Ventriloquist Figure Maker, Frank Marshall & Some of His Creations

Posted on March 5, 2009 by Webmaster

frank-marshall-figures

Here is a picture of Frank Marshall and a bunch of his creations owned by some famous and some not so famous people.

How many of these ventriloquist figures can you guess???

 

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. His collection of ventriloquist figures now numbers over 100 figures of which there are over 50 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 2009 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

Posted in Frank Marshall Figure (Dummy), Ventriloquism/Ventriloquist, Ventriloquist Central, Ventriloquist Figure (Dummy) Makers, Ventriloquist Figure Building, Ventriloquist Figures | 9 Comments

Ventriloquist Edgar Bergen's Effie Klinker Mystery

Posted on March 4, 2009 by Webmaster

Everyone knows the creator of the characters used by Edgar Bergen. They are Charlie McCarthy, Mortimer Snerd and Effie Klinker.

Of course we know the controversy that has taken place over the past 70 years as to who the maker of Charlie Mccarthy happened to be. I think everyone now will agree that it was the shop of Charles Mack that created the figure for Bergen and Frank Marshall may have had a hand at the time but it was a Mack figure.

We know that the original Mortimer Snerd was created by Virginia Curtis Austin as was scene in the video we so proudly wew able to show you here on Ventriloquist Central. If you did not see it click here.

Next we have always thought that Charles Cristadoro was the creator of Effie Klinker but a good friend Matt Kimbro sent this link to me of an article that was written for Time Magazine and it now casts a doubt on Cristadoro. Just take a look.

Click here to see article about Effie Klinker

 

Dan
www.ventriloquistcentral.com

***************************************************

Dan Willinger is a ventriloquism enthusiast and ventriloquist figure collector. He has been collecting for over 25 years. His collection of ventriloquist figures now numbers over 100 figures of which there are over 50 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 2009 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

Posted in Dummy Collecting, Edgar Bergen, Ventriloquism/Ventriloquist, Ventriloquist Central, Ventriloquist Figure (Dummy) Makers, Ventriloquist Figure Building, Ventriloquist Figures | Leave a comment

Ventriloquist Figure Video Collecting Series – McElroy Brothers, Happy Hazard – Part 3

Posted on March 3, 2009 by Webmaster

This is the third of four videos in the video series about the McElroy’s Happy Hazard.

Today’s video, I show you the inside of Happy’s head. It’s interesting to see all that goes into making Happy work.

 

[flashvideo filename=http://ventriloquistcentral.com/dan-collecting-mcelroy-happy-018/dan-collecting-mcelroy-happy-018.flv /]

 

Click here to see the “before” pictures of Happy’s restoration

 

Dan
www.ventriloquistcentral.com

***************************************************

Dan Willinger is a ventriloquism enthusiast and ventriloquist figure collector. He has been collecting for over 25 years. His collection of ventriloquist figures now numbers over 100 figures of which there are over 50 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 2009 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

Posted in Dummy Collecting, McElroy Brothers, Personal, Ventriloquism/Ventriloquist, Ventriloquist Central, Ventriloquist Figure (Dummy) Makers, Ventriloquist Figure Building, Ventriloquist Figures, Ventriloquist Videos, Video Collecting Series | Leave a comment

Charlie McCarthy Times Two

Posted on February 28, 2009 by Webmaster

edgar-bergen-and-two-charlies

To those who believe that the Charlie McCarthy in the Smithsonian Institute… is the original… and that Bergen took the original Charlie head… and had it modified by installing moving eyes:
Please take note of the following very early photo.
Clearly these two figures existed in the same time frame.
This is further proven by watching the Vitaphone Shorts…and You Can’t Cheat an Honest Man. Both figures are used in these film projects.

Doug Preis

 

Thanks, Doug for sending this to me.

We have some Vitaphone Shorts here: Edgar Bergen Vitaphone Shorts

Dan
www.ventriloquistcentral.com

***************************************************

Dan Willinger is a ventriloquism enthusiast and ventriloquist figure collector. He has been collecting for over 25 years. His collection of ventriloquist figures now numbers over 100 figures of which there are over 50 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 2009 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

Posted in Edgar Bergen, Personal, Ventriloquism/Ventriloquist, Ventriloquist Central | 2 Comments

Tattoos ??

Posted on February 28, 2009 by Webmaster

I don’t know why this came through my mind but I thought I would throw it out there and ask. Today the art of tattooing is so prevalent that they say one in every four of us has a tattoo. Now this is today but for many years tattooing fell by the wayside. But back before and after the second world war it also flourished.

Looking at my collection of ventriloquist figures and thinking about the fact that many of them date from that period I was wondering if anyone ever heard or had seen any figure used that may have had any tattoos. I told you this was a strange thought but I just had to ask.

Please feel free to make any comments you like on this strange thought.

Dan
www.ventriloquistcentral.com

***************************************************

Dan Willinger is a ventriloquism enthusiast and ventriloquist figure collector. He has been collecting for over 25 years. His collection of ventriloquist figures now numbers over 100 figures of which there are over 50 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 2009 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

Posted in Personal, Ventriloquism/Ventriloquist, Ventriloquist Central, Ventriloquist Figure Building, Ventriloquist Figures | 1 Comment