just like Elizabeth Montgomery here!) Is terrific as a guest panelist. Played the game perfectly for a first and only timer. Had they actually gone through with it, and chosen a permanent replacement for Dorothy Kilgallen, either Lee Remick, Suzy Knickerbocker, or Phyllis Newman, would have been perfect. Sad that Lee Remick left us way too soon in 1991, just like Liz Montgomery did four years later in 1995.

[@savethetpc6406]

***** I'm glad they didn't choose a permanent replacement, but I agree that Lee Remick played the game well. I thought she looked even lovelier here than she did in her most recent turn as Mystery Guest, and I was also thinking that she reminded me very much of Elizabeth Montgomery in this episode, although I hadn't noticed the resemblance in her earlier WML appearances. (April 10, 1966:kzbin.info/www/bejne/d6mqaWl-p5pkias; Jan.10, 1965:kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4G0o5tjgLtnh68; Jan.13. 1963:kzbin.info/www/bejne/mqa9l2hpgr2Xa9E )

[@jvcomedy]

+Vahan Nisanian She had obviously done her homework. The guest panelists were coached on possible questions to ask and many of them read the questions off of their notes and are very robotic, but it was obvious she spent enough time studying possible questions that they seemed very natural when she asked them. I was impressed.

[@gerberjoanne266]

Now that you mention it, she does look a lot like Elizabeth Montgomery.

[@davidsanderson5918]

Jeff Vaughn It's one thing to be given questions but another to actually apply it in context. I've seen a few guest panellists who had a few questions up their sleeve to begin with but then run out of steam. Remick was smart.

[@gailsirois7175]

Remick or Newman...NOT KNICKERBOCKER !!

[@ianh1984]

Lee Remick was a natural at this game. If she'd been a regular on the panel she'd have gotten very good.

[@lorraineb.4698]

Wish she had played more often. Agree

[@amberola1b]

That was kind of unusual when Soupy was asked how he was able to fly in his movie, and John said LSD. Kind of caught me off guard.

[@dalekelly7639]

LSD wasn't made illegal until 1965 or 1966.

[@davidsanderson5918]

Let's face it. Everything on this show is unusual on TV in this day and age.

[@goneextinct7056]

IT WAS THE 60'S

[@kelloggs5473]

@belinskii Dorothy Kilgallen died six months before this live telecast. The telecast reveals John Charles Daly did not respect her skill as a journalist. How does it reveal that? John thinks an analogy of flying / LSD tripping is funny, and the Voice of Broadway column reported in 1962 that the New York Police Department was responding to emergency situations that involved the use of LSD. Dorothy clarified for her readers that these situations were anything but humorous.

[@Deejaay83urj38]

@@dalekelly7639 I didn't know that

[@librarybob1958]

Soupy wound up as a regular on the first-run syndication version of WML?, and proved a remarkably astute game-player!

[@wcwindom56]

Miss Remick did an excellent job for a first time panelist

[@lorraineb.4698]

Agree. Impressed

[@Visiontech]

I said the same thing? She actually opened up the door for Bennet on the vacuum lady.

[@tomdegrange8024]

May you Rest In Peace soupy sales

[@zovalentine7305]

Rest in powerful peace Allen Ludden 🙏 5 October 1917 ~ 9 June 1981⚘

[@JohnnylMr]

Lee Remick!

[@Bigbadwhitecracker]

Lee Remick - right out of the Dorothy Killgallen Songbook! Why try to reinvent the wheel. Brilliant!!

[@lennywasserfall6431]

Whats my line episodes 1966 2222222222to 1967

[@lennywasserfall6431]

Whats my line episodes from 1966 to 1967 Play What's My Line episodes from 1966 to 1967 play all 1966 and 1967 What's My Line episodes bees place 1966 the 1967 What's My Line episodes

[@athenaizawesome]

It’s interesting how Bennett seems to lob the mystery guest reveal to Arlene. He basically established it was Soupy without a doubt but ended with his question and let Arlene get the correct guess/reveal. I see lots of people talking about how you can see the nasty side of the people on the show but it’s also clear in the 17 years we get to see that there is a strong friendship between the main cast.

[@Deejaay83urj38]

I think Arlene is quite impudent actually. Passive aggressive. I seems to me her husband more so.

