The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1952-05-16
Just Among Ourselves
Passing Comment Considered or Ineonsidersts

The comparatively new activity ds it art sci.
ence, business rritationo called by the GrecoLatin
mongrelism TeleUiSon brings out of its treasury,
Like the scriptural notwithstanding new and
old. Especially old 1t has proved godsend TO many
an aging and forgotten entertainer most of whom
have already made series of touching last appear
ances and seem endessly ready for more II is
great pity that the Divine Sarah did not survive to this
hour; here is medium for farewell tours that must
have delighted her.
Sentiment is sentiment and should be respected
such. 1t is a heartening thing that even our
atomic age has not foregone the soace of tender and
reminiscent tears. But there point of satur
alton; one solid citizen, kindly and humane per-
son, too says that if he has to listen to further
remarks by Connie Mack or to view again the bat
tered topper of Ted Lewis and sit through ME and
My Shadow" more he shall Is
anybody happy?
One ancient art that has taken new life and new
perfection from TV is that of ventriloquism Bergen
first OF long line Of non-Gaelic performers with
llgneous Irish asslstants) used radio to disprove
the fallacy that voice throwing" is Intellectual
less you can see the performer. He needn't have
bothered, as ii happens, since now the ventriloquist
IS readily visible. You can see him and his dummy
on almost any TV program. Indeed, if you except
hardriding westerners and the perpetual piroutte
dummies, multiply like flies in August.
One recalls from that generous margin of years
known 'the turn of the century" the delighted
tcipaton of ventriloquists show. An itinerant
entertainer stops at the little Schoohouse of
autumn afternoon He announces regal entertain
men for that very evening and in that exact spot.
The hour will be seven; the price will be ten cents.
He gives a few thrilling examples of his art and
faint voices come to us from pictures on the wall
and from the dark corner of the map-stand Then he
is gone leaving us with fevershly mingled feelings
the surging desire to have part in this marvel
Gus entertainment and the stern realization that it
will take some doing to raise the necessary dime.
Most of us have managed by the quiet evenfall,
TO wheede the price of admission out of our under
standably reluctant parents. Those were the days
when ten cents" was really medium of exchange.
You could buy things with it. II was not something
thrown in, as at the current moment, merely as an
evidence of good faith Dimes were not easily come
by. A man who earned ten cents by an hours honest
labor thought to have pretty good job Wis
iting uncles crossed the small, hot palms of little
nephews and nieces with bright copper cents-"pen-
MES we mistakenly called them. Only wealthy rela-
tions ian almost invisible minority passed out nick
els. To dispense free dimes would be unthinkable
prodgality.
But as ! say most of us managed to have dime
by the wching hour of seven We gathered, and our
teachers with us very adult and restrained IN their
appearance and attitude, but inwardly, am sure
full of eagerness) to await the coming of the won
derful man who could throw his voice" And
oh, woe and misery beyond belief-that miscreant
never came! Through a long hour we waited with
steadily diminishing hope, with JOY dying into agony
Seated silent and in order under the uncompromis
ing stare of whole squadron of teachers, our
eyes were on the principal who gazed with diminish
DOORWAY
along which man must come; our hearts were
full of the anxious cry of the wife in Blueblrd:
Anne, sister Anne do you see anyone comlng?"
Ere long we knew the answer had we read our Ten
nyson, we might have quoted, He cometh not, she
said Sorrowfully made our way home again.
not even bothering TO think up some plausible ex
cuse for holding on to our dimes.
And there was that amateur ventriloquist at
boarding school What an experience 1t was TO hear
coming to out of the mysterious night as we lay
in silent in our white beds just before lights
OUT, far off voice of complaint and abuse leveled
al our watchful prefect What ectasy to the pre-
feet move swiftly to window and peer Sternly
into the darkness,-peer helpleSsly, las the faint
but painfully distant voice went on heaping injury
upon insult II seemed perfect thing foolproof
method of narrowing our natural enemy.
But ii was not to last long II needed no Sherlock
Holmes to solve the projects problem master
mind 10 interpret hoolheats IN the fog or read the
answer in the ash of Trichinopoly cigar Just
casual mention of ventriloqusm among a random
group of students and, sure enough, some blabber-
mouth cried out, "Say did you ever hear Chick
Kelly" And SO the mystery ended. And Kelly was
in trouble
As Mr. Dooley sighs All thin days, thin days"
Here We have been making yentriloquism the mere
occasion of calling up the dead and vanished past
Our farewell tour. no less. We apologize to TV. We
shall view without caustic comment the next final
appearance of Sophie Tucker and Ted Lewis. We
shall listen to Connie Mack. And of course, we shall
look at the ventriloquists; we can't avoid them un
less we sell the set What with ventriloquists dunn
mics and puppets it's wonder the price of lumber
is where ii is. The housing shortage stands ex-
planned