Ventriloquist Tom Crowl sent us this email and video from a performance taped live at the Harrisburg Comedy Zone.
Hi Dan & Steve,
I did a comedy club last Sunday and the producer released a short clip on Youtube. Thought you might want to share it with readers of Ventriloquist Central.
Here is a chance to purchase a really fine pro built ventriloquist figure in the true cheeky boy style. This full size 42″ tall figure is built using Mike Brose head, hands, body and feet. The head is mounted on a wooden head stick and has the following functions. He has slot jaw, side to side self centering eyes and shell blinkers.
The paint on this guy is very detailed and is colored to give a great look on stage. His wig is attached with velcro so changing his wig is very easy. He has an arm rod also to give you the hand movement function.
Charlie McCarthy
Mike Dupree a ventriloquist and a figure collector ( he has the best selection of Nelson / Jackson figures as well as others) graciously wrote this story about his trip to Washington DC to the Smithsonian Museum. He also gave the pictures you are seeing as well.
Searching for Charlie, McCarthy that is!
After reading several postings about the where about of Charlie McCarthy, I was amused to read that Charlie had disappeared from the hallowed halls of the Smithsonian, knowing full well that he was there the last time I was there, In fact he was there every time I went there, year after year. He was donated by the Bergen Family, He was to be on permanent display. To find out for sure I ran down to D.C. To find out for myself. After the 4 hour trip down from Atlantic City, I was dropped off at the Museum of American History and ran right up to the 3rd floor where he was the last time I saw him, Sure enough he wasn’t there!
Fred Maher School of Ventriloquism
My partner and webmaster, Steve Hurst wrote this “essay” on some of his thoughts about ventriloquism and I thought we should share it with everyone, so here it is:
The Reason Ventriloquism is Still Going Strong
Like a lot of ventriloquists I know, I started doing ventriloquism as a kid. When I was 14 my brother who was younger, found an ad in a comic book about throwing your voice and sent off for the book.
It’s hard to believe that a few short years ago, my partner webmaster Steve Hurst and I started Ventriloquist Central. The site went live in October 2006. It started out as a way to show my ventriloquist figure collection to everyone and share some historical information about ventriloquism.
Look at Ventriloquist Central now. We never thought in our wildest dreams that this site would have grown to the size it is now (and still continues to grow). For that we are truly grateful to each and every one of you.