[@paulamiles9559]

When it's a fun guest, the genius panel seem to get it right away, but keep playing for the fun of it.

[@MYGRANDSONDEVIN]

I saw Soupy Sales, Arlene Francis, Anita Gillette and Alan Alda on What’s My Line in person along with John Daly with the mystery guest James Earl Jones (he was in the play The Great Hope) at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York.

[@kelloggs5473]

@Donna Beres You are 99 percent correct. The moderator of the episode you saw was Wally Bruner, not John Charles Daly.

[@RonGerstein]

The play was "The Great White Hope"

[@Etnalleb]

Lee Remick was Ridiculously Beautiful and I'm not keen on Blonds but Dayum she's just stunning.

[@el7jake]

What a wonderful smile Soupy had.

[@joycejean-baptiste4355]

Lee Remick reminds me of Elizabeth Montgomery, her hairdo and smile. Interesting.

[@diamonddog13]

Emmett Ashford with a rare demonstration on Daly's WML.

[@keithhyttinen8275]

Soupy was at WXYZ-TV in Detroit in the early 60's. Had a half hour show at noon. I ate my lunch as a young kid watching him, White Fang, and the other characters. Funny stuff. I think he went to New York or LA around 1965-66.

[@fredyucht9003]

I lived about 1.5 miles from Soupy in Detroit. Used to see him occasionally in the neighborhood.

[@lethaluks2942]

Me too! I was about 3 houses from my elementary school so came home for lunch and got to see him.

[@paulmorin6569]

You might be thinking of Lee grant as the columbo " baddie"(above)

[@namvet1968]

White Fang and Black Tooth, funny characters.

[@RonGerstein]

On the 1970s, there was "The NEW Soupy Sales Show"

[@kevinvanmeter2264]

Emmett Ashford. A credit to baseball. Even Earl Weaver treated him with respect.

[@nickscarboni7008]

Met soupy many years ago was a member of the soupy sez fan club in Detroit at Edgewater Park

[@djdon60]

I love Lee Remick; she was "done, too soon." She is one of my top five "Columbo" baddies.

[@paulmorin6569]

Lee remick was not a columbo "baddie" you might be thinking of Lee grant

[@El_Ophelia]

I can't get over how, for a "man of the world," Bennett is so incredibly uncouth. Drives me nuts sometimes.

[@MrJoeybabe25]

The episodes have been really edited nicely lately!

[@leannsherman6723]

Soupy Sales’ real name was Milton Supman.

[@lilybean835]

Why does everyone fawn over Bennett so much? It's like everyone is swooning and puffing him up with lots of flattery

[@1928gerry]

My thoughts exactly. His head is big enough.

[@lorraineb.4698]

He was a nice man

[@kentetalman9008]

I met Bennett once. Extremely intelligent, and a total gentleman.

[@soulierinvestments]

I should disclose for truth in advertising that my family is and was a Kirby Vacuum family going back as early as 1952. In 1966, the Kirby vacuum was both pretty and tough and practically sold itself door-to-door. The 1966 edition of the dual sanatronic 50 had a handle, trim and bag based on shades of brown.

[@kathyyoung1774]

soulierinvestments I bought one in the mid eighties, the last one made totally of metal before they switched to so much plastic. Awesome machine that vacuums and shampoos carpets. I’m still using it in 2018. I buy a new belt and bags every now and then. It has never needed repairs in more than 30 years. Things were built to last in the past.

[@slaytonp]

I have a 1030's Hoover that still works. It looks somewhat like an anteater, but it still sucks up dirt.They did build things to last prior to plastic.

[@terencedove5047]

My parents bought an upright Kirby (with all the accessories) when I was a child in the very early 70s. With regular belt and inner bag changing, it lasted for about thirty years. A number of years after we moved, we gave it away. Now, after owning several other brands of vacuums, we use two Dirt Devils that do a rather decent job - and we paid under $10 apiece for them at Goodwill...

[@joedebaun4547]

I'm showing my age but I remember when Emmett Ashford was a major league umpire.

[@loissimmons6558]

As do I. I was 13.

