Knucklehead Smiff Ventriloquist Puppet
date: label: Date made
content: 1951
name: label: user
content: Winchell, Dr. Paul
label: maker
content: Marshall, Frank
label: maker
content: Winchell, Dr. Paul
notes: label: Description
content: Knucklehead Smiff was a Paul WInchell creation that appeared along side Jerry Mahoney. The Paul Winchell television show ran from 1950-1954. In 1951, Mahoney was joined by his friend Knucklehead Smiff. Smiff was sculpted by Winchell and laid over a Jerry head and was made of plastic wood with a detachable wooden head. He wears a casual red and blue jogging suit with matching blue sneakers. This is the original version, and later versions were made of lightweight fiberglass.
label: Description
content: Winchell appeared as a guest on numerous television shows and from 1965-1968, Winchell and his side kicks starred on a popular children's television show "Winchell-Mahoney Time". While controlling both dummies simultaneously, Winchell came up with the idea to put his hands into the sleeves of the two characters, giving the effect that the two puppets were talking not only to him but each other.
label: Description
content: In addition to his ventriloquist skills, Winchell was a well known voice over for children's movies and television shows. One of his most memorable characters included acting as the voice of Tigger in the Disney movies "Winnie the Pooh," for which he received a Grammy award.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Illinois, Chicago
topic: label: general subject association
content: Puppetry
label: Subject
content: Television broadcasts
label: Subject
content: Radio and television broadcasting
label: Subject
content: Children's television programs
setName: label: See more items in
content: Culture and the Arts: Entertainment
label: See more items in
content: Puppets
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1982.0424.01
label: catalog number
content: 1982.0424.01
label: accession number
content: 1982.0424
objectType: label: Object Name
content: puppet
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: fabric (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 44 in x 19 in x 9 in; 111.76 cm x 48.26 cm x 22.86 cm