Vent Haven Museum

2. Scotchguard your figure every six months. Be sure to cover the eyes with masking tape. Scotchguard will destroy the eyes unless you cover them. Spray from at least 12 inches away

1. When traveling and storing, do not compress or put pressure on foam.

Mary Ann Taylor is the premier soft-sculpture figure maker. She has been making custom figures for 20 years. Her interest in this specialty began when her husband took an interest in ventriloquism and came to the Vent Haven Convention. Seeing the work of Verna Finly, Taylor knew she could do soft-figure making too. She has been creating custom figures ever since. Every year she creates and donates a figure for the Vent Haven Raffle where all proceeds go to Vent Haven Museum. Prior to this career, Mary Ann Taylor worked as an art teacher, a courtroom artist, and an illustrator.

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October 2005

Manipulation: The Illusion Of Life

By Pete Michaels

Aside from lip control, manipulation is probably the most important aspect of Ventriloquism.

I can remember as a child, watching Jimmy Nelson, Paul Winchell and Edgar Bergen on TV and the thing that fascinated me more than their lip control was how they made the puppet come alive!

Bergen, for example, did not rely on the many controls that now seem standard on a vent figure. Charlie had a moving mouth. Period. (At least the Charlies we’re accustomed to seeing in most of Bergen ’s films.)

And, Charlie also had a flat bottom neck. Not the “ball & socket” type we are used to. Yet, Bergen was able to manipulate Charlie with such grace and ease, that he seemed to take on a life of his own. Many a Hollywood star talked to Charlie as if he were real. This was due to Bergen ’s attention to small, life-like movements coupled with his giving Charlie a believable character.

Look at Mortimer Snerd in the hands of Bergen . Slow, dimwitted yet loveable. Mortimer not only LOOKED stupid ( Bergen ’s words, not mine) but ACTED and MOVED that way. This was done with very exaggerated slow movement and dialogue. Usually Mortimer would look far off into the distance when he spoke and listened. As if he were thinking about every word before he spoke it.

Then, there’s Danny O’Day. Fresh, brash. Always looking at Jimmy or Farfel before turning his head and going, “Sheesh!” Again, we can see the life-like movements that made Danny seem like a smart-aleck kid.

And Farfel; who would just sit there and cock his head to one side while cutting Danny to pieces. Not a great deal of manipulation here, BUT note how Jimmy moves Farfel’s head and mouth. He seems like a real dog. And if a real dog COULD turn his head and talk, that would be what he would surely look and sound like.

Now, let’s look at Jerry Mahoney. Jerry had not only moving eyes, but winkers as well. Winchell was expert at manipulating Jerry with both slow and quick movements. One of my favorite Mahoney-isms is when Paul would have Jerry pull his head away and say, “Get outta here.”

Another one was when he’d have Jerry lean in, face-to-face and say. “Kiss me.” I stress… LOOK at the manipulation of the figure. These LITTLE movements add LIFE and CHARACTER to the puppet.

Also, try to get into the habit of having the puppet actually “look” at someone in the audience. Practice by conversing with someone, and when the person is speaking to the figure, have the figure “respond” both verbally AND physically.

When we talk to someone, we don’t just stare at them, we interact. Nod our heads in agreement or shake in disagreement. Do the same with the figure.

On the subject of winkers, it looks a little “robotic” to have the figure blink his eyes every few seconds like people do. (It spooks some audience members too.) Rather, have him blink or close his eyes for EFFECT. As in when Jerry Mahoney said, “Get outta here!” Using one winker to flirt with a girl in the audience is cute and is also something your figure may do, if that is in his character.

If your figure has all the “bells & whistles,” remember you DON ’T have to use every single one of them to make him look alive. Chances are he’ll end up looking like a McElroy falling down a flight of steps!

Keep the movements simple and with purpose.

If you have an arm control rod or dowel installed, use it to mimic how someone would hold or move their arm and hand. Remember, less is more. Keep it subtle.

When manipulating the head, think of Charlie, Mortimer, Danny and Jerry. Each puppet had their own unique way of turning, tilting, and moving their head.

If you watch clips of Woody D. and Mr. Johnson, you will see two distinct styles of manipulation. Woody tends to be more energetic, as a kid WOULD be, and Jr. Johnson moves slower, as an old man would

One of the greatest figure manipulators was the late Johnny Main. He could make ANY figure come to life in his hands. If you looked closely, you would swear the figure was BREATHING! I learned SO much from him about subtle movements. That is what I strive for when performing. Make the audience believe that the figure is REALLY talking, moving, thinking as a separate entity.

How? Practice. There is no other way. Take the figure out and talk to people. Use a mirror or a video camera. Try to make people believe that the puppet is really doing all those things BY HIMSELF.

THAT is Manipulation! The Illusion Of Life!