We received this email into Ventriloquist Central and neither Steve or I knew who this could be. So, we thought we would share this with everyone to see if any of you might know.
Here’s the email:
Hello, I am throughly enjoying your site….with all the pix & info!!! Thank you! It is GREAT!!! I’m hoping that you can help me in my lifelong search…..of a vent I saw on PAAR or was it CARSON??? I was prob. 7-10?? yrs. old….when I saw a dummy ride out on the stage on a tricycle! The show was in wonderful color…..and it was quite an image….that was 4ever burned in my brain! I’m thinking it was either NELSON or WINCHELL…1963-67??? Not sure! I will start a search of all Paar/Carson shows now…thru the yrs…..and see if it is listed on IMDB….THEN go to NY, TV museum to see the clip once again….if possible. Paul Winchell is a good bet….I do believe. I did not see J. Nelson listed as ever being on Paar/Carson ??? Of course it will never mention….a dummy riding a trike….but at least I can narrow down my search! Hopefully with your help & others IN THE KNOW…..will help me solve this 45 yr MYSTERY!!! Thank you so much!
Rick Kohlschmidt
Rick, we are glad you enjoy the site and hopefully someone will come through and help you out.
Dan
www.ventriloquistcentral.com
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Dan Willinger is a ventriloquism enthusiast and ventriloquist figure collector. He has been collecting for over 25 years. He created the Ventriloquist Central Collection. It now has over 100 ventriloquist figures and over 50 of them are Frank Marshall figures. Because of his love for the art of ventriloquism, Mr. Willinger created the website Ventriloquist Central. For more information about the website, go to: http://www.ventriloquistcentral.com
Copyright 2011 by Dan Willinger
NOTE: You may use this blog article provided you run it with the bio box intact. Please email a copy of your publication with the blog article in it to: webmaster@ventriloquistcentral.com
I don’t recall seeing a vent figure riding a tricycle on the Carson show, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. The only recollection I have of a figure riding a tricycle was the team of Vox & Walters in the days of vaudeville ( seems years ago , I saw a photo that Frank Marshall had of the figure on the tricycle.) Emily Walters had been married to another Vent, Walter Walters ( they were the vent act of Walters & Walters). They had a Vent son, Walter Walters Jr.
Hm. I remember that there was a Jack Benny show with Edgar Bergen as the guest, and the ongoing joke was that McCarthy and Snerd were real kids. They had little people in costumes and really good masks (I assume these were costumes and masks from the movie work Bergen did) walking through the house and doing various other activities, with Benny reacting. Is there a possibility that Mr. Kohlschmidt saw this or, for that matter, that Bergen was, at some later date, on Carson and used one of these costumes again?
Didn’t Paul Winchell have Knucklehead Smiff play the drums? I wonder if it could have been him.