73-480: Ventriloquism or ventriloquy is an act of stagecraft in which a person (a ventriloquist ) speaks in such a way that it looks like their voice is coming from a different location, usually through a puppet known as a "dummy". The act of ventriloquism is ventriloquizing , and in English it is commonly called the ability to "throw" one's voice. Originally, ventriloquism was a religious practice. The name comes from
146-442: A child, and a wooden one at that, Charlie could get away with double entendres which were otherwise impossible under broadcast standards of the time. Charlie and Mae West had this conversation in 1937. Charlie's feud with W. C. Fields was a regular feature of the show. Bergen was not a technically skilled ventriloquist, and Charlie McCarthy frequently twitted him for moving his lips. However, Bergen's sense of comedic timing
219-598: A comic strip based on Charlie McCarthy, scripted by Bergen. Bergen and his alter ego Charlie McCarthy were given top billing in several films, including the Technicolor extravaganza The Goldwyn Follies (1938), opposite the Ritz Brothers . That year they also appeared in You Can't Cheat an Honest Man with W. C. Fields . At the height of their popularity in 1937, Bergen was presented an Honorary Oscar (in
292-456: A contemporary wagon , was used to present the death of a character by rolling out their dead body, instead of showing their death onstage. The mechane , a crane for lifting actors over the skene, supported the conclusions of plays, whose storylines were often suddenly resolved by the introduction of a god. The mechane is the literal source for the contemporary phrase deus ex machina . Performances were lit by sunlight, often taking advantage of
365-404: A difference. Modern ventriloquists use multiple types of puppets in their presentations, ranging from soft cloth or foam puppets (Verna Finly's work is a pioneering example), flexible latex puppets (such as Steve Axtell's creations) and the traditional and familiar hard-headed knee figure ( Tim Selberg 's mechanized carvings). The classic dummies used by ventriloquists (the technical name for which
438-403: A farm near Decatur, Michigan until he was four, when his family returned to Sweden, where he learned the language. After his family had returned to Chicago, when he was eleven, he taught himself ventriloquism from a pamphlet called "The Wizard's Manual". He attended Lake View High School . After his father died, when Edgar was 16, he went out to work as an apprentice accountant, a furnace stoker,
511-431: A form lamp using a blowpipe to heat lime to incandescence was developed, for navigation purposes – it was soon adapted to theatrical performances and the limelight became a widespread form of artificial light for theaters. To control the focus of the light, a Fresnel lens was used. After candles, came gas lighting, using pipes with small openings which were lit before every performance, and could be dimmed by controlling
584-495: A functional human being. I knew my father loved me, but with his Swedish reserve, it wasn't his nature to tell me." In 1990, Bergen was elected to the Radio Hall of Fame , the same year that The Charlie McCarthy Show was selected as an honored program. A message in the closing credits dedicates The Muppet Movie (which featured Bergen and Charlie in their last screen appearance) to the memory and magic of Bergen. In 1991,
657-432: A guest appearance on a second-season episode of The Muppet Show , the highly acclaimed television comedy/variety program produced by Jim Henson who considered Bergen a major inspiration. His daughter Candice had also guest-starred on the show during its first season. Bergen died shortly after filming his Muppet Movie scene, which was also his final public appearance, and was subsequently dedicated to him. In 2009 Bergen
730-458: A mystery guest. Bergen also hosted the television game show Do You Trust Your Wife? in 1956–1957, later succeeded, in a daytime edition, by Johnny Carson . He appeared in the Christmas 1957 episode of NBC 's The Gisele MacKenzie Show . In 1958, Bergen appeared with his 12-year-old daughter Candice on an episode of You Bet Your Life starring Groucho Marx . In 1959, he appeared in
803-487: A player-piano operator, and a projectionist in a silent-movie house. Edgar so impressed the famous ventriloquist Harry Lester that he gave the teenager almost daily lessons for three months in the fundamentals of ventriloquism. In the fall of 1919, Edgar paid Chicago woodcarver Theodore Mack $ 36 to sculpt a likeness of a rascally red-headed Irish newspaper boy he knew. The head went on a dummy named Charlie McCarthy, which became Bergen's lifelong sidekick . He had created