[@washoe4827]

@@loissimmons6558 We're in the "death zone"... (60 - 80)

[@MrJoeybabe25]

Gee wiz, selling vacuum cleaners door to door must really be hard.

[@jvcomedy]

+Joe Postove I'll bet it "sucks". (with apologies to Bennett Cerf)

[@steveo288]

There are many not so favorable videos on u-tube about the Kirby experiences.

[@MrJoeybabe25]

Jeff Vaughn Well, the guys who sell them are hosers!

[@kathyyoung1774]

They sold themselves. The salesman would vacuum a room (great job) and then shampoo the carpet, and the machine did a splendid job. Seeing the contrast between ones own cheaper vac and the Kirby was dramatic. I bought one in the mid 1980’s and still use it. Never has needed repairs.

[@loissimmons6558]

My mental image of door to door salespeople has been forged by comic strips, and two in particular: the encounters with Dagwood Bumstead and with Andy Capp.

[@loissimmons6558]

One of the first things I noticed about Carolyn Arnold was the impressive large size of her arms compared to the rest of her body. Whether that was caused by lugging around 60 pound vacuum cleaners or was what enabled her to do so from day one is another matter. (I thought she might be an athlete the moment I saw her.)

[@preppysocks209]

Soupy did not sound much like Raymond Walburn but it is wonderful to hear that name. He was such a funny character actor back in the day, especially in the movies he made for Preston Sturges, such as "Christmas in July" and "Hail the Conquering Hero." We still have actors who play character parts, but we no longer seem to have actors who are known for playing a particular kind of character, as if the parts were written specifically for that actor to play that part. I think of Walburn as playing very funny pompous windbags.

[@scotnick59]

Somehow a LOT of class has vanished from the world = obvious when looking at videos such as the above

[@kennethmorgan7957]

The first black Major League Umpire , never learned this in grade school in 1966.

[@dalej42]

Kenneth Morgan would it be common to learn about major league umpires in grade school?

[@paulmorin6569]

If they were groundbreaking African Americans, yes it should have been!

[@druidbros]

While many of the guest panelists do a fine job (Tony Randall comes to mind) its readily apparent the whole cadence of the panelists is not the same with Dorothy missing.

[@WaltGekko]

Two interesting tidbits from this episode: Lee Remick had been a mystery guest a few weeks earlier on "WML?" Soupy Sales would along with Arlene be the two regulars on the syndicated version of "WML?" when that debuted two and a half-years later in September 1968 (with Wally Brunner and later Larry Blyden as host).

[@jvcomedy]

+Walt Gekko If I remember right from reading Gil Fate's book, Arlene and Soupy became close personal friends while doing the syndicated show.

[@kelloggs5473]

@Jeff Vaughn Arlene and Soupy got along beautifully while they were working, but they were not close friends outside the studio. There was nothing negative there. Each had very different interests and hobbies. Arlene enjoyed discussing spirituality and psychic phenomena. Soupy smoked pot. Arlene didn’t like being near someone who smoked pot.

[@VahanNisanian]

13:45 Maury Wills was Mystery Guest #1 (Dinah Shore was #2) in the (unfortunately) lost January 23, 1966 episode.

[@loissimmons6558]

I was thinking that this is why John Daly thought of Wills in comparison to Ashford. All they had in common was being black. Wills was by far not the first in baseball at anything other than the first to steal over 100 bases in a season in the 20th century. And while Wills had a night club act off season singing and playing the banjo, he was not a flamboyant player. He just went out to beat you any way he could, methodically and tenaciously, stealing a base, bunting for a hit, making great defense plays, and being the recognized leader of the team by his manager, Walt Alston.

[@soulierinvestments]

Gil Fates in his book wrote that some people accused him of asking for photos of possible contestants in order to weed out minorities and ugly people. Fates denied this categorically, noting that in the Civil Rights Era he wanted WML to get *more* members of minorities -- not less. It was WML, after all, that featured in 1954 as a contestant the man who eventually became the First Afro-American General in the Air Force when he was still a pilot.

[@MrJoeybabe25]

Was last night's show with Mr. Ashford the umpire, the last Black person as a regular contestant?

[@soulierinvestments]

I am not for certain sure, but I suspect that he is not.

[@kathyyoung1774]

They wanted photos to judge if the person looked unlikely to be associated with the profession, such as young pretty girl a bullfighter or older woman in the military.

