This week another part of my childhood died with the passing of Milton Supman, better known as Soupy Sales. To those kids born during the Korean War, the time we spent in the early days of television with our pals like Soupy Sales, Kukla, Fran & Ollie, Shari Lewis and others made us who we are today.
But not all of our pals were in national syndication, like Soupy. In Baltimore, Maryland, three of the best of the locals were Stu Kerr, Royal Parker and Larry Lewman. These gentlemen created Professor Kool’s Fun Skool, P.W. Doodle and Pete the Pirate (whose SpongeBob’s Patchy the Pirate is modeled after). These men also doubled as the morning newscaster or the weatherman or the host of the local daytime quiz show or whatever else was required to keep the airwaves filled. It was, in fact, Royal Parker who broke the news to us that President Kennedy had been shot.
These men were not just local entertainers. They were the faces you looked forward to seeing at 3:30 PM everyday as much as you looked forward to seeing your family. Thanks to the internet, the memories these men and women created for us children of the 50’s will never be lost. And I, for one, am grateful.