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#1732772704076876-406: A profound impact on audiences all over the world. Stagecraft comprises many disciplines, typically divided into a number of main disciplines: The theater designer, responsible for orchestrating the visual and auditory aspects of a stage production, is traditionally known as the set designer. This convention has emerged for practical reasons, ensuring efficiency in the design process. Upon entering
949-534: A room on the roof to lower and raise scenery or actors, and used the raised stage by developing the practice of using trap-doors in theatrical productions. Most of the theaters had circular-design, with an open area above the pit to allow sunlight to enter and light the stage. Proscenium stages, or picture-box stages, were constructed in France around the time of the English Restoration , and maintain
1022-443: A technical director and a complement of designers, each of whom has a direct hand in their respective designs. Within significantly larger productions, for example a modern Broadway show, effectively bringing a show to opening night requires the work of skilled carpenters, painters, electricians, stagehands , stitchers, wigmakers, and the like. Modern stagecraft is highly technical and specialized: it comprises many sub-disciplines and
1095-406: A technical rather than an artistic field, it is primarily the practical implementation of a scenic designer 's artistic vision. In its most basic form, stagecraft may be executed by a single person (often the stage manager of a smaller production) who arranges all scenery, costumes, lighting, and sound, and organizes the cast. Regional theaters and larger community theaters will generally have
1168-472: A theater, viewers are immediately drawn to the set design, shaping their initial impression of the show. In this moment, designers establish the show's concept, define its style, evoke mood and atmosphere, and establish the tone by revealing the date and setting. Stage designers intentionally select elements to craft the audience's perception of the depicted worlds in a play, rather than simply replicating settings realistically. For much of theatrical history, there
1241-433: A vast trove of history and tradition. Greek theatre made extensive use of stagecraft, and Greek vocabulary and practice continue to influence contemporary Western stagecraft. The defining element of a Greek theatre's stage was the skene , a structure at the back of the stage, often featuring three doors. The usual setting for a classical Greek tragedy was a palace, and skenes were decorated to support that setting. On
1314-416: A ventriloquist, Bergen was also an actor and comic strip creator. He established the syndicated comic strip Mortimer and Charlie , which ran in newspapers from July 10, 1939, to May 1940, illustrated first by Ben Batsford and then by Carl Buettner. The comic strip's writer was uncredited, but some of the gags certainly were lifted from the hit radio show. Between 1947 and 1954 Harvey Eisenberg also drew
1387-479: A young fashion model who had graduated from Los Angeles High School the prior year. He spotted her in the audience of his radio program, where she was the guest of one of his staff members. A long-distance courtship, spanning years, ensued. The two were married in Mexico on June 28, 1945. On May 9, 1946, Frances gave birth to future actress Candice Bergen , whose first performances were on Bergen's radio show. By 1950,
1460-423: Is ventriloquial figure ) vary in size anywhere from twelve inches tall to human-size and larger, with the height usually 34–42 in (86–107 cm). Traditionally, this type of puppet has been made from papier-mâché or wood. In modern times, other materials are often employed, including fiberglass -reinforced resins , urethanes , filled (rigid) latex , and neoprene . Traditionally, the ventriloquist’s dummy
1533-541: Is depicted in the painting An Election Entertainment by William Hogarth as speaking via his hand. In 1757, the Austrian Baron de Mengen performed with a small doll. By the late 18th century, ventriloquist performances were an established form of entertainment in England, although most performers "threw their voice" to make it appear that it emanated from far away (known as distant ventriloquism ), rather than
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#17327727040761606-575: Is given a flippant personality who unapologetically insults their ventriloquist and often members of the audience as well. Great names in the history of dummy making include Jeff Dunham, Frank Marshall (the Chicago creator of Bergen's Charlie McCarthy , Nelson's Danny O'Day, and Winchell's Jerry Mahoney), Theo Mack and Son (Mack carved Charlie McCarthy's head), Revello Petee, Kenneth Spencer, Cecil Gough, and Glen & George McElroy. The McElroy brothers' figures are still considered by many ventriloquists as
