Soupy Sales’ death brings back memories of Expo 67 in Montreal

October 23rd, 2009 at 01:26pm Chuck Sweeny

Soupy Sales, 83, has died.

The slapstick comedian who threw whipped cream pies in people’s faces, was watched by millions of Baby Boomers on TV. I never cared too much for Soupy, but I did watch him sometimes. I think his show was on Saturdays at noon.  (I was more of a Lone Ranger fan.)

However, I must confess to attending a performance starring Soupy Sales in “Hellzapoppin 67.”  Soupy was appearing in the show at Expo ‘67 in Montreal, Quebec.

My friend Steve Anderson and I traveled by bus to Montreal to go to the fair, a fantastic experience. No, not the bus ride.  We hated that 24-hour ride (changed buses at Toronto) so much we turned in our return tickets in Montreal and bought train tickets back.  Changed trains at Toronto, but the ride was much better.

We stayed for two weeks at my Aunt Maggie’s house in Dorval and took the CP commuter train every morning downtown, then rode the Metro and light-rail trains to Expo. We’d come home late at night and order chicken delivered  from St. Hubert Bar B-Q. (The popular Quebec chicken chain started in Montreal in 1951, in  a small shop on rue St. Hubert.)

Soupy’s death ironically brought back fond memories of a wonderful two weeks at what was probably the last really big-time, world-class  World’s Fair. It was the era of the Cold War, and the Soviet Union and U.S. tried to outdo one another with competing pavilions. The Soviet one featured a simulated ride into space, an exhibit called   “Atoms for Peace” and exhibits describing Soviet life as the Soviets wanted it shown. Outside the steel and glass building with a sweeping, curved roof, was a giant hammer and sickle and the numbers 1917-1967. The U.S.S.R. was 50 years old in 1967.

The U.S. pavilion was completley different: a 250-foot high Buckminster Fuller geodesic dome that featured  American pop-culture as well as science and technology. I recall an Elvis guitar, Andy Warhol paintings and Hollywood movies. We put our space technology on show, too.

Oh, and did I mention that the Trinidad-Tobago-Grenada pavilion  had a superb steel-drum band that performed on an island in an artificial lagoon?

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