Charles 'Chic' Sale

Charles 'Chic' Sale was a prominent stage comedian whose career flourished primarily in vaudeville, where he often portrayed the character 'Lem Putt,' a carpenter hailing from Urbana, Illinois, known for his humorous takes on outhouse construction. Though he made sporadic appearances on Broadway between 1902 and 1930 and featured in a few silent films, much of his legacy was built on the vaudeville circuit.

At the age of 49, his popularity spurred him to compile his monologues into a 3,000-word collection titled "The Specialist," with help from two newspaper writers. Encouraged by his lawyer after concerns about other comedians mimicking his work, the book became a phenomenal success, translated into nine languages and still in print today. To engage with his growing fan base, Sale took six months off touring to respond personally to fan mail. A sequel, "I'll Tell You Why," followed soon after. During the 1930s and '40s, outhouses featuring "Chic Sale" signs appeared globally, cementing his name in popular culture, albeit somewhat unflatteringly, as the butt of jokes by fellow comedian Groucho Marx.

After a lackluster Broadway performance in 1930, Sale transitioned to Hollywood, where his mastery of makeup allowed him to convincingly portray elderly characters, often shocking audiences with his youthful appearance off-screen. Chic Sale passed away from pneumonia in 1936 at the age of 51, leaving behind his wife, Marie.