1679-455: Is that all the sounds that they make must be made with lips slightly separated. For the labial sounds f , v , b , p , and m , the only choice is to replace them with others. A widely parodied example of this difficulty is the "gottle o' gear", from the reputed inability of less-skilled practitioners to pronounce "bottle of beer". If variations of the sounds th , d , t , and n are spoken quickly, it can be difficult for listeners to notice
1752-795: The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. He opened at Caesar's Palace Hotel Las Vegas on September 27, for a two-week "Farewell to Show Business" engagement. Three days later, on September 30, 1978, he died of kidney disease. Bergen was interred with his parents (buried under their true surname of "Berggren") in Inglewood Park Cemetery , Inglewood, California . In his will, according to Candice Bergen's memoir, A Fine Romance , he left his daughter nothing but bequeathed his dummy, Charlie McCarthy, $ 10,000. "I'd chased my father's approval all my life, and here
1825-522: The 1830s, followed by Fred Neiman later in the century, but it is Fred Russell who is regarded as the father of modern ventriloquism. In 1886, he was offered a professional engagement at the Palace Theatre in London and took up his stage career permanently. His act, based on the cheeky-boy dummy "Coster Joe" that would sit in his lap and 'engage in a dialogue' with him was highly influential for
1898-737: The 1950s and 1960s. A number of modern ventriloquists have developed a following as the public taste for live comedy grows. In 2007, Zillah & Totte won the first season of Sweden's Got Talent and became one of Sweden 's most popular family/children entertainers. A feature-length documentary about ventriloquism, I'm No Dummy , was released in 2010. Three ventriloquists have won America's Got Talent : Terry Fator in 2007, Paul Zerdin in 2015 and Darci Lynne in 2017. Two ventriloquists, Damien James and Christine Barger , have appeared on Penn & Teller: Fool Us . Several ventriloquists have grown large followings on popular social media apps like TikTok, as well. One difficulty ventriloquists face
1971-575: The 1960 episode "Moment of Fear" of CBS 's The DuPont Show with June Allyson . He did a stint as one of the What's My Line? mystery guests on the popular Sunday night CBS series. His colleague Paul Winchell happened to be a panel member during that episode. Bergen appeared on the NBC interview program Here's Hollywood . Bergen appeared as Grandpa Zeb Walton in the original Waltons television movie, The Homecoming: A Christmas Story (1971). The role
2044-490: The 1978 film Magic , the 1945 anthology film Dead of Night , and the Ventriloquist from Batman comics and other Batman media. Literary examples of frightening ventriloquist dummies include Gerald Kersh 's The Horrible Dummy and the story "The Glass Eye" by John Keir Cross. In music, NRBQ's video for their song "Dummy" (2004) features four ventriloquist dummies modelled after the band members who 'lip-sync'
2117-648: The Crypt ; Gotham (the episode " Nothing's Shocking "); Friday the 13th: The Series ; Toy Story 4 ; and Doctor Who in different episodes. This genre has also been satirized on television in ALF (the episode "I'm Your Puppet"); Seinfeld (the episode " The Chicken Roaster "); and the comic strip Monty . Some psychological horror films and other works feature psychotic ventriloquists who believe their dummies are alive and use them as surrogates to commit frightening acts including murder. Examples of this include
2190-536: The Funny which features in a television advertisement for Lijjat Papad, an Indian snack. Ramdas Padhye's son Satyajit Padhye is also a ventriloquist. The popularity of ventriloquism fluctuates. Comedian Jeff Dunham has been credited with reviving the artform and is said to done more promoting it than anyone since Edgar Bergen. In the UK in 2010, there were only 15 full-time professional ventriloquists, down from around 400 in
2263-600: The Irishman James Burne who "carries in his pocket, an ill-shaped doll, with a broad face, which he exhibits ... as giving utterance to his own childish jargon," and Thomas Garbutt. The entertainment came of age during the era of the music hall in the United Kingdom and vaudeville in the United States . George Sutton began to incorporate a puppet act into his routine at Nottingham in
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2336-454: The Latin for 'to speak from the stomach: Venter (belly) and loqui (speak). The Greeks called this engastromythia ( ‹See Tfd› Greek : εγγαστριμυθία ). The noises produced by the stomach were thought to be the voices of the unliving, who took up residence in the stomach of the ventriloquist. The ventriloquist would then interpret the sounds, as they were thought to be able to speak to
