Evening star., 1937-10-17
Mccarthy
Act Rests
On Old Art
Ventriloquism in
New Form Is
His Big Success.
BY THOMAS, THE MAGICIAN.

Will WIllCIl GOBhI DcIkcL-OcttcI
known as "the man who talks to him.
self"-and his energetic dummy,
Charlie Mccarthy" are ascending
the ladder Of success, amateur ven-
triloquist acts are springing up all
over the country, to meet the heavy
demand for this new, and yet age-old,
entertainment feature.
You may think that ventriloquist
Is just a man who enters from the
wings, sits down with a stupidity
dressed wooden dummy on his knee,
and says, Who was that lady seen
you with last night?" And in some
respects you're right; at least, that is
what we all saw in the vaudeville
thsaters few years ago!
But today, Edgar Bergen, with his
great writing ability and Charles
projected personality. has come along
to raise the art of the ventriloquist to
an unexpected height.
Bergen, when I interviewed him, ex-
planned that the success of voice
throwing is largely due to illusion. As
a matter Of fact, no one is really able
to throw his voice around as if it
were rubber ball"
go into your room where radio is
playing" said Bergen. If you can't
see the radio, it will be almost i'm
possible to locate the source of the
sound at once. The same principle
aids the ventriloQuist. The audience
sees the dummy's mouth move, and
likes to believe that it is really doing
the talking. 1t is all a diffusion OF
sound
Bergen started his profession early
in life, giving school and church en-
tertainments while still in his teens"
He also had some experience playing
Chautauqua circuits, working these
during the Summers for three years
while he went to Northwestern Uni
versity. From there he entered vaude-
vile. Later Europe beckened, so he
and Charlie toured the continent for
while Bergen soon tired of this and
returned to New York. Up to now, no
booking agent would even consider
his act for night club. but fiually he
secured short engagement This one
he is the most sought-after act in the
business.
Charlie and Bergen have signed up
TO make series Of movie shorts for
Hollywood Besides this. they are
both doing splendidly on their weekly
radio hour. 1t is to Rudy Vallee that
the credit for this introduction to
radio must go.
Edgar Bergen is one Of the few en-
tertainers who have outlived old-time
vaudeville. Why? Simply because
he knew and applied the secret of
adaptability!
Thus far we have been talking about
Bergen, with only slight references to
Charlie, but to their audiences it is
Mccarthy first, and then Bergen.
Believe 1t or not, Mccarthy is a
very remarkable fellow. Instead of
being the stupidity dressed figure of
yesterday, he wears top hat and tails.
He has had the same head for some
II years. but has had numerous
changes of arms, legs, hair and even a
new body once in a while. Charlie
weighs about 40 pounds, wears size q
triple-A shoes, and a size 32s hat. He
has a wardrobe of several suits and
pair of pa ajamas, which cost Bergen
about $3.50 year, each garment being
tailor made. Charlie was carved out
Of wood, and cost Bergen s35.
After learning all this about Master
Mccarthy from Bergen. I decided
that surely the manufacturing of these
figures must be highly interesting. My
| investigation led me to the city of Chi
cago, where / found a man and his
staff producing the finest ventriloquial
figures that l have ever had the op-
portunity of seeing.
Frank Marshall. considered the fin
est wood carver of his profession, has
produced more than half Of the pro-
fessional dummies in use today. In
cidentally, the Marshall family has
served the profession for 81 years. and
since its first organization. has manu-
factured hundreds of the little wooden
headed creatures-or children" as
Marshall calls them.
The dummy heads are hand carved
from light wood. They are then hol-
lowed out and made in two sections SO
as to be easily manipulated and taken
apart. Movements such as opening
the mouth. winking eyes, ETC., are
controlled by levers or rings, attached
to cords running from the inside of
the head down the neck to the interior
of the body. Each head is individually
carved as to character and is then
painted to bring out every detail Of that
character. Special paint is used SO that
the face is washable.
Natural or crepe hair, which is ex-
ceedingly real in appearance, is made
into wigs, and can be supplied in any
desired color.
particular style head that he wants
produced. When this occurs, he
merely sends sketches or drawings to
Marshall and the figure is designed and
carved according to the customers
plans.
Frank Marshall has created several
innovations in Vent history. One of
these Is his famous walking figure"
This perfectly dressed little wooden
person stands erect when not in use,
but when the performer catches hold
OF its hand and walks along beside it,
the figure follows, walking as If 1t
were really alive!
When our friend Charlie Mccarthy
is badly in need of repairs. he is
hustled to Marshall's workshop and
there hospitalized until he's as good
as new.
Ventriloquism is century-old art
that almost faded into oblivion. But
as long as there are Frank Marshalls
to produce the very best in dummies,
and Edgar Bergens to put clever words
I.& vr,s1 L