Fences was not like most of us who'll take a Jerry Mahoney of a Knucklehead Smiff and give him a personality and then perform comedy. Wences was a proponent of the ventriloquist's art. He was a purist. He dazzled you. He mystified you.
Ventriloquism is so closely related to magic.
It's all about misdirection. You practice speaking from your diaphragm and low in your throat. You substitute letters for 'B' and 'P' that allow you to speak without moving your lips. Johnny Carson started as a magician and he also knows ventriloquism. Doug Henning is a ventriloquist.