2409-724: The Music , which suddenly drew more listeners ( Fred Allen faced a similar problem because he directly appeared before them). In December 1948, Edgar announced he was temporarily "retiring" from radio, admitting that Stop the Music was too popular to compete with. His final NBC broadcast was on December 26, 1948. In October 1949, Bergen went to CBS , with a new weekly program, The Charlie McCarthy Show , sponsored by Coca-Cola . After their sponsorship ended in June 1952, Warner-Hudnut, Inc. , on behalf of "Lanolin Plus" cosmetics, primarily sponsored
2482-588: The United States in the 1950s and 1960s was Señor Wences . In south India, the art of ventriloquism was popularized by Y. K. Padhye and M. M. Roy, who are believed to be the pioneers of this field in India. Y. K. Padhye's son Ramdas Padhye borrowed from him and made the art popular amongst the masses through his performance on television. Ramdas Padhye's name is synonymous with puppet characters like Ardhavatrao (also known as Mr. Crazy), Tatya Vinchu and Bunny
2555-532: The air from May 9, 1937, to July 1, 1956. The popularity of a ventriloquist on radio, when one could see neither the dummies nor his skill, surprised and puzzled many critics, then and now. Even knowing that Bergen provided the voice, listeners perceived Charlie as a genuine person. In 1947, Sam Berman caricatured Bergen and McCarthy for the network's glossy promotional book, NBC Parade of Stars: As Heard Over Your Favorite NBC Station . Bergen's skill as an entertainer, especially his characterization of Charlie, carried
2628-500: The apex of complex movement mechanics, with as many as fifteen facial and head movements controlled by interior finger keys and switches. Jeff Dunham referred to his McElroy figure Skinny Duggan as "the Stradivarius of dummies." The Juro Novelty Company also manufactured dummies. Geoffrey Moran of Australia has built foam puppets Koala (Kevin) and Billy Baby. He has also built a wooden Irish Dancing Donut puppet along with Plunger
2701-504: The association with Charlie McCarthy, who has been my constant companion and who has taken on the character of a real person and from whom I have never been separated even for a day." Throughout the book, she suggested that her father seemed to have a stronger kinship with Charlie than with her. The dummy "dominated" her childhood, she explained, and even had his own bedroom in their house. "Those were unique circumstances to grow up in," she wrote. "Sometimes I have to give myself credit for being
2774-442: The audience-side of the skene, what are now known as flats could be hung. Flats evolved from one-sided to two-sided painted flats, which would be mounted and centered on a rotating pin. Rope would run around each consecutive pin, allowing the flats to be turned for scene changes. The double-sided-flat eventually evolved into the periaktos . Greek stagecraft was essential to the storytelling of its works. An ekkyklema , similar to
2847-428: The body himself, using a nine-inch length of broomstick for the backbone, and rubber bands and cords to control the lower jaw mechanism of the mouth. For college, he attended Northwestern University , where he enrolled in the pre-med program to please his mother. He later switched to speech and drama, but never completed his degree. He gave his first public performance at Waveland Avenue Congregational Church located on
2920-443: The course of the production. As a result, even if the actors and directors receive most of the attention, the stage manager's hard work and knowledge behind the scenes preserves the integrity and professionalism of live theater production. Edgar Bergen Edgar John Bergen (born Edgar John Berggren ; February 16, 1903 – September 30, 1978) was an American ventriloquist, comedian, actor, vaudevillian and radio performer. He
2993-569: The dead, as well as foretell the future. One of the earliest recorded group of prophets to use this technique was the Pythia , the priestess at the temple of Apollo in Delphi , who acted as the conduit for the Delphic Oracle. One of the most successful early gastromancers was Eurykles, a prophet at Athens ; gastromancers came to be referred to as Euryklides in his honour. Other parts of
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3066-456: The emotional impact of storytelling by coordinating the interaction of visual and aural elements. Stagecraft is essential to producing captivating and unforgettable theatrical moments, whether it is through the creative application of makeup and wigs, the inventive use of mechanical scenery, or the well-planned fusion of sound and visual effects. Stagecraft brings dramatic dreams to life by a fusion of artistic innovation and technical mastery, making