[@buffbill-t2i]

I imagine who ever made that comment wants to ban his book and have all these episodes deleted?

[@loissimmons6558]

The horse drawn carriages that are driven through NYC's Central Park for pleasure rides (often taken by tourists or for a romantic date) are also known as "Hansom cabs", named for their inventor, Joseph Hansom. Designed and patented in 1834, it made its way to the U.S. shortly after the Civil War and found its greatest popularity in NYC, starting with the formation (not by the inventor) of the Hansom Cab company in 1869. Originally used as taxicabs, that part of their usage was phased out when motorized taxicabs became common.

[@waynechapman9823]

I'm glad taxicabs didn't phase out Hansom cabs completely. Some old-fashioned things are worth holding on to.

[@MrJoeybabe25]

I thought Mr. Ashford, the umpire was very entertaining. Emmett Littleton Ashford (November 23, 1914 - March 1, 1980), nicknamed "Ash", was the first African American umpire in Major League Baseball, working in the American League from 1966 to 1970. It is too bad, here in 1966 that John did not refer to him, in some way, as the first Black man in major league umpiring. Race was never referred to (except I think once by Sammy Davis, Jr....please correct me if I am wrong about this) even in the obvious story of Marian Anderson. However this was a case where John or someone on the panel might have pointed out that Mr. Ashford was the first "Negro" (better, I think than "member of his race") to become a major league umpire. By the way, it took MLB plenty of time to get that one straight (not to mention the first Black manager...it was not until 1974 that Frank Robinson was signed by Cleveland).

[@lunashot]

When I saw that the second contestant Emmett Ashford was a MLB umpire, I had a hunch that he was probably the first African-American umpire in MLB so I checked Wikipedia and confirmed that this was the case. I waited and waited for John Daly to mention that Ashford was the first African-American umpire but he did not. Instead, he referred to Ashford as the "Maury Wills of the umpires". Maury Wills? Try Jackie Robinson.

[@MrJoeybabe25]

lunashot And nearly 20 years after Robinson!

[@Qermaq]

lunashot It was different times 50 years ago.

[@lunashot]

Joe Postove That's the surprising part. It took MLB almost 20 years after Robinson broker the color barrier to hire its first black umpire. I'm sure there were many qualified umpires in the Negro League who would have had no problem umpiring the games in MLB. Why didn't MLB go after those umpires?

[@MrJoeybabe25]

lunashot My uncle was a major league scout for over 50 years. It was still a handicap to be a Black ballplayer as late as the early 60's.

[@paco3343]

Great episode of an entertaining and classy show. I wonder what would happen if we brought back the use of titles in adult acquaintanceships? I'd imagine it could lead to more pleasant and respectful exchanges as seen here.

[@maryblushes7189]

I get called Miss all the time, but I am an American in the South and it is considered polite to refer to elder ladies this way. Miss Mary😘 they use the honorific but with first names. I grew up in the "What's Your Line" years and really do miss the politeness of the general public, however, I note if you are very polite to people, they respond in kind. Smile at strangers and they will smile back.😘🥰

[@dougmac6803]

RIP SOUPY

[@ChrisHansonCanada]

*_SELLS VACUUM CLEANERS DOOR TO DOOR_* *_MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL UMPIRE_* *_DRIVES HORSE AND BUGGY IN CENTRAL PARK_*

[@shippertime]

Lee Remick that's all.

[@Visiontech]

Lee Remick was very knowledgeable!

[@gerberjoanne266]

It's funny that they didn't change the prize money amounts. In 1966, $50 was worth a good deal less than in 1950 or 1955.

[@kathyyoung1774]

Joanne Probably why Daly usually flipped all the cards over. But $50 wasn’t bad money. For me in 1966 that was the cost of one semester in college.

