
Charles 'Chic' Sale
- Date of Birth: 1885-08-25
- Date of Death: 1936-11-07
- Place of Birth: Huron, South Dakota, USA
Biography
Charles 'Chic' Sale was primarily a stage comedian, who, although he infrequently appeared on Broadway from 1902-30 and appeared in a handful of silent films, spent the majority of his career treading... Charles 'Chic' Sale was primarily a stage comedian, who, although he infrequently appeared on Broadway from 1902-30 and appeared in a handful of silent films, spent the majority of his career treading the boards of vaudeville as a comedian, usually in the persona of 'Lem Putt', a carpenter from Urbana, Illinois who specialized in the building of outhouses. By age 49 his stage act had become so popular that he felt compelled to write, with the help of two newspaper writers, a 3000-word collection of his monologues (at the urging of his lawyer who expressed dismay over lesser comedians stealing his act), which was published as "The Specialist". The book was a huge hit, published in nine languages, and remains in print to this day. (Sale took six months off touring to personally answer fan mail resulting from the book. A sequel was published as "I'll Tell You Why".) During the 1930s and '40s there were outhouses sporting "Chic Sale" signs all over the world, his name becoming synonymous for toilet (which didn't please him in the least) and the butt of fellow comedian Groucho Marx's jokes. After appearing in a flop Broadway show in 1930, Sale headed for Hollywood for good and became, thanks to effective makeup and complete mastery of his lanky body, a character actor. Still in his mid to late 40s, he convincingly played octogenarians. He did this so well that it was quite a shock to see him out of make-up; he was unrecognizable from his old man screen persona. Chic Sale died of pneumonia in 1936 at just 51 years of age. He was survived by his wife Marie.

The Great American Pie Company
Comedy • 1935 November

You Only Live Once
Crime, Drama, Romance • 1937 January

The Star Witness
Crime, Drama • 1931 August

Treasure Island
Adventure, Family • 1934 August

The Expert
Comedy, Drama • 1932 March

James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
Documentary • 1988 November

Important News
Drama • 1936 February

The New School Teacher
Comedy • 1924 May

His Nibs
Comedy • 1921 October

The Fighting Westerner
Mystery, Western • 1935 March