3139-590: The entertainment format and was adopted by the next generation of performers. A blue plaque has been embedded in a former residence of Russell by the British Heritage Society which reads 'Fred Russell the father of ventriloquism lived here'. Fred Russell's successful comedy team format was applied by the next generation of ventriloquists. It was taken forward by the British Arthur Prince with his dummy Sailor Jim, who became one of
3212-539: The family lived on Beverly Grove Drive in Los Angeles. The couple's second child was film and TV editor Kris Bergen. Frances also acted in several movies, co-starred in the 1958 TV series Yancy Derringer , and guest-starred in many other shows. In mid-September 1978, Bergen announced his retirement and sent his monocled, top-hatted partner, Charlie McCarthy, to the National Museum of American History at
3285-402: The famous Rainbow Room . It was there that two producers saw Bergen and Charlie perform. They then recommended them for a guest appearance on Rudy Vallée 's program. Their initial appearance (December 17, 1936) was so successful that the following year they were given regular cast roles as part of The Chase and Sanborn Hour . Under various sponsors (and two different networks), they were on
3358-474: The field is rapidly becoming one of the most diverse and complex in the industry. A wide range of disciplines are included in stagecraft, all of which are crucial to creating compelling and immersive theatrical productions. Stagecraft is the foundation of any theatrical play, impacting the audience's experience, from the skilled application of lighting to the elaborate creation of scenery and costumes. Stagecraft promotes flawless performance execution and amplifies
3431-411: The flow of gas, so long as the flame never went out. With the turn of the 20th century, many theater companies making the transition from gas to electricity would install the new system right next to the old one, resulting in many explosions and fires due to the electricity igniting the gas lines. Modern theatrical lighting is electrically-based. Many lamps and lighting instruments are in use today, and
3504-521: The form of a wooden Oscar statuette, the only wooden Oscar given so far) for his creation of Charlie McCarthy. Bergen, along with Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd, was also featured in the 1938 film Letter of Introduction . As an actor alone, Bergen portrayed the timid suitor of the sister Trina in I Remember Mama (1948), and appeared in Captain China (1949), The Hanged Man (1964) and Don't Make Waves (1967). Other film roles for
3577-478: The greater London area, Parliament was forced to do away with previous licensing laws and allowed all theaters to perform straight plays in 1843. Electric lighting and hydraulics were introduced to draw large audiences to see on-stage storms, explosions, and miraculous transformations. Technologies developed during the latter part of the 19th-century paved the way for the development of special effects to be used in film. Lighting continued to develop. In England,
3650-817: The highest paid entertainers on the music hall circuit, and by the Americans The Great Lester , Frank Byron Jr., and Edgar Bergen . Bergen, together with his favorite figure Charlie McCarthy , hosted a radio program that was broadcast from 1937 to 1956 and which was #1 on the nights it aired, popularizing the idea of the comedic ventriloquist. Bergen continued performing until his death in 1978, and his popularity inspired many other famous ventriloquists who followed him, including Paul Winchell , Jimmy Nelson , David Strassman , Jeff Dunham , Terry Fator , Ronn Lucas , Wayland Flowers , Shari Lewis , Willie Tyler , Jay Johnson , Nina Conti , Paul Zerdin , and Darci Lynne . Another ventriloquist act popular in
3723-455: The modern method of using a puppet ( near ventriloquism ). A well-known ventriloquist of the period, Joseph Askins, who performed at the Sadler's Wells Theatre in London in the 1790s advertised his act as "curious ad libitum Dialogues between himself and his invisible familiar, Little Tommy". However, other performers were beginning to incorporate dolls or puppets into their performance, notably
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#17327727040763796-581: The new character Podine Puffington was introduced; this saucy Southern belle was as tall as a real woman, in contrast to Bergen's other sit-on-the-knee sized characters. On Christmas Day that same year, Bergen and McCarthy appeared as guests on Walt Disney 's first television show, One Hour in Wonderland . In 1954, Bergen was a co-host on a memorable TV musical special, General Foods 25th Anniversary Show: A Salute to Rodgers and Hammerstein . On December 26, 1954, Bergen appeared on What's My Line as
