When I was a kid, Soupy Sales was kind of a legend in my house. My parents would always talk about this show that originated out of Detroit, called Soupy's On, a kids show where Soupy would have puppets and funny skits, while entertaining the little kids at home -- my older brothers included. What I could never understand - while I was still young - was why my parents kept talking about a dumb kids show. They never talked about the kids shows I watched, nor did they usually watch them with me. And when I would ask what was so special about Soupy, they'd hush up fast. Who was this Soupy Sales, and why did my parents like him?

I found out when I got older. Soupy was the guy who had a stripper, just out of camera range, appear once at his door, during a live comedy skit. Soupy was the guy who, when he was told he would have to work on New Years, told kids at home, on a live show, to go into their parent's bedroom, and take all those "little pieces of green paper" out of their pants and purses, and send them to him (in return, Soupy said he'd send them all a post card - from Puerto Rico). Soupy was the guy who college kids watched, because they heard (incorrectly) that he slipped in dirty jokes just for them.

Soupy Sales In Living Black & White: Collector's Edition Two is a revelation, like some amazing, weird artifact from Mars, from those primitive black and white kinescope days of live TV, giving us a glimpse into a long-gone time when it was okay to have a kids show where a pretend dog ripped off a crewman's arm. Soupy was a huge star with the Baby Boomer set during the 50s and 60s, attaining enough of a following to star in his own movie (the terrible Birds Do It), record a hit record (Do the Mouse, which Soupy performs here for the first time on TV), as well as comic books and other merchandising; Soupy Sales In Living Black & White: Collector's Edition Two shows exactly why he became such a phenomenon.

Soupy Sales (born Milton Supman), a native of North Carolina, was a disc jockey and radio script writer before coming to Detroit in 1953 to host a local afternoon TV show called Soupy's On. It proved such a popular hit with the locals, that in 1955, the ABC network picked up the show for national broadcast. In addition, he hosted ABC's Lunch with Soupy on Saturday afternoons, from 1959 to 1962, going to primetime in 1962, live from Hollywood. This was the show that made Soupy a legend with the baby boomers, introducing such favorite characters as White Fang, the meanest dog in America (a huge, unseen dog - you only saw his enormous paws), Black Tooth, the nicest dog in America, and Pookie the Lion (who lip synched to popular songs, and told outrageous jokes), among his many characters. Then, in a curious move (at least career-wise, one would think), Soupy took his show back east, to New York, where in 1964, he debuted with The Soup Sales Show (curious, because most shows went from New York to L.A., not the other way around). The following year, Screen Gems syndicated this show to markets all over the country, and Soupy had another major hit with parents and their kids. He would later star as a regular panelist, in New York, on the popular What's My Line? game show, from 1968 to 1975. He would try another syndicated show in 1978, but unfortunately, it didn't take off.

Soupy Sales In Living Black & White: Collector's Edition Two is a compilation of five shows from his 1965-1966 New York syndicated shows. And by all accounts, there is little difference in content or execution from his previous - and later - shows (I remember the 1978 version; it was very similar to these shows). What's amazing about these shows is that despite the fact that in those days, you basically couldn't say anything offensive on TV, Soupy comes off as far more hip, more "dangerous," than Letterman or Leno have ever appeared. It's easy to see why parents were so attracted to the show; Soupy is playing to them, not the kids. In fact, there's really nothing in the show that's specifically aimed at kids. Sure, there are puppets and silly skits, but the humor is all-adult, all the time. Not unlike the Warner Bros. Bugs Bunny cartoons, these shows were written by adults, for adults, in a format that just happened to be for kids. Do you remember being a kid, and hearing your parents laugh at something you knew was funny, but it was over your head, and you wanted to be in on it? No wonder kids loved this show; they didn't have to get the jokes - they loved it because they loved watching their parents laugh themselves sick. And kids weren't the only fans; even the Chairman of the Board, Mr. Frank Sinatra, was such a fan of the show, that he let Soupy hit in the face with one of his signature pies - and Soupy lived to tell about it. Soupy Sales In Living Black & White: Collector's Edition Two is full of outrageous, Borsch Belt Jewish humor, combined with the social satire of a Bob Newhart's Button Down Mind sensibility, to make a breathtaking, hilarious show.

Soupy himself is as laid back and cool a TV host as you've ever seen. Of course he takes his trademark pies in the face with much aplomb, but the real secret to the show's appeal is the atmosphere he and his crew (who we hear constantly in the background) create; it's like being invited to a really cool party, that nobody else knows about, where naughty, silly things are being said, with a host who's in on the gag. He doesn't take any of it seriously, and that makes it that much more appealing. It's difficult to understand how seductive that quality of "anything goes" was back during this time in television history. Today, with everything - even local TV - locked down with a polished, professional, totally scripted, no surprises sheen, it's hard to realize that TV used to be kind of crazy. Not crazy like the fake "surprises" on Letterman and Leno and Conan, but real surprises like when Soupy was suspended for two weeks for that little joke where he told kids to steal money from their parents wallets, and mail it to him. Can you imagine that happening today? Or what they'd do to the host? One of the opening skits in Soupy Sales In Living Black & White: Collector's Edition Two has White Fang (you really can't describe the wired intensity of Frank Nastasi's vocal talents here) going to fetch a dog bone, only to come back with the severed arm of one of the crew members (complete with a hilarious, fast-cut audio mix of various scream clips). In today's oppressive, stifling "nanny culture," can you guess what they'd do to the kids show host who pulled that stunt?

Today, on shows like The Soup, we often hear the crew laughing along with the jokes, but really, Soupy and his gang perfected that gimmick. Only here, it's not a gimmick. Soupy and his crew are trying hard to top each other, with inside jokes that you're never going to understand, and that's what keeps you coming back. You're trying to figure it all out, trying to be one of them, and when you do figure out one of their jokes, it kills you. When Fess Parker shows up (fresh from Daniel Boone), the kids in the audience probably went nuts, but when Soupy's done making fun of him (via White Fang), it's the parents who were laughing at Soupy - and Fess's good nature. Retelling some of the jokes will only spoil Soupy Sales In Living Black & White: Collector's Edition Two, but just to give you a taste, when The Man Who You Never See, Outside the Door (Frank Nastasi) tells a particularly corny old joke, and says, "That was one of my father's jokes," Soupy comes back, lightening fast, with "And what are you? One of your mother's?" absolutely killing the crew and Frank Nastasi.

The DVD:

The DVD:
Don't expect a pristine picture for Soupy Sales In Living Black & White: Collector's Edition Two; these kinescopes from Soupy's live shows are very rough, but that makes the show what it is: a cool, retro peek at how TV used to look (it plays best late at night, with all the lights out in the room - just like the old days).

The Audio:
The mono mix is rough, too, because the original recordings weren't top flight. But you can still make out what's being said.

The Extras:
There's some fun bonus footage of Soupy with Donald O'Connor, from an unnamed television episode, showcasing some first-rate knock-about comedy, along with another clip from his New York show. There's no explanation for these clips, which would have been helpful (Actually, some basic show history/Soupy biography would have been helpful for people new to Soupy).

Final Thoughts:
Soupy Sales In Living Black & White: Collector's Edition Two is one of the funniest discs I've seen in quite some time. Soupy's brand of hip, fast ad-libbing, combined with wacky, crazy jokes and site gags, shows new audiences how lame their current entertainment has become. You can't find a weirder kids show than Soupy Sales In Living Black & White: Collector's Edition Two. Highly recommended.