Here is a great video showing Johnny Main’s “Archie”. This is a great Frank Marshall ventriloquist figure.
Click here to see more about Johnny Main’s “Archie”
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
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Johnny Main wrote to me after the 1955 convention in Pittsburgh:
Johnny Mianakian
459 4th Street
Niagara Falls, N.Y.
September 5, 1955
Dear Lee:
Received your letter of the 29th and glad to hear from you.
It reached here late since you sent it to my old address. My new
address is enclosed.
I couldn’t send a picture of the new vent figure because I
just got it about three days ago and had to send it back today.
One of the control strings broke, so I contacted Frank Marshall over
the phone and he said to send it back for the repair. I will
probably get it in a week.
If you remember I ordered the figure with rolling eyes and two
winkers. Mr. Marshall also installed the crossing eye effects and a
upper lip action. This upper lip is what broke down on me. He didn’t
charge me for these extra movements.
I am quite pleased with the new Archie McGinnis. Mr. Marshall
really did a nice job. I sold my old figure and will be working with
this one.
Got a letter from Alan Labovitz of Louisville. You remember him
at the convention? He said he has done two USO shows at Fort Knox,
performing vent and magic.
Glad to hear you and Toni are doing fine. Would like to see you
on T.V. myself, but no doubt it will be televised locally. Hope you
are busy with plenty of shows.
They had some nice writeups of you in the last Oracle. I was
hoping to see some pictures and a large spread covering the events at
the convention. But as you probably know, most of the Oracle was donated to a convention which is to be held in England. (darn it)
My sister Ann sends her best wishes. She says “that boy’s the most to say the least.”
Getting back to the subject of our partners—I was going to in-
stall the moving arm bit in Archie but was not too successful with it.
I can’t get the con-founded arm in the direction I want it to go. (forward)
So I thought I’d ask you. Toni had a nice arm movement which if I
remember correctly was done with a coat hanger. When you have a chance make a drawing of how its done and send it to me.
Say hello to Mr. Berger for me in case you see him. Take care of
yourself now and write to me again when you have the chance.
Your-s sincerely, truly,
respectfully,
and
Ventrilloquially
s/Johnny Mianakian