Ventriloquists - April 19, 2006

The expression "to put words in one's mouth" seems to go back to at least the Bible, though for most, it's merely a metaphor.  Not so for those hard-working entertainers known as ventriloquists, though. Anyone who has tried to throw their voice (even Superman got into the act) can tell you that ventriloquism is no parlor trick.  Paul Winchell and Shari Lewis may appear to have been children's entertainers, but adults found them just as marvelous as the kiddies did. And while Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy had the top-rated radio show in the 1940s, it wasn't until Señor Wences, Johnny, and Pedro made their numerous appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show that audiences were truly astounded by ventriloquism. The estimable Spanish entertainer began his career in the 1920s and was still performing flawlessly at the age of 100. April 17 marked the 110th anniversary of Wences's birth, to which we can only utter a hearty "S'all right? S'all right!" Suggested Sites... Vent Haven Museum - the world's only museum dedicated to the art of ventriloquism. NPR: Dummy Days - from Charlie McCarthy to Oscar the Grouch, listen to a report on puppets in the media. Ventriloquism in a Month - for some, it's too long; for others, not long enough.