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THE BEST SELLER THAT WAS
AN ACCIDENT
by Laura M Sale
Chic Sale was an actor.
Starting in vaudeville, he appeared on the legitimate stage, and
then in films in the early days of Hollywood. As a member of
Rotary, he would attend meetings in the cities where he was
performing. He was often asked to provide some "little"
entertainment after the luncheons. Since many of his routines
required elaborate props, he chose to do a short monologue,
written for the occasion. It was a comedy piece about Lem Putt,
country carpenter and specialist in building outhouses.
In the beginning Chic Sale
considered "The Specialist" for men only, and it took a long
time to make him decide he could tell it to a mixed audience.
Proud to have always performed true family entertainment, he
thought to tell the "privy" story in front of women was a
little out of line. The ladies felt otherwise. They knew their
knowledge of rural living was just as great as their men folk
and wanted to hear Lem Putt's story first hand. Gradually Mr.
Sale's reluctance to perform "The Specialist" monologue at mixed
gatherings was lessened, and he had a wonderful time making
people laugh about the carpenter who was a specialist.
Chic became aware that his
charming, and funny, monologue was being stolen by other
performers. Years in the theater had taught him that it was
nearly impossible to protect one's gags or stories. What to
do! He didn't want to lose his story! The best advice was for
him to publish it in book form, and then it would be protected
by the copyright laws. He soon realized that telling a story
and writing a story were two different techniques, and he spent
a few months getting the 3000 printed words just right. By
February of the following year, 1929, he was ready to go to
press, and then he wondered who, if anyone, would buy his
little book.
The book sold immediately, each
month doubling the previous month's sales. Within a few short
years over a million copies had been sold throughout the
country. Since then "The Specialist" has been translated into
nine languages and published in twelve countries. There is even
a Braille edition. It has never gone out of print in the United
States and is still available, as is the sequel, I'll Tell You
Why", which Mr. Sale wrote the next year.
Chic Sale died in 1936, but the
joy he brought to the world has never died. "The Specialist",
now in its 25th printing in the U.S., has sold over two and a
half million copies. The publishing company, always a family
business, is owned and operated by Chic's youngest son and
daughter-in-law, Dwight and Laura Sale, who enjoy keeping the
memories alive and hearing from so many people touched by Chic
Sale's humor.
“The Specialist” or “I’ll Tell
You Why” can be purchased for $6.50 each, including postage,
from The Specialist Publishing Company, 109 La Mesa Drive,
Burlingame, CA 94010-5919.
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