# Are these great "it really happened on TV" stories true? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 10, 2006, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-these-great-it-really-happened-on-tv-stories-true/368193 "2006-08-10T18:54:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-these-great-it-really-happened-on-tv-stories-true/368193/1 "2006-08-10T18:54:22Z")
On Groucho Marx’s You Bet Your Life was this exchange: Contestant: I have 14 children. Groucho: You have _14 children_? Why? Contestant: Well Groucho, I love my wife. Groucho: Yeah well, I love my cigar but I take it out of my mouth every now and then! Soupy Sales had a children’s show where one day he appeared drunk and told his TV audience to go into their mommy’s purse, get the green papers with pictures of old men on them and mail them to Soupy C/O the tv show. This next one I’ve heard a few different versions: On The Tonight Show (hosted by Johnny or Jack Paar) had on Shelly Winters (Grace Kelly) and Sydney Poitier (Harry Belafonte, Nat King Cole). At one point Shelly (Grace) put her hand on whichever black guy it happened to be’s forearm (or bussed the black guy on the cheek). The censors went wild and blacked out the rest of the show (edited it out). Anybody got the straight dope on these? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-these-great-it-really-happened-on-tv-stories-true/368193/2 "2006-08-10T19:30:13Z")
[The Master speaks](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_024.html) ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-these-great-it-really-happened-on-tv-stories-true/368193/3 "2006-08-10T19:39:13Z")
The Groucho story is real, but it never made the air. It lives on as an outtake, so many people have heard it. > [@](#): > > Groucho: “How many children do you have?” > > Mrs. Story: “Nineteen, Groucho.” > > Groucho: “Nineteen?! Why do you have so many children? It must be a terrible responsibility and a burden.” > > Mrs. Story: “Well, because I love my children — and I think that’s our purpose here on Earth — and I love my husband.” > > Groucho: “I love my cigar, too, but I take it out of my mouth once in a while!” ([Snopes](http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/groucho.htm) is wrong about it not being available to listen to. They need to update that page.) The Soupy Sales story is [true](http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/soupy1.htm). He wasn’t drunk, though, just angry about having to work on New Year’s Day. The third one is pretty vague, but I doubt that it’s true as given. Maybe there wer some angry letters afterward from people in the south (which often happened after any black-white interaction on television through the 60s) but blacking out the Tonight Show? Doubtful. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-these-great-it-really-happened-on-tv-stories-true/368193/4 "2006-08-10T19:51:09Z")
The [third story](http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4196/is_20060205/ai_n16051182) is based on an actual incident with Petula Clark & Harry Belafonte > [@](#): > > In 1968, Belafonte found himself at the center of controversy when he appeared on a NBC television special hosted by British songstress Petula Clark. Clark touched Belafonte’s arm briefly in the show, which led the sponsor Plymouth Motors to request the segment be cut. To her credit, Clark did not back down and the show aired intact to high viewership ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-these-great-it-really-happened-on-tv-stories-true/368193/5 "2006-08-10T21:27:11Z")
Another Soupy Sales story. Part of the set was a door that guests would knock on, and Soupy would open the door and let the guest come in. The area behind the door could not be seen on camera or by the kids in the studio audience. One day as a prank they had a knock on the door and Soupy answered to find a naked woman behind it. Soupy lost it and had to go to commercial. I know I’ve seen this clip on the web somewhere, but I can’t find it now. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-these-great-it-really-happened-on-tv-stories-true/368193/6 "2006-08-10T21:49:02Z")
> [@FatBaldGuy](#): > > One day as a prank they had a knock on the door and Soupy answered to find a naked woman behind it. Soupy lost it and had to go to commercial. > > I know I’ve seen this clip on the web somewhere, but I can’t find it now. I’ve seen a somewhat edited version on YouTube.