[@loissimmons6558]

+Kathy Young Yikes! That's very inexpensive, even for 1966, I can't say what it was at my university in 1966-67, but my tuition as a Cornell freshman engineer a little over four years later was $2600, It would have been significantly cheaper if I went to one of the state-endowed schools at Cornell. Based on the increases that occurred while I was there, I was guess that the private endowed tuition in 1966-67 was about $1800-$2000. The late 60's and early 70's were high inflation times. According to information supplied by the National Center for Education Statistics, the average tuition at a public 4-year college was $310 and $121 for a 2-year college. For private institutions, the numbers increase to a little over $1300 for a 4-year college and $845 for a 2-year school. Of course room and board was extra for those not living at home. And for students living at home there was the cost of commuting (with a used car that might have cost $250-$500 and regular leaded gas between 36¢ and 39¢ per gallon in my area).

[@alansorensen5903]

Mine in '67 was $75 a quarter at aNorthern Montana College just down the road from my Blackfeet buddies' homes in Browning. Books came to less than $10. Cool that John Daly spoke at their school. We had Dave McNally and Brooks Robinson at our high school's all-sports banquet the previous year.

[@rmelin13231]

The $50 as well as the cards were merely symbolic. Gil Fates made it clear that every contestant received a fixed sum, and every panelist also received a fixed sum. And each panelist received the same amount. Those amounts likely changed during the course of the show's 17-year run, of course.

[@larryteren5054]

the moment i heard his name- emmett ashford- i knew whom he was. anyone following baseball back then would know it. i guess the producer gambled on that one.

[@jvcomedy]

+Larry Teren Things were so much different then and sports weren't covered so in depth as they are now. In earlier episodes they had on future football hall of famers Ray Nitschke and Frank Gifford sign in using their real names and nobody knew who they were. They'd be mystery guests in today's world.

[@jmccracken1963]

Same here. I knew who he was from having watched White Sox games on TV back then. But then again, this was his first year in the major leagues as an umpire - and it was relatively early in the season, too.

[@Scot913319]

Very easily could have been Mr. X

[@larchmontmark1]

I was surprised they didn't make the panel get blindfolded and that they gave Ashford's name. It was big news in baseball when Ashford was going to be coming to the majors, and this was right after his first game. I was also surprised that Bennett or somebody didn't know who this was and disqualify himself.

[@larchmontmark1]

....and I was even more surprised -- dumbfounded -- when they gave Nitschke's name. I saw that show at the time. It was the day that he had just won MVP of the NFL championship game. I couldn't believe they didn't think the panel wouldn't know him by name, even if they didn't recognize him. None of them disqualified themselves but one of them started his questioning by saying something like, "You look like one of the players who was running around on the field today...."

[@MrJoeybabe25]

I wonder if they drew the horse and buggy especially for the last contestant? I guess they keep those icons in the back somewhere.

[@savethetpc6406]

Joe Postove 21:17 - There are only a few times that I remember seeing something like this. I wonder if they were toying with the idea of doing it regularly but just never did.

[@jmccracken1963]

They had done something like that several weeks before when they included the "Superman" logo on the "line" of the man who made Bob Holiday fly in "It's A Bird, It's A Plane, It's Superman!"

[@Deejaay83urj38]

Soupy sales . .omG it's Gerald butlers father!

[@cathykinn4516]

What did Daly say to Cerf during the questioning of the Umpire? Something about 'black'. Soon as he said it he looked very nervous!

[@Beson-SE]

When Allen Ludden asked, out of nowhere, "Do you demonstrate this product?" to the woman who "Sells Vacuum Cleaners Door-to-Door", I thought the game was over but he did not followed it up. Bennett did. 5:43

[@ofrabjousday1]

But first, this message: "Eek." That cracked me up! 15:25.

[@dannydoc1969]

As a kid, I'd stand in front of the TV and do the MOUSE, teeth and all, lol.

[@Beson-SE]

Rather good joke with John in a straitjacket because they thought he was Bennett (sue-Sioux). :) 2:48

[@lorraineb.4698]

Lee Remick looks gorgeous here. Seems intelligent

[@MrJoeybabe25]

Are there still door to door vacuum salesmen and ladies? For that matter, in these days of sequestering oneself, sealed in the home, is there door to door sales of any kind?

[@lunashot]

Yes. They are called Jehovah's Witnesses. My apologies to any Jehovah's Witnesses who are reading this comment but I couldn't resist. I didn't mean to offend anyone with this joke.

[@MrJoeybabe25]

lunashot Funny how they are "Jehovah's Witnesses" but they won't take the oath in a court of law!

