Evening star., 1938-07-31
Do You Want to Become Ventril0Quist?
EDGAR BERGEN and CHARLIE MCCARTHY
CHARLIE MCCARTHY

f1cient In increasing and decreasing
the sound in the back Of our throats-
ah, eh. All. All. ah, ah, We started
out-then We tried eh, eh, L H. Z II.
eh. eh, and 50 on with the other
vowels.
We were progressing rapidly, for
certainly We had thoroughly gotten
the idea Of droning the voWels. Our
next step was to accomplish a quick
transition from the "drone" to the
natural voice We began by saying
"ah" in natural voice. following it
with . ventriloquial "ah," not in the
prolonged drone. but-with the vocal
cords in the position practice Of this
had accomplishment a staccato
fashion.
I was prepared to 60 on but Charlie.
looking at his wrist watch, said:
Bergen. you have stung me. This
practice business is supposed to be 80
minutes. and we've been at it for 81 i. y
Lesson No. Is.
CHARLIE came in with our pet pup
Both were feeling exhilarated
from \ romp in the open. The dog
was tugging at his heels and barking
his request for more play
Let's see II We can surprise him
with his own bark coming in through
the window suggested as we started
our practice.
You can imagine our amusement
when We found We could make the
little dog stop in his tracks and turn
his head yiciouSly for the spot from
which his voice had come We tried
other animals and, because we had
through faithful practice of the bee
drone, complete control Of our vocal
cord poSitioning, We successfully
turned the yard just outside into 4
menagerie. A cock crOwed, q COW
mooed. a cat meowed, horse neished
in fact, we found that any animal
sound We could, initiate in our natural
voice We could place with our acquired
distant" voice.
But as we went from one to another
Charlie became SO engrossed he forgot
We were performing in ventriloquy.
Bergen" he chuckled, what fun
it is to be able to create our own ZOO
In case Of another flood you and
can man the Ark. No need for over
crowding.'
Lesson No. II.
"RERGEN," Charlie observed, as We
had given our allotted time to
practice of the bee-drone. this whole
business of natural ventriloquism
seems to amount to nothing more
than the imitation of sounds, not As
heard at their source, but as sensed
by the ear"
If you have attained proficiency in
the bee-drone you know Charles
observation Is right. Listening care
full 10 any sound coming from q re-
mote point as it falls upon your ear,
you will notice:
That its strength is reduced as 1t
recedes in the distance;
That the tone pitch never varies;
That the tone quality alters some
what;
That the consonant sounds in
human speech considerably removed
from the auditor are obscure.
Once you have these facts in mind
and have practiced the. bee-drone
enough to control vocal cord position
you are ready to try human speech.
Words In the distant" voice you will
find are formed in the pharynx just
above the Adams apple" This is
the position of subdued cluck, heard
in the act Of swallowing. Practicing
making sounds In this part of the
throat will enable you to ventriloquize
in short time. You must remember.
however, to work hard to articulate
distinctly.
Charlie listened patiently to all this,
but he had taken on an injured atti-
tude.
whats wrong with you, Charlie?"
I asked.
Adjusting his monocle and pulling
himself up to the height of his dig
nifty, he answered: Mr.. Bergen, who
started this observing? You know
every man likes to have his say"
Lesson No. Is.
EXPERIENCE teaches that "slow
- and sure" is the best rule for
accomplishment, but a. We reviewed
our work In natural" ventriloq,,isn