3869-475: The northeast corner of Waveland and Janssen. He lived across the street from the church. In 1965, he gave the church a generous contribution, a thoughtful letter, and a photograph of himself which had been requested by the minister and was displayed in the church's assembly room which was dedicated to Bergen. He cut out an "R" and a "G" from his family name and went from Berggren to Bergen on the showbills. Between June 1922 and August 1925, he performed every summer on
3942-529: The particular time of day to support the story. Plays of Medieval times were held in different places such as the streets of towns and cities, performed by traveling, secular troupes. Some were also held in monasteries, performed by church-controlled groups, often portraying religious scenes. The playing place could represent many different things such as indoors or outdoors (as in the Cornish plen-an-gwary amphitheatres). They were played in certain places so
4015-534: The place of the most popular form of stage in use to-date, and originally combined elements of the skene in design, essentially building a skene on-stage. Lighting of the period would have consisted of candles, used as foot-lights, and hanging from chandeliers above the stage. Stagecraft during the Victorian era in England developed rapidly with the emergence of the West End . Prompted by and influx of urbanites in
4088-524: The professional Chautauqua circuit and at the Lyceum theater in Chicago. Bergen had an interest in aviation, becoming a private pilot. His first performances were in vaudeville , at which point he legally changed his last name to the easier-to-pronounce "Bergen". He worked in one-reel movie shorts , but his real success was on the radio. He and Charlie were seen at a New York party by Elsa Maxwell for Noël Coward , who recommended them for an engagement at
4161-524: The props could be used for the play. Songs and spectacles were often used in plays to enhance participation. More modern stagecraft was developed in England between 1576 and 1642. There were three different types of theaters in London – public, private and court. The size and shape varied but many were suggested to be round theaters. Public playhouses such as the Globe Theatre used rigging housed in
4234-773: The pull apart puppet, Ernie (from Tasmania) and Siegfried the World's Greatest Marching Band Leader. Other puppets, such as George, Darryl the Dinosaur, Goggles the bird, Barry the Box and Bruce the Robotic Bucket have been made by other associates. The plots of some films and television programs are based on " killer toy " dummies that are alive and horrific. These include " The Dummy ", a May 4, 1962 episode of The Twilight Zone ; Devil Doll ; Dead Silence ; Zapatlela ; Buffy The Vampire Slayer ; Goosebumps ; Tales from
4307-418: The second episode titled "Dossier" of the NBC espionage series Five Fingers starring David Hedison . On May 21, 1959, he guest-starred with Charlie McCarthy on NBC's The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford . Bergen continued to appear regularly on television during the 1960s and into the 1970s, appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as late as 1977. He guest-starred as Charlie in
4380-454: The series until the end of the 1953–54 season. In October 1954, Kraft Foods sponsored a new Edgar Bergen Hour . After Kraft's departure, the series continued with participating sponsors as a 55-minute series in the fall of 1955. However, because more people were watching television on Sunday nights than listened to radio (and advertisers preferred to sponsor TV shows by then), the series finally ended on July 1, 1956. In addition to his work as
4453-491: The show (many recordings of which have survived). Bergen's success on radio was paralleled in the United Kingdom by Peter Brough and his dummy Archie Andrews ( Educating Archie ). For the radio program, Bergen developed other characters, notably the slow-witted Mortimer Snerd and the man-hungry Effie Klinker. The star remained Charlie, who was always presented as a highly precocious child (albeit in top hat , cape, and monocle )—a debonair, girl-crazy, child-about-town. As
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#17327727040764526-585: The show, many listeners adjusted their dial and found the War of the Worlds presentation already underway with a realistic-sounding reporter detailing terrible events. Ray Noble was the musical director and composer, and teenage singer Anita Gordon provided the songs on his show. Gordon was said to have been discovered by Charlie, who had a crush on her. In the fall (autumn) of 1948, Edgar and Charlie faced serious competition from ABC's "jackpot" quiz show, Stop