[@savethetpc6406]

Joe Postove I don't know about these days, but I had a friend in college, back in the 1980s, who once sold vacuums door-to-door as a summer job.

[@MrJoeybabe25]

Boy that must have really been tiresome.

[@savethetpc6406]

Joe Postove She was great at it and made a ton of money.

[@VahanNisanian]

And yet again, ANOTHER peek into the future of "What's My Line?". Soupy Sales is Mystery Guest, a year after his first two appearances in May 1965 (MG and Guest Panelist respectively). Soupy, don't you worry; in two years, you will be groomed for a regular spot on the panel for the daily Syndicated revival.

[@lorraineb.4698]

Arlene looks cute her and love her earrings

[@lorraineb.4698]

Soupy seemed nice😊

[@soulierinvestments]

Milton Supman. O My yes. Soupy in his early luscious period. No mystery at all why G-T got interested in him for syndicated, youth-oriented WML. Young. Appeals to young. Does physical comedy. Plays the game well. Good ad-libs.

[@savethetpc6406]

As a young child, I watched Soupy's show regularly and was a fan. He was talented, and he was young and kind of cute here, but "luscious?" In my opinion -- not quite... :)

[@soulierinvestments]

Oh I don't know. I think he is cute enough.

[@savethetpc6406]

soulierinvestments Okay. :)

[@kelloggs5473]

@soulierinvestments “Early luscious” is a superficial phrase that ruins discussions of entertainers.

[@torchkit]

19:00 John making an LSD joke.

[@savethetpc6406]

That was rather surprising, wasn't it?

[@VahanNisanian]

When John says that he his two sons, he is probably referring to his current marriage. I do not know if he kept custody of the children from his last marriage.

[@savethetpc6406]

He was certainly referring to his youngest children. You may remember that he mentioned attending his "big son's" wedding several episodes back.

[@Beson-SE]

Once again I speak as a non-american: I find it very interesting with these persons who seemed to be tremendously popular at one time but of whom we (or I) never hear of today, like Soupy Sales. They seemed to come from nowhere, being very famous for a while, then just faded out into obscurity. Or am I wrong?

[@MrJoeybabe25]

There are lots of American "one time icons" who get lost in history, Johan. In our never ending move to the future, many people do not consider the great history of the country. And that is a shame and a handicap for those who want to understand Americana.

[@WaltGekko]

Soupy Sales was huge in the '60s and '70s. Even into the '80s he was still big (and for a brief period in 1985 actually was on as I remember in between Don Imus and Howard Stern on the old WNBC (now WFAN at 660 AM) in New York.

[@WaltGekko]

Pygiana Soupy Sales was always much better known in New York than nationally. The writers on Friends likely assumed people didn't remember him at all when many who are of a certain age (even Gen Xers!) fondly remember him.

[@WaltGekko]

Also should note, Soupy Sales and Arlene Francis were the two regular panelists for most of the 1968-'75 run of the syndicated version of "What's My Line?" after the CBS version was cancelled in 1967.

[@carolv8450]

Johan - loved Soupy Sales! Great comedienne - on tv when I lived on Florida. Maybe you were too young...

[@greglehmann7234]

Emmett Ashford was baseball's first black umpire.

[@RonGerstein]

Back then, there were American League umpires and National League umpires operating under separate rules. After an umpire strike, MLB disbanded the separate umpires and created the MLB umpires, combining both leagues.

[@scottpardee6303]

I accept the many comments praising Soupy Sales, but I have been watching the syndicated version in which he was a regular panelist and am sick and tired of his behavior. Some of the things he did were like those Hal Bloch did in this show in the early 1950s, and was fired for it.

[@barrydee587]

Bennett peeked again!!!!!

