| Pinky Lee | |
| Birth Name: | Pincus Leff |
| Birth Date: | 1907 5, mf=yes |
| Birth Place: | Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Mission Viejo, California, U.S. |
| Resting Place: | Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery |
| Years Active: | 1937–1979 |
| Children: | 2 |
Pincus Leff (May 2, 1907 – April 3, 1993), better known as Pinky Lee, was an American burlesque comic, actor and host of the children's television program The Pinky Lee Show in the early 1950s.
Born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Lee began his career as Pincus Leff in vaudeville in the 1920s. In January 1925, he was hired by Betty Felsen to be a dancer in the acclaimed Boderick & Felsen vaudeville dancing act. Pincus Leff soon became a featured tap dancer in the act and was often mentioned in advertisements, notices, and reviews. He was part of the act throughout 1925 during its headline tour on the B.F. Keith vaudeville circuit throughout the Mid-West and East. In early 1926, he left the act to pursue his career as Pinky Lee on stage and in film and television. He worked as a comic of the "baggy pants" variety on stage, becoming an expert at 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 high-energy antics, his signature costume was a loud plaid suit with baggy checkered pants and an undersized hat.[1] 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.[2] [3] [4]
He returned on January 4, 1954, with The Pinky Lee Show, a children's show sponsored by Tootsie Roll.[5] [6] 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.[7] Lee opened each show with his trademark theme song, "Yoo Hoo, It's Me!":[8]
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.[9] Adding to the show's bounce and style was its musical director and master organist Gaylord Carter, who underscored every moment with appropriate accompaniment.[10]
On September 20, 1955, Lee collapsed on camera during a live show due to illness.[11] His normal antics were so energetic that apparently the cameraman and the show's director assumed the fall an ad lib part of his performance. The "Peanut Gallery", an audience usually composed almost entirely of pre-adolescent children who were coached by a staff member, continued their enthusiastic cheering and applause from the on-stage bleachers. After as much as ten seconds of writhing by the stricken Lee, the camera abruptly panned to the still-cheering audience. The following afternoons Pinky Lee was not present. This effectively ended his leading role on the show, which continued without him until June 9, 1956.[5]
Rumors that he had died of a heart attack, prompted by the incident, persisted for decades. Occasionally, newspaper items mentioned the "late" Lee – even though he was performing at a dinner theater in the same city as one of the reporting newspapers.[12] [13] [14] 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 clay animation character.[15] In 1963, Lee attempted a return to kids' TV, hosting a local children's comedy program on KABC-TV in Los Angeles.[16] This series was nationally syndicated for the 1964–65 TV seasons, but the program fell prey to creative interference from the show's producers and station management. Lee fought the interference, but his efforts were for naught. The Pinky Lee Kids TV Show went off the air after one season. One episode was released on DVD/VHS by Shokus Video, and a DVD with two episodes was released by Alpha Video.
Lee returned to television in 1983, appearing on NBC's Yummy Awards, a mock awards show hosted by Ricky Schroder that honored the best children's TV programming of the year.[17]
Lee can be seen in films, including Lady of Burlesque, Earl Carroll Vanities, Pals of the Golden West, South of Caliente, and Blonde Ransom; and Lee appeared on television shows, including Ed Sullivan's Toast of the Town.
Lee also appeared in regional theatres throughout the U.S. in Sugar Babies and other shows in the late 1980s.[18] [19] [20]
Lee was married to Bebe (née Beatrice Dancis),[21] with whom he had two children, Patricia Bonnie Lee and Morgan David Lee.[22] Lee's brother-in-law was well-known Tin Pan Alley songwriter Al Sherman. Lee was also the uncle of the Sherman Brothers, Robert and Richard, with whom he also worked from time to time in the 1950s.
In later years, Lee worked as a teacher and appeared in regional musical theater productions. He died in 1993 in Mission Viejo, California.[4] His interment was at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | Dental Follies | Dentist | ||
| 1943 | Lady of Burlesque | Mandy | ||
| 1945 | Earl Carroll Vanities | Pinky Price | ||
| Blonde Ransom | Pinky Lee | |||
| 1946 | One Exciting Week | Itchy | ||
| 1951 | Pals of the Golden West | Photographer | ||
| South of Caliente | Pinky | |||
| Pals of the Golden West | Pinky | |||
| 1954 | Hawaiian Nights | Pinky - the Valet | ||
| 1960 | Ocean's 11 | Riviera Employee | Uncredited |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | Those Two | Regular | ||
| 1957 | The Gumby Show | Host | ||
| The Pinky Lee Show | Pinky Lee/Host | 5 episodes | ||
| 1960 | The Ed Sullivan Show | Comedian | 1 episode | |
| 1979 | Here It Is, Burlesque! | Skits | TV Movie |
He was also an inspiration for the Pee-wee Herman character.[23]