4599-440: The song while wandering around a dark, abandoned house. Stagecraft Stagecraft is a technical aspect of theatrical , film , and video production . It includes constructing and rigging scenery; hanging and focusing of lighting; design and procurement of costumes; make-up; stage management ; audio engineering ; and procurement of props . Stagecraft is distinct from the wider umbrella term of scenography . Considered
4672-414: The stage manager makes sure that every aspect, from staff to materials, works in unison to realize the theatrical concept. Their responsibilities are broad and include managing backstage operations, organizing technical cues, and arranging rehearsals. In addition, the stage manager plays a pivotal role in mediating issues and fostering constructive communication between the actors and the creative team during
4745-684: The team include Look Who's Laughing (1941) and Here We Go Again (1942), both with Fibber McGee and Molly . Charlie McCarthy wore a US Army uniform in Stage Door Canteen (1943) with Mortimer Snerd. Bergen, McCarthy and Snerd were also featured in Walt Disney 's Fun and Fancy Free (1947). He later cameoed in all-star films such as The Phynx (1970), Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976), and The Muppet Movie (1979). In 1977, Bergen had made
4818-505: The world also have a tradition of ventriloquism for ritual or religious purposes; historically there have been adepts of this practice among the Zulu , Inuit , and Māori peoples. The shift from ventriloquism as manifestation of spiritual forces toward ventriloquism as entertainment happened in the eighteenth century at travelling funfairs and market towns. An early depiction of a ventriloquist dates to 1754 in England, where Sir John Parnell
4891-530: The world" because, on the night of October 30, 1938, when Orson Welles performed his War of the Worlds radio play that panicked many listeners, most of the American public had instead tuned to Bergen and McCarthy on another station and never heard Welles' play. Conversely, it has also been theorized that Bergen inadvertently contributed to the hysteria. When the musical portion of Bergen's show, The Chase and Sanborn Hour , aired approximately 12 minutes into
4964-513: Was best known for his characters Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd. Bergen pioneered modern-day ventriloquism and has been described by puppetry organization UNIMA as the “quintessential ventriloquist of the 20th century”. He was the father of actress Candice Bergen . Bergen was born in Chicago , one of five children and the younger of two sons of Swedish immigrants Nilla Svensdotter (née Osberg) and Johan Henriksson Berggren. He lived on
5037-521: Was featured in the comedy documentary I'm No Dummy , directed by Bryan W. Simon . Although his regular series never made the transition to television , Bergen made numerous appearances on the medium during his career. His first appearance was with Charlie McCarthy on NBC 's pioneering television variety show Hour Glass in November 1946. In a filmed Thanksgiving special, billed as his official TV debut, sponsored by Coca-Cola on CBS in 1950,
5110-403: Was no dedicated scenic designer role. Instead, theater practitioners relied on stock scenery or utilized the space itself to establish settings. While playwrights, producers, directors, designers, and performers all have specific roles to play, the stage manager is the one who manages the intricate collaboration between all of these important participants. Serving as the production's center point,
5183-551: Was played by Will Geer in the subsequent TV series. During the run of The Waltons —which took place throughout the 1930s and 1940s—the voices of Bergen and Charlie McCarthy were sporadically heard from the Waltons' radio, as family members regularly tuned in for that program. He appeared on The Muppet Show in Season 2. His daughter, Candice Bergen had appeared in Season 1. In 1941, Bergen met 18-year-old Frances Westerman ,
5256-419: Was proof I'd never get it," the actress wrote. "I was hurt, shocked, when I discovered he had left me out of his will." She further explained that her father had provided this inheritance for the dummy so that the funds could be managed, invested, and reinvested to provide for his future performances. She said her father wrote in his will: "I make this provision for sentimental reasons, which to me are vital due to
5329-425: Was superb, and he handled Charlie's snappy dialog with aplomb. Bergen's wit in creating McCarthy's striking personality and that of his other characters was the making of the show. Bergen's popularity as a ventriloquist on radio, where the trick of "throwing his voice" was not visible, suggests his appeal was primarily the personality he applied to his characters. Bergen and McCarthy are sometimes credited with "saving
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