[@loissimmons6558]

It was difficult enough for the Dodgers to bring Jackie Robinson into the major leagues in 1947. Every other team owner opposed it a few months earlier. The previous commissioner, Kenesaw Mountain Landis, opposed it so strongly that Branch Rickey knew it didn't have a chance until Judge Landis dies and "Happy" Chandler took his place. (Rickey had read Chandler's comments in the black press.) But it would take even longer for the first black umpire and the first black manager in the major leagues. There are a number of reasons for this. First of all, the Boston Red Sox didn't have their first black major league player until 1959. (Ironically the Boston Bruins would integrate the National Hockey League a year sooner.) It would also take over 10 years for the Phillies and Tigers to integrate. It took 8 years less one day for the most successful baseball franchise from 1920 to 1964 (the Yankees) to integrate. In the five years after Jackie Robinson broke into the major leagues, even with all the success enjoyed by the Dodgers, the Indians and the Giants after integrating with players like Roy Campanella, Don Newkcombe, Satchel Paige, Larry Doby, Monte Irvin and Willie Mays, only 6 of the 16 major league teams had integrated. Minor leagues in the south didn't integrate until 1952 and the next couple of years following. Housing for players for most teams during spring training in Florida didn't integrate until the early 1960's. There were no black coaches in the majors until 1962. So attitudes towards blacks within baseball took a while to change. In many cases, coaches, managers and general managers are hired by their friends in the game or because they have prior experience (even if they had a losing record as a manager or general manager). This "old boy" networking adds to the time it took for Frank Robinson to become a major league manager and other blacks to follow him. Emmett Ashford also had commented that umpiring schools would not admit blacks. When he got his first breaks into umpiring in semi-pro and low level minor leagues, he had to teach himself and develop his own style. But most minor leagues and collegiate conferences would hire rookies out of the umpiring schools based on recommendations of the retired umpires. So until umpiring schools were integrated, it hindered blacks coming to the majors as umpires. Umpiring experience in the Negro Leagues did not seem to be given serious consideration, perhaps because they had not umpired white players as Ashford had for so many years. And that leads to the final reason: umpiring and managing are positions of authority. If it was difficult enough to for whites to accept blacks as equals on the field, it would take a lot longer for blacks to be accepted into superior positions. It took about a generation. That is not unusual. Perhaps there is no better example of attitudes in 1966 as when Ashford was assigned his first major league regular season game at the league's traditional opening game in Washington DC. Vice President Hubert Humphrey was given the task of throwing out the ceremonial first pitch. Vice Presidents are afforded Secret Service protection and members of his detail had to be convinced that Ashford was indeed umpiring the game. Perhaps because of his personality, perhaps aware of the dynamics of the situation, Ashford threw relatively few people (9) out of games during his 5 years as a major league umpire. Manager Dick Williams (who was never thrown out by Ashford) called him "a clown". Two players in separate incidents had to be restrained from going after him, but that has also happened with white umpires. Some players felt like they were being shown up and humiliated when they were called out on strikes. Here's a list of Ashford's major league ejections: (Date; Name; position, hometown, notes) 6/9/66 - Ed Brinkman, SS, Cincinnati OH, completion of suspended game of 6/8 8/4/66 - Al Dark, MGR, Lake Charles LA, 5/22/67 - Eddie Stanky, MGR, Philadelphia PA (Stanky spent much of his adult years living in the Mobile Alabama area) 8/8/67 - Joe Adcock, MGR, Coushatta LA, only year as manager - a call at home plate an inning after a 10 minute argument involving both managers and another umpire 9/4/67 - Pete Ward, 3B, Portland OR (born in Montreal, the son of an NHL player), had to be restrained after claiming he was hit by a pitch that Ashford said hit Ward's bat 4/30/68 - Nellie Fox, Coach, St. Thomas PA 5/22/68 - Tommy McCraw, 1B, Malvern AR, only black player ejected by Ashford in majors 4/15/69 - Norm Cash, 1B, Lubbock TX, called 3rd strike in 8th inning of tie game 6/29/69 - Joe Pepitone, 1B, Brooklyn NY, Pepitone had to be restrained after Ashford did not grant him a time out while batting (Ashford had no ejections in his last season, 1970.)

[@lyudmila2882]

Thanks very much for this enlightening background. John Daly didn't mention any of this!

[@chuckhutton5087]

@@lyudmila2882 Why would John Daly be compelled to mention any of this? Ejections have very little to do with the outcome of games,especially if the person ejected is a manager.

[@scottpardee6303]

I also thank you for setting all this out. It is history that few people would know and appreciate.😊

[@MrJoeybabe25]

Wild! Soupy mentions that he flies in his new picture, but not in a plane. John says "LSD" like it was mother's milk. But not the fearsome word Negro. Gee willikers!

