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

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.

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

I remember watching Soupy Sales tv show as a kid.

Arlene Francis and Bennett Cerf were a formidable pair

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

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.

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

Ye gods, Lee Remick was a true stunner.

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.

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.

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

Miss Remick did an excellent job for a first time panelist

May you Rest In Peace soupy sales

Soupy sales was born Milton Supman. :)

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

Lee Remick!

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

What a wonderful smile Soupy had.

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

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

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

Soupy Sales’ real name was Milton Supman.

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

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

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

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

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

Lee Remick was very knowledgeable!

The episodes have been really edited nicely lately!

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.

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.)

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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).

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

RIP SOUPY

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.

Lee Remick that's all.

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.

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

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.

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

Soupy seemed nice😊

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.

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).

Lee Remick looks gorgeous here. Seems intelligent

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

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

Emmett Ashford was baseball's first black umpire.

Arlene looks cute her and love her earrings

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

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.

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

19:00 John making an LSD joke.

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

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.

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.

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.

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?

Bennett peeked again!!!!!

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?

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!

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.)

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

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

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!

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?

Soupy Sales later became Oral Roberts.

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

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

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

Cerf knows the voice of all Jewish mystery guests.

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

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