| Pincus Leff (aka "Pinky Lee") | |
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Pinky Lee in "Lady of Burlesque" (1943) |
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| Born | May 2, 1907 Saint Paul, Minnesota |
| Died | April 3, 1993 (aged 85) Mission Viejo, California |
Pincus Leff (May 2, 1907–April 3, 1993), better known as Pinky Lee, was an American burlesque comic and host of a children's television program, The Pinky Lee Show, in the early 1950s.
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Born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Lee worked as comic of the "baggy pants" variety on stage, becoming an expert at the slapstick, comic dancing and rapid-fire jokes of the burlesque style. During the 1940s, he was heard on Drene Time and other radio programs.
Easily recognized by his trademark lisp and his high-energy antics, his signature costume was a loud plaid suit with baggy checkered pants and an undersized hat. During his routines, whenever anybody irritated him (which happened frequently) he would unleash his catchphrase: "Oooooh! You make me so mad!"
In 1950, he had his own 30-minute primetime variety television series on NBC, The Pinky Lee Show, featuring vaudevillians and burlesque comics. In 1951-52 he starred with Vivian Blaine in a 15-minute sitcom, Those Two.
He returned in 1954 with The Pinky Lee Show, an Emmy-nominated afternoon children's program that spawned later imitators such as Pee-Wee's Playhouse. It was followed each day by the popular Howdy Doody Show. He opened each show with his trademark theme song, "Yoo Hoo, It's Me!":
(Audience): Pinky!
Others in the cast: Betty Jane Howarth, Jimmy Brown, Molly Bee, Jack McCoy, Mel Koontz, Cindy Sue, Susabelle, Ken Mayer, Isabel Dwan, Sidney Fields, Margie Lizst, Milton Newberger and Jymme Shore. Adding greatly to the show's bounce and style was master organist Gaylord Carter, who underscored every moment with rock-solid, copasetic accompaniment.
In 1955, Lee collapsed on camera due to an infection, and the show continued without him until 1956. Rumors that he had died of a heart attack, prompted by the incident, persisted for decades. Occasionally, newspapers carried items mentioning the "late" Lee - even though he was performing at a dinner theater in the same city as the reporting newspaper. The incident also spawned rumors that Lee had been institutionalized after going insane on live television.
In 1957, Lee hosted The Gumby Show, the original appearance of that claymation character. In 1964, Lee attempted a return to kids' TV by hosting a local children's comedy program on KABC-TV in Los Angeles. This series was in national syndication for the 1964-65 TV seasons, but the program fell prey to creative interference from the show's producers and station management. Lee tried to fight off the interference, but his efforts were for naught. The Pinky Lee Kids TV Show went off the air after one season. One episode of the show was released on DVD/VHS by Shokus Video, and a DVD with two episodes was released by Alpha Video.
Lee can be seen in films, including Lady of Burlesque, Earl Carroll's Vanities, and Blonde Ransom among several others, and he appeared on other television shows, including Ed Sullivan's Toast of the Town.
In later years, Lee worked as a teacher and appeared in regional musical theater productions. He died in Mission Viejo, California.