[@savethetpc6406]

Joe Postove The LSD reference, from John Daly of all people, was certainly surprising, but I think the mention of "mother's milk" would have been just as controversial on national television in 1966! ;)

[@kumppi]

Times were definitely changing.

[@MrJoeybabe25]

SaveThe TPC God Forbid! Mother's milk comes from the mother's chest, you know.

[@savethetpc6406]

Joe Postove Exactly!

[@genabarenz7041]

SaveThe TPC o

[@lilybean835]

I've also noticed how often Bennett seems consumed with "cleansing." It's a little creepy and off-putting

[@janetwilliams7665]

she wouldn't dare go around Detroit knocking on doors in this day and age. And 60 pounds! She barely weighs that herself.

[@lunashot]

This may seem very very hard to believe but did you know that Arlene and Kim Kardashian have one thing in common. Can anyone guess what that is?

[@VahanNisanian]

lunashot They have Armenian blood. I know because I AM Armenian.

[@lunashot]

***** You're right. To be specific, Kim's father was born in America but was of Armenian heritage while Arlene's father was born in Armenia. Did Arlene ever mention her Armenian heritage on WML? I must've watched hundreds of episodes of WML and don't recall Arlene ever referring to her Armenian ancestry. On the other hand, Kim has mentioned her Armenian heritage many times during her career even though she's a 4th generation Armenian-American.

[@savethetpc6406]

lunashot Vahan may know better than I do, but I don't remember her mentioning it on WML, either. She refers to it several times and in some detail in her memoirs, though. ("Arlene Francis: A Memoir" by Arlene Francis with Florence Rome, published in 1978). Her real last name was Kazanjian (Francis was her middle name). As you may know, most, if not all, Armenian names end in either -ian or -yan. (Correct me if I'm wrong, *****.) Arlene may very well have mentioned it in other contexts during her career, too, but WML wasn't really a forum in which one's ancestral heritage was likely to come up too often.

[@VahanNisanian]

SaveThe TPC That is correct, and I certainly can't remember Arlene bringing up her Armenian heritage on the program.

[@loissimmons6558]

+lunashot +Vahan Nisanian It's a trivia question that's made a little more difficult if one has never looked up or know Arlene's real last name. I have had a few Armenian friends and acquaintances over the years and they all had last names ending in "ian" (or occasionally "yan"). And I had guessed that Vahan was probably Armenian. I have always assumed that it meant "son of" or "clan of", similar to son/sen/sin in English and Scandinavian names or Mc/Mac in Scottish-Irish names.

[@MrJoeybabe25]

Comedy is soooooooo subjective. I know lots of people don't "get" Wally Cox. And some people loooooove Soupy Sales. But grownups? Soupy? C'mon, c'mon!

[@dalekelly7639]

I guess "hurl" meant something a little different during this time frame.

[@kathyyoung1774]

Dale Kelly Throw a ball hard.

[@bryanlint9327]

Soupy Sales later became Oral Roberts.

[@RonGerstein]

N O

[@timothyball7502]

1-18-2023. House Wife? Did she marry a House? Bizarre to hear that she married a House!

[@RonGerstein]

You showed you have a mental condition. All married women who do not have a proper job were ALL called "housewives."

[@jackseward7779]

Do any of these egotist Mystery Guests know when to shut up? The objectives shiukd be minimal vocalization and a disguised voice (if possible).

[@RonGerstein]

Why?

[@dascientist5354]

Cerf knows the voice of all Jewish mystery guests.

[@1928gerry]

Bennett is a Jew as is an amazing number of people in the entertainment and arts world. Tony Randall is also and I sometimes think that's why the Big B thinks he can be snarky with him.

[@terryniblett9329]

Cerf is a cheater....I think he finds out info before hand!!!

[@kathyyoung1774]

Terry Niblett No, he kept up with plays and what celebrities were in town. Plus, he had lots of parties, so he knew peoples voices better than the others.

[@kentetalman9008]

Bennett was very smart. Smart people are always accused of cheating by people who are not so smart.

[@kenchristie9214]

It appears Leslie Nielsen parodied Mr Ashford in the Naked Gun film.