Frank Marshall , as we all know, started working for the Macks and the original figures produced by the Macks had the leather patch on the neck to hide the opening of the jaw on the bottom. All of the figures pictured in Marshall’s 1931 catalogue show this design including his famous Nosey character. Marshall continues to use this design up into the 1940’s. This design works exceptionally well and sometimes the leather was attached directly to the lower portion of the jaw and folded in when the mouth was opened. Other times the leather was not attached or may have come detached, but the mouth pallet would move independent of the leather. I have it both ways on some of my figures.
The wedge design seems to have appeared on Marshall figures in the post war years. I believe Jimmy Nelson’s Danny O’Day has the wedge and his was produced around that time. The wedge design is a much cleaner design and also allows a much larger mouth opening when the lever is pulled. The wedge design is a bit more fragile due to the fact that the neck is about half the thickness with no protection. There is much room for breakage with the wedge design. I have a couple figures that do have cracks on the sides of the neck with this design.
I have no preference on the design for Marshall figures personally because to me the important part of the figure is his face. The neck is usually covered by the shirt collar and a tie anyway.
Dan
www.ventriloquistcentral.com
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